General Revelation: Podcast Episode 3

Introduction

Thank you for tuning in to the Bibleofile Podcast with Corey Ramsey.

I am Corey Ramsey, and today, we will be continuing in our study of the book titled, “The Wonderful Works of God” by Herman Bavinck.

In this episode, we will be looking at Chapter 3 in which Bavinck speaks of General Revelation.

If this is your first time tuning in, the format in which we do this is something like a summary of the book, expounding on the important points from the chapter and talking about what I think Bavinck to be saying, while adding in feedback from my own experience and study.

Also, if you are unfamiliar with how the program works, I would like to remind you that you can follow along chapter by chapter as we go through them, but it is not required in order to benefit from the program.

If you would like more information about the show, you can visit www.thebibleofile.com or follow us on social media, all of which can be found at the website.

Before we begin todays discussion on General Revelation, lets recap what was discussed in the last episode.

Recap & Transition

In the last chapter speaking on the Knowledge of God, I would summarize by saying that the point he was trying to make is that knowing Christ personally is knowing God.

He mentions that Christ is God expressed and God given.

A true knowledge of God leads to a love of God that far transcends all other goods.

This true knowledge of God logically leads to eternal life.

This knowledge is distinct in its origin.

It is a knowledge completely dependent on Christ.

This knowledge is different in its object.

Everything else we know is temporal whereas God is eternal.

Finally, this knowledge is distinct in its essence.

This knowledge is not mere information but consists in a real knowing of God.

This true knowledge of God is a knowledge of faith.

He says, “If we understand the knowledge of God in such a way, it need occasion no surprise that its operation and effect is nothing less than eternal life.”

As we begin to look at General Revelation today, which is a way in which we know God, we will see that these chapters and topics are closely related.

Chapter 3

As we begin looking at Chapter 3, I must say that I enjoy Bavincks writing style in that the first sentence in his chapters seem to be very definitive and straight to the point.

He starts this chapter off by saying, “If it is true that man can have a knowledge of God then this fact presupposes that God on His part voluntarily chose to make Himself known to man in some way or other.”

“We cannot credit a knowledge of God to ourselves, to our own discovery, investigation, or reflection” he says.

Such knowledge we are absolutely dependent on God for.

This knowledge of God that we speak of is different than a knowledge we can have of say created things.

We were given the task of having dominion over the earth and an interest to do so at creation although we are still dependent on God for this knowledge.

Even this knowledge is limited in all types of ways says Bavinck.

He says the more we know about something, the more the mysteries seem to increase.

Speaking of living, animated, and rational creatures, our limitations become even more obvious.

Reflection

I mentioned in a previous episode that at one point of my life after I was saved, I became very interested in chess.

I put a lot of time in playing and studying thinking I would become a very good chess player in a short period of time and realized this was a very unrealistic goal.

I seemed to be studying and playing a lot while climbing the ranks extremely slow.

Sometimes it even seemed as if I was moving backwards.

A chess website tells me that there are over 318 billion ways to play the first 4 moves in chess.

To master a game such as this, that has so many possibilities after only 4 moves, seems impossible and in many cases it has driven people to craziness.

If we are limited in knowledge in such a thing as chess, which consists of a board and pieces, how much more would we be limited in trying to understand living things such as animals and humans.

There are many different species of animals and a countless number of humans throughout history all of which are the same in a sense but unique in their own ways.

The limitations are apparent.

The Nature of Man

Now looking at the nature of man, he says it is mans external manifestation that we perceive.

Behind this external manifestation of the person lies mystery life which is not perfectly expressed in the external form.

Man also has the ability to conceal his inner side from others.

Bavinck says that “He can so control his facial expression that not a muscle betrays what is going on inside him; he cam employ language to hide his thoughts; and he can in his actions assume an attitude which is in conflict with what he is within.”

We must depend mostly on what he chooses to reveal about himself although sometimes due to his imperfections, unintentionally reveals things about himself.

