Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 3) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Book II of 'The five books against Marcion'.
My summary
Today Tertullian continues to handle Marcion's criticisms of God.
This week Tertullian shows that Marcion's teaching that God is not good is incorrect.
In particular, God's goodness is shown in:
(i) creation in general;
(ii) creation of man;
(iii) liberty of will;
(iv) spite of the fall;
(v) God's justice (including punishment of sin);
(vi) God's laws;
(vii) election;
(viii) spite of God's 'repentance';
(ix) God's oaths;
(x) spite of the incarnation.
What grabbed me
Tertullian gave a good description of God's goodness to man: 'Goodness spake the word; Goodness formed man of the dust of the ground into so great a substance of the flesh, built up out of one material with so many qualities; Goodness breathed into him a soul, not dead but living. Goodness gave him dominion over all things, which he was to enjoy and rule over, and even give names to. In addition to this, Goodness annexed pleasures to man so that, while master of the whole world, he might tarry among higher delights, being translated into paradise, out of the world into the Church. The self-same Goodness provided also a help meet for him, that there might be nothing in his lot that was not good. For, said He, that the man be alone is not good.'
Dare we ever say God is not good?
Next week's reading
Read Book III of 'The five books against Marcion'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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