Week 5: Chapter 4 — The Great Why of God

1.Platt argues in this chapter that God's ultimate motivation in all of history — including salvation and mission — is His own glory. This is sometimes called "God-centeredness" or "doxological" theology. Before engaging the argument, what is your initial gut reaction to the idea that God does everything primarily for His own glory? Does it feel right, strange, or even off-putting?

2.He draws heavily on passages like Ezekiel 20 and Isaiah 43:6–7, where God explicitly says He acts "for the sake of my name" and calls His people to bring His "sons and daughters" "for my glory." How does reading those passages through this lens — God acting for His own glory — change or deepen your understanding of them?

3.Platt distinguishes between a man-centered gospel ("God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life") and a God-centered gospel ("You were created for the glory of God, and your greatest need is to be reconciled to Him"). What is at stake in that distinction? How does it change the shape of the gospel presentation?