He summarizes this point by saying “Knowledge of a person is possible only if he involuntarily or consciously and deliberately reveals himself to us.”

Reflection

I am sure that probably every one of us has encountered people in our lives that were not who they appeared to be.

I am reminded of a news clip from Cleveland, Ohio when a woman who had been missing for quite some time was found.

The intereview in the news clip was with a guy named Charles Ramsey, no known relation, and he was speaking of the man who had kidnapped the woman.

He said he saw this guy everyday.

He said he barbequed with this man.

Listened to salsa music with him.

He seemed like a normal guy to Charles.

He had no idea that he had kidnapped multiple women and had them living in the basement of his house.

I am sure if Charles would have examined this guys life very closely he may have seen clues that led him to believe there was something going on there but from normal aquaintance, this seemed like a normal guy.

It is the same with a lot of people whom I had known in my life.

They appear to be one way on the outside until one day their actions clearly betray who they really are on the inside.

Nature of God

We have briefly looked at the nature of understanding creation and now move forward to our knowledge of God.

Bavinck says that we have no way to make God the object of our study and reflection.

Why is that?

Except God lets himself be found, we cannot seek him.

Think about it this way.

God is invisable.

How can man find something he cannot see?

This invisable God dwells in unapproachable light

If he keeps himself hidden, we simply cannot bring him inside our physical or spiritual perception, upon which our knowledge of him is dependent.

Bavinck also points out that unlike humans who are imperfect and can unintentionally reveal things about themselves, God is perfect control and only reveals himself to the extent that he wills to do so, and only because he wills to do so.

He summarizes this idea by saying that “Knowledge of God is possible therefore only on the basis of a revelation from Gods side. A knowledge of God is avaialbe to man only when, and in so far as, God freely chooses to reveal himself.”

What is Revelation?

God revealing himself to us is called revelation.

In this revelation, God does not always reveal himself to us in the same way.

Bavinck makes a great point when he says, “All the works of God, whether of word or deed, are constituent parts and elements of the one, great, comprehensive, and always continuing revelation of God.

He points out that things such as creation, maintenance, rule of all things, the calling and leading of Israel, the sending of Christ, the pouring of the Holy Spirit, the inscripturation of the Word of God, and the sustaining of the church, are altogether ways and forms by which a revelation of God comes to us.

Everything that is and that happens leads up to the knowledge of God.

Reflection

Do you look at everything that is and that happens as leading you to a knowledge of God?

I was just reading a biography on A.W. Pink by Richard Belcher and he mentioned somewhere in the book that Pink barely ever spoke about himself so the task of writing the biography was somewhat challenging.

So if Pink is no longer alive and not much was written or known about him personally, how was Belcher able to write this biography?

Pink was known for his extensive writing on the Scriptures so Belcher was able to look to the works of Pink to come to a pretty good understanding of who he was.

As was mentioned earlier, God is invisable and also unapproachable but has chosen to reveal things about Himself through his work.

It just so happens that all of creation is his work so we can look to everything that has been created and learn something of the creator.

Characteristics of Revelation

Revelation is typically referred to as either General or Special

No matter which type of revelation you are speaking of, it always comes from God acting in his freedom.

Bavinck says that “Every revelation proceedes from the idea that God exists personally, that he is conscious of Himself, and that He can make Himself known to creatures.”

He continues to say that “Our human knowledge of God has its basis and point of origin in the knowledge which God has of Himself.”

God knows himself perfectly therefore he can reveal himself to us.

Also, every revelation which proceeds from God is self-revelation or God is the origin and content of His revelation.

He points to Christ, the highest revelation of God, who has revealed the name of the Father to men.

He says “All of the works of God in nature and grace, in creation and regeneration, in the world and in history teach us something of the incomprehensible and worshipful being of God.”

Reflection

It says these works teach of the incomprehensibleness of God.

