Systematic Theology: Lesson 4 - Biblical Revelation, Inspiration, Sufficiency, Etc.

BIBLICAL REVELATION, INSPIRATION, SUFFICIENCY, PERSPICUITY, ILLUMINATION, ANIMATION, AND ETERNALITY
Bibliology- Lesson 4

 

If Christian theology is the study of the being and works of the God who has revealed Himself to us in the Bible, then it is to the Bible that we go to learn about God. 

 The Bible is the REVELATION of God. The word ‘revelation’ comes from the Greek word αποκαλυπτω (apokalupto), which means to uncover or reveal. When we speak of the revelation of God, we mean the revealing of the being and works of God. As we will see, God has revealed Himself in a multitude of ways.

 He has made Himself known to us in the Bible. We sometimes will refer to this as SPECIAL REVELATION.

How, then, did God reveal Himself to the authors of Scripture?

 In the Bible, we learn about how God revealed Himself through…

1. General/Natural Revelation -
   The non-verbal testimony of the creation to the being and works of God (Psalm 19:1-4; Psalm 8:3; Psalm 29; Psalm 93:1-2; Psalm 104; Isaiah 40:26; Jeremiah 33:20-21; Amos 9:5-6; Acts 14:15-17; Acts 17:22-32; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:14-15).
   
   
2. The Nation of Israel -
   To the nations and the church
   
   
3. Appearances (Theophanies) - 

1. The Angel of Yahweh -
   Gen 16:7-14; 21:17-20; 22:11, 15; 31:11-13; 48:16; Exod 3:2-4:17; 14:19; 23:20-23; 32:34-35; Num 22:22-35; Judg 2:1-4; 5:23-31; 6:11-24; 13:3-21; 2 Sam 24:16-17; 1 Kgs 19:5-7; 2 Kgs 1:3-4, 15-16; 19:35; 1 Chron 21:12-20, 27-30; Psa 34:7; 35:5-6; Isa 37:36; 63:9; Zech 1:11-14, 19; 2:3; 3:1; 4:1; 5:5, 10; 6:4-5; 12:8. cf. Acts 7:38

2. The Commander of the Army of Yahweh
   Josh 5:13-6:2
   
   

4. Audible Speech

1. To Adam and Eve (Gen 2:16-17; 3:8-19)

2. To Balaam (Num 22:9)

3. To Samuel (1 Sam 3:4-14)

4. To Moses (Exod 19:16-25)

5. To Paul (Acts 9:4-6; 23:11)
   
   

5. Miraculous Works

1. The Flood (Gen 6-9)

2. Destruction of Sodom (Gen 19)

3. The Burning Bush (Exod 3)

4. The Plagues on Egypt (Exod 4-11)

5. Parting the Red Sea (Exod 14-15)

6. The Miracles through Elijah and Elisha

7. The Killing of the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:35)

8. The Miracles through Jesus

9. The Miracles through the Apostles
   
   

6. Angels

1. The Giving of the Law (Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2)

2. To Zacharias, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Mary
   
   

7. The Lot (Prov 16:33; Acts 1:21-26)
   
   
8. The Urim and Thummim (Exod 2:15-16, 20; Lev 8;8; Num 27:21; Deut 33:8; 1 Sam 28:6; Ezra 2:63)
   
   
9. Dreams

1. Abimelech (Gen 20:3, 6)

2. Jacob (Gen 28:11-22)

3. Joseph (Gen 37)

4. Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2)

5. Joseph (Matt 1:20; 2:12-13, 19-20)
   
   

10. Visions

1. Moses (Exod 32:30)

2. Isaiah (Isa 6)

3. Ezekiel (Ezek 1:1; 8:3; 40:2; 43:3)

4. Paul (2 Cor 12:1-4)

5. John (Rev 4)
   
   

11. Prophecy
    
    
    
12. The Lord Jesus Christ
    (John 1:1, 18; Deut 18:15-18; Acts 3:22-23; 7:37; Col 2:9; Heb 1:3)
    
    
    
