Negative theology – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Negative theology, also called apophatic theology, describes God by stating what He is not. God’s nature cannot be fully captured by human categories, which is why it sometimes uses negative statements. Some examples include statements that God’s thoughts are not like ours (Isaiah 55:8–9), that He cannot lie (Titus 1:2), that He is God of the living (Matthew 25:31), and that He cannot be tempted (James 1:13). Negative theology shows how God is not like us.

The Bible also uses negative descriptions to help us understand incomprehensible truths. For example, we are told that God cannot be contained (1 Kings 8:27) and does not need anything in creation (Acts 17:24–25). While we have never experienced eternality and infinity, we know what it means to be limited. Negative theology helps imagine what we don’t know by contrasting it with what we do (Job 11:7-8). While Scripture often uses negative theology, God also reveals Himself positively through His Word and ultimately through His Son (Exodus 34:6–7; Hebrews 1:3).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• An example of negative theology comes from the book of Job, where Zophar asked, “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?” (Job 11:7–8). God is not limited by the highest place we know (heaven) nor limited by the lowest (the netherworld, known as Sheol). By saying what does not limit God, we can imagine what it is like to be infinite.
• Another example of negative theology is Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8:27, where he says that “heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain [God].” Solomon using heaven to express how uncontainable God is reminds us that limitations do not apply to God.
• Isaiah also uses negative theology. God says in Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Even the greatest human minds are no match for God.
• Scripture also provides positive descriptions of God. For example, when God revealed Himself to Moses, He did so positively: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6–7).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The New Testament also has examples of negative theology. Paul opened his letter to Titus, referring to “God, who never lies” (Titus 2b). By saying that God never lies, he was using negative theology to reveal the truth that God is perfectly righteous.
• In another example, James commented, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13). The negative statement about evil not tempting God emphasizes His holiness.
• Jesus also used negative theology in a conversation with the Sadducees about resurrection. Jesus said of the Father, “He is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 25:31). By making the negative statement that God was not the God of the dead, He was emphasizing that God is a living God and, by implication, that there is life after death.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Contrast clarifies. Contrasting two cars helps you decide which one to buy. Contrasting two jobs helps clarify what you most value in a career. Contrast through using negative theology can also help us learn more about God. Negative theology helps remove misconceptions about God and distinguishes Him from humans and false gods.

In our culture, people often claim that different religions worship the same God in different ways. However, negative theology reveals that descriptions of other gods don’t match the true God. This is because most religions infuse their gods with human limitations. These ideas directly contradict how Scripture describes the living God.

Take a moment and consider the god of another religion and how that god differs from the God revealed in Scripture. Any deviation means it is not the same God. It is not enough to point to a shared positive trait, such as “love.” Negative theology helps expose deeper differences despite surface similarities. This matters because the true God is the Creator (Genesis 1:1) and the final Judge (Hebrews 9:27). No other god demands perfect justice or speaks with His authority (Isaiah 45:21). Any religion offering another path to heaven or paradise is deceptive. When used with the Bible, negative theology is a tool to help believers better know the true God.

UNDERSTAND

• Negative theology describes God by what He is not to highlight His infinite nature.
• Scripture contrasts God’s attributes with human limits (e.g., He cannot lie or be tempted).
• Negative theology helps clarify God’s uniqueness and distinguish Him from false gods.

REFLECT

• What would you say God is and is not?
• How does realizing what God is not change the way you view His character?
• How does understanding God’s uniqueness affect the way you trust and worship Him?

ENGAGE

• How can negative theology help us distinguish the true God from false gods?
• How do positive and negative descriptions of God complement each other in Scripture?
• How does recognizing God’s incomprehensibility shape the way we worship?