The concept of "unattainable" in the Bible often relates to the divine nature and attributes of God, the standards of holiness, and the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises. It underscores the limitations of human effort and understanding in contrast to the infinite and perfect nature of God.

Divine Nature and Attributes

God's nature is described as beyond human comprehension and unattainable in its fullness. In Isaiah 55:8-9 , the Lord declares, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." This passage highlights the vast chasm between human understanding and God's infinite wisdom, emphasizing that His ways and thoughts are beyond human reach.

Standards of Holiness

The unattainable standard of holiness is another theme found in Scripture. Leviticus 19:2 commands, "Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’" This call to holiness reflects God's perfect nature, which humans, in their fallen state, cannot fully achieve on their own. Romans 3:23 states, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," underscoring the universal shortfall of humanity in meeting God's perfect standard.

Salvation and Grace

While God's standards are unattainable by human effort, the Bible reveals that salvation is made possible through divine grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." This passage emphasizes that salvation is not something humans can attain through their own efforts but is a gift from God, highlighting the necessity of divine intervention.

The Kingdom of God

The ultimate fulfillment of God's promises, including the establishment of His kingdom, is also portrayed as unattainable by human means. Jesus, in Matthew 19:26 , states, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." This declaration follows the discussion of the difficulty for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, illustrating that entry into God's kingdom is not something humans can achieve on their own but is made possible through God's power.

Wisdom and Understanding

The pursuit of wisdom and understanding is another area where the unattainable nature of divine knowledge is evident. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." This counsel reflects the belief that human understanding is limited and that true wisdom comes from reliance on God.

In summary, the concept of "unattainable" in the Bible serves to highlight the limitations of human effort and understanding in contrast to the infinite nature of God, His standards of holiness, and the fulfillment of His promises. It underscores the necessity of divine grace and intervention for salvation and the realization of God's kingdom.3785. ophelon -- would that (used to express an unattainable wish)
... would that (used to express an unattainable wish). Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
ophelon Phonetic Spelling: (of'-el-on) Short Definition: O that! ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3785.htm - 6k

The Tenth Book Discusses the Unattainable and Incomprehensible
... Book X. Section 1. The tenth book discusses the unattainable and
incomprehensible. character of the enquiry into entities. And herein ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 1 the tenth book.htm

The Family Likeness
... Instead of bewildering ourselves with questions about 'unattainable' or 'attainable,'
suppose we asked, at each failure, 'Why did I not copy God then; was it ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the family likeness.htm

From Dawn to Noon
... He gives us"and it is by no means the least of the gifts that He
bestows"an absolutely unattainable aim as the object of our efforts. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/from dawn to noon.htm

Whether the Resurrection is Natural?
... Hence just as all the work of a lower art has in view an end unattainable save by
the operation of the higher art that produces the form, or makes use of what ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the resurrection is natural.htm

God's Ways and Man's
... The heavens are the very type of the unattainable; and to say that they are 'higher
than the earth' seems, at first sight, to be but to say, 'No man hath ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/gods ways and mans.htm

Three Aspects of Faith
... Therein is one of the special blessednesses of the Christian life, that it has for
its object and aim absolutely infinite and unattainable completeness and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/three aspects of faith.htm

Introduction
... His learning was vast, his industry untiring, his object unattainable - nothing
less than the transmission to his countrymen of all the works of Plato and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/boethius/the theological tractates/introduction.htm

Introduction
... His learning was vast, his industry untiring, his object unattainable"nothing less
than the transmission to his countrymen of all the works of Plato and ...
/.../boethius/the trinity is one god not three gods/introduction.htm

The Critical and Historical Movement
... it may be affirmed that the content of religion and theology is matter communicated
to man in extraordinary fashion, truth otherwise unattainable, on which it ...
/.../chapter iv the critical and.htm

The Psalter of Solomon.
... the text, examining the contents; so that we can enter upon the study of them with
a critical and exegetical apparatus which a few years ago was unattainable. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the psalter of solomon.htm

Unattainable (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Unattainable (1 Occurrence). Proverbs 24:7 Wisdom is too
high for a fool: He openeth not his mouth in the gate. (See JPS). ...
/u/unattainable.htm - 6k

Unassailable (2 Occurrences)

/u/unassailable.htm - 6k

Unattested (1 Occurrence)

/u/unattested.htm - 6k

Impossible (31 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Not possible; incapable of being done, of existing, etc.; unattainable in
the nature of things, or by means at command; insuperably difficult under the ...
/i/impossible.htm - 17k

Forgiveness (124 Occurrences)
... abandon it. The object is the gaining of his brother. Only when this is
evidently unattainable is all effort to cease. The power ...
/f/forgiveness.htm - 68k

Lord's (548 Occurrences)
... labor for the sake of worship, public and private, is intensely desirable, since
the regaining of the general apostolic enthusiasm seems unattainable, but the ...
/l/lord's.htm - 88k

Harlot (87 Occurrences)
... But it would seem that the true ethical attitude toward prostitution was unattainable
so long as marriage was in the low, transitional stage mirrored in the ...
/h/harlot.htm - 46k

Day (17670 Occurrences)
... labor for the sake of worship, public and private, is intensely desirable, since
the regaining of the general apostolic enthusiasm seems unattainable, but the ...
/d/day.htm - 70k

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