Omnipotence

Omnipotence is the idea that God is all-powerful.

It raises questions such as can God sin? Can God change the past? Can God run?

Does being omnipotent mean that God ought to do what is logically possible? Aquinas argued that logically impossible actions, such as 2+2=5 are not actions at all – they are not ‘proper things’ that one can or cannot do

C.S Lewis (1898-1963) agreed - “meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire a meaning because we prefix to them two other words ‘God can”

Anthony Kenny (1931-) defines God’s omnipotence as “consisting in the possession of all logically possible powers which it is logically possible for a being with the attributes of God to have” – this is because we cannot view God as having a body.

Alvin Plantinga (1932- ) argued that an omnipotent being may not have omnipotence as a necessary quality. He may choose to limit his powers in certain circumstances to preserve human free will.

Peter Geach (1916-) argues that God has the capacity for power, power over everything rather than a power to do everything and he bases this on the use of the translated word almighty to describe God in the New Testament.

God’s omnipotence is the Bible is shown through him providing a son for Abraham and Sarah despite Sarah being well beyond her child bearing years – “is anything too hard for the Lord?”.

Miracles demonstrate God’s omnipotence but there are things that God would never want to do because they are against his nature such as failing.

Christian theologians have taken the view that if God did not have supreme power, he would not be able to do the things that are necessary for human salvation such as saving people from their sins, resurrecting the dead and giving them eternal life in heaven.

Anselm and Descartes have this view of God when they formed their ontological arguments – that God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’ and that he has all of the perfections including power.

Aquinas argued that God is completely omnipotent and in charge of the whole world – “he can do everything that is absolutely possible” – if this is the case then God cannot do anything which is inconsistent with his character because that would imply contradiction. God is perfectly good so therefore, he cannot do evil.

Objections

• Hebrews 6:18 states that God cannot lie “it is impossible for God to lie”
• Definitions such as Plantinga’s and Kenny’s do not say much but that God can do all things that God can do!
• Is God’s omnipotence compatible with his other attributes such as benevolence as it would be illogical for God to be both able to do evil (because he can do everything) and unable to do evil at the same time (because he is all-loving)
• God as ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’ almost becomes an unpredictable and arbitrary tyrant who might do anything as he is capable to do anything

If God really can do anything, he must be able to do evil – he must be capable of being self-contradictory.

Peter Vardy – God’s omnipotence is limited and it is wrong to suggest that everything which happens is because of the will of God. God created the universe in such a way that his ability to act is limited. It is tuned in such a way that if God acted differently, everything could not exist as it does. it is perfectly suited for free, rational humans and to remain so, God’s omnipotence must be limited. However, this limitation is self-imposed.