THE EUTHYPHRO DILEMMA
Jerry D. McDonald
Plato's dialogue Euthyphro has Socrates asking Euthyphro: “
Is the pious loved by
the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?” The
so-called dilemma has Socrates asking Euthyphro if the gods love the pious because
it is pious or is it pious because it is loved by the gods. The dilemma dictates that if
the pious is loved by the gods because it is pious then the gods love is what makes
the pious worth loving. However, if the pious is pious because it is loved by the
gods then whatever the gods decide to love becomes pious.
Now you are probably asking what this has to do with anything other than Plato's
dialogue. Actually the atheistic community has made a very big deal out of this
question. Only they don't deal specifically with love. Their argument goes like this: “
Does God say a thing is good because it is good, or is it good because God says
it is good?” The dilemma is that if God says a thing is good because it is good this
supposedly puts something higher than God. Now if something is good because
God says it is good then whatever God says can be good. If God says that murder
is good (according to this so-called dilemma) then murder becomes good.
Atheists use this in their attempts to confuse people about God and the Bible. This is
like saying “Does God say the Bible is authoritative because it is authoritative,
or is it authoritative because God says it is?” Again, this supposedly puts forth
the same dilemma. If God says that the Bible is authoritative because it is
authoritative, then there is an authority above God. And if it is authoritative because
God says that it is, then whatever God says is authoritative.
Those who argue these things to show that the Bible is not the inspired, inerrant and
authoritative word of God do not realize that God, himself, is the highest level of
authority that there is. Whether it be in the realm of love, or goodness or whatever,
he is the highest level of authority.
Paul wrote: “
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”
(1 Cor. 2:11). Paul's reference to “
the things of God” here is to his mind. No one
can know what a person has on his mind except the spirit of that person, and no one
can know what God has on his mind except the spirit of God. God has chosen to
reveal his word to us and put it in printed form that we may learn “
Now all these
things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Cor. 10:11). God has put his “mind”
in printed form that we may know what he has on his mind for us. The paper that it
is printed on is not sacred. The ink that the words are written in is not sacred, but
the words make up the mind of God, and they are sacred.
Therefore, whatever is written in the Bible constitute the mind of God on those
things. His mind is not above him, nor is it below him, and as such the words of
God are not above him, nor are they below him. They are part of him, they reflect
what is in his mind for us. Therefore whatever he tells us to do comes from his
mind.
Now, is a thing good because it is good, or is it good because God says it is good?
The ethical values that we find recorded in the Bible reflect the mind of God on those
issues. Now when you look at the fact that there is no higher level of authority,
whether it be moral or religious, then whatever ethical values we find recorded in
God's word come from God's mind. The things in his mind come from his nature.
He is not above his nature, neither is beneath his nature. He cannot arbitrarily change
his nature. Therefore a thing is good because God says it is good, but God says it is
good because the goodness comes from his nature; something he cannot just change
on a whim. Paul wrote: “
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”
(Heb. 13:8). John tells us that Jesus Christ is part of the Godhead:
“
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made” (Jno. 1:1-3).
We know that the word was Christ because in verse 14 John said: “
And the Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” The only one that was the
begotten of the Father was Jesus Christ. Hence if Jesus Christ is God, and he is,
and if Jesus Christ cannot change, and he cannot, then God cannot change. He
cannot change his mind on moral issues. He cannot even change his mind on
religious issues.
Some might argue with this by trying to show that the three dispensations of time
and the worship in each shows that God did change his mind. However, he did not
change his mind because these three dispensations of time were in his mind, they
were all part of his plan to bring Christ into the world to save the lost. In each
dispensation of time there were different things involved in worship to God, but
these were not changes, but they were all apart of God's plan.
One might argue that Paul said:
“
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the
law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which
no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of
Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood” (Heb. 7:12-14).
And yes, we would have to say that this was a change, but it was not a change as
though a mistake had been made, but rather it was a fulfillment of what God had
already intended. So God did not change his mind on these things at all, he merely
fulfilled each one and moved on to the next step.
Some think that God can do anything, but the truth of the matter is that God can
only do those things which are possible, good and in keeping with his nature and his
eternal plan. God cannot sin because sinning is evil and it is not within the nature of
God to sin “
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on
iniquity” (Hab. 1:13).
So is a thing good because God says it is good, or is it good because it is good. It is
both, it is good because God says it is good, but God cannot arbitrarily change his
mind and suddenly say that something that he formerly said was bad was some how
good. It is good because it comes from his nature, his mind. He is the highest level
of authority that there is, and whatever comes from his mind is the highest level of
authority that there is.
Do the atheists have an argument? No, they do not. They simply haven't looked at
the third alternative.
http://bellecoc.com/theeuthyphrodilemma.html
