God, Eternality of

<p>Thomas Aquinas: God alone <i>is</i> Being (I am-ness). Everything else merely <i>has</i> being. God's essence is identical to his existence. It is of his essence to exist. God is a Necessary Being. He cannot not exist. Neither can God change, since he has no potentiality to be anything other than what he is. Likewise, God is eternal, since time implies a change from a before to an after. But as the "I AM," God has no befores and afters. God also is simple (indivisible) since he has no potential for division. And he is infinite, since pure act as such is unlimited, having no potentiality to limit it (Aquinas, <i>Summa Theologica,</i> 1a. 3; 1a. 7-11). Besides these metaphysical attributes, God is also morally perfect and infinitely wise (ibid., 1a. 4, 5).

Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.</p>