God's Word
REVELATION
God's Word
REVELATION
The source of the Bible is the key to its greatness. It is the beginning point from which all its content flows. The source of the Bible provides its boundaries, shapes its content, and directs its power.
Imagine yourself boarding a “paddle-wheeler” at the Mississippi River docks in New Orleans, Louisiana. As you cruise the lower reaches of the river, you are amazed at its width, majestic expanse, and mighty power. You wonder about the source of such a grand display of irresistible force.
Then, a few years later, you travel the northern part of the state of Minnesota and come to Itasco State Park. In the thick verdant forests of this beautiful and remote section of the country, you find the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River. Little Lake Itasca nestles among the evergreens – placid and serene. A small rivulet flows from its shores. It is so narrow one can almost jump across it. Yet, it is the source of a latent power that eventually shapes geography, commerce, travel, and even civilization itself, in a watershed area of about 1,500,000 square miles bordering its 2,500 mile route to the sea.
God is the source of the Bible. Out of the calmness of His infiniteness and immutability He has spoken. This release of His power shattered the silence of eternity and created the cosmos. Subsequently, He created man in His image. Since man was created in the likeness of God, the creature was able to perceive the Creator. Thus, in act and in fact, God had made His existence know.
The Source was overflowing. Just as the Mississippi River grew and became more apparent as it received tributaries along the way, the revelation of God expanded as the centuries passed. It grew from the “mere” demonstration that God exists, as in creation. It became the vehicle by which man learned of his origin, purpose, and destiny. God revealed to His human family what He wanted them to be and do, and what the consequences would be if they did not take heed. Unfortunately, mankind did not obey God.
This is where we come to yet another dimension of God’s revelation. First, we noted that God’s creation of the universe is a revelation that He is. Next, God created human beings in such a way that they could perceive that He existed. Then, He revealed to them His will for them. However, they violated His will and separated themselves from Him.
Then began the long and checkered history of God’s dealing with His fallen creatures; the revelation of God became more historical. It declared God’s relation with humanity as, through the passing of time, He dealt with them and they reacted to Him. The Bible is the historical record of that divine/human drama. This means that it is God’s revelation. It is God’s Word. This is true whether we are reading a passage containing God’s instruction to man or man's address to God. The relationship is reciprocal and the revelation is all-encompassing.
The Bible is, shall we say, somewhat like the mighty Mississippi. As God’s revelation, His Word flows out from Him as its source. It flows down through history, widening, expanding, shaping; providing a lifeline for cultures and civilization. Finally, the Word reaches its zenith in the appearing of Jesus. In Him, the revelation of God is full. As God/man, He is the Alpha and the Omega of God’s efforts to reconcile estranged humanity back to Him. The Bible, especially the New Testament, makes it clear that the redemptive revelation of God in Christ is complete.
This is what the New Testament prophets, apostles, and evangelists affirmed. The Apostle Paul declared concerning his preaching of the Gospel, “I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12a). He goes on to say that “[God] was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…” (Galatians 1:16a).
Paul spoke of the place of revelation in his proclaiming the Gospel of Christ as the “stewardship of God’s grace” (Ephesians 3:2). Why did he describe his apostolic preaching in this way? First, he was commissioned to be a special ambassador to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; 22:21; 26:17). Second, the message he was to deliver to them included the “mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). Third, he could not have known this “mystery” had it not been revealed to him. Fourth, the grace of God inherent in the message was so unfathomable that Paul realized, even as he delivered it, not only the unworthiness of his Gentile hearers, but his own (1 Timothy 1:12-16). The unveiled mystery was “that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs and fellow-members of the body, and fellow- partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel…” (Ephesians 3:6-8; 6:19-20). Indeed, other apostles affirmed that it was God’s revelation that made it possible for them to preach the Gospel.
This brings us to a crucial fork in the road at the very outset of our study. One would assume all that is involved is a simple choice: I believe in Biblical revelation; or, I do not believe in Biblical revelation. However, this approach is over-simplified; in fact, it is an untenable position. One cannot simply take a Bible in hand and affirm or deny its claim of revelation any more than one can express or deny confidence in any unfamiliar book taken at random from a library shelf. One’s attitude toward the Bible and its revelatory claim should be based upon comprehension of what those claims are. Therefore, we turn to an examination of what Biblical revelation means.
