8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
- 1 Corinthians 13
We've read Tozer's words on God and his attributes. Based on the reading and your own self-reflection and meditation, respond to the following in your blog (B) and journal (J).
- 1 Corinthians 13
We've read Tozer's words on God and his attributes. Based on the reading and your own self-reflection and meditation, respond to the following in your blog (B) and journal (J).
- (B) On p.13, T. says, “We might be wise to follow the insight of the enraptured heart rather than the more cautious reasonings of the theological mind.” What lies behind a statement such as this? Why do you think T. would say this? (Do you think he is disparaging the “theological mind”?)
- (B) T. is trafficking in deep theological reflection on p.15-16. He draws the distinction between the “creature-thoughts” we have when we consider attributes of humans. Human attributes are parts of who we are because we are composite creatures. Though thoughts we must have when we consider the nature of God are infinitely different, because God is One.
In good company with many theologians before him, T. expresses that, “[God’s] being He owes to no one. His substance is indivisible. He has no parts but is single in His unitary being. The doctrine of the divine unity means not only that there is but one God [Deut.6:4ff]; it means also that God is simple, uncomplex, one with Himself. The harmony of his being is the result not of a perfect balance of parts but of the absence of parts…All of God does all that God does; He does not divide Himself to perform a work, but works in the total unity of His being. An attribute, then, is not a part of God. It is how God is, and as far as the reasoning mind can go, we may say that it is what God is…He is simply BEING Himself.” (p.15) How do you respond to these weighty ideas? What questions, thoughts do you have? Any connections made? Describe. - (J) After reading a chapter on God’s attributes and his Being, can you take a few minutes and take an inventory of your heart? How is your heart and mind responding to what T. writes here? Is your heart & intellect uplifted? Weighed down? Both?