God is both transcendent and immanent.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15 ESV)
"Am I a God who is only close at hand?" says the LORD. "No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?" says the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV)
The Bible never reconcile the transcendence and immanence of God. It just mentioned both in one breath, showing that God is both.
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time - he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:13-16 ESV)
He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. (John 8:23 ESV)
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:6 ESV)
Transcendence
God is apart and separate from His creations.
To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. (Isaiah 40:25-26 ESV)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:4 ESV)
For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. (Psalms 97:9 ESV)
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? (Psalm 113:5-6 ESV)
Immanence
Immanuel, God with us, through His indwelling Spirit.
And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 Young's Literal Translation)
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 ESV)
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17 ESV)
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:6-8 KJV)
Showing posts with label Unanswerable Questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Unanswerable Questions. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Contradictions
God is One but God the Father is God; God the Son is God and God the Holy Spirit is God. God is good but there is evil in the world. God is invisible but He can be seen. God is eternal (outside time and space) but He is temporal (inside time and space). God is transcendent (superior to, absent and apart from His creation) yet immanent (present and active in creation and within us). God is immortal but He died. God is holy (just), but He is merciful (unjust).
Such contradictions are possible only with the one true God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is beyond man's imagination.
Such contradictions are possible only with the one true God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is beyond man's imagination.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Can The Immortal Die?
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17 KJV)
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30 KJV)
Yes. Only the true and living God can be both immortal and mortal.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30 KJV)
Yes. Only the true and living God can be both immortal and mortal.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
God Visible and Invisible
God Invisible
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18 KJV)
No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. (John 6:46 NIV)
No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12 NASB)
But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" (Exodus 33:20 NASB)
God Visible
Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. (Exodus 24:9-11 KJV)
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. (Exodus 33:11 NIV)
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1 KJV)
Question
Is God visible or invisible?
Answer
God is Trinity. God the Father is invisible, but God the Son is visible. All appearances of God in the Old Testament was the pre-incarnate Christ. So God is both visible and invisible. Invisible, but yet have an image. Nothing is too hard for God.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15 NASB)
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18 KJV)
No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. (John 6:46 NIV)
No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12 NASB)
But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" (Exodus 33:20 NASB)
God Visible
Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. (Exodus 24:9-11 KJV)
The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. (Exodus 33:11 NIV)
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1 KJV)
Question
Is God visible or invisible?
Answer
God is Trinity. God the Father is invisible, but God the Son is visible. All appearances of God in the Old Testament was the pre-incarnate Christ. So God is both visible and invisible. Invisible, but yet have an image. Nothing is too hard for God.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15 NASB)
Friday, May 18, 2012
Four Mysteries
All religions face this mystery: Freewill or Predestination.
All monotheistic religions face this mystery: Did evil come from God?
Christianity faces this mystery: Trinity and Christ
Christianity faces another mystery: The sovereignty of God and the accountability of men.
But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Romans 9:20-21 ESV)
All monotheistic religions face this mystery: Did evil come from God?
Christianity faces this mystery: Trinity and Christ
Christianity faces another mystery: The sovereignty of God and the accountability of men.
But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Romans 9:20-21 ESV)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Mathematics' Unanswerable question
Religions are not the only one with unanswerable questions. Even Mathematics have unanswerable questions. What is the largest natural number? You cannot answer that question. Each time you think of a number, N, there is always a number, N + 1, which is greater than it. But no matter how large the natural number is, infinity is always greater than it.
It is okay to have unanswerable questions. It is never an issue. The issue is, is it really an unanswerable questions? One can always label an answerable question as an unanswerable question to stop questions and to avoid being exposed. Thus we must always examine an unanswerable question to make sure it is truly unanswerable.
It is okay to have unanswerable questions. It is never an issue. The issue is, is it really an unanswerable questions? One can always label an answerable question as an unanswerable question to stop questions and to avoid being exposed. Thus we must always examine an unanswerable question to make sure it is truly unanswerable.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Questions that the Buddha did not answer
Buddha refused to answer some common philosophical questions popular at his time. According to Buddhist Sanskrit texts, there are fourteen such questions, but Pali texts give only ten.
The fourteen questions:
Are the self and the universe eternal?
