LessonsEternal Divine Attributes: Knowledge, Power, Life and SpeechQuiz

If 'necessary,' 'knowing,' 'powerful,' and 'living' were fully synonymous, 'God knows' would add no intelligible claim beyond 'God necessarily exists.' But knowing and being able to act can be understood and discussed separately.

Example: Knowledge concerns what is known; power concerns what may be done. Knowing that an event is possible and having the power to bring it about describe distinct aspects, even when predicated of one subject.

The distinction is between meanings and attributes, not between multiple divine subjects. Nor does it automatically establish that God has spatially separable constituents.

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Why the predicates are not mere synonyms

Eternal Divine Attributes: Knowledge, Power, Life and Speech

If 'necessary,' 'knowing,' 'powerful,' and 'living' were fully synonymous, 'God knows' would add no intelligible claim beyond 'God necessarily exists.' But knowing and being able to act can be understood and discussed separately.

Example: Knowledge concerns what is known; power concerns what may be done. Knowing that an event is possible and having the power to bring it about describe distinct aspects, even when predicated of one subject.

The distinction is between meanings and attributes, not between multiple divine subjects. Nor does it automatically establish that God has spatially separable constituents.