Experiencing God Beyond Scriptural Boundaries

The concept of experiencing God beyond scriptural boundaries touches on the limits of human comprehension regarding the divine, while also affirming a relational knowledge of God. Scripture itself acknowledges that God's nature and actions can exceed human understanding ^{[1, 2]}. For instance, Job 11:7 asks, "Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?" ^[1]. Similarly, Ecclesiastes 7:24 states that "Whatever is—it is far beyond comprehension. Who can discover it?" ^[2]. This suggests an inherent mystery surrounding God that cannot be fully contained or defined by human intellect or even by explicit revelation alone.

Despite this incomprehensibility, the Bible also speaks of a profound, experiential knowledge of God. The Hebrew word for "know" (יָדַע, yada') often implies an intimate, relational experience rather than mere intellectual assent, akin to human sexual relations ^[9]. To "know God as Yahweh" is to be in a relationship with Him, constantly learning who He is and what He desires ^[9]. This relational knowing is crucial for understanding salvation from sin ^[9]. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 3:19, prays that believers may "have knowledge of the love of Christ which is outside all knowledge, so that you may be made complete as God himself is complete" ^[3]. This "love of Christ which passeth knowledge" implies that while Christ's love can be known experientially, its full depth surpasses human intellectual grasp ^{[6, 10]}. The Christian life is founded on this personal experience and knowledge of God's grace and love in Jesus Christ ^[5].

The Bible also describes instances of direct, extraordinary experiences with God that transcend normal human perception. Paul's account in 2 Corinthians 12:2, where he speaks of being "caught up to the third heaven," illustrates such an experience, noting his inability to discern whether it was "in the body" or "out of the body" ^[4]. This suggests a realm of divine encounter that can defy conventional categories of understanding.

However, the idea of "experiencing God beyond scriptural boundaries" does not imply contradicting or going against apostolic teachings. The apostle John warns against those who "wander away from this teaching" or "go beyond" it, which means contradicting the apostolic teachings about Jesus Christ ^[8]. Therefore, while God's nature and our experience of Him may exceed our full comprehension, any such experience is understood to be consistent with, even if not explicitly detailed in, the revealed truth of Scripture. The "invisible things of him" are "clearly seen" and "understood by the things that are made," meaning that creation itself interprets our faith in God, which has its primary sources within us ^[7]. This suggests a continuous interplay between inner revelation and outer observation in coming to know God ^[7].

Sources

Job “Job 11:7 (BSB) — Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?”
Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 7:24 (LEB) — ⌞Whatever is—it is far beyond comprehension⌟. Who can discover it?”
Ephesians “Ephesians 3:19 (BBE) — And to have knowledge of the love of Christ which is outside all knowledge, so that you may be made complete as God himself is complete.”
King James Version “[KJV] 2 Corinthians 12:2 — I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.”
Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 3:19: 3:19 May you experience (literally know) the love of Christ: The whole Christian life is based on the experience and personal knowledge of God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ (see Rom 12:1). • it is too great to understand fully: Christ’s love is much greater than ordinary human love (see Rom 5:6-8). • The believer’s life is made complete when it is filled with all the fullness of life and power by the presence of Christ within (see Eph 1:23; Gal 2:20; Col 1:27). The believer then is conformed to his image and reflects God (see Eph 4:14, 24; 5:1-2; Rom 8:29; 2”
Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 3:19: passeth--surpasseth, exceeds. The paradox "to know . . . which passeth knowledge," implies that when he says "know," he does not mean that we can adequately know; all we know is, that His love exceeds far our knowledge of it, and with even our fresh accessions of knowledge hereafter, will still exceed them. Even as God's power exceeds our thoughts (Eph 3:20). filled with--rather, as Greek, "filled even unto all the fulness of God" (this is the grand goal), that is, filled, each according to your capacity, with the divine wisdom, knowledge, and lov”
Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 1:20: For the invisible things of him from--or "since" the creation of the world are clearly seen--the mind brightly beholding what the eye cannot discern. being understood by the things that are made--Thus, the outward creation is not the parent but the interpreter of our faith in God. That faith has its primary sources within our own breast (Rom 1:19); but it becomes an intelligible and articulate conviction only through what we observe around us ("by the things which are made," Rom 1:20). And thus are the inner and the outer revelation of God the comp”
2 John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 John 1:9: 1:9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching (literally everyone going beyond and not remaining in the teaching): To go beyond is to contradict the apostolic teachings about Jesus Christ and believe things about Jesus that were not taught by the apostles. This is a warning to the church not to listen to the false teachers.”
Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 6:7: 6:7 Then you will know that I am the Lord: The Hebrew word translated know is always based on experience and relationship. The same word is used to describe human sexual relations. To know God as Yahweh is not just to know abstract facts about him, but to be in a relationship with him in which we are always learning who he is and what he wants us to do. This is the only true rescue from the human predicament of sin described in Gen 3–11. The importance of “knowing the Lord” in the book of Exodus is seen in its recurrence, especially in Exod 5–18 (5:2; 7:5, 17; 8:10”
Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 3:18: And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,.... The love of Christ to his own, to his church and people, is special and peculiar; free and Sovereign; as early as his Father's love, and is durable and unchangeable; the greatest love that ever was heard of; it is matchless and unparalleled; it is exceeding strong and affectionate, and is wonderful and surprising: the instances of it are, his engaging as a surety for them; his espousing both their persons and their cause; his assumption of their nature; his dying in their room and stead; his payment of th”

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