Of Faith in the Holy Trinity

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

To the characteristics of God, the Episcopalian Article adds the attribute without…passions.This comes from the second article of the Westminster Confession of Faith, “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…” The scriptural justification is Acts 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. These are false gods, who have passions like men. Paul is saying our God is not like men. Further, in Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Here, Paul emphasizes the fact that men have passions.

The first verse says nothing about passions and in the second, the Greek homoiopathes is better translated men of the same nature (NASB). The only other occurrence of passions in the New Testament is James 5:17, again best translated (referring to Elijah) as a man with a nature like ours (NASB). “Classic Christian orthodoxy teaches that God is impassible, that is, not subject to suffering, pain, or involuntary passions brought about by external causes.” (The Impassibility of God) J. I. Packer explains that the term simply means that God is not like us. “Not impassivity, unconcern, and impersonal detachment in the face of the creation. Not inability or unwillingness to empathize with human pain and grief, either. It means simply that God’s experiences do not come upon him as ours come upon us.” (quoted in Divine Impassibility)

Surely, God as Man in Christ experienced emotions. Jesus wept. (John 11:35) He surely suffered on the cross and through the events leading up to it, which we call the Passion of Christ. To say God is without passion suggests a God who does not care. To have the ability to feel emotions does not make God any less God, just as Jesus is fully God and fully Man.