The Omnipotent Paradox?

[Chadz31]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the Omnipotent Paradox. It was brought up in a video I was watching and have since been pondering on this and going over it again and again. I prayed about it and then commented in the comment section of the video, in a nutshell "What makes an omnipotent, all-powerful God or being? Answer me this and I will answer the paradox".

My reason for asking that question is because the OP (omnipotent paradox) question itself is problematic with the already-established idea of what omnipotence is. If the person responds to me and says "An omnipotent God means he can do anything, he is all powerful without limits" then I would have to respond with the OP question, and therefore their answer and criteria as to what an omnipotent God or being is, is demolished by the question of the OP. So the burden has been shifted onto the the person who asked the OP question in the first place.

Anyone who can add in any research on the OP and/or their input I would love to read it

 

[PureX]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the Omnipotent Paradox. It was brought up in a video I was watching and have since been pondering on this and going over it again and again. I prayed about it and then commented in the comment section of the video, in a nutshell "What makes an omnipotent, all-powerful God or being? Answer me this and I will answer the paradox".

My reason for asking that question is because the OP (omnipotent paradox) question itself is problematic with the already-established idea of what omnipotence is. If the person responds to me and says "An omnipotent God means he can do anything, he is all powerful without limits" then I would have to respond with the OP question, and therefore their answer and criteria as to what an omnipotent God or being is, is demolished by the question of the OP. So the burden has been shifted onto the the person who asked the OP question in the first place.

Anyone who can add in any research on the OP and/or their input I would love to read it

Thanks for not posting the video. I mean that.

Secondly, I think it's important to understand that the term "omnipotence" refers to an imaginary state that we human beings could not possibly comprehend in actuality. And this is why whenever someone applies the idea of omnipotence to an actual condition, it creates a conundrum. It's a conundrum that has no solution, because we humans cannot actually define an unlimited state, like "omnipotence". Just as we cannot actually define any limitless condition or circumstance. These exist in our minds as idealized concepts. But if they exist in reality, we cannot ascertain them. "Infinity", "perfection", "omniscience", "omnipotence", "eternity": these ideals are not actually comprehensible by we limited human beings, because they are ideas based on limitlessness. And we humans are limited beings. We can't perceive limitlessness. We can't really even understand how it could exist. We can only imagine it as an ideal. And so they remain, to us.

There are a great many questions to which an honest and intelligent human will respond; "I don't know". Or, "I can only imagine".

 

[Nick M]

Can God make a rock so big that he cannot lift it? And this is why such nonsense needs no attention. If you want to burden your thoughts with it, go right ahead.

 

[Chadz31]

Can God make a rock so big that he cannot lift it? And this is why such nonsense needs to attention. If you want to burden your thoughts with it, go right ahead.

Well I don't see it much as a burden really, it is a more like a brain-teaser lol. The person above you gave a pretty good answer. Our limited minds cannot fully understand the limitless.

 

[musterion]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the Omnipotent Paradox. It was brought up in a video I was watching and have since been pondering on this and going over it again and again. I prayed about it and then commented in the comment section of the video, in a nutshell "What makes an omnipotent, all-powerful God or being? Answer me this and I will answer the paradox".

My reason for asking that question is because the OP (omnipotent paradox) question itself is problematic with the already-established idea of what omnipotence is. If the person responds to me and says "An omnipotent God means he can do anything, he is all powerful without limits" then I would have to respond with the OP question, and therefore their answer and criteria as to what an omnipotent God or being is, is demolished by the question of the OP. So the burden has been shifted onto the the person who asked the OP question in the first place.

Anyone who can add in any research on the OP and/or their input I would love to read it

It's only a paradox (maybe conundrum is a better term for what you're describing) if your starting point is to reason from Man to God; that is, the finite [you] attempting to frame the Infinite according to its own finite reasoning. It won't work. Can't work, by definition. Never has. There is no paradox. You are creating a conundrum out of a faulty premise.

 

[Chadz31]

Thanks for not posting the video. I mean that.

