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Is There a Proper Way to Speak of God?

Introduction

Many Christians ask how human language can adequately communicate who God is and what He is like. The question arises because God is by nature infinite, whereas human expression emerges from finite experience. Some have argued that we can only speak of Him in human terms that fail to capture His true essence. Others have declared that since God is transcendent, our words about Him do not carry genuine meaning. Still others hold that each reference to God is either entirely literal or utterly figurative. The issue, then, is whether there is a balance that both avoids diminishing God to our limitations and preserves a scriptural understanding that He is knowable on some real level.

Christians who interpret the Bible through a careful historical-grammatical lens recognize that Jehovah has revealed Himself in Scripture in meaningful ways (Isaiah 55:8–9). While there are things about Him that are beyond human comprehension, the Bible affirms that created beings do possess genuine knowledge of their Creator. Romans 1:20 indicates that God’s “invisible attributes” can be perceived in the world He has made. The question is how this can be so. This study will explore what has been called “the principle of analogy.” It addresses whether it is valid to say that an Infinite Being can be described by finite words, and if so, how these words convey truth about Him.

Why Does Analogy Matter?

Analogy is at the heart of Christian apologetics because it undergirds how we speak about God. It recognizes that when the Bible calls Jehovah “righteous” or “loving,” it does not mean the righteousness or love is completely different from, or identical to, our human notions. There is a similarity based on the fact that creatures reflect certain attributes of the Creator. Yet there is also dissimilarity because He is infinite and we are finite (Psalm 147:5). Christian thinkers through the ages have acknowledged that God’s perfections, such as holiness or goodness, cannot be grasped in the exact mode He possesses them. Still, we can meaningfully affirm that He is truly good and holy.

Some who deny analogy say that because Jehovah God is incomparable, any comparison must be invalid. Others propose that since God is transcendent, our words cannot provide real insights into His essence. However, the Bible consistently presents God as One who reveals Himself in ways humans can understand. Exodus 3:14 portrays Him as “I AM,” emphasizing His unique self-existence, yet this proclamation is given in human language so that Moses could communicate it to others. Analogy seeks to uphold both God’s transcendence and our genuine, though limited, comprehension.

The Background of Analogy in Christian Thought

Much attention was given to this question by theologians who wished to explain how an unlimited Being could be described using words drawn from created reality. Some pointed out that an effect must in some way reflect its cause, affirming that creatures share certain qualities (in a finite way) that belong to their Creator (in an infinite way). Others, such as certain modern thinkers, insisted that all references to God are purely symbolic and tell us little about Him, except that He is beyond us.

Conservative interpreters of Scripture point to the many statements in the Bible about God’s qualities. We read that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and that “God is light” (1 John 1:5). These statements use ordinary words like “love” and “light.” If they were meant in an entirely different sense from anything we know, they would fail to convey real information. Conversely, if they were meant in exactly the same sense, we would reduce God to a mere creature. The principle of analogy addresses this tension.

Two Ways the Principle of Analogy Arises

The expression “principle of analogy” can be used in different contexts. One sense relates to biblical history and miracles. A figure such as Ernst Troeltsch, an influential historian from past centuries, argued that events in Scripture can be known only if they are analogous to events happening now. He denied biblical miracles precisely because he saw no current analogy for them. Many conservative Christians refute that perspective by appealing to the trustworthiness of biblical revelation and eyewitness testimony. The second way “analogy” is used is as a fundamental principle of reason applied in theology. That second sense is the focus here, building on the notion that “like produces like,” and that a cause and its effect share a real similarity.

The Basic Meaning of Analogy

Analogy affirms that we can neither speak of God in a way that makes Him identical to the creation, nor speak in a way that makes Him utterly unlike anything in creation. An effect must be similar to its cause, otherwise we would have a contradiction. Because Jehovah is the source of being, and because human beings also have being (though finite), we share real but limited similarity to the One who brought us into existence. This stands in contrast to two extremes:

Univocal language says that a concept like “good” has exactly the same meaning whether predicated of God or humanity. This reduces the infinite Goodness of the Almighty to a creaturely standard.

Equivocal language says that the same word “good” has an entirely unrelated sense when applied to God, so it tells us nothing about Him in terms we can understand. This leaves believers in a state of skeptical uncertainty.