Revelation is sometimes spoken of as an appearance. This underlies many statements we hear often in everyday speech such as, “He made his appearance at just the right time.” In other words, he revealed himself. This is also a Biblical view of revelation. Note Paul’s description of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. “…He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:5-8).
Of course, when Paul wrote of the various post-resurrection appearances of Christ, he did not speak of a secret. Paul was describing historical events. He would have lost his credibility had he claimed Jesus appeared to hundreds of people if such a claim could not be verified. After all, it had only been some twenty years since these momentous events occurred. Imagine the outcry against Paul and his account if those followers of Jesus who lived in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection knew nothing of such appearances. Paul’s integrity would have been shattered. No such furor arose. We conclude that the account of Paul gave was accepted as accurate by those disciples of Christ who were living in Jerusalem following Jesus’ resurrection. So we see that what Paul wrote by revelation, since he was not there, was read by eyewitness as truth. This should not surprise anyone.
Paul’s use of the verb ‘ophthe’ emphasized Jesus as the transcendent subject who “appeared to” (NASB) many. From the viewpoint of the observers, “He was seen of” (KJV). In other words, Jesus was able to be seen because He revealed Himself to many. He, as the Revealer, was the subject; they, as the recipients, saw Jesus.
The Bible is itself a much more extensive revelation than any one example in it can be. A broader concept of revelation is expressed by the Greek word apokalypsis, which is illustrated by the title of the last New Testament book called “The Apocalypse.” Also, from the Torah comes the Biblical principle, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29; [M.T. 29:28]). (“The things revealed” is derived from the Hebrew verb form galah = “to uncover,” with the literal meaning of “the things being revealed,” (‘Niph’, past participle.)
Here, the principle was laid down and quickly made very specific in Deuteronomy 30:11-14, that God’s revelation was not merely to satisfy idle curiosity or individual whim. Neither was it to be restricted to the appearance of angels or visions. Rather, there was a revelation of God for the purpose of communicating with, and redeeming, the human race. This revelation instructed, encouraged, commanded, warned; rebuked. This revelation was the Word of God.
Paul spoke of this specifically when he wrote the Ephesian letter concerning his “stewardship of God’s grace.” “He said…by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:3-4). Paul went on to say that the mystery “in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:5).
Paul emphasizes he had no monopoly on God’s revelation. He and the other “holy apostles and prophets” are involved in a shared ministry that was rooted and grounded in Christ’s person as God’s Teacher, His sacrifice as God’s offering for our sins, His resurrection as the vindication of His divinity, and His commission to the apostles as the directive for sharing the Gospel. All of this unfolded historically in a certain place and time. Thus, Paul decisively rejects any idea of private revelation or interpretation. His is not the work of an isolationist or eccentric. What was revealed to him concerning the Gospel was revealed to the other apostles. This unified message, good news, was to be shared with others who were to perpetuate the message to all for all time.
History is familiar with many who claimed to have received revelations from God. However, Paul’s assertion that he wrote by revelation (Galatians 1:6-12; Ephesians 3:3-4) was by no means a claim of monopoly. He did not start a new religion. He did not preach a doctrine that was unknown to the other apostles. In fact, he insisted that God’s revelation was shared with all the apostles (Ephesians 3:5). He did not find the written message in a forest or cave. He had no trouble in writing the revelation he received in beautiful, grammatically accurate language. Even when he dictated it, the message was of great quality (Romans 16:22).
He was always concerned that what he shared would be recognized without any doubt (2 Thessalonians 3:17). He urged his readers to learn not to go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), or turn away from what they had heard him preach – the Gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:6-9) which his writings conveyed.
Finally, we note that as a result of revelation from God, Paul was able to write a major portion of the New Testament. Thus, Paul’s writings joined with the other inspired Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16) to become a body of literature called the Bible. It is complete. It must not be tampered with, added to, or subtracted from (Deuteronomy 4:6; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).
This discussion leads us to recognize that the revelation of God was progressive. Paul wrote, “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed” (Galatians 3:23). And what was Paul’s role in this? He said, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God” (Ephesians 3:8-9).
