Essentials – Revelation

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting the classroom handouts from a seven-part series we did on the essentials of the Christian faith. I need to begin by saying that I got a lot of this material from R.C. Sproul’s Essential Truths of the Christian Faith.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2a). God is a God who speaks. Everything that we know about God and about Christianity has been revealed to us by God.

We know from Scripture itself that God has revealed himself in various ways throughout the history of mankind. In the Garden of Eden, he walked and talked with Adam and Eve. He spoke to Noah and to Abraham. He appeared physically to Abraham. He revealed his will to various people through dreams and visions. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush. He spoke to Balaam through a donkey. And, finally, he spoke to a great number of people through the incarnation of his Son, Jesus Christ.

God also speaks through his creation. This is known as general revelation, because it is general in content and audience. In other words, it is available to everyone everyday. In Scripture we read that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). And Paul writes, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). So, God’s creation tells us about God.

But what does it tell us? Creation tells us that ours God is a God of order. It tells us that he is a God of power and deity (Romans 1:18-23). According to the Westminster Confession of Faith, creation reveals “the goodness, wisdom, and power of God” (WCF 1.1).

Included in this general revelation is the idea of immediate general revelation. In this form of revelation God reveals himself directly to the human mind. This is what Paul speaks of when he writes of the law being written upon our hearts (Romans 2:12-16). It is this revelation that is denied by those whom the Bible calls fools (Psalm 14:1).

But, general revelation is not completely adequate. Creation does not give a full revelation of God. Also, the direct general revelation in the heart of man is so suppressed due to sin, that it is also ineffective. Therefore, God has seen fit to give man his special revelation in his word.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul writes of the special character of God’s word. He writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Here we learn that God’s word is breathed out by God. Often translated as inspired, the Greek word is theospneustos. It means that the words contained in Scripture are the very words of God. When we speak of inspiration, we do not mean that God dictated his words to those who wrote Scripture, or that he poured his words into their brains. We mean that the Holy Spirit communicated the Word of God to the writers and allowed them to use their own styles of writing. As Peter write, “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” (2 Peter 1:21).

Paul also tells Timothy that God’s word is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. In other words, God’s revelation of himself in his word is sufficient for our salvation. Thus, Paul writes, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

We often speak of the Canon of Scripture. This is the set of books which make up our present-day Bible. The word Canon comes from the Greek word kanon, which was a reed or cane used as a measure or a standard. Over many years of the first centuries of the early church, there was discussion about which books should be included in the Canon of Scripture. Generally, the Old Testament Scriptures of Israel were accepted, but there was great debate about the books of the New Testament. Eventually, the church used three guidelines to determine whether a book should be included: 1) apostolic authorship or endorsement, 2) recognized as authoritative within the early church, and 3) in harmony with the books that were undoubtedly part of the canon.

John closes the book of Revelation with the following words, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). This, along with other verses, are used by most Christians as proof that the Canon of Scripture is closed. God has revealed all that is necessary for our salvation and godly living. Nothing else needs to be added either in the way of further writings or private revelations. Thus we speak of the fact that Scripture is the word of God; not that it contains the word of God.

Finally, a word on interpretation. Again, the Westminster Confession states, “The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. Therefore, when there is a question about the true and full meaning of any Scripture, that meaning must be searched out and ascertained by other places that speak more clearly” (WCF 1.9). Men and churches are not permitted to give their own, private interpretation of Scripture. If anyone’s interpretation of Scripture, or teaching from Scripture, is not in line with what other parts of Scripture say, then that interpretation is not to be accepted.

 

Essential #1:

God is a God who speaks. The writer to the Hebrews warns, “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking” (Hebrews 12:25). God has revealed himself to man through his creation and his word. A true believer accepts God’s written word as infallible, inerrant, and breathed-out by God himself.