Analogy seeks a middle path by preserving a genuine reflection of God’s attributes in finite form, along with a recognition that He is far greater than our limited comprehension.

Why Scriptural Revelation Implies Analogy

The Bible itself uses expressions that parallel everyday experience, while making clear that the One described transcends the human plane. Isaiah 55:9 says that God’s ways are higher than our ways, yet the passage still addresses the audience in finite language that provides real knowledge. After all, the prophet calls upon the wicked to forsake their ways and turn to Jehovah, implying that the human mind can grasp something about His standards and character.

Romans 11:33 declares: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” Though it underscores that God’s greatness surpasses our finite grasp, the verse itself uses terms like wisdom and knowledge in a manner that indicates some parallel with our concepts of wisdom and knowledge. These references must be analogous in order to be meaningful: God is wise, though His wisdom is immeasurably beyond ours.

The Logic Behind Analogical Language

An analogy between God and creation stands on the principle of causality. The cause communicates its nature to the effect in some manner. If God had no wisdom, how could He produce beings that possess any capacity for reason? If He had no goodness, how could He impart moral awareness to humanity (Genesis 1:27)? The effect must share in the perfection of its cause, though in a derivative, finite way. This is a major reason believers insist that “God is good” can be a true statement. By contrast, if God were wholly other, we would have no contact point for speaking meaningfully of Him.

God cannot be entirely identical to creation, or else He would be part of the created order. Scripture everywhere distinguishes the Creator from the creature (Isaiah 40:25–26). Yet there must be a genuine likeness insofar as He is the source of what is found in limited degrees among His creatures. This tension is resolved by claiming that we speak analogically, neither wholly univocally nor wholly equivocally.

Avoiding Two Extremes in God-Talk

Some hold that a word, when applied to God, possesses an entirely new meaning with no resemblance to the human usage. That path leads to skepticism about whether we know anything about God’s essence. If we say “God is righteous” but use the word “righteous” in a sense unrecognizable in human terms, it provides no real knowledge. Others hold that when we say “righteous,” we define God by a strictly human standard. This stance shrinks His infinite majesty into creaturely constraints. The biblical position refuses both extremes, insisting that humans truly reflect certain qualities that Jehovah possesses in a perfect, infinite way (Deuteronomy 32:4).

Old Testament Foundations for Analogy

The Hebrew Scriptures, which refer to God’s name as Jehovah, are filled with statements describing Him as compassionate, just, holy, and loving. Deuteronomy 7:9 calls Him “the faithful God who keeps covenant.” Such descriptions are meaningful only if faithfulness in Him is similar to, yet far surpassing, the best notion of faithfulness we see among humans. Conversely, the Scriptures also assert that God is without any moral defect (Habakkuk 1:13). The faithful qualities we see among people are reflections of the ultimate standard of faithfulness found in the Creator. That interplay of similarity and difference emerges repeatedly throughout biblical history. Psalm 103:13–14 speaks of Jehovah’s pity for humans, comparing it to a father’s compassion for his children, yet fully acknowledging that God’s fatherhood is supremely greater in scope.

New Testament Emphasis on God’s Nature

The Christian Scriptures likewise employ language that can be understood only by analogy. Jesus teaches His followers to pray to “our Father” in the heavens (Matthew 6:9). He also clarifies that if earthly fathers, who are imperfect, show kindness to their children, how much more will the heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11). There is an intentional parallel, but not an identical or an entirely different usage. Believers acknowledge that God’s fatherhood is infinitely beyond a human father’s role, yet the word would be meaningless if no genuine similarity existed.

When John’s Gospel calls Jesus “the Word” who was with God in the beginning (John 1:1), the language conveys a concept: just as a person’s word expresses a person’s mind, so the Son fully expresses the mind of the Father in an eternal, divine way. This is analogical communication, bridging the gap between the finite realm of words and the infinite realm of God’s eternal Being.

The Role of Negation in Analogy

When using words about God, some are affirmations and some are negations. For example, 1 John 1:5 says that “God is light,” an affirmative statement pointing to His purity and truth. Yet we also find that God is “not a man” (Numbers 23:19), highlighting His transcendence. That negation guards against limiting Him to finite human conditions. This combination of affirmation and negation stands at the core of analogical statements. We affirm that God truly possesses knowledge, goodness, or holiness; yet we deny that He has these qualities in the same restricted way creatures do.

