CLAIM: Moses writes that the Ten Commandments were “written by the finger of God” (Ex. 31:18). The Bible also teaches that God has an “arm” (Deut. 7:19), “wings” (Ps. 91:4), “nostrils” (2 Sam. 22:9), “mouth” (2 Sam. 22:9), and “eyes” (Heb. 4:13). Does God have a physical form?
RESPONSE: These are all anthropomorphic figures of speech. The Bible also teaches that “God is spirit” (Jn. 4:24). As faithful interpreters, we need to interpret these figures of speech in light of these clear, didactic passages of Scripture. This is a principle of grammatical-historical hermeneutics; we need to interpret the unclear portions of Scripture in light of the clear.