God as an immortal 'being'

[imhereforyou]

For your own point of view, is it absolutely necessary for God to be this supreme being of everything that's immortal?
In other words, does God need to be something more that we can't understand, perfect and incapable of being flawed, or can it be something (or a series of somethings) that were entirely mortal and flawed, not all powerful and all knowing like many claim, that was simply more technically advanced than anything we've seen before or since?
Why or why not?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

My experience says God is very needy. And angry when he doesn't get his way. Which is disheartening to me.

Well I cannot speak about your experience, like beliefs they are particular to each person.

Thanks for sharing.


JW

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 11 by 2timothy316]

1 Timothy 6:16 indeed is speaking of Jesus as he is distinct from other kings of the earth in his 'immortality'. Very important that scripture is read in context is it not?

How can Jesus be “the one alone having immortality�?

The first one described in the Bible as rewarded with the gift of immortality is Jesus Christ. That he did not possess immortality before his resurrection by God is seen from the inspired apostle’s words at Romans 6:9: “Christ, now that he has been raised up from the dead, dies no more; death is master over him no more.� (Compare Re 1:17, 18.) For this reason, when describing him as “the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords,� 1 Timothy 6:15, 16 shows that Jesus is distinct from all such other kings and lords in that he is “the one alone having immortality.� The other kings and lords, because of being mortal, die, even as did also the high priests of Israel. The glorified Jesus, God’s appointed High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, however, has “an indestructible life.�​—Heb 7:15-17, 23-25.

I understand your interpretation and your explanation, but beg to differ.

Verse 15 could refer to either the Son or the Father, if read on its own.

Not so verse 16. This verse, taken as a whole, can only refer to God the Father, YHVH.

This part of the verse makes that clear: "who lives in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see". Note John 1:18.

Early in his letter Paul makes similar observations, and who he refers to is clear there.

1 Timothy 1:17

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 18 by Checkpoint]

My understanding comes from Greek translation to English. Where did you get the interpretation for immortality to mean 'no beginning'? It wasn't from the Greek word. So tell us where you got your interpretation.

Quite right. I stand corrected, thanks.

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

My experience says God is very needy. And angry when he doesn't get his way. Which is disheartening to me.

Well I cannot speak about your experience, like beliefs they are particular to each person.

Thanks for sharing.


JW

Which makes me wonder how much of "God" is in our own heads and not anywhere else?
Granted we are, in large part, made of our experiences. But I see a lot of people (assuming they're honest - perhaps that's a misstep in of itself) claim to experience what they've been programmed to experience.
Perhaps "God" is more than 'in each of us' but we are God ourselves to ourselves (and all that comes with it). A sort of spiritual self fulfilling prophecy, as it were...

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 24 by imhereforyou]

Excellent wonder away. Pondering is good.

There is even a bible verse that encourages pondering things over.


Enjoy!

JW

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 24 by imhereforyou]

Excellent wonder away. Pondering is good.

There is even a bible verse that encourages pondering things over.


Enjoy!

JW

Is there a verse (or verses) that instruct how to ponder?
In other words, I'd think the authors of the bible wouldn't want us to ponder in such a way that would sway us from its words.

[JehovahsWitness]

Is there a verse (or verses) that instruct how to ponder?
In other words, I'd think the authors of the bible wouldn't want us to ponder in such a way that would sway us from its words.

I think that's a fair conclusion.

I can't think of any specific verse at the moment.


JW

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 24 by imhereforyou]

Excellent wonder away. Pondering is good.

There is even a bible verse that encourages pondering things over.


Enjoy!

JW

Is there a verse (or verses) that instruct how to ponder?
In other words, I'd think the authors of the bible wouldn't want us to ponder in such a way that would sway us from its words.

How about this?

Philippians 4:8

New Living Translation

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

[imhereforyou]

[Replying to post 28 by Checkpoint]

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

That's great.
But can we not all agree on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable?
Just pointing out that what some people think are THRPLA might not be for everyone.
We're all individuals and, as such, we should think individually. If everyone is OK with that (as long as one isn't harming another directly), we're good!

[steveb1]

For your own point of view, is it absolutely necessary for God to be this supreme being of everything that's immortal?
In other words, does God need to be something more that we can't understand, perfect and incapable of being flawed, or can it be something (or a series of somethings) that were entirely mortal and flawed, not all powerful and all knowing like many claim, that was simply more technically advanced than anything we've seen before or since?
Why or why not?

Yes, for me, God is not exactly immortal, but rather eternal.
"Immortal" connotes a mortal being who has, by whatever means, passed into immortality; whereas "Eternal" connotes a being who has been always existent in an "eternal Now", never having been a mortal being to begin with.

Other essentials for my God-definition are:

God is real, but not a creator, intervener, or judge

God has no power, if by power is meant the ability to create, maintain, and intervene within the physical cosmos. God's only "power" is God's ability to transform persons from within - as a living, loving Presence in the soul.
God has no power of miraculous physical intervention.
And I see that as a virtue, not a flaw.

God is not an object of intellectual/scientific/philosophical knowledge, but rather of direct personal experience, as in mystical union and "gnosis". Since experience trumps faith, faith-about, and faith-in, then experience of God does, too.

At base, humans are not separate from God, according to the principle that, at base, the Atman is not separate from the Brahman, or in the sense that (as 2 Peter states), we are to become partakers or participants in the Divine Nature.

So "God" includes both the infinite Divine Awareness and Divine Being and our own limited awareness and being. This can be realized spontaneously, or through the hundreds of "lenses" or meditative, contemplative methods that have been designed specifically to attain God as an object of personal experience.

You say that God doesn't create, right? Then how did the universe come to be?

The universe came to be as science says it came to be. Or the universe never came to be, because it is, like God, eternal by nature.