Objections to K. Scott Oliphint’s book, God With Us

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Stephen L Smith

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I was interested in purchasing K. Scott Oliphint’s book, "God With Us" on the basis of the strength of his other books. However here seem to be a number of objections, critiques to key concepts in his book eg Objections to K. Scott Oliphint’s Covenantal Properties Thesis [Dolezal] | The Confessing Baptist and Helm's Deep: Eternal God and God in time, and one coming up in the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies Journal sample of review of “God With Us,” K. Scott Oliphint by Chuck Rennie for JIRBS 2015

Does anyone have any thoughts, recommendations or otherwise for the book?

Thanks
Stephen
 
I have only read Helm's criticisms. Basically, as Helm points out, this is part of a trend. My own view is that it is part of a bigger feeling in contemporary circles that "authentic" relationship with God must see God as genuinely responding to our human situation and limitations, and this means he must ontologically "assume" these limitations in some way. Various loci of theology are then brought in to sustain the specific arguments. The problem is that it ascribes some kind of changeable property or affection to God. In essence, it is peering too deeply into the things that are hidden. It desires to know more of God than He has been pleased to reveal. We should be satisfied with our creaturely knowledge and be overwhelmed to the core of our being that we simply cannot grasp the infinite.
 
I have listened to a lecture by Professor Oliphint and concur with Rev. Winzer. When we forget that God as He is "in se" one can speculate all we may want but it is dangerous territory because God, in His essence, is unknowable. Unfortunately this is indeed "a bigger feeling" and rampant everywhere in otherwise reformed circles.
 
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