If I were looking to the cross when Jesus died, I would have thought to myself what in the world is going on.

If God is all powerful, why would he allow himself to be killed, especially in this fashion?

I would have thought to myself, this makes absolutely no sense.

Knowing what I know now, I think to myself, who but God could have come up with such an amazing plan to save sinners like myself.

or even how God would use somebody such as Saul who was persecuting the church to spread the church and ultimately, as Paul, plant churches and grow the church in an unbelievable way.

All of these works are far above what we would have expected in any of these situations and they all point us to the glory and majesty of God.

Continuing

This revelation of God that he has given to us is not to be confused with his self-knowledge.

His self-knowledge, Bavinck proclaims, is just as infinite as His being and is from its very nature, therefore, not subject to the apprehension of any creature.”

Even the knowledge that he has given to us through revelation that be obtained by rational creatures is limited and finite and will remain that way through all eternity.

Even so, this knowledge is real and sound.

In this study of revelation, the purpose must be to know God.

Its primary purpose is to lead us through the creatures to the creator and cause us to rest in the Fathers heart.

The revelation that proceeds from God has God not only as its content but also as its purpose.

He says that the revelation is of him, and to him, and through him.

Although different from his self knowledge, this knowledge is so broad and deep that it can never be wholly absorbed in the consciousness of any rational creature.

He says revelation does not have its final purpose in man but passes by and soars past him.

Although revelation is directed towards man, this purpose of revelation is the glorification of God.

“This whole revelation, which is of God and through him, has its midpoint and at the same time its high-point in the person of Christ.

Reflection

I remember a conversation I had with a woman I used to know right when I was saved.

I was explaining to her what God had done in my life and we got to talking about the things of God.

This conversation led to discussing on religion in general and she said basically all religions were the same, Havnt I taken a world religon class?

That would mean that the god in all of the religions was the same god.

I believe the Christian faith presents a whole different scenario.

We see in Jesus Christ, a disctinct person in history, God in the flesh, those that have seen him have seen the Father.

Knowing this distinct person is knowing God.

Following this Christ is following God and makes you a Christian.

Religion is not all the same.

There is one God, the God that is presented in the Scriptures and in the person of Jesus Christ.

Every other religion is a false religion and if there is a form of deity in the religion, it is a false diety.

After standing firm on this, I was told that I take the Bible too literaly.

I am comfortable with that.

I bring this story up because it says in our text that revelation has its mid-point and high-point in Jesus Christ.

We can conclude from that, if you don’t know Jesus Christ, you do not know God.

Through the eyes of Christ

Through the light of the knowledge of God which the Christian owes to Christ, he is able to look upon nature and history, heaven and earth, and discover traces of God everywhere.

Bavinck says that “The Sun of righteousness opens up a wonderful vista to him which stretches out to the end of the earth.”

He goes on to mention that “The Christian, who sees everything in the light of the Word of God, is anything but narrow in his view.”

This light of God puts the Christian in an unique position to trace out this revelation of God in nature and history.

This brings us to the point where Bavinck finds it important that we now distinguish between these two types of revelation.

First of all, we have general revelation which he says makes use of the usual run of phenomena and the usual course of events and is directed towards all men by means of common grace.

The contents of this revelation are especially the attributes of power, wisdom, and goodness.

The second kind of revelation is special revelation which he says often employs unusual means, appearances, prophecy, and miracles to make himself known to man and comes to all those who live under the Gospel by special grace.

The contents of this kind are espcecially Gods holiness, righteousness, and compassion.

Bavinck explains that these two are intimately connected because both have as their origin God and both are owing His word, and both are by his grace.

It is common grace in general revelation and special grace in special revelation but he points out that it is the common grace that prepares the way for the special grace and special grace puts common grace into service.

He makes a final point in this section by saying that both revelation have as their purpose the preservation of the human race, first by sustaining it, second by redeeming it, and both in this way serve to the end of glorifying all of Gods excellences.

