Revalation and the Holy Scriptures
I. Revelation
A. The Need to Know.
To know God is the chief end of man (Is.43:10; cf. Jer. 31:34). It is the reason for life and the motivation behind the new life (Phil. 3:1 0). Without knowledge of the Source all life is meaningless. Understanding the Source arouses man to worship of God and awakens him to hope in the future life (Calvin, lnst., Vol. 1, p. 62). Finite man, however, can never know God apart from divine revelation. The Infinite One who stands outside of human time and history must disclose Himself to man within man's temporal limitations (Rom. 1:21).
B. The Way of Knowing.
God's self-disclosure to man penetrates both man's person and his world. Through nature God has shown His creativity (Ps. 19:1), power and divine right to be worshipped (Rom. 1:20). By way of human reason and conscience God has equipped man to know Him and His law (Rom. 2:14-16). Although man has suffered the “cataclysmic moral tragedy" of the fall, this God-given equipment, whereby man can understand his moral responsibility, has not been wholly destroyed (Henry, God, Revelation and Authority, Vol. 1, p. 227).
Still it remains true, that while disobedience to general revelation is sufficient cause for condemnation (Rom. 1:24), such revelation alone is not capable of effectively communicating salvation.
Special revelation of God comes to man by means of divine interventions into human history with salvicific purpose. Miracles and prophetic utterances are such revelations. God's self-disclosure climaxed, however, in the revealing of Jesus Christ who was, and still is, "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15). He bears the very likeness of God (Heb. 1:3). Therefore, to see Christ is to see God (Jn. 14:9). The testimony of this incarnated revelation is seen today through inscripturated revelation (i.e., the Bible).
II. The Holy Scriptures
A. Inspiration: Verbal and Plenary.
The Bible, Old and New Testaments is the inspired word of God to man (II Tim. 3:16). This inspiration is both verbal and plenary. Frequent reference is made to the words of Scripture being the words of the Lord (Ex. 24:4; cf. 11 Sam. 23:2; Jer. 26:2). Paul speaks of imparting his teaching "in words ... taught by the Spirit." (I Cor. 2:13). Furthermore, all the words of Scripture are inspired (II Tim. 3:16; cf. Mt. 5:17ff; Rom. 15:4).
B. Inspiration: Inerrant and Authoritative.
Divine inspiration implies inerrancy and conveys authority. Through men "moved by the Holy Spirit" (II Pet. 1:21) God spoke ("God-breathed"). Hence, Scripture is the very word of God (Jn. 10:35).
God cannot lie (Heb. 6:8). Jesus also affirmed that God's word is truth (Jn. 17:17). Christ did not hesitate to extend that truthful character to even seemingly insignificant portions (Mt. 5:18).
If God is the Author of all Scripture and His word is truth, then it stands to reason, for the sake of divine consistency, that there can be no error in the whole of the revelation, as delivered in their original autographs. Beyond this, textual criticism proves that the Greek and Hebrew Testaments we possess today are trustworthy.
Scripture is the complete revelation of God's will for the salvation of man in that through it God has communicated all that man needs to know for deliverance from sin and the ongoing life of faith. Hence, the canon of Holy Scripture is closed (cf. Deut. 4:2; Mt. 5:17; Rev. 22:18ff.).
Bibliography:
God, Revelation and Authority, (Vol. 1). Carl F. H. Henry