13. The Apostles
    (Acts-Revelation)

While we are considering revelation, we also need to consider that…

1. The Bible is a Progressive Revelation

1. The Bible was given in stages.

2. Earlier doctrine was already fully developed in God’s mind but was not fully developed on the page.

3. As more revelation was added, previous doctrines were fleshed out (not changed).

2.           The Bible is an Accomodated Revelation

a.           The Bible describes God in language that people can understand. God is often described with anthropomorphisms (e.g. “The right hand of the Majesty on High (Heb 1:3)) and anthropopaphisms (e.g. “The Lord was sorry that He had made man” (Gen 6:6)).

b.           We DO NOT mean that Jesus accommodates Himself to the erroneous beliefs of His contemporaries by using terms like prophecy, casting out demons, eternal punishment, the existence of Adam and Eve, the swallowing of Jonah, etc in order to communicate His spiritual message.

 Thus, we study Christian theology by giving our attention to the Word of God in which He has revealed Himself.

 The question then is raised: how did God cause the Bible to be written?

 This brings us to a discussion of the INSPIRATION of the Bible. Mook defines inspiration this way: “God, by the Holy Spirit, moved the human authors of Scripture, so that, through and without violating their own personalities, they, without error, composed and recorded God’s complete canonical message to man in the words of the original autographs of the Bible.”

 How do we know this is true? 

1. The Bible states it.

         a.           Breathed out by God - 2 Tim 3:16.

         b.           Men moved by the Spirit - 2 Pet 1:21.

         c.           The mind of Christ - 1 Cor 2:13.

         d.           “God spoke…” (Lev 1:1; Num 1:1; etc).

         e.           “Thus saith the LORD…” (3,808 times).

         f.            God wrote (Exod 20).

         g.           The prophets call each other’s books the Word of God (Ezra 1:1; Neh                            9:30; Zech 7:12).

         h.          The New Testament expression, “It is written” (Mark 9:12; 14:21; Luke                   18:31).

         i.            The New Testament formula, “That it might be fulfilled” (Matt 5:17; Luke                   24:44, etc.).

         j.            The New Testament formula, “The Scriptures say/said” (John 7:38, 42;                            Rom 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; Gal 4:30; 1 Tim 5:18).

         k.           Jesus told His disciples they would remember all things (John 14:26;                            16:13).

         l.            Peter called the words of the apostles as important as the words spoken                   by the Old Testament prophets (2 Pet 3:2).

         m.         Paul quotes both Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7 as Scripture.

         n.          Peter equated Paul’s epistles to the rest of the Scriptures (2 Pet 3:15-16). 

         o.           Moses wrote at the command of the Lord (Exod 17:14; 34:27; Deut                            31:19, 24).

         p.           Psalm 119 refers to the Law 24 times as ‘the word of the LORD’ (Psa                            119:140, 142, 171-172).

         q.           The prophets wrote at the command of the LORD (Isa 8:1; 30:8; Jer 36:1-                  3, 28; Hab 2:2).

         r.            The New Testament refers to the Old Testament as the ‘oracles’ of God                            (Acts 7:38; Rom 3:2; Heb 5:12). 

         s.           Paul said many statements were given to him directly from the Lord (1                            Cor 7:10; 14:37; 11:23; 1 Thess 4:15). 

         t.            John said he dictated Jesus and the Father at times (Rev 1:19; 2:1, 8,                            12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5).

         u.          John was also told what not to write (Rev 10:4).

         v.           Jesus said Moses’ words were the Word of God (Mark 7:9, 10, 13).

         w.          Jesus said the Psalms were Scripture and the Word of God (John 1:34-                           35).

         x.           The book of the Law of Moses = The book of the Law of the LORD their                            God (Neh 8:1, 3, 14; 9:3; 13:1).

2. The Unity of the Bible

         a.           One great theme: the glorious reign of the Triune God

         b.           Doctrinal Unity

         c.           Prophetic Unity

 Another important aspect of Scripture is its SUFFICIENCY. God has revealed adequate information about His nature and works. He certainly has not revealed everything about Himself or His works. But He has revealed all that He deemed necessary to know about Him and His works.

