God is often described as being omnipotent, meaning all-powerful or almighty. This raises an interesting philosophical question – are there limits to what God can do? In other words, are there things that even an all-powerful God cannot do? Let’s explore this complex theological issue.
The Concept of Omnipotence
The idea that God is omnipotent comes primarily from monotheistic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that conceive of God as the singular, unlimited creator of the universe. God’s supreme power is emphasized many times in religious texts like the Bible and Quran. For example:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)
Based on statements like these, most theologians and philosophers have concluded that if God’s power has any limits at all, they are so far beyond human understanding as to render God essentially omnipotent from our limited perspective.
The Paradox of the Stone
However, the concept of absolute omnipotence very quickly leads to paradoxes and philosophical problems. One of the most famous is the so-called Paradox of the Stone, which goes something like this:
Can God create a stone so heavy that even He cannot lift it?
If God can create such a stone, then there is something He cannot do – lift the stone. But if God cannot create such a stone, then there is again something He cannot do – create a stone too heavy for Him to lift. Either way, God’s power has a limit.
Variations on this paradox have been discussed by theologians and philosophers for centuries. It presents a thorny logical problem when trying to reconcile an omnipotent God with clear limits on what can be done (like creating square circles or married bachelors). Resolutions tend to emphasize different concepts of omnipotence.
Absolute vs Maximally Powerful
In response to paradoxes like the stone problem, philosophers distinguish between absolute omnipotence and maximal omnipotence. Absolute omnipotence means the ability to do literally anything, including logically contradictory feats. Maximal omnipotence means God can do anything that is logically possible.
So for the stone problem, a maximally omnipotent God could either create a stone too heavy to lift or not create such a stone, but an absolutely omnipotent God could do both. Most modern experts favor maximal omnipotence as theologically sound while excluding true logical paradoxes.
Infinity and Ability
Related to maximal omnipotence is the distinction between potential and actual infinity. An actually infinite God would have no limits at all, while a potentially infinite God has no meaningful limits from a human perspective. As philosopher Thomas Aquinas argued:
To suppose that God does not exist because he is unable to do logically contradictory things like making a stone so big he can’t lift it is like supposing a giant doesn’t exist because he can’t fit in your car.
This analogy emphasizes that hypothetical limitations on God’s power are not truly limitations, but just reflections of the gulf between humanity’s understanding and an infinite deity.
Omnipotence and Free Will
Another limitation sometimes raised against omnipotence involves free will. Can an all-powerful God create beings with free will? Some argue free will requires the ability to disobey God, so God cannot be totally in control of everything if He grants free will.
Responses emphasize that limiting one’s own power can itself be an exercise of power, not a sign of lack of power. So God can choose to limit His control and grant free will without contravening His overall omnipotence.
Omnipotence and Evil/Suffering
A related issue is the so-called problem of evil – if God is omnipotent and wholly good, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? Again, defenders argue that allowing evil and suffering to exist is not a “limitation” on God’s power, but rather God’s choice out of His goodness and desire to grant humanity moral agency.
That said, many philosophers have still used the existence of terrible evils as evidence against the existence of an omnimax (omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent) God as classically understood in monotheism.
Omnipotence and Necessary Truths
Are there are limits on God’s power that have nothing to do with paradoxes or God’s choice? Some philosophers argue there are necessary truths like logic and mathematics that are beyond even God’s control. For example, not even an omnipotent God could make 2 + 2 = 5, because that violates a necessary truth of mathematics.
Defenders argue in response that God’s omnipotence means He sets the very framework of necessary truths like logic that we take for granted. So God chooses to maintain a universe where 2 + 2 = 4, but He could rearrange reality and mathematics any way He desires – it only seems fixed from our limited vantage point within creation.
Omnipotence and Knowledge
Another potential limit on God’s power that has been proposed is knowledge – for example, can God know what it is like to be a limited human? The life experiences of all created beings may be beyond even God’s infinite understanding.
However, most philosophers argue that omniscience is just as central to the concept of God as omnipotence. An omniscient God would by definition know and experience all that there is to know. Also, unlike with omnipotence, there is nothing inherently paradoxical about a God with unlimited knowledge.
Theological Views
Within mainstream Christianity, the dominant theological view is that God’s power has no external limits or curbs on His exercise of power. Instead, any apparent “limits” on God’s abilities are self-imposed for His own purposes. Thus, God remains omnipotent even though He chooses at times not to exercise the full scope of His power.
Other Christian perspectives argue God binds Himself to act consistently with His character of perfect goodness, righteousness, and love. While God’s actions are in alignment with His nature, rather than external constraints, this is still a notable limit on God’s exercise of power.
Conclusion
The omnipotence of God is a central claim in classical monotheism, but raises difficult philosophical questions. The Paradox of the Stone highlights some of these challenges in reconciling a truly unlimited being with logic and necessary truths. Most philosophers resolve the paradox by conceiving of God as maximally powerful rather than absolutely omnipotent. Limits on God’s power to prevent evil or give free will are explained as consistent with this maximal omnipotence.
While debates continue, the dominant theological perspective is that any limits on God’s power are chosen by God, not imposed externally. Therefore, discussions about omnipotence ultimately circle back to the mystery of an infinite being wholly transcending human understanding. God appears omnipotent relative to humanity, even if absolute omnipotence remains philosophically problematic.