The question of Satan’s ontological status strikes at the foundation of biblical monotheism: either Satan exists as an uncreated, eternal principle alongside God, or he stands as a finite creature under divine sovereignty. The first path leads to metaphysical dualism and the second preserves God’s absolute supremacy and the coherence of creation ex nihilo. This … Continue reading Satan: Created or Uncreated? A Biblical and Theological Investigation
trinity
On Trinitarian Analogies
You're sitting in Sunday school, and someone asks how to explain the Trinity. Within seconds, someone mentions ice, water, and steam. Another person brings up an egg—shell, white, and yolk. A third suggests shamrock leaves. We nod along, thinking we've captured something profound about God's nature. But what if these well-meaning illustrations actually lead us … Continue reading On Trinitarian Analogies
The Goodness of God: Divine Blessedness and Our Salvation
The doctrine of divine blessedness, or beatitudo Dei, affirms that God is perfect in himself, lacking nothing, and eternally fulfilled. This is grounded in scriptural exegesis of passages that describe God’s perfection and self-sufficiency. In Psalm 16:11, the psalmist declares, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness … Continue reading The Goodness of God: Divine Blessedness and Our Salvation
Does God the Son Rank Lower Than God the Father???
Since there is one divine essence (Deut 6:4; Js 2:19), there is no division or submission in the divine Persons. The Father, Son, and Spirit exist and act with one undivided and inseparable substance. The entire Trinity shares the same honor, authority, power, eternity, and mind. The Father, Son, and Spirit have no distinction in … Continue reading Does God the Son Rank Lower Than God the Father???
Blessed Trinity
Blessedness requires “(1) the absence of all evil, (2) the possession and presence of all good in the highest good, and also (3) the enjoyment of it, that is, the sense of it and a repose and joy in it.”[1] However, in God these attributes exist perfectly. Divine blessedness, according to van Mastricht, involves: the … Continue reading Blessed Trinity
Donnie's Dogmatics 