Two presuppositions for doing theology are the existence of God and the knowability of God. This leads us to the next question, “What is God?” In other words, can we define God? What exactly is God? What is his essence?
Berkhof writes,
“It is quite evident that the Being of God does not admit of any scientific definition…At most only an analytical-descriptive definition is possible. This merely names characteristics of a person or thing, but leaves the essential being unexplained. (Systematic Theology, 41)”
What is he getting at here? Remember, when it comes to our ability to have knowledge of the divine we are limited. God is infinite and we are finite. The finite cannot comprehend the infinite. Thus, God in his being is incomprehensible. As a result, we only have knowledge of him through his self-revelation. This revelation comes through the creation and the Scriptures.
All that is great info but doesn’t answer the question, “What is God?”
Moses asks this question of God when he asks God for his name. God’s response? “I Am who I Am.” You could say in response to the question, “What is God?”, that God is. He is. Jesus gives us another little bit of information in John 4 when says that God is spirit (Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 42).
The Westminster Shorter Catechism answers the question this way,
Q. 4. What is God?
A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
We can have knowledge of the being of God as he reveals his attributes to us. This is what Berkhof means when talks about the “analytical-descriptive definition.” We can say that God is Spirit, infinite, etc…because God describes himself that way. He really is those things. Those attributes do not conflict with one another. Each of these attributes give us real insight into the being God. It is not a full picture or a complete picture, but it is real.
As we progress through our study of theology, we must turn our attention to the attributes of God. But, before that we will take a look at some of the different names of God and what they tell us about who he is.
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