SD 2.1

2.1. Of God and of the Holy Trinity

There is but one only living and true God; who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure Spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.

Proof texts

• Deut. 6:4 — [4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
• 1 Cor. 8:4, 6 — [4] Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” [6] yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
• 1 Thess. 1:9 — [9] For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
• Jer. 10:10 — [10] But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
• Job 11:7, 8, 9 — [7] “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? [8] It is higher than heaven — what can you do? Deeper than Sheol — what can you know? [9] Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.
• Job 26:14 — [14] Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
• John 4:24 — [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
• 1 Tim. 1:17 — [17] To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
• Deut. 4:15, 16 — [15] “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, [16] beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
• John 4:24, with Luke 24:39
• Acts 14:11, 15 — [11] And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” [15] “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
• James 1:17 — [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
• Mal. 3:6 — [6] “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
• 1 Kings 8:27 — [27] “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
• Jer. 23:23, 24 — [23] “Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? [24] Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.
• Ps. 90:2 — [2] Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
• 1 Tim. 1:17 — [17] To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
• Ps. 145:3 — [3] Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
• Gen. 17:1 — [1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
• Rev. 4:8 — [8] And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
• Rom. 16:27 — [27] to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
• Isa. 6:3 — [3] And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
• Rev. 4:8 — [8] And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
• Ps. 115:3 — [3] Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
• Exod. 3:14 — [14] God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
• Eph. 1:11 — [11] In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
• Prov. 16:4 — [4] The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
• Rom. 11:36 — [36] For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
• 1 John 4:8, 16 — [8] Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. [16] So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
• Exod. 34:6, 7 — [6] The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
• Heb. 11:6 — [6] And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
• Neh. 9:32, 33 — [32] “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. [33] Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
• Ps. 5:5, 6 — [5] The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. [6] You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
• Nah. 1:2, 3 — [2] The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. [3] The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
• Exod. 34:7 — [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Deut. 6:4 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 35 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WCF 2.1 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WCF 2.2 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WCF 2.1 · WCF 2.2 · WCF 2.3