What are the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God?
Communicable and Incommunicable Attributes of God
A Biblical and Theological Distinction Reflecting God's Nature and Our Role as Image-Bearers
Understanding the Distinction
Theologians classify the attributes of God into two broad categories:
Incommunicable Attributes – Those which belong to God alone and are not shared with His creatures.
Communicable Attributes – Those which are reflected in human beings, albeit imperfectly, because man is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
I. Incommunicable Attributes of God
These are exclusive to God. They emphasize the Creator-creature distinction and underscore God's absolute divine transcendence and independence.
1. Self-Existence (Aseity)
God is not dependent on anything outside Himself.
Exodus 3:14:
"And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."'”
God’s name “I AM” reflects eternal self-existence—He exists by necessity of His own nature, not by external cause.
2. Immutability (Unchangeableness)
God does not change in His nature, character, or purposes.
Malachi 3:6:
"For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob."
James 1:17:
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
God's unchanging nature is the anchor of His faithfulness.
3. Eternity
God has no beginning and no end. He is not bound by time.
Psalm 90:2:
"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."
God’s eternity is qualitatively different from long duration—it means He exists outside of time.
4. Omnipresence
God is present everywhere in all of His being.
Psalm 139:7–10:
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me."
God’s omnipresence assures the believer of His nearness and sovereign control.
5. Omniscience
God knows all things actual and possible, perfectly and eternally.
Psalm 147:5:
"Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite."
Hebrews 4:13:
"And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
6. Omnipotence
God has unlimited power to accomplish all His holy will.
Jeremiah 32:17:
"Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You."
7. Sovereignty
God exercises supreme authority over all creation.
Psalm 115:3:
"But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases."
God’s sovereignty does not negate human responsibility but affirms His ultimate rule.
II. Communicable Attributes of God
These are attributes that God, in His grace, has shared with human beings to some degree. They form the foundation of Christian ethics and are being renewed in us through the Holy Spirit.
1. Love
God is love in His nature, and believers are called to reflect that love.
1 John 4:8:
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
John 13:34–35:
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
2. Holiness
God is morally pure and set apart, and His people are called to be holy.
1 Peter 1:15–16:
"But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'"
3. Justice
God always does what is right, and He calls us to uphold justice.
Deuteronomy 32:4:
"He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He."
4. Mercy
God shows compassion to the undeserving, and we are to imitate this mercy.
Luke 6:36:
"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."
5. Grace
God gives unmerited favor; believers are saved by grace and called to be gracious.
Ephesians 2:8–9:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
6. Truthfulness (Veracity)
God is true and faithful; His people are called to walk in truth.
John 14:6:
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"
Ephesians 4:25:
"Therefore, putting away lying, 'Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another."
7. Patience (Longsuffering)
God is slow to anger, and His Spirit cultivates patience in believers.
Exodus 34:6:
"And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth...'"
Galatians 5:22:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..."
III. Christlikeness and the Restoration of God’s Image
The ultimate example of God’s communicable attributes in human form is Jesus Christ:
Colossians 1:15:
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
As we are conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), we increasingly reflect God’s communicable attributes. But we remain creatures, never attaining divine independence, omniscience, or eternity.
IV. Application: Worship, Humility, and Transformation
God’s incommunicable attributes inspire awe, reverence, and worship.
God’s communicable attributes inspire imitation, growth, and holiness.
Romans 12:1–2:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
Conclusion
God is both immeasurably above us and graciously near to us. While we can never share in His incommunicable attributes, we are called and empowered to reflect His communicable ones by the work of the Holy Spirit, for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.
2 Corinthians 3:18:
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