 He has revealed sufficient information to direct us through all circumstances of life. Therefore, we can adequately approach every part of life with an open Bible.

1. Deut 29:29
2. John 20:30-31
3. John 21:25
4. 2 Pet 1:3-4
5. See also Dan 8:26; 12:4; Rev 10:4

 The Scripture is also clear. It is PERSPICUOUS. God has made the message of Scripture clear enough that even a child can grasp His being and works. Yet it is deep enough that a person can spend entire lifetimes plumbing its depths, because there are some things that are difficult to understand (cf. 2 Pet 3:16).

1. Psalm 119:130
2. Rom 15:4
3. 1 Cor 10:15

 Since our minds have suffered the effects of sin, all people must have ILLUMINATION in order to savingly understand and receive Scripture’s message about the being and works of God. Illumination is the ministry of God in which He enables a person to understand, approve, appreciate, and welcome the Scriptures.

1. 1 Cor 2:14-15
2. 2 Cor 3:16-4:6
3. Eph 1:17-18

 Notice the Trinitarian nature of Illumination.

1. The Father (2 Cor 4:3-6)
2. The Son (Luke 24:45; Matt 11:27; 1 John 5:20)
3. The Spirit (1 Cor 2:14-15; 2 Cor 3:16-18; Eph 1:17-18; Col 1:9)

 Who receives illumination?

1. The Elect at the Moment of Regeneration (2 Cor 2:14; 2 Cor 3:16).
2. The Regenerate after their Regeneration (2 Cor 3:18; Eph 1:17-18; Col 1:9)
3. The Spiritually Maturing among the Regenerate (1 Cor 3:1-4; Heb 5:11-14).

 Hindrances to Salvific Illumination

1. Spiritual Immaturity (1 Cor 3:1-4; Heb 5:11-14)
2. Human Limitations

 Once a person is illuminated, the Scriptures animate a person. ANIMATION is when the Scriptures, by virtue of their inspiration and use by the Holy Spirit, contain and convey the life of God, producing great spiritual effects.

1. Spirit and Life (John 6:63)
2. The Power of God (1 Cor 1:18; Rom 1:16)
3. Living and Powerful (Heb 4:12)
4. Lives and Abides Forever (1 Pet 1:23-25)
5. Grows and Multiplies (Acts 12:24)
6. Runs (2 Thess 3:1)
7. Effectively Works (1 Thess 2:13)

         a.           Produces Salvation (Jas 1:21; Acts 11:14; 1 Cor 1:21; Col 1:6)

         b.           Saving Faith (Rom 10:17; John 17:20)

         c.           Regeneration (1 Pet 1:23; Jas 1:18; 1 Cor 4:15; 2 Cor 3:6)

         d.           Repentance and Conversion (Psa 19:7)

         e.           Conviction (Jas 1:23-25)

         f.            Partaking of the Divine Nature (2 Pet 1:4)

         g.           Holiness (John 15:3; 17:17; Psa 119:9, 11; Eph 5:26)

         h.          Spiritual Strength and Growth (1 Pet 2:2; Acts 20:32)

         i.            Understanding of Moral Duties (Jas 1:22-25)

         j.            Victory over Satan and the Demons (Eph 6:12)

         k.           Spiritual Stability and Fruit (Psa 1:1-3; Josh 1:8)

         l.            Abiding in Christ (John 15:1-11)

         m.         Effective Prayers (John 15:7)

         n.          Internal Spiritual Activity (1 Thess 2:13)

8. Compared to…

         a.           Rain and Dew (Deut 32:2)

         b.           Honey (Psa 119:103)

         c.           Lamp and Light (Psa 119:105; Prov 6:23)

         d.           Fire (Jer 23:29)

         e.           Hammer (Jer 23:29)

         f.            Incorruptible Seed (1 Pet 1:23)

 

Finally, we must consider the ETERNALITY OF THE Scriptures. The Word of God exists forever.

1. Psa 119:89
2. Psa 119:152
3. Isa 40:8
4. Matt 24:35
5. 1 Pet 1:23-25