As he continues in the chapter, he points out that both of these revelation are contained in the Holy Scripture.

Apart from the Holy Scriptures, he says because of the darkness of our understanding, we would never be able to read the things of God out of nature.

Scripture plays the role of light in general revelation, a lens through which we can see the things of God in nature and history.

He says it makes us see God where we would not have otherwise seen Him.

Reflection

In considering what the light of Scripture does towards General Revelation, I am reminded of the non-believer who looks at the world without this light.

They look to secular science who provides them with a very wrong and incomplete view of how the world came into being and what is continually going on whereas the believer sees God in creation.

They look at all the terrible things in the world today and throughout history and cant understand why these things happen.

They go through suffering and can only see it as a misfortune.

We see the common way in nature is the coming together of a male and a female but they have rebelled against this view calling it hateful.

In reproduction, they rebell against life in the womb.

The Scriptures give us answers for all of these things that happen in nature and history.

It is through the light of God that we see light.

That is why the fool says in his heart that there is no God.

Although we can all in one sense see all of the same things in nature and history, it is through the glasses of Scripture that the Christian can see God in it and have a right view of it.

Creation

In continuing, Bavinck places an emphasis on creation taught by Scipture and says that it demonstrates the revelation of God in nature.

He says that God reveals himself in the whole of the world and that every work testifies of its maker.

Since the world is a work of God, also every creature in that world manifests something of Gods excellences and perfections.

This world was not only created by God but it is also governed and maintained by God from moment to moment.

This God is infinitely exalted above the world, but also dwells in all his creatures through his almighty and omnipresent power.

So this revelation that we get from the world not only testifies to what he has done but also to what he continues to do.

Bavinck now shows that God also works in history as well as nature by pointing to examples such as preserving Noah and his family during the flood and confusing the language at the tower of Babel.

He says that by this General Revelation, God preserved the peoples and led them to the dispensation of the fulness of times that he might gather together in one all things in Christ.

Examples of witness

Moving forward, he says in the science of theology men have tried to arrange all these witnesses in nature and history to the existence and being of God, and to classify them into groups.

He speaks of 6 evidences.

In evidence 1, he speaks of the cosmological argument

This argument says the world is continually testifying of itself that it is temporal and dependent therefore it would require an eternal independent being as its cause.

Evidence 2 is the teleological argument.

This argument says that the harmony of the world and its organization exhibits a purpose which would be rediculous to credit to chance therefore points to an all wise and omnipotent being who established that purpose and seeks to achieve it.

Evidence 3 is the ontological argument

This argument says that since there is in the consciousness of all men some sense of a supreme being it must be because if it didnt exist, man would lose his confidence in the validity of his consciousness.

The fourth evidence is the moral argument

This argument says that man is not only rational but moral and feels bound to a law within his conscience. This law presupposes a holy and righteous law giver.

For the fifth evidence he point to how there are no peoples or nations without religion.

Either mankind is generally suffereing from a stupid superstition he says or this knowledge and service of God which in distorted forms makes its appearance among all peoples is based on Gods existence.

For the sixth evidence, he points to history and says in the light of Scripture, it exhibits a plan and pattern which point to a governance of all things by a supreme being.

He says that history and philosophy of history are based on faith in the providence of God.

With these 6 evidences, he says that none of them are enough to compel a man to believe.

He says these evidences mainly play the role of establishing a connection between the revelation of God outside of man and the revelation of God inside of man.

Reflection

I remember studying many of these evidences in my philosophy class and if im being honest, philosophy, as much as I would like to understand it is something that I struggle to understand so if I am incorrect in any representations of these evidences, I apologize in advance.

I think all of these evidences do justice in showing that there is a God but I personally believe that the teleological and the religious evidence are really convincing in my eyes.

As far as the teleological evidence, it is very farfetched to me to believe that everything in this world simply happened by chance.

