CAN GOD CREATE A STONE TOO HEAVY FOR HIM TO LIFT?

If God could create a stone He cannot lift, then we might say He is not all-powerful because He cannot lift the stone He made. But if He can lift it, then He cannot create a stone impossible for Him to lift. This question is often used to argue that it is impossible for God to be omnipotent because the idea is self-contradictory.

This “stone/omnipotence paradox” has already been answered in many ways, so let’s look at some common responses. To address it, we should understand the following:

THE QUESTION IS ILLOGICAL

To conclude that there is an activity God cannot do (and thus prove He is not omnipotent), one must first show that the task is a real possibility. It is possible for us humans to create something we cannot carry because our strength is limited, but it is not the same for God, whose power is unlimited. Obviously, for God to create a stone He cannot lift would be to do something illogical—like creating a “married bachelor.” Because this paradox is unreasonable, it cannot be used to disprove or even question God’s omnipotence, just as it is not a flaw in anyone’s ability that we cannot make a “triangular circle.”

THE QUESTION MISREPRESENTS OMNIPOTENCE

Another problem with this question is that it misrepresents the meaning of omnipotence. When we say that God can do all things and that nothing is impossible with Him (Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37), it does not mean He can literally do anything and everything. Not at all. There are things He cannot do—not because He is limited, but because He is all-powerful. He cannot create a stone He cannot lift, not because His power has limits, but because He is infinitely powerful. If God is truly omnipotent, such a stone cannot exist. His unlimited power cancels out the very possibility.

There are also things God cannot do because they are contrary to His perfect nature. God’s omnipotence does not mean He can perform illogical acts. The Bible reveals Jesus as the “Logos” (John 1:1)—the “reason that orders the universe,” from which we get the word “logic.” Reason and logic originate with God Himself. God can make a virgin conceive (as with Mary), but it is impossible for Him to make a person both pregnant and not pregnant at the same time. God can create something out of nothing (as in Creation), but He cannot make something exist and not exist simultaneously. Such actions violate logic, so it is absurd to think that God can do them.

Likewise, it is impossible for God to sin because He is holy (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 6:3). For Him, to sin would contradict His own morally perfect nature. God is the God of truth (John 14:6; 16:13), so it is impossible for Him to lie (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18). This is not because He merely chooses not to lie, but because it is inherently impossible for Him to do so.

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There is nothing wrong with analyzing puzzling questions that some use to challenge our faith. In fact, such questions can help us think more deeply and become more familiar with our Christian beliefs. We have nothing to fear from questions like these, because our faith rests on the surest foundation—Christ Himself. Stay Curious.