the … only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords …
(1 Timothy 6:15)
sov·er·eign·ty (sŏv’ər-ĭn-tē)
n., pl. -ties.
- Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign … .
By definition, to be sovereign over something means to have the highest (or supreme) authority or rule over it. Therefore, there can be only one sovereign over any one thing, and sovereignty over any one thing can’t be shared, since there can only be one supreme authority or rule over any single thing.
If you accept this definition of sovereignty (and you should, since both the dictionary and the verse say so), and you believe that there is one Sovereign over all the universe (and you should, since this verse and others says so), then you must believe that this one Sovereign has the highest authority over every single thing in it.
Given this definition of sovereignty and that God is the one Sovereign over all the universe, here are few absurd phrases seen on the Baptist Board this week in regards to God’s sovereignty:
- Limited sovereignty. God’s sovereignty cannot be limited, because, first of all, he is sovereign over every single thing in the universe, so his sovereignty cannot be limited in regards to the number of thing he is sovereign over. Secondly, God’s sovereignty cannot be limited in regards to the extent of his sovereignty over any one thing because highest rule can never be less than highest rule and still be highest rule.
- Shared sovereignty. God can’t share sovereignty, because he is sovereign over every single thing, and sovereignty over any single thing can’t be shared, since …well …there is only one supreme ruler over every single thing.
- Remitting sovereignty. God cannot remit sovereignty, because to remit sovereignty over any one thing would mean that someone or something else would be sovereign over that one thing, and God would not be the one Sovereign over all the universe. And if he were not the one Sovereign over all the universe, he would not be the one God of the Bible.
- Allowing others to have sovereignty. God cannot allow others to have sovereignty. Everything said about God remitting sovereignty applies here as well, since the ideas are the same. There is only one with sovereignty because there in only one Sovereign.
Elementary math, you might say: More than one can’t be supreme; more than one can’t be highest; universal sovereignty can’t be divided.
But if it’s such a simple idea, why is it so hard for people to understand it?
Article originally appeared on Rebecca Writes (http://rebecca-writes.com/).
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