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The Nature of God
He is just, yet merciful. He is above all, yet He sent His Son to die for us. Arthur W. Pink's classic meditation on God's personality and power has inspired readers for generations. He leads readers through reflections on 45 facets of God's personality. Ideal for personal reflection and daily Bible study, this book will help readers develop a deeper, richer love for the One who calls us His own.
348 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1967
42 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Arthur W. Pink
657 books305 followersArthur Walkington Pink was born in Nottingham, England on April 1, 1886 and became a Christian in his early 20s. Though born to Christian parents, prior to conversion he migrated into a Theosophical society (an occult gnostic group popular in England during that time), and quickly rose in prominence within their ranks. His conversion came from his father's patient admonitions from Scripture. It was Proverbs 14:12, 'there is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death,' which particularly struck his heart and compelled him to renounce Theosophy and follow Jesus.
Desiring to grow in knowledge of the Bible, Pink migrated to the United States to study at Moody Bible Institute. In 1916 he married Vera E. Russell, from Kentucky. However, he left after just two months for Colorado, then California, then Britain. From 1925 to 1928 he served in Australia, including as pastor of two congregations from 1926 to 1928, when he returned to England, and to the United States the following year. He eventually pastored churches Colorado, California, Kentucky and South Carolina.
In 1922 he started a monthly magazine entitled Studies in Scriptures which circulated among English-speaking Christians worldwide, though only to a relatively small circulation list of around 1,000.
In 1934 Pink returned to England, and within a few years turned his Christian service to writing books and pamphlets. Pink died in Stornoway, Scotland on July 15, 1952. The cause of death was anemia.
After Pink's death, his works were republished by the Banner of Truth Trust and reached a much wider audience as a result. Biographer Iain Murray observes of Pink, "the widespread circulation of his writings after his death made him one of the most influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century." His writing sparked a revival of expository preaching and focused readers' hearts on biblical living.
Desiring to grow in knowledge of the Bible, Pink migrated to the United States to study at Moody Bible Institute. In 1916 he married Vera E. Russell, from Kentucky. However, he left after just two months for Colorado, then California, then Britain. From 1925 to 1928 he served in Australia, including as pastor of two congregations from 1926 to 1928, when he returned to England, and to the United States the following year. He eventually pastored churches Colorado, California, Kentucky and South Carolina.
In 1922 he started a monthly magazine entitled Studies in Scriptures which circulated among English-speaking Christians worldwide, though only to a relatively small circulation list of around 1,000.
In 1934 Pink returned to England, and within a few years turned his Christian service to writing books and pamphlets. Pink died in Stornoway, Scotland on July 15, 1952. The cause of death was anemia.
After Pink's death, his works were republished by the Banner of Truth Trust and reached a much wider audience as a result. Biographer Iain Murray observes of Pink, "the widespread circulation of his writings after his death made him one of the most influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century." His writing sparked a revival of expository preaching and focused readers' hearts on biblical living.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 17, 2014
I’ve had this book in my library for some time, but I can’t say that I was ever motivated to give it a read. It wasn’t until Shai Linne released his album The Attributes of God that I took any interest in the book. Shai’s album was based on Arthur W. Pink’s book of the same title. After thoroughly enjoying the album, I decided that I wanted to give the book a read so that I could dig into these substantial doctrines on a much richer level than I could get by simply listening to the music. Upon scouring my Logos Bible Software library, I came across Pink’s The Nature of God, which is a super-set of The Attributes of God. So, I downloaded the book and began to read.
The Nature of God is divided into two divisions: 1) Excellencies which pertain to the Godhead as God and 2) Excellencies which pertain to God the Son as Christ. The first twenty-five chapters of the book deal with the entirety of the Godhead and includes such obvious attributes as: holiness, sovereignty, goodness, patience, love, and the like. But, in this work Pink also tackles some of God’s attributes that don’t get discussed nearly enough, if at all, in most Christian circles. These attributes include: the wrath of God, his guidance, his blessings & curses, his bounties, as well as his contemplation. In the second half, which is given exclusively to the Person of Jesus Christ, we find the following: the radiance of Christ, his condescension, his humanity, his despisement, his lordship, and his friendship, to name but a few. There are also a handful of chapters that speak toward the call of Christ, which also include a lengthy treatment of both his rest & yoke that we are to take.
In the first chapter Pink writes, “… so few are accustomed to meditate upon the personal perfections of God. Comparatively few who occasionally read the Bible are aware of the awe-inspiring and worship-provoking grandeur of the divine character. That God is great in wisdom, wondrous in power, yet full of mercy is assumed by many as common knowledge. But to entertain anything approaching adequate conception of His being, nature, and attributes, as revealed in the Scripture, is something which very few people in these degenerate times have done.” Seeking to show the biblical foundation for these attributes of God that are common & uncommon Pink has authored this book. While this book is very weighty in the subject matter that it covers, he has a profound way of breaking down the intricacies of God in a manner that is easy enough for even the baby believer to ascertain. The ease at which the reader is able to follow along with Pink is remarkable and lends itself to the reader actually internalizing each of these godly attributes. One of the benefits of this book is that it is not merely the opinion of its author; but, is instead saturated with Biblical quotations proving everything that is said with the truth of Scripture.