Are the self and universe transient?
Are the self and the universe both eternal and transient?
Are the self and the universe neither eternal nor transient?
Do the self and the universe have a beginning?
Do the self and the universe have no beginning?
Do the self and the universe have both beginning and no beginning?
Do the self and the universe have neither beginning nor no beginning?
Does the Blessed One exist after death?
Does the Blessed One not exist after death?
Does the Blessed One both exist and not exist after death?
Does the Blessed One neither exist nor not exist after death?
Is the mind the same as the body?
Are the mind and body two separate entities?
十四無記
1.世間有常（世界恒常存在吗？）
2.世間無常（世界不恒常存在嗎？）
3.世間有常無常（世界既恒常又不恒常嗎？ ）
4.世間非有常非無常（世界既非恒常又非不恒常嗎？）
5.世間有邊（世界有邊際嗎？）
6.世間無邊（世界無邊際嗎？）
7.世間有邊無邊（世界既有邊又無邊嗎？）
8.世間非有邊非無邊（世界既非有邊又非無邊嗎？）
9.是命是身（生命與自我是同一的嗎？）
10.命異身異（生命與自我不是同一的嗎？）
11.如來死後有（如來死後還存在嗎？）
12.如來死後無（如來死後不存在了嗎？）
13.如來死後有無（如來死後既存在又不存在嗎？）
14.如來死後非有非無（如來死後既非存在又非不存在嗎？）
十四無記 - 解釋
此詞又名十四不可記、十四難。即：
01、世界恆常存在。（「世有常」）
02、世界不會恆常存在。（「世無常」）
03、世界恆常而又不恆常。（「世亦有常亦無常」）
04、世界非恆常非非恆常。（「世非有常非無常」）
05、世界有邊際。（「世有邊」）
06、世界無邊際。（「世無邊」）
07、世界有邊際而又無邊際。（「世有邊無邊」）
08、世界非有邊際非無邊際。（「世非有邊非無邊」）
09、生命即是物質身體。（「命即身」）
10、生命與物質身體並非同一。（「命異身」）
11、佛死後還存在。（「如來死後有」）
12、佛死後不存在。（「如來死後無」）
13、佛死後存在而又不存在。（「如來死後亦有亦無」）
14、佛死後非存在非不存在。（「如來死後非有非無」）
依《雜阿含經》卷三十四所述，佛陀對外道以顛倒之見問難的十四個問題，皆不置可否，不予明確的答覆。《大智度論》卷二稱之為「十四難」，該卷曾解釋佛陀不回答的理由，是因「此事無實故不答。諸法有常無此理，諸法斷亦無此理，（中略）故佛不答」。
總之，這十四種問題是外道由於斷常一異等妄見而產生的邪執。其中前十二項是就有無等四句而言，后二項是就一異而言。新譯《華嚴經》卷二十一，更將前十二項就世間與我加以區分，而成十六種。
The ten questions:
The world is eternal (has no beginning in time)
The world is not eternal
The world is (spatially) infinite
The world is not (spatially) infinite
The soul (jiva) and the body are identical
The soul (jiva) and the body are different
The Tathagata (a perfectly enlightened being, the buddha) exists after death
The Tathagata does not exist after death
The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death
The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death
Buddha gave this as an analogy why he would not answer the questions, "Now did I ever say to you that if you led a religious life you would understand these things? It is as if a man had been wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends, companions relatives were to get a surgeon to heal him, and he were to say, 'I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know who wounded me, of what caste he is, what his name is, whether he is tall, short or of medium height, what colour his skin is, where he comes from, what kind of bow I was wounded with, what it was made of, whether the arrow was feathered with a vulture's wing or a heron's or a hawk's…..' Surely the man would die before he knew all this."
In another word, Buddha thought that these questions are irrelevant to seeking nirvana, and in seeking these answers, one may be distracted from Buddha's so-call "true path".