Note: Paul received a revelation of Jesus Christ which he called the Gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:6-12). He identified the core of this Gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). In this Gospel the righteousness of God was revealed (Romans 1:16-17). Paul was “eager” to preach the gospel” (Romans 1:15) about “the unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). And last, but certainly not least, the many Pauline letters of the New Testament give ample testimony that Paul spent much time writing down the Christ-centered message which, he said, “I also received” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Paul received revelation. He proclaimed revelation. He wrote revelation. By this we mean he received a Word from God. He preached the content of that Word with his own mouth, He wrote that Word with his own hand. Although he dictated some of his letters, that does not minimize the fact that they were “his” (Romans 16:22; 1 Corinthians 16:21; 2 Thessalonians 3:17).
Paul’s apostolic work is an excellent example of how God’s revelation relates to the Bible. It may serve as a backdrop while we examine some theories which have been expressed about Biblical revelation by those who believe in revelation.
Some people believe that the Bible contains revelation, but that is not all revelation. Others believe that God revealed ideas (thoughts) to men who recorded them in their own words. There are people who hold that the writers of the Bible were secretaries to whom God dictated the Bible’s contents. Therefore, we need to zero in on the essence of Biblical revelation. (This is not the place to refute those who dogmatically deny the validity of revelation in any form.)
At its core, Biblical revelation is the disclosing or uncovering of that which is true. This is the case even though the revelation may be truly prophetic, the utterance of a false prophet, or the lies of Satan himself! But how can revelation be true if it contains many falsehoods? The answer is found in the nature of the Bible. It is an historical record of the Divine/human drama. As such, it not only contains the record of evil deeds, but also prophecies which should not have been uttered and many lies which should not have been told. The Bible is not a revisionist book. It is a reliable record. It is trustworthy because it is God’s work and Word unfolding historically before us as we read it.
When we say revelation gives us a record of God’s work and Word, we intend to emphasize that the Lord God is its origin, redemptive history is its demonstration, and His Word (Bible) is its authentic story and interpretation. Comprehensive statements of this nature are well-served by specific illustrations.
Literally hundreds could be chosen from the Bible. We simply refer to what we mentioned earlier – the most important event in all of God's redemptive history – the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In this momentous event we see God, the Father, taking the initiative (John 3:16). It was the Father’s will that Jesus, His Son, die on the cross for us (Galatians 1:3-5). The crucified Jesus was acknowledged to be the Son of God (Mark 15:39). He died according to the prophetic Scriptures (Psalm 34:20; Zechariah 12:10; John 19:36-37). He was resurrected (John 20:14-17). He was confessed to be God (John 20:28). He was seen after His resurrection by hundreds of witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). God the Father was the initiator (origin) of all this. It is recorded as history, and its significance is explained in the Bible.
The entire episode is God’s revelation; or, if you will, God’s self-disclosure. God is (origin); God acts (history); God authenticates (interprets). This is the emphatic stance of the Bible from beginning to end. As we begin to read the Bible, the very first sentence makes it clear, “In the beginning God. . .” (Genesis 1:1). The Bible is punctuated with statement after statement affirming God and His mighty acts (Deuteronomy 11:2-3, 7; Psalm 145:3-6, 11-12). Fortunately, this revelatory work of God is interpreted for us. This is a necessary element in revelation because without it we could neither understand the Word of God nor grasp its purpose (Isaiah 55:8-11). The following is an extended illustration of how God's redemptive revelation works in the world.
Imagine yourself a first century citizen. Assume you have just arrived in Judea from Carthage on business. After you disembark at the port of Caesarea, you make your way to Jerusalem hoping your inn will be easy to find. As you near the city wall, you see a large gathering on a hillside just off the road. You stop to determine the cause of all the excitement. Then, to your horror, you see three men hanging on crosses erected at the crest of the hill. As you draw near, you see Roman soldiers and a cluster of men in religious garb walking around the crosses. The crowd is milling about nearby. You have heard that Romans crucified common criminals. Sensing this to be a Roman execution of convicted felons you cautiously take out your Polaroid camera and take a few pictures.
You hasten on to the inn where you are to meet your business associates from Alexandria. They have just arrived. After rest and refreshment from long and weary travel, you join them in the restaurant for dinner. Afterward you take out your pictures and show them to your companions. They are the center of much discussion about life in the Roman Empire and the awesome power the Roman government has over its subjects. There is also some speculation as to why religious dignitaries were present for such a gruesome event. No one has any logical conjectures to offer. The subject is dropped. You place the picture in your briefcase. You and your partners turn to the business at hand.
