“I tell you, then, do not let anyone deceive you with false arguments, no matter how good they seem to be” (Colossians 2:4 GNT).
We can find one of the best known examples of a false argument in the form of the following question: “Can God make a rock so big that He can’t move it?” This question appears to present an insurmountable dilemma for those who seek to answer it. For instance…
- If God can make a rock so big that He can’t move it, then He is not all-powerful.
- If God can’t make a rock so big that He can’t move it, then He is not all-powerful.
Either way, the question seems to eliminate the possibility of an omnipotent Being and thus precludes the existence of an all-powerful God. But even though this may seem to be a reasonable question, a fatal flaw emerges when we stop to consider it more closely.
For example, how big a rock would be necessary in order to prevent God from moving it? Well, a rock of that magnitude would have to surpass the infinite power of God. So in essence, the questioner is asking if God can create a rock that is greater than His infinite ability to lift it.
Do you see the issue? This question establishes a scenario in which the following conditions exist…
- A Being who holds absolute power in every respect (God).
- An object that is greater in at least one respect (a rock).
In other words, this question embodies a logical impossibility- a situation where God holds the most power but does not hold the most power at the same time. This basic idea is sometimes rephrased in the following way: “Can God move an immovable object?” The problem is that the ability of an immovable object to remain stationary must exceed God’s infinite power to move it. Since nothing can exceed infinite power, the question is inherently self-defeating.
A related question is this: “Can God make a square circle?” The issue with this question is that it is internally self-destructive. You see, once we attempt to place a corner on a circle in order to make it a square, the circle immediately ceases to be a circle. Because of this, the question logically precludes any possibility of an answer.
Therefore, a person who offers these inquiries in attempting to eliminate the possibility of an omnipotent God should be asked to return with a different question- one that actually makes sense.