Session 1: Knowing God and Revelation

Can we know God? If so, how?

As opposed to popular belief, our knowledge of God isn’t based on what we think God is (or should be like), but our knowledge of God is based on him revealing himself to us.

We must be very careful with phrases such as “this is what I think God is like” or “this is what we think God is like” as opposed to “this is who God says he is.”

In revelation, God is the agent as well as the object. It is not just that men speak about God, or for God; God speaks for Himself, and talks to us in person. - J. I. Packer

Related Bible Verses

Romans 1:19 “19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.”

1 Corinthians 1:21 “21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

John 1:18 “18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

How much of your beliefs about God is based on Scripture? How much of your beliefs about God are based on something other than Scripture?

What about the students you interact with on campus? Do they primarily lean on their thoughts about God or God’s revealing of himself when it comes to their beliefs about who God is?

Revelation

The disclosure of divine secrets, knowledge, or other information from the divine realm to humans. - Lexham Bible Dictionary.

General Revelation

General revelation is God’s testimony to his character and works given to all human beings indiscriminately through the created order. - Lexham Survey of Theology

The knowledge of God’s existence, character, and moral law that comes through creation to all humanity. - Wayne Grudem

God’s revelation of himself in what we observe of the world. - EPC Leadership Training Guide

General revelation, however, is insufficient in regards to salvation. We can know of our guilt and that there is a God, through general revelation, but we do not know the way of salvation. For that, we need special revelation.

Psalm 19:1-6 “1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

Acts 17:22-31 “22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed h…”

Romans 1:19-20 “19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

Romans 2:14-15 “14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them”

Special Revelation

The teaching about God and his works that he has given to us through the prophets and apostles and which is now contained exclusively in the Bible. - Lexham Bible Dictionary

God’s words addressed to specific people, including the words of the Bible. - Wayne Grudem

Includes both the incarnation of the living Word (Jesus) and the recording of the written Word (the Bible). - EPC Leadership Training Guide

John 1:14-18 “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

Heb 1:1-4 “1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

Why don’t all know God?

Romans 1:21 “21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Romans 1:25 “25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 “12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

2 Cor 4:3-4 “3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”