佛陀在世時，有一位比丘喜好思惟「十四難」的問題，他每天反覆思考著這些問題，卻無法找出答案，這令他寢食難安。有一天，比丘終於忍不住了，帶著自己的衣缽走到佛陀的住處，跟佛陀說：「佛陀，請為我解答十四難的問題，如果我明白了，就繼續留在僧團。如果您無法為我解答，我就要離開您，另尋名師了。」
佛陀看著這位比丘，感慨地說：「你真愚癡啊！我一生說法度眾，幫助所有眾生解脫老病死的煩惱。此老病死的問題才是當務之急。至於你問的十四難，只是無意義的辯論而已，對於實際的解脫煩惱而言，一點幫助也沒有。如果解釋給你聽，既非真實道之理，對修行、解脫又有何助益。」
接著佛陀又舉了一個譬喻繼續說道：「就好像有人被毒箭射中了，親人急著幫他找醫生取出毒箭治療，但是這個人卻說不行。他要先知道醫生姓什麼？住那裏？父母是誰？今年幾歲？還要問清楚身上的箭是出自那一座山？用什麼樹木造的？用什麼羽毛當箭翎？什麼人製作的？射箭的弓是什麼材質做的？箭上的毒藥出自何地？藥名是什麼？……這位中箭受傷的人，非要等到問清全部的問題才肯接受治療。」這時，佛陀停頓了一下，反問比丘：「這個人可不可以等到全部問題問完了，了解了，才拔箭上藥啊？」比丘不假思索地回答：「不可以。如果等到那個時候，早就毒發身亡，命喪黃泉了。」
聽到比丘的回答，佛陀慈悲地笑了笑繼續說：「你現在的處境就是如此。被邪見的毒箭射中了，不趕快求醫治病，非得要等到世間是常、無常、有邊、無邊等十四難問題解答了，才願意拔箭療傷。如果等到那個時候，早就喪失法身慧命，墮入三塗惡道的黑暗深淵了。」
比丘聽了佛陀的開示，心生慚愧。誠心領受佛陀的教導，晝夜依循佛法精進用功，最後證得阿羅漢果。(From this website 佛典故事:: 十四難 - 中台世界)
The fourteen questions:
Are the self and the universe eternal?
Are the self and universe transient?
Are the self and the universe both eternal and transient?
Are the self and the universe neither eternal nor transient?
Do the self and the universe have a beginning?
Do the self and the universe have no beginning?
Do the self and the universe have both beginning and no beginning?
Do the self and the universe have neither beginning nor no beginning?
Does the Blessed One exist after death?
Does the Blessed One not exist after death?
Does the Blessed One both exist and not exist after death?
Does the Blessed One neither exist nor not exist after death?
Is the mind the same as the body?
Are the mind and body two separate entities?
十四無記
1.世間有常（世界恒常存在吗？）
2.世間無常（世界不恒常存在嗎？）
3.世間有常無常（世界既恒常又不恒常嗎？ ）
4.世間非有常非無常（世界既非恒常又非不恒常嗎？）
5.世間有邊（世界有邊際嗎？）
6.世間無邊（世界無邊際嗎？）
7.世間有邊無邊（世界既有邊又無邊嗎？）
8.世間非有邊非無邊（世界既非有邊又非無邊嗎？）
9.是命是身（生命與自我是同一的嗎？）
10.命異身異（生命與自我不是同一的嗎？）
11.如來死後有（如來死後還存在嗎？）
12.如來死後無（如來死後不存在了嗎？）
13.如來死後有無（如來死後既存在又不存在嗎？）
14.如來死後非有非無（如來死後既非存在又非不存在嗎？）
十四無記 - 解釋
此詞又名十四不可記、十四難。即：
01、世界恆常存在。（「世有常」）
02、世界不會恆常存在。（「世無常」）
03、世界恆常而又不恆常。（「世亦有常亦無常」）
04、世界非恆常非非恆常。（「世非有常非無常」）
05、世界有邊際。（「世有邊」）
06、世界無邊際。（「世無邊」）
07、世界有邊際而又無邊際。（「世有邊無邊」）
08、世界非有邊際非無邊際。（「世非有邊非無邊」）
09、生命即是物質身體。（「命即身」）
10、生命與物質身體並非同一。（「命異身」）
11、佛死後還存在。（「如來死後有」）
12、佛死後不存在。（「如來死後無」）
13、佛死後存在而又不存在。（「如來死後亦有亦無」）
14、佛死後非存在非不存在。（「如來死後非有非無」）
依《雜阿含經》卷三十四所述，佛陀對外道以顛倒之見問難的十四個問題，皆不置可否，不予明確的答覆。《大智度論》卷二稱之為「十四難」，該卷曾解釋佛陀不回答的理由，是因「此事無實故不答。諸法有常無此理，諸法斷亦無此理，（中略）故佛不答」。
總之，這十四種問題是外道由於斷常一異等妄見而產生的邪執。其中前十二項是就有無等四句而言，后二項是就一異而言。新譯《華嚴經》卷二十一，更將前十二項就世間與我加以區分，而成十六種。
The ten questions:
The world is eternal (has no beginning in time)
The world is not eternal
The world is (spatially) infinite
The world is not (spatially) infinite
The soul (jiva) and the body are identical
The soul (jiva) and the body are different
