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Attributes and Abilities of the Triune God

The Triune
God
The Nature of
God
The Persons of
God
The Being of
God

Ability
or
"God can"
Act
(Omnipotent,
Control)
Know
(Omniscient,
Foreknowledge,
Learn)
Understand
(All-understanding)
Discern
(Judgment,
Wisdom, All-wise)
Desire
(Will, Wish)
Communicate
(Speak, converse)
Think
(Mind, Rational,
Reason, Counsel,
Purpose, Emotion)
Determine
(Will, Irrevocable,
Immutable, Free)
Experience
(Personality,
Impassable)
 

Attribute
or
"God is"
Self-Sufficient
(Perfect, Complete,
Independent, Free)
Dependable
(Unfailing, Infallible,
Infinite, Unchanging)
Conscious
(Awareness)
Good
(Love, Grace,
Mercy, Patience,
Compassion, Hate)
True
(Just, Righteous,
Wrath, Jealous,
Faithful, Moral,
Conscience, Immutable)
Living
(Self conscious)
Blessed
(Happy, Joyful,
Pleased, Pleasure,
Grief, Sorrow)
Self-Existent
(Eternal, Aseity,
Solidarity)
Spirit
(Essence,
Incorporeality,
Material, Infinite,
Oneness, Simplicity,
Unity)
Present
(Omnipresent,
Immense, Immanence,
Residency)

The Triune
God
Holy
(Glorious, Beautiful, Incomprehensible,
Knowable, Transcendence, Authority,
Sovereign, Supreme)

“Ability” indicates what God can do. “Attribute” indicates what God is like. Primary characteristics are bolded. Related characteristics are listed in parentheses under the respective primary characteristic.

Characteristics listed under “The Nature of God” are related to God’s one divine nature and are equally shared by the three persons. Characteristics listed under “The Persons of God” are held in common individually by the three distinct persons. Characteristics listed under “The Being of God” are applied to the entire being, i.e., to the three persons and their shared nature.

The bottom row, “The Triune God”, is kept separate to indicate that God's being holy is a characteristic of a different sort. Holiness is a by-product of God’s existence.

This table is developed in the section “God’s Ontological Existence.”