Home > Arguments about God's nature - contradictions
"If God is able to do anything, He could become a Man and have a Son." Logically speaking, the answer is no because the concept of God becoming man contradicts the basic meaning of the term "God." People commonly say that God is able to do all things; whatever He wants to do, He can do. In the Bible of Christians it is said, "… through God all things are possible (Matthew, 19: 26; Mark 10 27, 14: 36)." The Qur'an of Muslims states, "Indeed, Allah (God) is able to do all things (Quran, 2: 20)," and the Hindu scriptures carry texts of similar meanings. All the major religious texts contain general expressions regarding the basic concept of God's omnipotence. He is Greater than all things, and through Him all things are possible. If this general concept is to be translated into practical terms, one has to first identify and understand the basic attributes of God. Most societies perceive God as an eternal being without beginning or end. If, on the basis that God is able to do all things, and it were asked whether God could die, what would be the answer? Since dying is part of "all things," can it be said, "If He wants to?" Of course this cannot be said. So, there is a problem here. God is defined as being ever-living, without end, and dying means "coming to an end." Consequently, to ask if He can die is actually a nonsensical question. It is self-contradictory. Similarly, to ask whether God can be born, is also absurd because God has already been defined as eternal, having no beginning. Being born means having a beginning, coming into existence after not existing. In this same vein, atheist philosophers enjoy asking theists: "Can God create a stone too heavy for Him to lift?" If the theist says yes, it means that God can create something greater than Himself. And if he says no, it means that God is unable to do all things. Therefore, the term "all things" in the phrase "God is able to do all things" excludes the absurdities. It cannot include things that contradict His divine attributes; things that would make Him less than God, like, forgetting, sleeping, repenting, growing, eating, etc. Instead, it includes only "all things" that are consistent with Him being God. This is what the statement "God is able to do all things" means. It cannot be understood in the absolute sense; it must be qualified. The claim that God became man is also an absurdity. It is not befitting of God to take on human characteristics because it means that the Creator has become His creation. However, the creation is a product of the creative act of the Creator. If the Creator became His creation, it would mean that the Creator created Himself, which is an obvious absurdity. To be created, He would first have to not exist, and, if He did not exist, how could He then create? Furthermore, if He were created, it would mean that He had a beginning, which also contradicts His being eternal. By definition creation is in need of a creator. For created beings to exist they must have a creator to bring them into existence. God cannot need a creator because God is the Creator. Thus, there is an obvious contradiction in terms. The claim that God became His creation implies that He would need a creator, which is a ludicrous concept. It contradicts the fundamental concept of God being uncreated, needing no creator and being the Creator.
"Allah, as understood in Islam, cannot become a human or enter into reality because that would compromise His infinite and transcendent nature. He is the Creator, separate from and above all creation—eternal, unchanging, and beyond the physical world. The Qur'an declares, 'There is nothing like unto Him' (Surah Ash-Shura, 42:11), meaning He doesn't take on the traits or limits of what He creates. Becoming human or stepping into reality implies adopting finitude—hunger, pain, or space—which doesn't befit the One who sustains all existence.
In the Trinity, the claim that God became Jesus (peace be upon him) and entered the world suggests He can shrink into His own creation. But if God is limitless, how can He confine Himself to a body or a place? Tawhid rejects this: Allah remains exalted, outside time and space, controlling reality without becoming part of it. The Qur'an says, 'He is Allah, the One, the Overwhelming' (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:4)—His power rules over creation, not within its bounds. This preserves His unmatched glory and keeps Him as the sole, supreme Sovereign."
The Muslim argument assumes that the concept of God becoming man is logically impossible because it would mean that the eternal becomes temporal, the infinite becomes finite, and the Creator becomes His creation. But this view misunderstands what Christians actually believe about the Incarnation.
Christians do not claim that God ceased to be God or transformed into a man. Rather, we believe that the eternal Word (Logos) — the second Person of the Trinity — took on a human nature while retaining His divine nature. This is called the hypostatic union (John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:6-8). God did not change into man; He assumed human nature while remaining fully divine.
"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." — John 1:14
"Though He was in the form of God… He humbled Himself and was made in human likeness." — Philippians 2:6-8
This act does not contradict God's attributes — it expresses them. God's omnipotence means He can act within His creation without being limited by it. To say that God cannot enter His creation would actually limit His power, suggesting creation can exist beyond His reach.
When Christians say God became man, we mean that the Son of God entered creation without ceasing to fill heaven and earth. As St. Augustine explained:
"He came to us in such a way that He did not leave the Father's side." (Sermon 187.1)
Just as sunlight can fill the sky and yet enter a single room without ceasing to illuminate the world, so too God the Son entered human history without abandoning His divine omnipresence.
The Qur'an says, "There is nothing like unto Him" (Surah 42:11) — Christians agree. Jesus' incarnation was not God becoming "like" creation in essence, but God personally revealing Himself through human nature, to redeem humanity. Far from diminishing His glory, the Incarnation magnifies it — revealing divine love and humility.
If God is truly all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, then it is perfectly consistent that He could choose to reveal Himself personally within His creation, without ceasing to be transcendent over it.
Thus, the Incarnation is not a logical contradiction — it is a divine mystery, in which the Infinite enters the finite to save it, without ceasing to be infinite.