Knowing God

As promised, here are my thoughts on J.I. Packer's Knowing God. I read this book this semester for my Christian Doctrine class and recently wrote a 5 page paper on it. That is one of the reasons that I have not been posting recently. But I am going to post part of my paper here:

The question that then arises from this summary of a very detailed book becomes, “Is all that Packer says about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit true or has he gone astray from biblical teaching?” This question should be asked of any book that is written about the person of God. If the teachings do not line up with Scripture, then the book should not be studied. However, if one can find Scriptural support, then the book can be used to help others better understand what the Bible teaches about God. So it is important to look at these three sections of Knowing God and determine if Packer’s ideas are trustworthy or heretical. To do so, one must immediately go to the Bible and see if Scripture backs up his claims.

As stated previously, Packer begins with five truths about God, but for sake of space those cannot be listed here.[1] But one can immediately find these truths by referring to John 1. John, in his gospel, lays out the Trinity, the Word becoming flesh, God speaking to man, and God reigning over the world. Immediately Packer appears to be supporting his claims with Scripture. The next question that arises, deals with man’s capability of having the ability to personally know God in form of a relationship. According to Psalm 139, God knows everything about us, and with the detail that the psalm gives, God appears to be seeking out an intimate relationship with His creation. Paul also states in Philippians 3:10 that we can know Him in His resurrection, suffering, and death. Through these powerful images, we can develop a close relationship with God. But there must also be proof of who we believe in, and if we are truly a follower of Christ, then our actions will back up our talk. Countless times, the Bible mentions that we are to obey the Lord. Obedience shows commitment, and if one lacks obedience, he may not truly be in a right relationship with God. But more than actions, the believer must also worship and love the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:5 commands God’s followers to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength (every aspect of life).

But beyond the idea of loving and building a relationship with God, the believer must also stay away from idols. Packer mentions God’s jealousy and explains that He has a right to be jealous in that He is the only one worthy of our worship. He commands believers in Exodus 20:3 to have no other gods before Him. We cannot serve God and some other aspect of life. Jesus illustrates this in Luke 16:13. It is impossible to love God when we have set up some other “god” in our life. Finally, Packer closes the first section of the book with God as a triune God. Although this word, “trinity” is never used in Scripture, passages such as Matthew 3:13-17 illustrate God as three. It is clear that Packer begins his book with a firm foundation in the teachings of Scripture.

The second portion of Knowing God transitions into a study on the attributes of God. Again it is important to see where the Bible mentions these various characteristics about God. There are too many mentioned in his book to list, but there a few key attributes that need to be discussed. First off, Packer describes God as unchangeable. A very common Scripture that helps to illustrate this point is Hebrews 13:8. The author of Hebrews declares God as the same from eternity past to eternity future. God has not changed since the beginning of “time” and will not change as time progresses. He remains consistent through all the stages of the world. Another key aspect of God’s character is His interaction with human beings. Packer discusses many aspects of God’s interaction: His wisdom, love, grace, Word, and even His judgment and wrath. Through these aspects, God is painted as a relational God. And the Bible once again supports these views. All throughout Scripture one can see God as a loving and compassionate God who judges those who reject Him. He interacts in the lives of His children, and this can be seen through the lives of Abraham, Moses, David, and even Paul. In the same way God wants to have that relationship with his children today. Since He has not changed, He continues to build relationships with His people.

Packer clearly backs up his ideas with Scripture. Knowing God is filled with hundreds of Scripture references that help support the views that Packer presents to his readers. But according to Packer, “all roads in the Bible lead to Romans, and all views afforded by the Bible are seen most clearly in Romans.”[2] This passage becomes one of the central passages for Packer, and this is where he summarizes the third section of the book and the book as a whole. The third section discusses the Gospel and the believer’s relation to the Gospel. Using Romans, Packer walks the reader through the plan of salvation, showing the reader who God is, what God has done, and what the Gospel is all about.

[1] Refer to the book, page 20.
[2]Ibid, 253.

In my paper, I first gave a summary of the book. What you have just read is the application portion/my critique of the book. I feel that this was a great book that can help someone know God a little bit better. It should not replace the Bible, and neither should any book. But Packer presents many great thought provoking ideas, and I encourage you to read this.

Matt