If All Things are Possible with God, Could 2+2 = 5 Through God’s Will?

The Answer is no and goes to the understanding of the fundamental nature of God Himself. The proposition “2+2=5” is not merely a mathematical error; it represents a philosophical and theological challenge to the nature of truth, reason, and God’s divine order. Such a statement that “All things are possible with God” and so 2+2=5 could, in fact, “be” is a dangerous extreme application of the concept known as Voluntarism. Voluntarism, which posits that God’s will is so supreme that it can override logic or reason, fundamentally misunderstands the nature of God and creation. We, as Catholics, must understand the Nature of God as revealed. Consider:

I. God’s Nature: The Unity of Will and Intellect

At the heart of Catholic theology is the doctrine that God’s will (voluntas) and intellect (intellectus) are perfectly unified. St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica (I, Q.19, Art.1–2), explains that God’s will does not act arbitrarily but always in accordance with His divine intellect:

   “Deus non vult aliquid nisi secundum rationem suae sapientiae”

(“God wills nothing except according to the order of His wisdom”).

This means that God cannot will something that contradicts His intellect or the eternal truths that flow from it. To suggest that God could will “2+2=5” would be to introduce a contradiction within God’s nature, which Aquinas rejects. God is perfectly simple (Deus est purus actus) and cannot contain internal division or conflict.

II. Truth as Conformity to Reality

Truth, according to Aquinas, is the adaequatio intellectus et rei—the conformity of the intellect to reality (Summa Theologica, I, Q.16, Art.1). Mathematical truths, such as “2+2=4,” reflect the structure of reality itself. These truths are not arbitrary but grounded in the divine order of creation, which mirrors God’s eternal wisdom.

Aristotle, too, emphasizes that certain principles are self-evident and immutable. In his Metaphysics (IV.3), he describes the principle of non-contradiction:

   “Impossibile est idem simul esse et non esse”

(“It is impossible for the same thing to be and not to be at the same time”).

To claim that “2+2=5” would violate this principle, as it contradicts the fundamental nature of addition and quantity. If truth itself could be subject to arbitrary will, it would cease to be truth.

 To further solidify this argument, we can draw on the writings of Maimonides, the great medieval Jewish philosopher and theologian, who greatly influenced scholastic thinkers, including St. Thomas Aquinas. In his work The Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides argues that God’s omnipotence does not extend to logical contradictions, stating that such contradictions are not “things” but impossibilities:

   “The power of God extends to everything possible, but the impossible remains impossible and cannot become possible.”

This aligns with Aquinas’s assertion that God’s omnipotence operates within the bounds of rationality and truth. Maimonides also emphasizes that God’s wisdom is reflected in the order and coherence of creation, which manifests through immutable laws of nature and reason. For Maimonides, to claim that God could will “2+2=5” would be to misunderstand divine omnipotence and reduce God’s perfection to absurdity. Like Aquinas, Maimonides underscores that the stability and reliability of truth and reason are essential reflections of the divine nature, untainted by arbitrariness or contradiction.

III. The Immutability of Divine Order

Aquinas teaches that God’s creation reflects His rational and immutable nature. The laws of logic, mathematics, and nature are not arbitrary constructs but expressions of God’s eternal wisdom. In Summa Theologica (I, Q.25, Art.5), Aquinas argues that God’s omnipotence does not extend to logical contradictions:

   “Deus potest facere omnia quae sunt possibilia, sed non quae implicant contradictionem”

(“God can do all things that are possible, but not those that involve a contradiction”).

To say that “2+2=5” would introduce an intrinsic contradiction into the created order. Such an act would not demonstrate divine power but rather undermine the coherence of God’s creation.

IV. Voluntarism and the Arbitrary God

Voluntarism, taken to its extreme, asserts that God’s will is so absolute that it can alter the nature of truth itself. This view risks portraying God as arbitrary, undermining the trustworthiness of divine revelation and moral law. Catholic theologians, including Aquinas and later thinkers like Blessed John Duns Scotus, counter this by emphasizing the harmony between God’s will and intellect.

God’s will, Aquinas insists, is always directed by divine reason (voluntas Dei est rationabilis). Thus, while God is free, His freedom operates within the bounds of His nature, which is Truth itself (veritas). The claim that God could will “2+2=5” would imply that truth and reason are mutable, which contradicts the Catholic understanding of God as immutable (Deus est immutabilis).

V. Moral and Philosophical Implications

Allowing for “2+2=5” within a voluntarist framework would have devastating implications for morality and knowledge. If truth is subject to arbitrary will, then natural law and moral law—both grounded in the order of creation—would also lose their stability. Human beings would have no reliable foundation for reason or ethical behavior.

Aristotle’s concept of natural law (lex naturalis) aligns with Aquinas’s view: the created order operates according to rational principles that are discoverable and unchanging. To distort these principles is to distort reality itself. As Aquinas states:

   “Lex aeterna est ratio divina gubernans universum”

(“The eternal law is the divine reason governing the universe”).

If mathematical and logical truths could be overturned by divine fiat, the entire fabric of creation would unravel, undermining both human reason and faith in God’s providence.

VI. Conclusion: The Impossibility of “2+2=5”

The statement “2+2=5” is not simply a mathematical error; it is a denial of the immutable nature of truth and God’s rational order. As Aquinas, Aristotle, and other Catholic thinkers demonstrate, truth is not subject to arbitrary will but is grounded in reality and divine wisdom. God’s omnipotence is not diminished by the impossibility of contradictions but is instead affirmed by His perfect unity and coherence.

Voluntarism, in its extreme form, reduces God’s will to caprice, severing it from reason and truth. Catholic theology upholds that God’s will and intellect are one, ensuring that truth, as a reflection of God’s nature, is eternal and unchanging. Thus, “2+2 cannot equal 5,” not because God is limited, but because God is perfect.