“I often hear ‘God is a perfect gentleman.’ But isn’t He sovereign?”

November 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

QUESTION: “God is a perfect gentleman” is a phrase I often hear. I understand that God is sovereign. Doesn’t that fact conflict with the idea of His being a perfect gentleman? Please explain.

ANSWER:It is true indeed that God is sovereign. Scripture teaches this from cover to cover. For a good example, read Isaiah 40–48. In these chapters God comforted His people Israel who were going through deep waters at the time. The Assyrians had conquered the ten-tribe, northern kingdom and had devastated the southern kingdom, Judah. They had besieged Jerusalem, and Hezekiah, king of Judah, had nearly died through a severe illness.

God granted Hezekiah 15 more years of life. However, he failed God’s test (2 Chr. 32:31) in not giving glory to God when ambassadors from Babylon had come to congratulate him on his miraculous recovery. God said that all his treasures would one day be taken to Babylon and his descendants would become eunuchs in the palace of the king of that land (Isa. 39:5-8). In Isaiah 40–48 God showed His people who He is, absolutely sovereign, and this in special contrast to the Babylonian idols. He could prophesy events and name people hundreds of years in advance because He, being God, is absolutely sovereign.

Being sovereign, He is far above the emperors, kings, presidents, popes, nobles, archbishops, bishops, senators, judges and other officials of all kinds. God is exceedingly over professors, gentlemen, peasants, servants and slaves of this world. All that He does is perfect. He sets the standards; He determines right and wrong. Who can presume to judge Him? With whom can He be compared? He is high above all human authorities, infinitely far above all human beings.

While men may feel they are complimenting God by calling Him a gentleman, they do not realize how much they are lowering the dignity of His person by using this term to describe Him. In bygone times and other lands people often had their social rank in life. Some held a high rank hereditarily by birth, others by appointment or even election. A number of people had a low position in life by birth, by conquest or by sale. A gentleman was socially less than royal or of the nobility. He was often well-to-do, sometimes a “self-made” man, always above the average working man, peasant, servant, or slave. He was expected to conduct himself on a higher standard than those below him socially.

In the United States and in much of the rest of the world these rigid grades of social distinctions do not exist – or at least are not supposed to exist. Nevertheless, for a man to be called a gentleman is a compliment not awarded to every male individual. Excellent conduct and politeness are expected of a gentleman. Restrooms in public places are often labelled “Men” and “Women,” but more politely they may be labelled “Gentlemen” and “Ladies.”

To lower our Creator God – the Upholder and Sustainer of the universe, the One who has become our Savior God – to the standard of a gentleman may be well-meant by the person calling Him that, but it certainly shows a sad lack of consciousness of the greatness, dignity and majesty of who God is and of the respect and reverence that is due to Him.

Answered by Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.