I am reminded of a video I saw from Ray Comfort, which can be found on YouTube by typing in Ray Comfort Coke Can.

He explains the unique design of a coke can and says that it is silly to think that out of the big bang theory that we could have an uniquely designed can with brown bubbly soda inside of it.

Or how the banana is made to be easily eaten or the complexity of the human eye.

These point to an intellegent designer who created with a purpose.

We see way to much organization in this world for to have happened randomly.

I understand that this would not be enought to compel me to believe but since I do believe I have definitely found this evidence to strengthen my faith.

I wont get into much detail on the religion evidence because I have dicussed this in a previous episode, but it would definitely be silly to me for there to be so many religious people throughout history if there was no God.

For one, how would anybody have ever came up with the idea of something so excellent, that there was a god above humanity that should be worshipped.

and for two, how would they have convinced so many people to believe it.

It is like the flood story which we know happening during the times of Noah.

Many different cultures present a similar story of the flood although not completely accurate with what the Bible presents.

If there was not a giant flood that wiped out the earth, why would all these people have thought to tell this story?

Internal Revelation

We have spoken quite a bit in this episode of external revelation, what we see in nature in history, and Bavinck says that this stuff could have no effect upon man if there not something in man himself that responded to it.

He says the indisputable fact is, tha God Himself has added to the external revelation in nature an internal revelation to man.

Religion cannot be explained except on the basis of an increated sense Bavinck says.

Scripture leaves no doubt about this.

Man was created in the image of God.

Even in his most distant straying, he cherishes a memory of his origin and destination.

Even after the fall, there remains traces of the image of God after which he was made.

God reveals outside of man and inside of man and does not leave himself without witness in the human heart and conscience.

This revelation is a capacity and drive to find out God in his Works and to understand his revelation.

Calvin calls this internal revelation, a sense of divinity.

This sense of divinity testifies to our absolutely dependency.

It is clear that we are dependent upon everything around us, the whole spiritual and material world, and in an absolute sense on God.

This sense of divinity also has in it a sense of the nature of that being on whom man feels himself to be dependent.

It is a sense of a higher power.

This sense of divinity says Calvin is the seed of religion.

Reflection

This sense of divinity definitely shows why the religious evidence is so compelling.

So many people are religious because they were created with a sense of divinity within them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have walked through this chapter starting by looking at the knowledge of God.

We have seen how this knowledge of God is based on the revelation of God both externally and internally.

We learned that everybody was created with a sense of divinity in them or a seed of religion because we were all created in the image of God.

After reading this chapter, I am amazed by the fact that simply everything that is testifies to someting about God.

I mean I have known that nature and history point to the work of God but now I find myself a lot more curiuous about what necessarily everything tells us about God.

I kind of feel like I have been looking at the world and history with regular eyes this whole time but understanding that there is something to be learned about God in everything makes me feel that I have put on 3d glasses and desire to understand things more completely in that sense.

As good as I feel knowing what I know about General Revelation, I also feel that it leaves something wanting.

I feel that this something that is wanting will be special revelation which I am sure will be covered in a future chapter.

This general revelation shows us in nature and history that there is a God and also testifies inside of us that this is true and if this were all that was needed, I feel that everybody would have a solid faith in the one true God.

But everybody does not believe this and also everybody that does believe does not have the same level of understand and faith.

I feel that as of right now I can understand how Special revelation compliments this General Revelation but I am definitely excited to see how Bavinck connects the dots when we get to that chapter.

Closing

As we come to a close, I would like to point out in our next chapter, we will see the value of General Revelation.

I will not be setting a release date for this episode so I would like to encourage you to subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you choose to listen on or even follow us on social media for updates.

If you would like more information on this, feel free to visit the website at www.thebibleofile.com

I would like to close with this passage of Scripture.

Psalm 19:1–4 NIV

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

May we be mindful to see Gods excellencies in the work and sustaining of creation and throughout all of history and the future.