INTRO: I suppose one of the questions many a theologian has asked is, “Which of all God's attributes is the chief one?” And I also suppose that the most common answer to that question is that it is His holiness. I too have pondered that question, but I do not believe it is God's holiness. I believe it is His goodness. I believe He is holy because He is good. He is righteous because He is good. He is merciful because He is good. And as I see it, you could go on and list every attribute in the very same way.
Henry C. Theissen, in his Systematic Theology says, “In the larger sense of the term, the goodness of God includes all the qualities that answer to the conception of an ideal personage; that is, it includes such qualities as God's holiness, righteousness, and truth as well as his love, benevolence, mercy and grace.” |