Did God visibly appear to Abraham when He spoke to him?
Yes, Scripture indicates God visibly appeared to Abraham. Stephen in Acts chapter 7 uses a Greek word, optomiae, meaning He appeared, giving the impression that God visibly manifested when He spoke to him and called him out of idolatry. This is the sense of the passage.
Les teaches that Abram was raised in idolatry, as Joshua 24 shows: Terah, Abraham's father, and Nahor served other gods. When God spoke to Abram, as recorded in Genesis chapter 12, Stephen in Acts chapter 7 gives the impression that God visibly appeared to him, because the Greek word used is optomiae. So the call of Abraham involved a visible manifestation of God to him while he was still in that idolatrous background.
More Questions
How do we know that God appeared to Abraham in human form when He called him out of Ur?
We know God took on human form when He called Abram out of Ur because Acts 7 uses the Greek word 'optomai,' which deals with sight, for the Lord's appearance to Abram.
How do we know God visibly appeared to Abram and took on human form?
God came down and took on human form when dealing with Abraham; this happened when God called Abraham out of Ur, and it is supported by Acts chapter 7, where the Greek word optomai—which relates to sight—is used for Stephen saying that the Lord appeared to Abram.
Does Acts 7 say God visibly appeared to Abraham?
Stephen in Acts 7 gives the impression that God visibly appeared to Abraham, using the Greek word 'optomiae' for 'appeared.'
Why does Les believe God took on human form at Abraham's calling out of Ur?
God also took on human form when He called Abraham out of Ur, a visible appearing supported by the Greek word optomai in Acts 7, which deals with sight.