The Tathagata (a perfectly enlightened being, the buddha) exists after death
The Tathagata does not exist after death
The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death
The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death
Buddha gave this as an analogy why he would not answer the questions, "Now did I ever say to you that if you led a religious life you would understand these things? It is as if a man had been wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends, companions relatives were to get a surgeon to heal him, and he were to say, 'I will not have this arrow pulled out until I know who wounded me, of what caste he is, what his name is, whether he is tall, short or of medium height, what colour his skin is, where he comes from, what kind of bow I was wounded with, what it was made of, whether the arrow was feathered with a vulture's wing or a heron's or a hawk's…..' Surely the man would die before he knew all this."
In another word, Buddha thought that these questions are irrelevant to seeking nirvana, and in seeking these answers, one may be distracted from Buddha's so-call "true path".
佛陀在世時，有一位比丘喜好思惟「十四難」的問題，他每天反覆思考著這些問題，卻無法找出答案，這令他寢食難安。有一天，比丘終於忍不住了，帶著自己的衣缽走到佛陀的住處，跟佛陀說：「佛陀，請為我解答十四難的問題，如果我明白了，就繼續留在僧團。如果您無法為我解答，我就要離開您，另尋名師了。」
佛陀看著這位比丘，感慨地說：「你真愚癡啊！我一生說法度眾，幫助所有眾生解脫老病死的煩惱。此老病死的問題才是當務之急。至於你問的十四難，只是無意義的辯論而已，對於實際的解脫煩惱而言，一點幫助也沒有。如果解釋給你聽，既非真實道之理，對修行、解脫又有何助益。」
接著佛陀又舉了一個譬喻繼續說道：「就好像有人被毒箭射中了，親人急著幫他找醫生取出毒箭治療，但是這個人卻說不行。他要先知道醫生姓什麼？住那裏？父母是誰？今年幾歲？還要問清楚身上的箭是出自那一座山？用什麼樹木造的？用什麼羽毛當箭翎？什麼人製作的？射箭的弓是什麼材質做的？箭上的毒藥出自何地？藥名是什麼？……這位中箭受傷的人，非要等到問清全部的問題才肯接受治療。」這時，佛陀停頓了一下，反問比丘：「這個人可不可以等到全部問題問完了，了解了，才拔箭上藥啊？」比丘不假思索地回答：「不可以。如果等到那個時候，早就毒發身亡，命喪黃泉了。」
聽到比丘的回答，佛陀慈悲地笑了笑繼續說：「你現在的處境就是如此。被邪見的毒箭射中了，不趕快求醫治病，非得要等到世間是常、無常、有邊、無邊等十四難問題解答了，才願意拔箭療傷。如果等到那個時候，早就喪失法身慧命，墮入三塗惡道的黑暗深淵了。」
比丘聽了佛陀的開示，心生慚愧。誠心領受佛陀的教導，晝夜依循佛法精進用功，最後證得阿羅漢果。(From this website 佛典故事:: 十四難 - 中台世界)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Questions that the Bible did not answer
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29 NASB)
There are questions that the Bible did not answer.
There are questions that the Bible did not answer.
- The Bible did not explain to us eternity and heaven.
- The Bible did not explain to us the mystery of Trinity.
- The Bible did not explain to us the mystery of Christ as wholly God and wholly man.
- The Bible did not explain to us the mystery of free will and predestination.
- The Bible did not explain to us the sovereignty of God and the accountability of men.
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