Topical Encyclopedia
The term "transcendent" refers to that which is beyond or above the range of normal or physical human experience. In theological contexts, it is often used to describe the nature and attributes of God, emphasizing His otherness, majesty, and supremacy over creation. The concept of transcendence highlights God's infinite greatness and His existence beyond the limitations of the material universe.
Biblical FoundationsThe Bible presents God as transcendent in numerous passages, underscoring His sovereignty, holiness, and eternal nature. In
Isaiah 55:8-9 , the Lord declares, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." This passage illustrates the vast gulf between God's understanding and human comprehension, affirming His transcendence.
Psalm 113:4-6 further emphasizes God's exalted position: "The LORD is exalted over all the nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One enthroned on high? He humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth." Here, God's transcendence is depicted in His exaltation above all creation, yet He is also intimately involved with His creation.
Attributes of God's Transcendence1.
Eternality: God's transcendence is evident in His eternal nature.
Psalm 90:2 states, "Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God." This verse highlights God's existence beyond time, affirming that He is not bound by temporal constraints.
2.
Omnipotence: God's all-powerful nature is a key aspect of His transcendence.
Jeremiah 32:17 proclaims, "Ah, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!" God's ability to create and sustain the universe underscores His supreme power and authority.
3.
Omniscience: God's infinite knowledge is another dimension of His transcendence.
Psalm 147:5 declares, "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit." God's perfect knowledge encompasses all things, past, present, and future, setting Him apart from His creation.
4.
Holiness: The holiness of God is a central theme in Scripture, reflecting His moral purity and separateness from sin.
Isaiah 6:3 records the seraphim's proclamation, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth." God's holiness is intrinsic to His transcendent nature, distinguishing Him from all that is unholy.
Transcendence and ImmanenceWhile God is transcendent, He is also immanent, meaning He is present and active within His creation. This duality is a profound mystery of the Christian faith.
Acts 17:27-28 speaks to God's nearness: "He is not far from any one of us. 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.'" God's immanence does not diminish His transcendence; rather, it reveals His desire for a relationship with humanity.
Theological ImplicationsThe transcendence of God has significant implications for Christian theology and worship. It calls believers to a posture of reverence and awe, recognizing the majesty and greatness of God. It also provides comfort, knowing that the God who is above all is in control of all things. The transcendence of God assures believers of His ultimate authority and the fulfillment of His divine purposes.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Very excellent; superior or supreme in excellence; surpassing others; as, transcendent worth; transcendent valor.
2. (a.) Transcending, or reaching beyond, the limits of human knowledge; -- applied to affirmations and speculations concerning what lies beyond the reach of the human intellect.
Greek
3169. megaloprepes -- befitting a great one... Adjective Transliteration: megaloprepes Phonetic Spelling: (meg-al-op-rep-ace')
Short Definition: magnificent, superb,
transcendent Definition: magnificent
...Library
Third Tractate. The Knowing Hypostases and theTranscendent.
... THE KNOWING HYPOSTASES AND THETRANSCENDENT.... Similarly, this link which
is the Intellectual-Principle demands yet aTranscendent....
Out of thisTranscendent Eternal Nature, which is as Universal and...
... [Way-2-43] Out of thistranscendent eternal nature, which is as universal
and immense as the Deity? Out of thistranscendent eternal...
As, Then, by the Higher Mystical Ascent from Matters that Concern...
... IV."Apologetic Works. Chapter II. As, then, by the higher mystical ascent
from matters that concern ourselves to thattranscendent?...
Concerning "Holy of Holies," "King of Kings," "Lord of Lords...
... 3. These titles, then, must be given in an absolute sense to the All-Transcendent
Cause, and we must add that It is aTranscendent Holiness and Dominion, that...
Concerning "Perfect" and "One. "
... the title of "One"; and there is One God Who is the Father and One Lord Jesus Christ
and One unchanging Spirit, through thetranscendent indivisibility of the...
Concerning "Peace" and what is Meant by "Very Being" Itself, "Very...
... grasp), [470] and as to the manner in which It is still and silent and keeps in
Itself and within Itself and is wholly and entirely onetranscendent Unity in...
Concerning "Great," "Small," "Same," "Different," "Like," "Unlike...
... [441] And the excess of Greatness reaches to this pitch through the Absolute
Transcendent outpouring of the Incomprehensible Grandeur....
Concerning "Wisdom," "Mind," "Reason," "Truth," "Faith. "
... intellectual nature. [401] Thistranscendent sense, therefore, must be given
to our language about God, and not our human sense. We must...
Letter i. My Dear Friend, I Employed the Compelled and Most...
... I. The Absolute; the innominable [Greek text which cannot be reproduced] et Causa
Sui, in whosetranscendent I AM, as the Ground, IS whatever VERILY is:- the...
The Old Testament is Good: the New Testament is Better.
... But the Gospel possesses somethingtranscendent [above the former dispensation],
viz., the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, His passion and resurrection....
Thesaurus
Transcendent (3 Occurrences)... 1. (a.) Very excellent; superior or supreme in excellence; surpassing others; as,
transcendent worth;
transcendent valor.
...Transcendent (3 Occurrences).
...Omnipresence
... of the monotheistic conception of God as the Infinite Creator, Preserver and Governor
of the universe, immanent in His works as well astranscendent above them...
Anthropomorphism
... less in the humanizing of the gods than in the claim that "men are mortal gods,"
the idea being, as Aristotle said, that men become gods bytranscendent merit....
Authority (326 Occurrences)
... If He is immanent as well astranscendent, He speaks directly to men, and has no
need of intermediaries. Pantheism results in a naturalistic theory of truth....
Mediation
... ultimate nature of God and of the world conceived as essentially opposed to each
other, then mediation will be the mode by which thetranscendent God, without...
Consist (7 Occurrences)
... Let him note that thistranscendent estimate comes to us conveyed in the vehicle
not of poetry and rhetoric, but of a treatise pregnant with masterly argument...
Mediator (7 Occurrences)
... ultimate nature of God and of the world conceived as essentially opposed to each
other, then mediation will be the mode by which thetranscendent God, without...
Johannine
... Gnostic dualism had set God infinitely far from men astranscendent Being; John
brings God infinitely near to men as Love; and sweeps away the whole...
Romans (8 Occurrences)
... Let him note that thistranscendent estimate comes to us conveyed in the vehicle
not of poetry and rhetoric, but of a treatise pregnant with masterly argument...
Incomparable (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Not comparable; without a peer or equal;
matchless; peerless;transcendent. Multi-Version Concordance...
Resources
What is epistemology? | GotQuestions.orgWhy is biblical Creationism so important? | GotQuestions.orgCan God lie? | GotQuestions.orgTranscendent: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
