Immutability of God by Berkhof

Immutability of God – by Berkhof – Answered by Hill

It is important to quote some theologians from the 20^th century to show how the theology has not changed from the time of Calvin, and has not changed much from the time of Augustine. Berkhof’s Systematic Theology has become a classic to most Calvinists. He wrote on pp. 58,59: “The Immutability of God is a necessary concomitant of His aseity. It is that perfection of God by which He is devoid of all change, not only in His Being, but also in His perfections, and in His purposes and promises. In virtue of this attribute He is exalted above all becoming, and is free from all accession or diminution and from all growth or decay in His Being or perfections. His knowledge and plans, His moral principles and volitions remain forever the same.” This statement is negated by all the repent verses, the anger verses and the other passion verses found in the Bible. He continued, “Even reason teaches us that no change is possible in God, since a change is either for better or for worse.” He was just parroting Plato here. “Is it not true that to be altered and moved by something else happens least to things that are in the best condition . . . that the healthiest and strongest is least altered. . . . And is it not the soul that is bravest and most intelligent that would be least disturbed and altered by any external affection . . . that those which are well made and in good condition are least liable to be changed by time and other influences. That is so. It is universally true then, that that which is in the best state by nature or art or both admits least alteration by something else. So it seems. But God, surely and everything that belongs to God is in every way in the best possible state. . . . Then does he (God) change himself for the better and to something fairer, or for the worse and to something uglier than himself? It must necessarily, said he, be for the worse if he is changed . . . the gods themselves are incapable of change. . . . Then God is altogether simple and true in deed and word, and neither changes himself nor deceives others.”

Berkhof continued, “This immutability of God is clearly taught in such passages of Scripture as (he names 8.) . . . “There is change round about Him, change in the relations of men to Him, but there is no change in Him Being, His attributes, His purposes, His motives of action, or His promises.”

Arthur W. Pink, in his The Sovereignty of God, Grand Rapids Michigan:1930, p.196, wrote: “If the words ‘It repented the Lord...are regarded in an absolute sense then God’s omniscience would be denied...it must be evident to every reverent soul...The finite cannot comprehend the Infinite...is surely an accommodation of terms brought down to the level of human comprehension.” Pink’s statement is very telling. He’s saying, “If we have to take the Bible at face value-what it says, our theology [his] is all wet. It would be nice if he didn’t have to deal with all that Scripture which disagrees with him.

I’ve shown that God does change in His promises as shown in many passages. For example, Joshua 3:10 “And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.”

It doesn’t matter whether it is Augustine, Calvin, Berkhof, Pink or Sproul. They all have been influenced by the rationalism of Plato rather than the word of God, on immutability.

Bob Hill