The Revelation of God

By Ron Jones ©Titus Institute 2009


We Christians base our whole lives and our eternal destiny on what the Bible says about God and Jesus Christ. Therefore, we need to know what the Bible is and why we believe it is true!

We will look at three areas: The nature of the Bible The author of the Bible The authority of the Bible

I. The Nature of the Bible

A. The Bible is the written record of God's revelation to man. The key word to understand here is revelation.

B. Revelation is the act of God whereby He reveals to man something which would otherwise be unknown.

Read Isaiah 44:6-8

C. There are two kinds of revelations -- two ways that God reveals Himself.

1. General revelation: God reveals Himself through Creation and man's conscience apart from the Bible.

Romans 1:19-20

Romans 2:14-15

a. Why is general revelation limited in revealing the truth about God?

1) It does not give a complete revelation of God nor a personal saving knowledge of God.

John 17:3

2 Timothy 3:16-17

2) Man suppresses and perverts the truth about God in creation. Romans 1:18 & 25

3) Man suppresses the truth of God's moral law in his conscience. Titus 1:15, 1 Timothy 4:2

b. Why is general revelation important for man to know?

1) It is spiritual preparation for salvation.

Acts 17:23-24

2) It is enough revelation for man to be justly condemned if he rejects it.

Romans 1:20

2. Special revelation: God reveals Himself and His truth through special words and acts as recorded in the Bible.

Hebrews 1:1-2 God revealed Himself to the prophets and the writers of the Scriptures through a variety of means:

1) direct voice -- Exodus 3:4-7, 14

2) direct writing -- Exodus 31:18

3) dreams -- Matthew 1:20; Daniel 2:1-49

4) visions -- Daniel 8:1-3

5) miracles -- Deuteronomy 4:32-39

6) personal human experiences -- Psalm 51

7) Jesus Christ -- Hebrews 1:1-2; John 1:18

8) Holy Spirit -- John 14:26; 2 Peter 1:21

D. The Bible is the completeand only record of God's special revelation to man.

1. Satan will try to add false revelation to the Scriptures.

Jeremiah 2:8, 23:13, 2 Corinthians 11:4, 13-15

2. The O.T. revelation was completed with John the Baptist who was the last O.T. prophet.

Luke 16:16

The N.T. revelation was completed with Jesus Christ and His apostles.

Ephesians 2:20, Galatians 1:12, Jude 3

3. Genesis 1:1 through Revelations 22:21 reveals God's complete plan of salvation history.

Read Revelation 22:18-19

The book of Revelation is the final book written by the final apostle about the final stage of salvation history.

Thus, it forms a fitting conclusion for God's complete record of special revelation.