If God is beyond human comprehension, how can Christians claim to understand His nature?

1. The Paradox of Divine Incomprehensibility and Knowability

Scripture consistently teaches that the Creator transcends human limits, yet also affirms that people can genuinely know Him. As Isaiah observes, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). At the same time, the Bible declares, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom… but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me” (Jeremiah 9:23–24). This simultaneous mystery and revelation underlie how believers claim understanding of God’s nature without presuming to comprehend Him exhaustively.

God’s transcendence means no finite mind can grasp His infinite being. Yet, God voluntarily draws near and makes Himself known. Thus, believers insist that the truths they do know are accurate, albeit partial. This tension forms the foundation of the Christian explanation for knowing God’s nature.

2. Divine Self-Revelation through Creation

From the earliest pages of Scripture, the created order is presented as a window into the power and nature of God: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen” (Romans 1:20). Observing the complexities of biology, astrophysics, and the fine-tuning of Earth’s environment leads many researchers to recognize design. Numerous scientific studies have highlighted extremely precise constants in physics—such as the gravitational constant—suggesting a purposeful creative act rather than random processes.

Archaeological and geological evidence likewise affirms significant events recorded in biblical history, from the remains of ancient civilizations described in Scripture to artifacts consistent with a young Earth timeline. These findings encourage confidence in the biblical depiction of a purposeful Creator who is both beyond human understanding and yet knowable through what He has made.

3. Special Revelation in Scripture

Beyond creation, the Bible functions as the direct testimony of God about Himself. Its authors, carried along by the Holy Spirit, provide an authoritative account of the divine character (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). Throughout history, tangible manuscript evidence has reinforced the Bible’s reliability. Discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include fragments of almost every Old Testament book, confirm remarkable consistency in transmission. New Testament manuscript witness—such as the Rylands Papyrus (P52) dating close to the life of the Apostle John—further reveals that essential truths about Jesus have been preserved intact.

This written revelation does not attempt to disclose every detail of God’s infinite being; instead, it discloses what is most crucial for faith and practice—namely His holiness, love, sovereignty, and redemptive plan through Christ. Thus, while finite minds do not fully comprehend the eternal, Scripture equips believers with a true understanding of God’s essence and will.

4. The Incarnation as the Ultimate Disclosure

Central to the biblical claim of knowing God is the person of Jesus Christ. John’s Gospel declares: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:1,14). This event affirms that God is not remote or passive but personally entered human history. In Jesus, the infinite One was revealed in a form accessible to humanity.

Historical research—such as the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus—supports Jesus’ historicity. Additional archaeological finds corroborate first-century life and the geography where His ministry took place. Moreover, according to multiple strands of evidence, including eyewitness testimonies preserved in the Gospels, Jesus rose from the dead. That resurrection, as recorded in all four Gospel accounts, sharpens the claim that God indeed revealed Himself in Christ—and verified that revelation through the empty tomb.

5. The Holy Spirit’s Role in Illumination

Scripture recognizes that knowing an eternal God requires more than intellectual examination. “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). The Holy Spirit enlightens people’s hearts and minds so they can begin to grasp truths about God’s nature. This is not to say believers now possess exhaustive knowledge but rather a God-given ability to perceive truth that surpasses purely natural insights.

Numerous reports of changed lives, documented healings, and inexplicable transformations further encourage the idea that God’s Spirit remains active. Modern-day accounts from missionaries and medical professionals in various parts of the world describe events considered miraculous—these experiences can reinforce the claim that God’s character is knowable in a relational and transformative way.

6. Tension between Mystery and Revelation

Biblical teaching preserves a reverent modesty about God’s incomprehensible majesty while also affirming that genuine understanding is possible. The Bible describes God using language humans can grasp (e.g., anthropomorphic expressions like “the arm of the LORD”), yet acknowledges these are accommodations to finite thought. Theology likewise uses concepts like “Trinity” to organize the Bible’s statements about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one Being in three distinct Persons. The limitations of human language do not negate the reality they point toward; instead, they function to convey as much truth as finite reasoning can handle.

In this sense, Christian theology balances humility—recognizing only God fully knows Himself (Romans 11:33–34)—with confidence that He has given sufficient self-revelation to form a reliable understanding of His nature.

7. The Relationship between Faith and Reason

Reason plays a significant role in organizing and defending the truths Christians hold about God. Investigations of Scripture’s reliability, historical corroboration of biblical events, and philosophical arguments for design all underscore a rational basis for faith. Yet, the stance remains that reason alone will not unearth every aspect of an infinite Deity. As Hebrews 11:6 observes, “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” emphasizing that trust in divine revelation complements—rather than contradicts—human inquiry.

In addition, biblical truth resonates with human experience in ways that purely materialistic or atheistic explanations often fail to address. The sense of awe, permanence of moral obligations, and longing for something beyond this life help form a coherent framework that corresponds with the Scriptures’ testimony.

8. Practical Implications of Knowing God

When Christians speak of “knowing God,” it implies more than data-collection about a cosmic being. It entails loving allegiance, reverence, and obedience to the One revealed in Christ. In everyday life, this knowledge is lived out by:

• Worship and devotion, acknowledging God’s holiness and love.

• Ethical transformation, recognizing that moral guidelines flow from God’s character.

• Hope in the promise of eternal life secured by Christ’s resurrection.

These practical facets of a relationship with God confirm that knowing Him is both an intellectual and deeply personal endeavor.

9. Conclusion: A Clear yet Partial Vision

Believers contend they truly know aspects of God’s nature—His goodness, love, righteousness, and redemptive plan—through His self-revelation in creation, Scripture, and Jesus Christ. Archaeological, historical, and scientific studies support the reliability of that revelation, reaffirming that such knowledge is well-founded.

At the same time, Christians maintain that the full measure of God’s essence surpasses all human categories. This does not negate the clarity of the revelation experienced; rather, it places it in perspective. In finite minds, the infinite remains partially veiled. Yet because God desires relationship, He has chosen to lift the veil sufficiently for people to rightly understand who He is, and to invite them into communion with Him. As the apostle Paul puts it, “Now we see but a dim reflection… then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully” (1 Corinthians 13:12).