Secondly, I think it's important to understand that the term "omnipotence" refers to an imaginary state that we human beings could not possibly comprehend in actuality. And this is why whenever someone applies the idea of omnipotence to an actual condition, it creates a conundrum. It's a conundrum that has no solution, because we humans cannot actually define an unlimited state, like "omnipotence". Just as we cannot actually define any limitless condition or circumstance. These exist in our minds as idealized concepts. But if they exist in reality, we cannot ascertain them. "Infinity", "perfection", "omniscience", "omnipotence", "eternity": these ideals are not actually comprehensible by we limited human beings, because they are ideas based on limitlessness. And we humans are limited beings. We can't perceive limitlessness. We can't really even understand how it could exist. We can only imagine it as an ideal. And so they remain, to us.

There are a great many questions to which an honest and intelligent human will respond; "I don't know". Or, "I can only imagine".

Very nice answer. I was reading up on it now in another forum and one user commented "Actually, I find this paradox utterly ridiculous because it ignores the meaning of the word "omnipotent." If a being is omnipotent (all-powerful) then it is ridiculous to argue that such a being could somehow create something that it is powerless to manipulate. The only way for this paradox to make any sense is if the being isn't all-powerful, and then it's not a paradox at all because it is obvious that beings of limited power will encounter circumstances that they are not powerful enough to manipulate."

That was exactly my view on it, except he put it in words which I could not.

 

[musterion]

And welcome.

 

[Nick M]

Well I don't see it much as a burden really, it is a more like a brain-teaser lol. The person above you gave a pretty good answer.

The person above me is a godless mind hating idiot. And I give him no thought either.

 

[Rusha]

My understanding of the word *omnipotent* is ... there are no limits insofar as power and ability.

 

[musterion]

My understanding of the word *omnipotent* is ... there are no limits insofar as power and ability.

And given that, the question he should ask is, Does God see as a paradox what he thinks is a paradox.

 

[oatmeal]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the Omnipotent Paradox. It was brought up in a video I was watching and have since been pondering on this and going over it again and again. I prayed about it and then commented in the comment section of the video, in a nutshell "What makes an omnipotent, all-powerful God or being? Answer me this and I will answer the paradox".

My reason for asking that question is because the OP (omnipotent paradox) question itself is problematic with the already-established idea of what omnipotence is. If the person responds to me and says "An omnipotent God means he can do anything, he is all powerful without limits" then I would have to respond with the OP question, and therefore their answer and criteria as to what an omnipotent God or being is, is demolished by the question of the OP. So the burden has been shifted onto the the person who asked the OP question in the first place.

Anyone who can add in any research on the OP and/or their input I would love to read it

What paradox?

God is all powerful, but He has truth He lives by as well. That is God is true to His word. He cannot lie, Hebrews

He gave man free will, therefore, He does not overstep man's freewill.

Although all powerful, He has chosen to limit himself, so that man can decide on his own whether to love him or not.

God is likewise wise, He does not do foolish things, although to men it may seem foolish.

God's "foolishness" is better than men's wisdom.

God's "weaknesses" are stronger than men's strengths, etc

 

[Nick M]

The paradox is that when Marty and the Doc altar the past, only the pictures and articles with them change. The world is the same and only changes when they jump back to the future. Why is that?

 

[Bradley D]

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns" (Rev. 19:6).

Almighty: 3841 pantokrátōr (from 3956 /pás, "all" and 2902 /kratéō, "prevail") – properly, almighty; unrestricted power exercising absolute dominion.

God is almighty because what He has said will come to pass has and will.

 

[OCTOBER23]

WHAT IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND ?

Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

3841 παντοκράτωρ pantokrator pan-tok-rat’-ore

from 3956 and 2904; n m; TDNT-3:914,466; { See TDNT 410 }

AV-Almighty 9, omnipotent 1; 10

1) he who holds sway over all things
2) the ruler of all
3) almighty: God

 

[Desert Reign]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the Omnipotent Paradox. It was brought up in a video I was watching and have since been pondering on this and going over it again and again. I prayed about it and then commented in the comment section of the video, in a nutshell "What makes an omnipotent, all-powerful God or being? Answer me this and I will answer the paradox".

Anyone who can add in any research on the OP and/or their input I would love to read it

A discussion of this question has been taking place here.

