Revelation- the belief that God has made Himself known through creation and the conscience (general revelation) and through His Word (special revelation)
God has revealed general characteristics about His existence, power, holiness, beauty, and perfection, among others, through His created order and in the conscience of man.
Psalm 19:1-2
(All that is around man in creation points to a Creator [the vastness of the universe, the smallness of atomic particles, the wonder of a sunset, the complexity of the human eye, the diversity and beauty of created things, etc.])
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.”
Romans 1:18-20
(Inside man is a knowledge of the power and eternal attributes of God.)
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Genesis 1:26-27
(The fact that man is created in the image of God means that he himself is a blueprint pointing to His Creator, in some ways even mirroring the characteristics of the Creator [ability to reason, exercise a will, appreciate beauty, create things, etc.].)
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11
(Man is aware that he is an eternal being.)
“He has made everything appropriate in its time He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”
Romans 1:32
(Man is aware of God’s expectations of morality and of the consequences of not following His laws.)
“and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
Hebrews 1:1-2
(God has spoken to man in ways other than creation and conscience. He has spoken through prophets, directly to the patriarchs of Israel, and then through Jesus to the disciples and apostles.)
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”
Hebrews 4:12
(The Bible testifies of itself that it is the Word of God and very powerful.)
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
To best understand special revelation, there are some key terms that relate.
Inspiration- the belief that Scripture is literally God-breathed and from the mouth of God
- human authors were used, personalities were preserved, but all Scripture is written and constructed exactly as God intended it to be
- it was from the prompting and working of the Spirit and not as an act of human volition
- though a Scripture may have several layers of meaning or contain a prophetic element in addition to its immediate exhortation, there is always only one intended interpretation
- Scripture may have many applications, but it has only one true interpretation
2 Timothy 3:16
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”
2 Peter 1:20-21 (ESV)
“knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Inerrancy- in the original manuscripts, no errors of any kind were made (not grammatically, geographically, logically, historically, mathematically, etc.)
Matthew 5:18
"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
Revelation 22:18-19
“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
- if God wants to give man specific, direct, special revelation, then He can do it in consistency with His character of perfection, not making any mistakes
Deuteronomy 32:4
"The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.”
2 Samuel 22:31
"As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the LORD is tested;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”
Authority- Scripture is to stand in judgment of man, not man in judgment of it
-mankind is subject to the laws and principles given in the Word
Psalm 119:11
“Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.”
John 17:17
"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
Psalm 119:57
“The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.”
Canonicity- the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the only inspired books
-what books are inspired have been determined by God, and the church fathers only discovered which ones were indeed inspired; the books are not inspired because church fathers voted on them with much prayer and discernment but because God made them inspired
-inspiration was determined by the Holy Spirit sovereignly working through men of early church councils to discover accurately the inspired books
-most carry no doubt of their inspiration because they make claims of their own authority and inspiration
the apocrypha- those books not included in the Protestant Bible but in the Catholic Bible
-most have historical errors, they do not claim inspiration, they do not speak with authority about God and His message, they contain verses that contradict other Scriptural truths, and the New Testament writers do not quote from the apocrypha
-all Old Testament books are quoted from in the New Testament
Sufficiency- Scripture is the only infallible guide whereby one can evaluate scientific claims, tradition, and history; the others are useful but they are never to stand over the Word of God in authority; the preaching, reading, and applying of Scripture is sufficient for all matters of Christian growth, life, and behavior; Scripture can stand on its own- it does not need science, psychology, or other “ologies” to give it credibility
Colossians 2:3
“In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
1 Peter 1:25
“BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER. And this is the word which was preached to you.”
Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”
2 Timothy 3:17
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (emphasis added).
The Good News