Analogies Used to Understand God's Character in Theology
Theology employs various analogies and descriptive terms to help understand God's character, often drawing from human experiences and relationships while acknowledging divine transcendence. One common approach is the use of anthropomorphisms and anthropopathisms, which attribute human characteristics or emotions to God [7, 10]. For instance, the phrase "the hand of the Lord" signifies God's active involvement in human affairs [7]. Similarly, when the Old Testament speaks of God "to know what is in your heart," it uses human terms to convey that God desired the Israelites' character to be revealed through their actions, even though God already knows innermost thoughts [10]. These linguistic devices serve to make God more comprehensible to the human mind, even while recognizing that God is not limited by human constraints [10].
The Bible frequently describes God in relational terms, such as a father. Psalm 103:13 states, "The Lord is like a father to his children," an analogy that forms a foundational basis for Jesus' teachings about God's fatherhood [4]. This paternal imagery conveys God's love and dominion [3].
Another significant concept is that humanity is created in the "image" and "likeness" of God [3, 9]. This means that humans bear God's image, endowed with dignity and a charge to rule [6]. The apostle Paul argues that man is the "image and glory of God," reflecting God's glory directly, while woman reflects it through man [9]. This "image of God" is most fully realized in Jesus Christ, who is described as the "exact likeness and perfect Representative" of God [5]. Christ's existence in "the form of God" refers to the external, self-manifesting characteristics of God, the divine nature shining forth from His glorious essence [8].
However, the Bible also warns against reducing God to human or created forms. Romans 1:23 condemns those who "turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and of creeping things" [2]. This highlights the distinction between using analogies to understand God and creating idols that limit God to created forms. The very name for God in Hebrew, 'El or 'Elohim, signifies strength and the Divine Being, emphasizing His unique nature [1].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
- Romans “Romans 1:23 (Geneva1599) — For they turned the glorie of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of birdes, and foure footed beastes, and of creeping things.”
- James (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on James 3:9: God--The oldest authorities read, "Lord." "Him who is Lord and Father." The uncommonness of the application of "Lord" to the Father, doubtless caused the change in modern texts to "God" (Jam 1:27). But as Messiah is called "Father," Isa 9:6, so God the Father is called by the Son's title, "Lord": showing the unity of the Godhead. "Father" implies His paternal love; "Lord," His dominion. men, which--not "men who"; for what is meant is not particular men, but men genetically [ALFORD]. are made after . . . similitude of God--Though in a great measure ma”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 103:13: 103:13 The Lord is like a father to his children: This analogy forms the basis for Jesus’ teaching about God’s fatherhood (see Matt 5:43-48; 6:1; 10:19-20; 12:50; Luke 6:36; 12:29-32; John 8:31-59; 15:1-8; see also 2 Sam 7:14; Jer 3:19; 31:9; Mal 1:6; 2 Cor 6:16-18).”
- Colossians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Colossians 1:15: They who have experienced in themselves "redemption" (Col 1:14), know Christ in the glorious character here described, as above the highest angels to whom the false teachers (Col 2:18) taught worship was to be paid. Paul describes Him: (1) in relation to God and creation (Col 1:15-17); (2) in relation to the Church (Col 1:18-20). As the former regards Him as the Creator (Col 1:15-16) and the Sustainer (Col 1:17) of the natural world; so the latter, as the source and stay of the new moral creation. image--exact likeness and perfect Representative.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 8:5: 8:5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God: Humans bear God’s image; the Lord has endowed humans with dignity and charged them to rule (Gen 1:26-27). Hebrews 2:6-8 applies these words to Jesus Christ, the ideal human who fully realized God’s purposes.”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 1:66: 1:66 the hand of the Lord: This anthropomorphism (describing God with human characteristics, cp. 1:51) meant that God was at work in John’s life.”
- Philippians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Philippians 2:6: Translate, "Who subsisting (or existing, namely, originally: the Greek is not the simple substantive verb, 'to be') in the form of God (the divine essence is not meant: but the external self-manifesting characteristics of God, the form shining forth from His glorious essence). The divine nature had infinite BEAUTY in itself, even without any creature contemplating that beauty: that beauty was 'the form of God'; as 'the form of a servant' (Phi 2:7), which is in contrasted opposition to it, takes for granted the existence of His human nature, so 'the”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 11:7: Argument, also, from man's more immediate relation to God, and the woman's to man. he is . . . image . . . glory of God--being created in God's "image," first and directly: the woman, subsequently, and indirectly, through the mediation of man. Man is the representative of God's "glory" this ideal of man being realized most fully in the Son of man (Psa 8:4-5; compare Co2 8:23). Man is declared in Scripture to be both the "image," and in the "likeness," of God (compare Jam 3:9). But "image" alone is applied to the Son of God (Col 1:15; compare H”
- Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 8:2: 8:2 to prove your character (literally to know what is in your heart): God already knew the Israelites’ innermost thoughts (Pss 51:6; 139:1, 4, 23); he wanted their character to come out in their actions. • to find out whether: The Old Testament often describes God in human terms, even in ways that appear to limit God. Anthropomorphism (assigning human characteristics to God) and anthropopathism (assigning human feelings or emotions to God) are ways of representing God on a human level so the human mind can better grasp his ways, but God is not limited in his ”