Don Stewart :: What Conclusions Can We Make about Divine Revelation?

What Conclusions Can We Make about Divine Revelation?

God Has Spoken to Us – Question 22

There are several conclusions that we can make about the subject of divine revelation. They include the following:

1. General Revelation and Special Revelation Are Dependent upon One Another

Both general revelation and special revelation are incomplete in themselves. General revelation gives evidence of God’s existence and power but does not give us any specifics concerning who God is. Special revelation provides the details that general revelation does not convey.

Yet special revelation needs the evidence that general revelation provides concerning God’s great power and His intelligent design. The world that general revelation gives testimony is necessary to set the stage for God’s special revelation. Therefore, general revelation and special revelation need each other. Otherwise, the revelation of God is incomplete.

2. Special Revelation Is Complete

Divine Revelation is complete. Nothing more needs to be added to Scripture. The faith has been once and for all revealed. Jude wrote,

Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3 RSV)

There is nothing else necessary for God to say to humanity.

3. God’s Revelation Is True in All That It Says

The words of Scripture are true. Jesus said,

“Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NET)

God’s Word is the standard of truth.

4. The Scripture Does Not Tell Us Everything about God

Divine Revelation is partial. God has not told us everything that He has done, or everything that we would like to know about Him. There are many things that are not revealed. We read the following in the Book of Deuteronomy.

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law,” (Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV)

While humans do not have the all the facts about God, we do have enough.

5. The Revelation of God Was Given in Stages to Humanity

God did not reveal everything at once to humanity—His revelation was in stages. The writer to the Hebrews says,

After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. (Hebrews 1:1, 2 NET)

God chose to speak through different people at various times in the past.

6. The Purpose of Divine Revelation Is to Bring Salvation through Jesus Christ

The purpose of Scripture is to save sinners. Paul wrote the following to Timothy:

You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. (2 Timothy 3:15-17 NLT)

John emphasized the same thing when he wrote—God has revealed Himself so that we can have spiritual life through His Son Jesus Christ.

If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son of God has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. (1 John 5:9-12 NET)

These are some of the conclusions that can be drawn from divine revelation.

Summary – Question 22
What Conclusions Can We Make about Divine Revelation?

There are a number of conclusions we can make about the subject of divine revelation. We can list them as follows:

To begin with, divine revelation is complete. This means that nothing more needs to be added to what God has revealed to humanity. He has said everything which needs to be said.

Furthermore, it is accurate in all that it teaches. Indeed, everything which God teaches in His written Word can be relied upon as true. The God of the Bible does not lie.

Although true, divine revelation is not exhaustive—it does not tell us everything. In fact, Scripture itself makes the point that it is limited in what it reveals. Thus, we should not expect God to tell us everything we want to know but rather only the things we need to know.

Divine revelation is also progressive in nature. This means that the Lord did not reveal everything at once but rather gave humanity His truth at different times and in different ways.

The purpose of divine revelation is to bring salvation to the lost. This is consistent claim of Scripture. Indeed, it emphasizes that God has given us His Word for the purpose or reaching those who need to be saved from their sins.

These are some of the basic truths that we have discovered about God’s divine revelation to the human race.