What is revelation, and how does God reveal Himself to man?
Revelation is the first of five works of the Holy Spirit regarding the Word of God: it is the means by which the Holy Spirit revealed His message to prophets and apostles (2 Tim. 3:16). Revelation is how God communicated to man what could otherwise never be known. The natural world by itself discloses that a Creator exists, but it cannot reveal such things as the Creator’s righteousness, love, and grace, or the salvation He holds out to man—for that, God Himself spoke to men (1 Pet. 1:20–21). This revelation is also progressive: Scripture is a book of progressive revelation, its message more fully and clearly developed toward the end than at the beginning—more about Jesus Christ and salvation is revealed in the New Testament than the Old, and more about the function of the Church is revealed in the epistles than in the Gospels.
Source: The Basics The Basics — Revelation (canonical doctrine) · Read this lesson in the book →
What this answer is about
Related questions
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See also
- What is the nature of sin?Same lesson · The Basics
- What does the Bible teach about freedom?Same lesson · The Basics
- What is the spiritual significance of letting God do great things in our lives?Same lesson · The Basics
- What does the Bible teach about death?Same lesson · The Basics
- What is the spiritual life?Same lesson · The Basics
- What is the role of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life?Same lesson · The Basics
Scripture this answer rests on
Also printed on these pages
Where this is taught in the book
Lesson 4–2: Perception—Discernment
Lesson 4–3: Testing—Temptation
Lesson 5–5: The Prospect—The Rapture
Lesson 1–2: The Plan—Redemption
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