This method is sometimes called “the way of negation,” emphasizing that while an effect can mirror aspects of the cause, we must remove creaturely limits when speaking of the infinite Creator. Though we affirm that God exists, we do not treat Him as though He possessed the contingent and changeable existence we observe in creation (Malachi 3:6). This does not leave us in ignorance, but reminds us that each perfection we ascribe to God must be stripped of any finite deficiency when predicated of Him.

Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Analogy

When discussing analogies, scholars sometimes differentiate between an extrinsic analogy and an intrinsic analogy. An extrinsic analogy is purely external: the cause might produce certain results but not actually share those qualities. The clay hardens in the sun’s heat, yet the sun itself might not be “hard.” That tells us little about any real likeness between cause and effect.

An intrinsic analogy, by contrast, posits that the cause truly communicates some of its own perfection to the effect. Thus, if a mind composes a meaningful text, that text truly reflects the intelligence of the mind. The effect has been imprinted with something that genuinely corresponds to the cause. The Christian claim is that the analogy between God and humans is intrinsic, not merely external. If God did not actually have the qualities of love, moral consciousness, or rationality, He could never produce them in His creatures.

Why Genuine Knowledge of God Matters

Some wonder why it is important that we speak about God with real understanding rather than leaving Him as wholly mysterious. The Scriptures present knowing God as central to a believer’s life (John 17:3). If all statements about Him were merely symbolic placeholders, believers would not truly know Him. But Jesus speaks of His disciples knowing “the only true God,” who is revealed by the Son. Since God is absolute perfection, our knowledge does not exhaust His being. Yet the knowledge we do have is not meaningless. It is grounded in a real resemblance because of the Creator-creature relationship.

Preventing Skepticism and Presumption

An overly skeptical approach to biblical statements about God leaves readers feeling that even the clearest words do not convey a glimpse of His nature. That contradicts the recurring scriptural appeal to learn of God’s ways. Deuteronomy 30:11–14 insists that God’s instructions are not impossible to grasp, though they are indeed lofty in their moral challenge. On the other hand, presuming that we fully comprehend God fosters the illusion that our knowledge is on par with the divine mind. The path of analogy steers between these pitfalls, affirming a real and true but not exhaustive comprehension.

How This Relates to Apologetics

Christian apologetics aims to give a reasoned explanation for one’s beliefs (1 Peter 3:15). When addressing inquirers or skeptics who question how we can claim knowledge of an infinite God, analogy provides a philosophical and theological basis. The argument proceeds that the world and human beings reflect aspects of a Maker who possesses them in an unlimited form. If we see intelligence and moral awareness in ourselves, we may infer that our Cause has these qualities in a far superior way. The Bible’s revelation confirms this, showing that God is personal, just, loving, and holy (Leviticus 19:2; 1 John 4:16).

Apologetically, it explains why Christians do not treat biblical references to God’s actions as mere anthropomorphisms. Instead, they are genuine, though partial, revelations of His attributes. This approach also helps believers show that they do not reduce the Almighty to human level or vanish into unknowability.

Distinguishing Creator from Creation

The Scriptures emphasize that Jehovah transcends the universe (Psalm 113:4–6). He is not merely the sum of created things, which guards against pantheistic notions. At the same time, the created order points toward Him. Romans 1:20 teaches that God’s “invisible attributes” have been perceived through what has been made, leaving people without excuse. This perception is analogical because it discerns in the effect a real reflection of the Creator’s invisible nature, even if it is an imperfect reflection.

Some classical Christian thinkers reasoned that because God is “Pure Existence,” all that exists in creation shares in lesser degrees the actuality that comes from Him. Our attributes, such as moral goodness or intellectual prowess, echo in a finite mode something that resides in the One who bestows existence upon all else. This line of thought insists that “being produces being,” and that a cause cannot give what it does not have. If a painter is colorblind, the paintings will not reflect the subtlety of color comprehension. Analogously, if God were devoid of love, morality, or rationality, creation would not manifest these realities.

Responses to Objections

Some question whether reference to God in this manner is too philosophical. Yet Scripture consistently addresses moral qualities, love, and wisdom in God. The philosophical framework of analogy simply explains how we can say such things without falling into contradiction. It also keeps us from misapplying finite limitations.

Others ask why certain terms apply to God, but not others. This is because attributes that speak to actual perfection—like goodness, love, or righteousness—are the sort that reflect the nature of One who is the Cause of all being. Attributes that imply limitation, like capacity to fail or moral weakness, cannot be applied to God, since He is not limited or able to err (James 1:13; Titus 1:2).

Biblical Evidence for Analogical Language

Many Old Testament passages use language that presumes a shared concept. Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, says Jehovah.” If there were no genuine point of contact between divine and human reasoning, such an appeal would be pointless. The prophet’s invitation shows that God communicates with people in a framework they can understand. Yet, as Isaiah 55:9 states, His ways remain higher, ensuring that the likeness never becomes identical.

In the New Testament, Matthew 6:26 depicts Jesus pointing to the birds of the air and telling His disciples that the heavenly Father feeds them. The word “Father” does not reduce God to a human father’s limitations. It does, however, indicate that He cares for His children in a way that parallels a father’s concern. Without analogy, the reference to fatherhood would be meaningless. The concluding exhortation to “not be anxious” rests on the assumption that God’s fatherly care is sufficiently similar to a good human father’s concern, yet extends far beyond it.

The Necessity of Rational Consistency

Christians rely on the Bible as the supreme revelation of God’s will. They also affirm that the teachings of Scripture must be rationally coherent, since God is not a God of disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33). If the language used of God were devoid of any real consistency, the entire revelatory function of Scripture would collapse. Passages that describe God as loving, faithful, merciful, and holy would degenerate into purely mysterious code with no interpretive key. By insisting on analogy, believers maintain that Scripture communicates real truth, though the fullness of God’s nature surpasses finite expressions.

Clarifying Potential Misconceptions

Some assert that describing God analogically waters down the biblical portrayal of His transcendence. They worry that if we see too much likeness, we risk making Him merely an exalted version of man. Yet the principle of analogy itself demands a careful distinction. His perfections remain infinite, ours remain finite. Analogy affirms that the effect (us) is like the cause (God) in limited ways, while the cause infinitely excels the effect.

Others accuse analogy of placing undue philosophical structures on the Bible. But the biblical writers themselves express truths in ways consistent with analogy. The entire narrative of salvation history depends on the premise that God interacts with His creatures in a way that they can understand. Exodus 34:6 calls Jehovah “merciful and gracious” because He truly displays compassion, though infinitely more perfectly than humans ever can.

Holding to Scripture and Reason

A conservative Christian approach grounds its perspectives in Scripture, understood according to the objective historical-grammatical method. That method respects the literal sense of the text in its historical context and recognizes that God’s Word cannot be contradictory. The concept of analogy aligns with such a reading, since biblical passages never depict God as so remote that words about Him are unintelligible, nor do they confine Him to the boundaries of human experience. Instead, they reveal a holy, all-powerful, and righteous Creator, whose image humankind reflects (Genesis 1:27).

Consequences for Christian Doctrine

Several core doctrines rely on understanding God’s attributes in an analogical manner. The doctrine of creation ex nihilo assumes that everything finds its origin in God, who communicates existence to that which once did not exist (Hebrews 11:3). The doctrine of salvation presupposes that God’s love, though infinitely greater, corresponds to our grasp of genuine love. John 3:16 affirms, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,” which has real meaning for believers who understand human love in a lesser measure.

Without analogy, speaking of God’s holiness, justice, or mercy would leave believers in confusion, unsure whether God’s “justice” bears any resemblance to the concept of justice they know. Yet Scripture constantly appeals to God’s perfect justice as a standard (Deuteronomy 32:4). The meaning is not extinguished by the difference in scale, for the difference is precisely between the infinite and the finite modes of the same perfection.

Relationship to Human Language

All scriptural language directed to God flows through human words and concepts. Some worry that finite words distort God by associating Him with creaturely constraints. The biblical reply is that God chose to reveal Himself through these channels, indicating that He can and does use them effectively. Hebrews 1:1–2 explains that in past ages, God spoke through prophets, but now through His Son. These messages employ human speech, yet they are not rendered void because they refer to an infinite God.

The truth of Scripture rests in the fact that although the words are finite, they are precisely the words God determined to use, ensuring that they convey real knowledge. The Holy Spirit inspired the writings (2 Peter 1:21) that guide believers into an understanding of God’s purpose. That does not imply an indwelling that overrides personal choice; it affirms that the Word given to us is trustworthy.

Upholding Mystery and Knowability

Some Christian perspectives overemphasize mystery to the point of despairing about knowing God. Yet the Bible reveals a balanced approach. Isaiah 40:28 praises God’s inscrutable understanding, but Isaiah 1:18 shows that He reasons with His people. God remains beyond our full comprehension, yet He is not entirely hidden. Analogy honors that biblical mystery, reminding us that we never reduce Jehovah to our level, while preserving the biblical insistence that He truly discloses Himself.

Implications for Worship and Devotion

Believers use analogical language of God in worship, prayer, and devotion. Calling Him “our Father,” “our Rock,” or “our Shepherd” in heartfelt prayer is neither an empty metaphor nor a claim that He is exactly what those words mean in a human sense. It is a scripturally grounded statement that draws from realities we know, while acknowledging that God surpasses them. Psalm 23:1 calls Jehovah “my shepherd,” a title that resonates with tender guardianship, without implying that He is a literal shepherd herding livestock in fields. The effect, though, is not simply a poetic flourish. The analogy contains real truth about His protective care, which comforts the worshipper in life’s difficulties.

How Analogy Counters Certain Fallacies

Some critics hold that attributing characteristics such as love or righteousness to God is purely psychological wishful thinking. They argue that the world’s suffering contradicts claims about a loving Creator. From an analogical standpoint, the presence of suffering does not negate God’s love; it points to the reality of humanity’s fallen state. Scripture portrays a God who remains consistent in His attributes, though humans misuse their moral freedom (Genesis 3:17–19). The flaw is not in the communication of God’s perfections but in the reception and response within a corrupted creation (Romans 8:20–22).

Others label all God-talk as subject to cultural bias, suggesting that references to fatherhood or kingship reflect ancient patriarchal or monarchical ideas. Yet the principle of analogy does not fixate on mere cultural forms. It insists that we can glean underlying truths: fatherhood as care, kingship as authority, and so forth. The cultural packaging is the vehicle for a message that transcends any particular society.

Guarding Against Reductive Views

Some theological models reduce divine attributes to a single concept, such as raw power. But Scripture speaks of God in multiple dimensions—holy, loving, just, patient—indicating that none of these overshadow the others (Exodus 34:6–7). Analogy allows each attribute to stand on its own, reflecting a different aspect of the One who is infinitely perfect. A reductive approach contradicts the biblical witness that God is greater than any one attribute we might highlight.

Conclusion

Language about God is neither wholly identical to human speech about ordinary subjects, nor is it utterly alien. Believers affirm that biblical terms, inspired by Jehovah, do communicate truth about Him. This communication is neither univocal nor equivocal; it is analogical, grounded in the causal relationship between an infinite Creator and His finite creatures. The effect is truly like the cause inasmuch as it has being, reason, moral conscience, and other perfections. The difference is that God possesses these qualities in an infinite, boundless measure, whereas creatures possess them finitely.

If we treated our terms about God as univocal, we would risk lowering Him to our level. If we regarded them as merely equivocal, we would know next to nothing about Him. But by affirming analogy, we uphold the biblical testimony that God truly reveals Himself and remains infinite in all His ways. Exodus 15:11 asks: “Who is like you, O Jehovah, among the gods?” The implied answer is that there is no equal, yet He is not so far removed that we have no knowledge at all. We share a reflection of His virtues precisely because He is the Creator of all being, and He cannot give what He does not have in Himself.

True worship, then, proceeds from hearts that acknowledge God’s infinite majesty and rejoice that He has disclosed Himself in a way that finite people can understand. We speak of God’s love, grace, and righteousness, knowing that we use human expressions while trusting that His reality far exceeds all that we can imagine. The path of analogy enables Christians to praise Him rightly, confess genuine knowledge, and still bow in reverent awe of the One who transcends our highest thoughts.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).