God's Communication Methods Today
God communicates with humanity through various means, as evidenced throughout Scripture and theological tradition. Historically, God communicated through prophets, a method described as involving the agency of the Holy Spirit, though the precise mechanics of this divine-human interaction are not fully detailed [5]. The book of Hebrews notes that God "at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets" [6].
The ultimate and most complete form of God's communication is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1-2 states that in "these last days he hath spoken unto us by his Son" [6]. Jesus himself affirmed that his doctrine was not his own, but from the Father who sent him [13]. This highlights Christ's role as the singular mediator between God and humanity [3, 4].
Beyond direct revelation, God also communicates through His Word, the Scriptures. John Calvin emphasizes that God has been pleased to favor humanity with the communication of His Word, which is an "incorruptible seed" that "liveth and abideth for ever" [7]. The purpose of this instruction is so that trust may be placed in the Lord [2]. The gospel itself is described as a "word of grace" that, if believed and complied with, prevents it from being received in vain [14].
Theological traditions also discuss the nature of divine communication. Thomas Aquinas, for instance, distinguishes between different modes of communication and likeness, noting that while creatures can be like God, this likeness varies in degree and manner [9, 12]. He also explains that God's knowledge is not "discursive," meaning it does not proceed through a process of reasoning from principles to conclusions as human knowledge does [8].
In the present day, God continues to communicate. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in this ongoing communication, particularly in regeneration, which Charles Hodge describes as a "mysterious one, lying" beyond human agency or consciousness [10]. Exhortation among believers, through discussing divine things, praying together, and instructing one another in the Gospel, is also a means by which God's message is reinforced and understood [11]. While the specific ways God communicates may vary, the core message remains consistent with the "glad-message through Christ Jesus" [1].
Sources
- Romans “Romans 2:16 (Rotherham) — In the day on which God judgeth the secrets of men according to my glad-message through Christ Jesus.”
- Proverbs “Proverbs 22:19 (BSB) — So that your trust may be in the LORD, I instruct you today—yes, you.”
- 1 Timothy “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, -- 1 Timothy 2:5”
- I Timothy “I Timothy 2:5 (LITV) — For God is one, also there is one Mediator of God and of men, the Man Christ Jesus,”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: How The Prophetic Gift Was Received — --We learn from Holy Scripture that it was by the agency of the Spirit of God that the prophets received the divine communication; but the means by which the divine Spirit communicated with the human spirit, and the conditions of the latter under which the divine communications were received, have not been clearly declared to us. They are however, indicated. In (Numbers 12:6-8) we have an exhaustive division of the different ways in which the revelations of God are made to man. + Direct declaration and manifestation: "I will speak”
- Hebrews (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Hebrews 1:1: Here the apostle begins with a general declaration of the excellency of the gospel dispensation above that of the law, which he demonstrates from the different way and manner of God's communicating himself and his mind and will to men in the one and in the other: both these dispensations were of God, and both of them very good, but there is a great difference in the way of their coming from God. Observe, I. The way wherein God communicated himself and his will to men under the Old Testament. We have here an account, 1. Of the persons by whom God delivered his mind”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 46: pleased to favour with the communication of it. Peter’s statement has ever been true, that it is an incorruptible seed, “which liveth and abideth for ever,” ( 1 Peter 1:23 ), as he infers from the words of Isaiah ( Is. 40:6 ). Now when God, in ancient times, bound the Jews to him by this sacred bond, there cannot be a doubt that he separated them unto the hope of eternal life. When I say that they embraced the word which brought them nearer to God, I refer not to that general method of communication which is diffused through heaven”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), Of God's Knowledge, Art. 7: Article: Whether the knowledge of God is discursive? I answer that, In the divine knowledge there is no discursion; the proof of which is as follows. In our knowledge there is a twofold discursion: one is according to succession only, as when we have actually understood anything, we turn ourselves to understand something else; while the other mode of discursion is according to causality, as when through principles we arrive at the knowledge of conclusions. The first kind of discursion cannot belong to God. For many”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Perfection of God, Art. 3: Article: Whether any creature can be like God? I answer that, Since likeness is based upon agreement or communication in form, it varies according to the many modes of communication in form. Some things are said to be like, which communicate in the same form according to the same formality, and according to the same mode; and these are said to be not merely like, but equal in their likeness; as two things equally white are said to be alike in whiteness; and this is the most perfect likeness. In another way, we s”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 5: ), spirit, soul, and body, up to the standard of the life of Christ, in whom the divine and human are merged into one, or rather appear in their original oneness. The communication of the theanthropic life to the soul is an act of the divine Spirit in which we have neither agency nor consciousness. Delitzsch infers from what our Lord said to Nicodemus, John iii. that “The operation of the Spirit of regeneration is, therefore, (1.) A free one, withdrawn from the power of human volition, of human special agency. (2.) A mysterious one, lying ”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 3:13: But exhort one another daily,.... In order to prevent unbelief and apostasy. The phrase is sometimes rendered, "comfort one another", or, "yourselves together", as in Th1 5:11 which the saints may do, by discoursing together about divine things; by praying together; by instructing one another in the doctrines of the Gospel; by putting one another in mind of the covenant of grace, and its promises; and by observing the near approach of everlasting happiness with Christ. And though the business of exhortation greatly belongs to ministers of the word, yet it ought not t”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Names of God, Art. 9: Article: Whether this name "God" is communicable? I answer that, A name is communicable in two ways: properly, and by similitude. It is properly communicable in the sense that its whole signification can be given to many; by similitude it is communicable according to some part of the signification of the name. For instance this name "lion" is properly communicable to all things of the same nature as "lion"; by similitude it is communicable to those who participate in the nature of a lion, as for instance by courage, ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 90: whom they are sent. The words in which Christ defined their embassy are sufficiently clear, “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” ( Mt. 28:19, 20 ). Nay, that none might be permitted to decline this law, he received it and imposed it on himself. “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me” ( John 7:16 ). He who always was the only and eternal counsellor of the Father, who by the Father was constituted Lord and Master of all, yet because he performed 2392 th”
- 2 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 6:1: In these verses we have an account of the apostle's general errand and exhortation to all to whom he preached in every place where he came, with the several arguments and methods he used. Observe, I. The errand or exhortation itself, namely, to comply with the gospel offers of reconciliation - that, being favoured with the gospel, they would not receive this grace of God in vain, Co2 6:1. The gospel is a word of grace sounding in our ears; but it will be in vain for us to hear it, unless we believe it, and comply with the end and design of it. And as it is t”