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How can God be everywhere and also outside of space and time?

by | Jul 13, 2017 | God, Questions

Sometimes critics of Christianity, such as atheists, raise the argument that it is not possible for God to be everywhere and also be outside of space and time. But this is true only if each being “everywhere” and “being outside of space and time” are mutually incompatible. The solution is found in definitions.

First, the Christian concept of God is that He is the creator of the physical universe in which time and space exist. This means that He is not dependent upon either one for His own existence. He transcends them. He is independent of them. But according to Scripture, He is also within our universe (Psalm 139:7–8). In addition, Jesus, who is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14; Col. 2:9) entered into our realm as a human being. So, according to the Christian scriptures, it is possible for God to be the creator of time and space and also exist within it. Therefore, one condition does not make the other condition impossible.

Second, what does it mean to be “outside of space and time”? Without a proper understanding of what that is, how can it be asserted that it is not possible for God to be everywhere and yet also outside of space and time since the latter phrase can’t be properly explained? The critic must tell us what it means for God to exist outside of space and time in order for him to try to uphold his criticism. If he can’t, then his criticism is meaningless.

Third, how can we comprehend such a concept as existence “outside of space and time” so as to make an assessment of God’s relationship to it? Our five senses are designed to work within space and time. Therefore, our conceptualizations about what existence is are based on what we see within our three-dimensional realm. So, it would be difficult for anyone to define what it means to be outside of space and time from a perspective that is restricted to being inside of it.

So, does the criticism have any strength to it? No, it does not. Can God be both in the universe and also outside of it?  I don’t see any reason why He cannot accomplish both.

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