Neither you nor your friends ever knew that you had captured on film the most significant event in all history! You saw three men crucified. You never knew the death of the one hanging between the others had any meaning for your life. (Something had been revealed to you; it had not been interpreted). You never knew, that is, until ten years later when you heard a public speaker that jolted you to the depths of your being. A traveling group came to Carthage from Judea. They called themselves Christians. They told a wondrous story about a crucified Savior who had died for all. From their message you realized you had the pictorial evidence of this man's death in your album collection! He was the one hanging between two thieves.
The words of these traveling evangelists stirred you deeply and haunted you for years. Something has been revealed to you at Golgotha and interpreted for you in Carthage. You planned to inquire into these things in the future. However, life’s demands were many. The business needed constant attention. Your family was growing as you and your wife enjoyed little three-year-old Clem and looked forward to the approaching birth of your second child. You spent an occasional weekend fishing in the coastal waters around the Carthage harbor. Life was good.
It seemed incredible that thirty years after that fateful business trip to Jerusalem you heard a man preaching in the public square of Carthage. He told a story he called “Good News.” You immediately realized it was about the same man of whom you had heard Christians speak some twenty years earlier. You were strangely fascinated. The speaker frequently embellished his oration by reading from a scroll. When he had finished, you pushed your way through the crowd to the speaker. He saw your interest and invited you to come aside for conversation. He shared with you the contents of the scroll, which he called “The Gospel of Mark.”
Thus, over several days, you and your wife learned the life-saving message of the “Gospel of Christ.” Upon seeing your desire to serve Jesus, this devout Christian evangelist asked, “Why are you waiting?” Puzzled, you asked, “What shall we do, sir?” He replied, “Both of you repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Upon the confession of your faith that Jesus is God’s Son, you went with him to the beach and were immersed into Christ in the Mediterranean Sea. You had learned of Christ and what He means to the world. Upon the basis of what you had seen, heard, believed, and obeyed, you were saved from all your past sins and became identified with other dedicated Christians.
The essence of this extended example is that Jesus was revealed to you. His identity and sacrifice was shown to you from Scripture. The way of response for salvation was explained to you from Scripture. Your response placed you in the company of those dedicated first-century Christians.
Now, in your old age, you enjoy the blessings of an extended family. Although one son lives in the city of Syracuse on Sicily, attending to a branch of the business there, he and his family sail back to visit each year. Your other sons and daughters, with their families, live in town nearby. One academically oriented grandson has gone to Alexandria to attend the university.
The first day of the week is especially joyous when the growing family group of twenty meets with about two hundred other members of God’s spiritual family – the church – in various parks and open areas. Care is taken not to be unnecessarily conspicuous because you have received sobering news from Rome about Caesar Nero’s growing opposition to Christians.
Often in the afternoon on those happy Sundays your entire family gathers in the atrium. You get your family album off the shelf. The children gather around. The adults sit nearby, and all look and listen intently as you display the fading pictures of Jesus offering Himself in sacrifice on the cross. You then carefully unroll a Gospel scroll for which you and your spouse paid an enormous sum. Portions of the story are read reverently. Prayers of thanksgiving and songs of praise are offered to a loving, gracious God.
You worship a God you know because He is a God of revelation. He revealed, by His creation, that He is. He revealed, in history, His mighty acts. He revealed, in His Son Jesus Christ, that He saves. He revealed, with inspiration and interpretation, all of these marvelous things that we find in that unparalleled book we call the Bible.
This extended story of how God’s redemptive revelation works in the world reminds us of the following:
1. We do not always know the direction our lives may take.
2. We do not always know the significance of what is happening from day to day.
3. One day we may come face to face with a serendipity that changes our lives.
4. We may hear the Word of God; it may strike us to the core (Hebrews 4:12-13).
5. We may surrender to Christ and obey the Gospel; God’s book, the Bible, actually became a revelation to us.
6. We live knowing that He always knew us and by revelation we found Him.
7. Thus, through historical awareness, God’s revelation may result in our salvation.
(Unless noted, Bible translation used is the New American Standard Bible)
