Doctrine Series: Bible

Doctrine of the Bible

What else can the doctrine of the Bible be called?

We will call it the doctrine of scripture and revelation.

Why is the doctrine of the Bible uniquely important?

The doctrine of scripture is uniquely important because it prepares the ground for everything else we study in theology.

Revelation is what God decided to reveal about Himself to us. There are two types of revelation, general and special.

Dt. 29:29 ““The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

2 Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Hebrews 1:1-2 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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.”

Romans 1:19-20 “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal 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.”

Today we will focus only on general revelation.

General revelation

What does General Revelation mean?

Revealed in nature and in our conscience

Ps. 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

Romans 1:19-20 “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 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.”

What can General Revelation apart from Special Revelation lead to?

3 Main views

One: natural theology

What do natural theologists believe?

Two: natural and special

The second view hinges on the fact that general revelation propels us to the Gospel.

Three: special only

What do individuals in the third view think about General Revelation?

General revelation in creation

Acts 17:22–34 ESV

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 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. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 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, 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, for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

General revelation in conscience

1 Tim. 4:2 “through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,”

Romans 2:14-15 “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. 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”

Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Titus 1:15 “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.”

Act 23:1 “And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.””

Acts 24:16 “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”

1 Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

Our conscience can:

(be) Seared

Accuse and excuse

(be) purified by Christ

A Christian strives for a clear or good conscience toward both God and man. (Acts 24:16)

Your turn to be a theologian

1. How does scripture alone inform our belief about general revelation?

2. What do you believe God intended when revealing himself through nature?

3. What do you think happens to individuals who never have access to scripture?

4. How does your conscience play a note in your behavior?