Can and does God change?

Can and does God change?

Many seem to think that when scripture says that God is immortal and perfect, it means that God never changes his mind on anything and that his perfection is complete.
They use the following basic definition.
www.merriam-webster.com...

Scripture seems to contradict this definition. It shows a N T Jesus that must learn and an O T God who changes thanks to repenting.

In the real world, all things seem to evolve.

Is God a never changing stagnant pool of information or does he evolve the same as all other life?

If he was perfect and complete for millennia in the beginning, why would he suddenly feel a new urge to create and self glorify himself with the love of insignificant creations?

Where did his needs for adoration, belief, and obedience from, what to him, would be less than what an amoeba is to us?

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Further, if his intent was to create many followers, why does scripture show more failed creations than successful ones?

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Regards
DL

reply to post by Greatest I am


i am gonna throw out what might seem like an overly simplistic and hollow answer but bear with it... God is change. the only thing that is constant, has been constant and for all we know will always be constant is change. change can be good and change can be bad. change effects everyone and change is everywhere. dunno. like i said it might seem overly simplified, but to answer your question... can God change? i just say (for this question) God is change.

reply to post by Greatest I am


While I personally feel that if there is a "God", God does change or evolve.... Scripture seems to back up, rather than contradict, that He does not change...
Mal. 3:6-
New International Version (©1984)
"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

People are quite happy change God if it suites their social understandings or adherences (homosexuals, mixed fabrics, pork)

Fundamentals like the Westboro Baptist Church are more consistant with their religion, their belef in the doctrine is consistant.

reply to post by Greatest I am


if god does change - what was wrong with the " old " god ?? it is we who change - and we change god to suit us

reply to post by Greatest I am


I think the changes are actually because as humanity changes, God must change the way he at, if he exist, he is perfect, but perfect doesn't mean immutable

Originally posted by Greatest I am
Scripture seems to contradict this definition. It shows a N T Jesus that must learn and an O T God who changes thanks to repenting.

The OT "repentances" are not presented as genuine changes, but as responses to human behaviour.
Typically, his original intention is presented as "If they disobey me, I will follow Plan A; if they cease to disobey me, I will follow Plan B". Then if people switch from disobedience to obedience, or vice-versa, he switches from Plan A to Plan B, or vice-versa. That does not amount to a genuine change, because both courses of action are covered by the original intention. Either way, he's doing what he always intended to do in those circumstances.

As for Jesus, bear in mind the orthodox christology, that Christ is not just "God", but God and man at the same time. It was the humanity that needed to learn.

Can God change? You would have to ask, "Where would change come from?" We change because of external forces beyond our control, or internal weaknesses beyond our control. By definition, neither of those factors could exist in the case of an eternally self-existing God.

Anyone ever think it wasn't God that changed in the NT from the OT...

Perhaps it was just the level of understanding God... OT writer were apparently comunicating with God to some extent. I have issues with this theory but still they did know of the Christ's comming.

Once Jesus starting preaching the mind of God, it seems God changed but in fact he did not, only the level of understanding God did...

Many passages in the OT show that God condones murder, yet somehow i believe those passages were written by men with agendas. God has no reason to murder his children, no matter what their sin...

God doesn't change, people's understanding does