 

[genuineoriginal]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the Omnipotent Paradox. It was brought up in a video I was watching and have since been pondering on this and going over it again and again. I prayed about it and then commented in the comment section of the video, in a nutshell "What makes an omnipotent, all-powerful God or being? Answer me this and I will answer the paradox".

My reason for asking that question is because the OP (omnipotent paradox) question itself is problematic with the already-established idea of what omnipotence is. If the person responds to me and says "An omnipotent God means he can do anything, he is all powerful without limits" then I would have to respond with the OP question, and therefore their answer and criteria as to what an omnipotent God or being is, is demolished by the question of the OP. So the burden has been shifted onto the the person who asked the OP question in the first place.

Anyone who can add in any research on the OP and/or their input I would love to read it

This is supposed to be the classic statement of the Omnipotent Paradox:
"Could an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy that even they could not lift it?"


But, the Bible says this about God:

John 4:24 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.​

This just shows that the question is being asked without checking the assumptions being made about God in the question.

 

[WonderfulLordJesus]

Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

Being able to perform all one's pleasure and even being transcendent of time limitations: that's pretty omnipotent, to my mind. You could also perhaps ask, if God cannot be characterized as omnipotent, then who do you propose could be so characterized? Isn't the One having maximum power, that can't be measured, the primal, eternal Cause omnipotent? By the way, "God" is a noun definition of omnipotent. (When all else fails, try looking up the meaning of the word...)

 

[WonderfulLordJesus]

This is supposed to be the classic statement of the Omnipotent Paradox:
"Could an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy that even they could not lift it?"

It's an invalid question, from the standpoint that what we call supernatural, the ability to manipulate all things material at will, change water to wine or blood, bring the sun to a standstill for a time, or angels, that is spirits, moving the stone at the Lord's tomb, material creation itself, all such things: God could, clearly, do anything, with any rock, of any size, instantly morph it however He pleases. The question fails to consider the demonstrable nature of God and His command over all things material.

God, demonstrably, has supernatural power over all things material, the power of the Spirit transcending the material world, absolutely. It's very much a creature-type, material question, the creature that needs muscles or tools, the creature that is bound by gravity. God is, in no such ways, limited. Look at Revelation, end of the millennium, He brings the New Jerusalem down do a new earth. How do you like them apples, in terms of lifting rocks? Don't you believe God could command Jupiter to move to another galaxy, in the blink of an eye?

No, God could do anything, with any rock He creates, to include making it vanish, without even a puff of smoke, much less He could lift it and hurl it into the void, with no need for muscles, arms or hands. Obviously. To put it very plainly, God is BIG!

2 Timothy 3

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

 

[genuineoriginal]

It's an invalid question, from the standpoint that what we call supernatural, the ability to manipulate all things material at will, change water to wine or blood, bring the sun to a standstill for a time, or angels, that is spirits, moving the stone at the Lord's tomb, material creation itself, all such things: God could, clearly, do anything, with any rock, of any size, instantly morph it however He pleases. The question fails to consider the demonstrable nature of God and His command over all things material.

God, demonstrably, has supernatural power over all things material, the power of the Spirit transcending the material world, absolutely. It's very much a creature-type, material question, the creature that needs muscles or tools, the creature that is bound by gravity. God is, in no such ways, limited. Look at Revelation, end of the millennium, He brings the New Jerusalem down do a new earth. How do you like them apples, in terms of lifting rocks? Don't you believe God could command Jupiter to move to another galaxy, in the blink of an eye?

Yes.
We also should remember that God set the stars in the heavens, and scientists claim the stars are much bigger than Jupiter.

No, God could do anything, with any rock He creates, to include making it vanish, without even a puff of smoke, much less He could lift it and hurl it into the void, with no need for muscles, arms or hands. Obviously. To put it very plainly, God is BIG!

Yes, and as I pointed out, God is a spirit, which means that material restrictions do not apply to Him (like you pointed out with the reference to muscles).

I guess this all goes back to the OP's question about what exactly is an omnipotent being.

 

[musterion]

Looks like old Chad wasn't really serious about getting answers anyway.