The Nature of God is a very meditative & worshipful book, just as Pink intended for it to be. As you read, you cannot help but to walk away with a much higher view of our God and his son Jesus Christ. With that loftier view of God, we are put in better position to both obey & worship him because of who he is. This book is a worthy read and highly recommended. Even if you are well acquainted with God’s attributes, you’re sure to take away something from this great work. Simply stated, this is one book that every Christian should read & have in their library.
The Nature of God is divided into two divisions: 1) Excellencies which pertain to the Godhead as God and 2) Excellencies which pertain to God the Son as Christ. The first twenty-five chapters of the book deal with the entirety of the Godhead and includes such obvious attributes as: holiness, sovereignty, goodness, patience, love, and the like. But, in this work Pink also tackles some of God’s attributes that don’t get discussed nearly enough, if at all, in most Christian circles. These attributes include: the wrath of God, his guidance, his blessings & curses, his bounties, as well as his contemplation. In the second half, which is given exclusively to the Person of Jesus Christ, we find the following: the radiance of Christ, his condescension, his humanity, his despisement, his lordship, and his friendship, to name but a few. There are also a handful of chapters that speak toward the call of Christ, which also include a lengthy treatment of both his rest & yoke that we are to take.
In the first chapter Pink writes, “… so few are accustomed to meditate upon the personal perfections of God. Comparatively few who occasionally read the Bible are aware of the awe-inspiring and worship-provoking grandeur of the divine character. That God is great in wisdom, wondrous in power, yet full of mercy is assumed by many as common knowledge. But to entertain anything approaching adequate conception of His being, nature, and attributes, as revealed in the Scripture, is something which very few people in these degenerate times have done.” Seeking to show the biblical foundation for these attributes of God that are common & uncommon Pink has authored this book. While this book is very weighty in the subject matter that it covers, he has a profound way of breaking down the intricacies of God in a manner that is easy enough for even the baby believer to ascertain. The ease at which the reader is able to follow along with Pink is remarkable and lends itself to the reader actually internalizing each of these godly attributes. One of the benefits of this book is that it is not merely the opinion of its author; but, is instead saturated with Biblical quotations proving everything that is said with the truth of Scripture.
The Nature of God is a very meditative & worshipful book, just as Pink intended for it to be. As you read, you cannot help but to walk away with a much higher view of our God and his son Jesus Christ. With that loftier view of God, we are put in better position to both obey & worship him because of who he is. This book is a worthy read and highly recommended. Even if you are well acquainted with God’s attributes, you’re sure to take away something from this great work. Simply stated, this is one book that every Christian should read & have in their library.
June 15, 2016
This book is actually an extension of Pink's Attributes of God, which make up the first 18 chapters, and continues on with further discussions of God's relationship with and workings on behalf of His people and then on to examine various aspects of the person and work of the second person of the Godhead.
March 13, 2019
A magnificent book, one of the finest I've encountered in theology proper. Rich use of Scripture, theologically formidable, and unusually devotional. A very fine book.
February 4, 2009
This should be recommended reading for all Christians who truly want to know the God they worship. There are so many divergent views about God today within the church. Many of these views are centered on man. One of the current views seems to say, "Man acts and thinks this way and so God must act and think this way as well." Another viewpoint of God says, "God is so infinite and big that no one can really know Him at all." Few actually start with what the Bible says about the nature and ways of God.
Arthur Pink starts with scripture and builds an acurate picture of who the God of the Bible is, what He expects from mankind, and what He expects from His children. He takes the focus off of making mankind the definition of God and places it on God defining Himself in His Word.
The God of the Bible is the God who wants to have a personal relationship with His children. He communicates that relationship through His word. As a Christian studies the Bible the relationship grows because he or she is learning more about the personal God. Pink's book simply takes those scripture passages where God is communicating to His children who He is and puts them into categories that focus in on certain aspects of God's nature.
Arthur Pink starts with scripture and builds an acurate picture of who the God of the Bible is, what He expects from mankind, and what He expects from His children. He takes the focus off of making mankind the definition of God and places it on God defining Himself in His Word.
The God of the Bible is the God who wants to have a personal relationship with His children. He communicates that relationship through His word. As a Christian studies the Bible the relationship grows because he or she is learning more about the personal God. Pink's book simply takes those scripture passages where God is communicating to His children who He is and puts them into categories that focus in on certain aspects of God's nature.
