Delving Deeper into The Urantia Book, Paper 115: "The Supreme Being"
Paper 115 of The Urantia Book is a profound exploration of the Supreme Being as an evolving deity, growing in response to the experiences of all finite creatures. This paper explains the nature of finite reality, the relationship between potential and actual existence, and how the Supreme unifies all of creation into a single divine expression.
The Three Levels of Reality
The Urantia Book describes reality as existing on three fundamental levels. The first is the Absolute level, where God the Father, the Eternal Son, and the Infinite Spirit exist as changeless, eternal, and self-existent beings. The second is the Finite level, which consists of evolving beings, material universes, and celestial personalities. The third is The Supreme, who is the unifying deity of all finite experiences. The Supreme Being is neither absolute nor infinite but is instead becoming—gradually taking form as the grand universe evolves.
The Supreme functions as a bridge between the absolute and finite levels. He represents the unfolding of divine reality within time and space, integrating the struggles, choices, and achievements of all beings into a unified divine expression. This makes Him different from the Universal Father, who exists beyond time and space in a state of absolute perfection.
The Nature of Potential and Actual Reality
In The Urantia Book, all reality exists in two states: potential and actual. The Universal Father contains all things in potential form, and through experience, the universes gradually bring this potential into actual reality. The Supreme Being is the evolving manifestation of this process.
A helpful analogy is that of a cosmic puzzle. Each finite experience, whether from a human, an angel, or a celestial being, is a piece of this puzzle. As time progresses and beings make moral and spiritual decisions, the Supreme gradually takes on a more complete and fully actualized form. Since the Supreme is still evolving, His sovereignty and personality are not yet fully realized.
The Supreme as the Unifier of Experience
A central role of the Supreme Being is to integrate and unify all finite experience. Every spiritual choice, intellectual pursuit, and physical evolution contributes to the growing Supreme. The Supreme is not merely an observer of creation; He is an active participant, absorbing and reflecting the total progress of time-space reality.
Each time a mortal being struggles toward truth, beauty, and goodness, it strengthens the Supreme. The collective experiences of human civilizations, celestial beings, and universe administrators are woven into the Supreme’s divine reality. The Supreme is thus the sum of all finite experience—the evolving, experiential expression of God in time and space.
The Almighty Supreme and the Actualization of Power
Although the Supreme Being is still emerging, The Urantia Book teaches that He will one day fully actualize as the Almighty Supreme, assuming direct sovereignty over the grand universe. At present, the Supreme is growing in spiritual power, but He does not yet have full control over finite universes. However, once the seven superuniverses reach a state of completion, the Supreme will exercise full divine authority.
At that point, the two aspects of the Supreme—His spiritual personality and His physical cosmic power—will merge. The Almighty Supreme represents the full realization of His cosmic sovereignty, while the Supreme Personality reflects His divine nature. This is an ongoing process, but once completed, the Supreme will function as the sovereign ruler of all finite creation.
Human Contribution to the Supreme’s Growth
One of the most unique teachings of The Urantia Book is that human beings directly participate in the growth of the Supreme. Every moral choice, act of love, and spiritual struggle adds to His evolution. When a mortal being chooses righteousness over selfishness, that experience becomes part of the Supreme’s reality.
Humans and other finite beings are, in a sense, co-creators of the Supreme. Our experiences contribute to His growth, and in return, the Supreme provides a growing sense of divine unity and meaning to all evolving beings. As we advance spiritually, we are not only progressing toward God, but we are also helping God become more fully realized in the universe.
The Future Destiny of the Supreme
Once the Supreme Being is fully actualized, He will take His place as the sovereign ruler of the perfected grand universe. At this point, all beings who have reached spiritual perfection will be able to experience the Supreme as a fully developed deity. This marks a significant shift in universal history, as perfected beings will then engage in new cosmic adventures beyond the grand universe.
The completion of the Supreme’s evolution will open new dimensions of divine experience for all created beings. Just as today’s ascenders seek to know God the Father, future perfected beings will seek to understand and experience the fully realized Supreme Being. This marks the next stage of spiritual progression in the vast, unfolding plan of God.
Conclusion
Paper 115 presents a revolutionary idea: the Supreme Being is not yet fully God—He is evolving. Unlike the Universal Father, who exists eternally in perfection, the Supreme is becoming perfect through the collective experiences of all finite beings. He is the divine synthesis of all time-space experience, absorbing every struggle, victory, and growth into His unfolding personality.
This means that your life, your choices, and your spiritual progress have a cosmic impact. Every act of truth, love, and goodness adds to the Supreme’s development. In a profound way, human beings are not just seeking God—they are helping to shape God’s evolving expression in the universe.
Michael Of Nebadon
