Podcast Summary: Doctrine Matters with Kevin DeYoung
Episode: What are Incommunicable Attributes?
Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Kevin DeYoung, pastor and professor of systematic theology, explores the "incommunicable attributes" of God—a fundamental aspect of Christian doctrine. DeYoung seeks to clarify what these attributes are, why they matter for understanding “the Godness of God,” and how misconceptions about them have affected the church's thinking. The discussion focuses on how these divine attributes distinguish God from His creation and underscore his uniqueness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Incommunicable vs. Communicable Attributes

[00:45–01:34]

• Incommunicable attributes: Those that belong to God alone, not shared with creatures.
• Communicable attributes: Traits like goodness and kindness, which creatures can possess in some measure.
• Memorable analogy: Like a communicable disease is "caught," communicable attributes are those we can “catch” from God—to a limited extent.
• “The incommunicable are things that are properly true of God alone.” —DeYoung [00:57]

2. The Simplicity of God

[01:37–04:55]

• Simplicity: God is not made up of parts; he is not a composite.
• Analogy: God is not like “a tower of blocks or a kitchen recipe.”
• “He has every attribute and he is every attribute.” —DeYoung [02:23]
• Pushback on ranking God's attributes: Some people (mis)interpret “God is love” as more central; instead, every attribute is “identical to his essence.”
• “God is not a type of a divine being, like a giraffe is a type of mammal. There's only one way to be God…God is whatever he has.” —DeYoung [03:58]
• Scriptural references: 1 John 4:8 (“God is love”), 1 John 1:5 (“God is light”), John 4:24 (“God is spirit”), Hebrews 12:29 (“God is a consuming fire”).

3. The Aseity of God

[04:56–07:03]

• Aseity: God exists "in and of himself"; he depends on nothing and no one.
• Etymology: From Latin “a se”—from oneself.
• Genesis 1:1 illustrates this; God simply exists “before there is even time.”
• “He is the one who has always existed because he doesn’t have a beginning or an end.” —DeYoung [05:53]
• There’s no struggle, no pre-existent matter, just God.

4. Divine Infinity (Perfection, Eternity, Immensity)

[07:04–11:29] God’s infinity is explained in three dimensions:

a. Infinity in Relation to Self – Absolute Perfection

• God’s greatness and power are limitless—“His greatness is unsearchable.” [08:07]

b. Infinity in Relation to Time – Eternity

• God’s “duration is eternity…none successive.”
• “For God, there is no unfolding, there’s no before, there’s no after as we know it now.” —DeYoung [09:30]
• Humans experience time as change and sequence, God experiences “one eternal moment.”

c. Infinity in Relation to Space – Immensity/Omnipresence

• God is not constrained by space or geography.
• Immensity: God “cannot be contained” by anything, emphasizes transcendence.
• Omnipresence: God is present everywhere, stresses immanence.
• “He is endless, he’s inexhaustible, he’s unlimited. We are finite; God is infinite.” —DeYoung [11:17]

5. Immutability and Impassibility

[11:30–14:57]

• Immutability: God does not and cannot change.
• Impassibility: God does not suffer or is subject to emotional change from outside himself.
• Example: “Immutability at the DMV is not good news. But God being immutable is good news.” —DeYoung [12:14]
• No increase or decrease is possible in God. Any change would imply deficiency or the possibility of improvement.
• “He is pure being. I am that I am. God is not the sort of being that can ever be other than the truth.” —DeYoung [12:48]
• Scripture acknowledges God’s interactions with humans (e.g., “God regretted making Saul king” – 1 Samuel 15), but affirms these as accommodations to human perspective. Truly, “God is not a man that he should regret.”
• “He is all being and no becoming. He does not grow, he does not learn. He needs nothing. He does not improve, because he cannot improve. He is God. He does not change. He is immutable.” —DeYoung [14:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On divine simplicity:
  “To say he’s a simple being means that he has every attribute and he is every attribute.” —Kevin DeYoung [02:23]

• On the centrality of attributes:
  “God is not a type of a divine being, like a giraffe is a type of mammal. ... God is whatever he has.” —DeYoung [03:58]

• On God’s aseity:
  “He is the one who has always existed because he doesn’t have a beginning or an end.” —DeYoung [05:53]

• On infinity:
  “His greatness is unsearchable, his power, perfection know no end.” —DeYoung [08:07]

• On eternity:
  “For God, there is no unfolding, there’s no before, there’s no after as we know it now.” —DeYoung [09:30]

• On immutability:
  “He does not grow, he does not learn. He needs nothing. He does not improve, because he cannot improve. He is God. He does not change. He is immutable.” —DeYoung [14:29]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:45–01:34] – Introduction to incommunicable and communicable attributes
• [01:37–04:55] – The simplicity of God and ranking of attributes
• [04:56–07:03] – The aseity of God
• [07:04–11:29] – Divine infinity: perfection, eternity, immensity
• [11:30–14:57] – Immutability and impassibility

Tone and Takeaways

DeYoung’s tone is both instructional and accessible; he peppers his explanations with analogies (“tower of blocks,” the DMV) and scriptural grounding. He emphasizes how these doctrines practically shape Christian thinking and worship. The episode helps listeners grasp not only theological terminology but also why these truths about God matter for a robust, historic faith.