January 11, 2018
An expounded edition of the "Attributes of God" that is well worth the read. He adds attributes of Christ and Holy Spirit. A more appropriate title perhaps would be "The Attributes of the Godhead"
January 31, 2020
Very good with scriptural support practically all the way through it.
November 1, 2019
This is hard. I almost feel bad. Almost.
My biggest complaint is going to be the hard-core Calvinism. He flips his views multiple times, but he spends the first half of the book pounding election, predestination, God's sovereignty, and how He does not need to consult us and His ways are so much higher than ours. I can't, and wouldn't, deny the truth of those matters, but I think they are more complex than God picking who to save and who to punish arbitrarily because He can.
Strict Calvinism is HARSH. It reveals a God short on love and contradictory by nature. This is why the second half of the book contains numerous back-tracking of these ideas. Man is, all of a sudden, making choices and has actions, but the author continues to attack non-Calvinist ideas.
Other books deal with the same material, but aren't nearly as aggressive in their Calvinism, or they walk the line better. Knowing God by Packer is better in that regard.
Unfortunately, this book also struggles with incredibly dry writing. Besides shotgunning verses like it is going out of style, he takes liberally from other writings and is just plain hard to read in his own right. I also thought he took several verses out of context, allegorized a few times, and used verses that simply don't align with the conclusion he was trying to make.
There were some cool quotes, some quips that were worth noting, but nothing so brilliant that it bumps this to anything better than one star. Norman Geisler is much easier to read, understand, and gain something from. Even his monstrous Systematic Theology in One Volume is an easier read than this little book.
My biggest complaint is going to be the hard-core Calvinism. He flips his views multiple times, but he spends the first half of the book pounding election, predestination, God's sovereignty, and how He does not need to consult us and His ways are so much higher than ours. I can't, and wouldn't, deny the truth of those matters, but I think they are more complex than God picking who to save and who to punish arbitrarily because He can.
Strict Calvinism is HARSH. It reveals a God short on love and contradictory by nature. This is why the second half of the book contains numerous back-tracking of these ideas. Man is, all of a sudden, making choices and has actions, but the author continues to attack non-Calvinist ideas.
Other books deal with the same material, but aren't nearly as aggressive in their Calvinism, or they walk the line better. Knowing God by Packer is better in that regard.
Unfortunately, this book also struggles with incredibly dry writing. Besides shotgunning verses like it is going out of style, he takes liberally from other writings and is just plain hard to read in his own right. I also thought he took several verses out of context, allegorized a few times, and used verses that simply don't align with the conclusion he was trying to make.
There were some cool quotes, some quips that were worth noting, but nothing so brilliant that it bumps this to anything better than one star. Norman Geisler is much easier to read, understand, and gain something from. Even his monstrous Systematic Theology in One Volume is an easier read than this little book.
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March 24, 2016"Our aim," writes Pink, "is to maintain a due proportion in treating of the divine perfections, for all of us are apt to entertain a one-sided view of them.... Nothing short of a full-orbed view of the divine perfections--as revealed in Holy Writ--should satisfy us."
"Full-orbed" means that Pink covers attributes of God spanned from His Loving-Kindness to His Wrath, His Mercy to His Cursings. Chapters 1-25 each cover a different attribute of the Godhead; chapters 26-45 cover attributes of Christ. Each chapter is easily digestible, at about four pages each.
The structure of the book makes it good for reference or cover-to-cover reading. I originally bought this book for it's chapter on God's Wrath (which Pink numbers amongst God's divine perfections, since "indifference to sin is a moral blemish"). But I was so enthralled by his depth and poetic descriptions that I read it straight through.
Pink loves God's Word and it shows clearly. Each page is bathed in Scripture.
As a practical point, this book's first 100 pages is the entirety of Pink's shorter book "The Attributes of God." Don't buy both. I much preferred this extended version. Good for the mind; good for the heart.
"Full-orbed" means that Pink covers attributes of God spanned from His Loving-Kindness to His Wrath, His Mercy to His Cursings. Chapters 1-25 each cover a different attribute of the Godhead; chapters 26-45 cover attributes of Christ. Each chapter is easily digestible, at about four pages each.
The structure of the book makes it good for reference or cover-to-cover reading. I originally bought this book for it's chapter on God's Wrath (which Pink numbers amongst God's divine perfections, since "indifference to sin is a moral blemish"). But I was so enthralled by his depth and poetic descriptions that I read it straight through.
Pink loves God's Word and it shows clearly. Each page is bathed in Scripture.
As a practical point, this book's first 100 pages is the entirety of Pink's shorter book "The Attributes of God." Don't buy both. I much preferred this extended version. Good for the mind; good for the heart.
May 16, 2011
excellent...will read again
March 11, 2008
powerful discussion of the sovereignty of God
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews