Introduction:  The Knowledge of God: 

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

“And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God”  Matthew 22:31

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,”-2 Peter 1:5

Natural Revelation

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

God has revealed His heart and mind with words. The all-powerful and all-knowing God has made Himself known in a way that people can understand.  

Theology Proper:  Theology that is directly related to the study of God himself, his attributes, characteristics, and being. Theology properly informs us better of all other doctrines. 

Course Outline:

Knowledge of God

One in Essence

Three in Person

Incommunicable Attributes

Communicable Attributes

The Will of God

Providence

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11

God Incomprehensible: We can each think of a subject we can barely understand, so it's not difficult to understand that God in his greatness can’t easily fit in our minds. Because of our nature of being created beings, we cannot possibly know all that God is.

“Finitum non capax infinitum” - John Calvin: The finite cannot “grasp”/”contain” the infinite. 

God is an infinite being, mankind is finite. 

“We can have a meaningful knowledge of God, but we cannot have an exhaustive knowledge of Him; we cannot totally comprehend all that He is.” - RC Sproul

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8

Romans 11:34

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,

    or who has been his counselor?”

However, that does not mean that God can't be knowable at all. The incomprehensibility of God is a mystery not to be confused with contradiction. 

It doesn't matter what level we’re at, there's always something we can learn about our God that will help us and others get closer to him. We must give ourselves room for growth and the Bible encourages growth in texts like this. 

2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen

Colossians 1:10

 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God

The question is how? How can we begin to make sense of him?

John Calvin said that “God in his graciousness and mercy condescends to lisp for our benefit. In other words, God speaks to us on our terms and in our language. 

Anthropomorphism:

The greek word anthropos,  which is where we get the word anthropology from, means man, mankind, or human. And morphology is the term for the study of forms or shapes. Anthropomorphic is the combination of those words which means in human form. God speaks to us in a form that is recognizable to us because we are human. 

In other words, all the language in the Bible is anthropomorphic.

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? Isaiah 66:1

Images convey truths about God in a way that makes us think.

There are two  errors we can make when we think about God

1 One is thinking there's no way we can know anything about God. 

2 Thinking we can understand him at the same level that we can a human. 

We have to be careful we don't simplify God so that we can put him in this neat little box.

There's a reason why God says “Heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool” instead of I'm all-powerful. The word all-powerful isn't an insufficient word to describe God, after all, God is all-powerful, it’s that our understanding of “all” and “powerful” is insufficient. God speaks to us in our language and not in his so that we can know him as far as our abilities allow us to. Our incomprehensible God making himself known to his finite creation. 

Why is it helpful to understand the concept of Anthropomorphism/God speaking to us in human form?

God uses human emotions and attributes to relate to us and further seek him. (i.e. jealous, rich in mercy)

Ephesians 2:4

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, expands or God is a jealous God

Exodus 20:5

You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me

People have been blinded in their minds about who God is because in our study of theology, we can be better equipped to give a response when God opens a door. 

“ And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth”-2 Timothy 2:24-25

Ways in which God is described

There are 3 major ways in which we describe God. 

Via Negationis:  Via (road or way) negationis (negation).

 Meaning we describe God by saying what he is not. 

God is “infinite” meaning God is “not finite”. 

God is “immortal” meaning he is “not mortal.”

Humans change over time, they undergo mutations, they are mutable, God doesn't change so He is immutable. 

“Via Eminentia”: the way of eminence,

human concepts to the ultimate degree (to the max, omni level). 

God is omnipotent meaning all-powerful

God is omniscient meaning all-knowing. 

Via affirmationis: or “way of affirmation” 

We positively attribute certain characteristics about God and affirm they are true of Him.

God is one

God is holy, 

God is sovereign, 

The Revelation by the Spirit:

We are able to commune with God because we were made in his image and likeness. An intimate relationship with God is made impossible by the stain of sin. God is Holy and because God is Spirit the dead spirit of man cannot know or have a relationship with a living God. God has broken that barrier and removed the stain by the blood of Jesus for all who put their faith in him. When we receive new life by the Holy Spirit, knowing God is made possible in an intimate way.  

1 Corinthians 2:10-12

English Standard Version

“10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”

1 Peter 4:6

For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

Group Discussion: 

How is Jesus the ultimate form of expression of God's desire to make Himself (God) known to mankind (anthropomorphism)? Despite The general revelation and power at display in all of creation, prophetic revelation through Moses and the prophets, he has now revealed himself by taking on Human flesh. 

Hebrews 1:1-3

The Supremacy of God's Son

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Hebrews 4:14-16

 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

https://www.gotquestions.org/God-transcendent.html

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/reformed-doctrine-god

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/topics/knowing-god

https://www.gotquestions.org/general-special-revelation.html