Christian Doctrine

Biblical Doctrines

Introduction to Christian Doctrine

Steve Akins

General revelation refers to a universal aspect of God, his knowledge and of spiritual matters, discovered through natural means, such as observation of nature (the physical universe), philosophy and reasoning, human conscience or providence or providential history. Theologians use the term to describe knowledge of God which is plainly available to all mankind. These aspects of general revelation pertain to outward temporal events that are experienced within the world or this physical universe.

Within this type of revelation, it is believed that God does not use specific words, or specific actions, but more general or encompassing events that occur in creation, conscience, and history. This belief in general revelation claims to have its support from the scriptures of Romans 1:20, Psalms 19:1-6, and Matthew 5:45. The idea is that general revelation is to show the works and existence of God in indirect ways.

General Revelation is insufficient to impart salvation, or any understanding or knowledge of salvation or the specific role of Jesus Christ. General Revelation is more to the experience of life by a person, and is solely dependent on the ability of the person to clearly comprehend any part of God's hand in external events or things.

Special revelation is a belief that knowledge of God and of spiritual matters can be discovered through supernatural means, such as miracles or the scriptures, a disclosure of God's truth through means other than through man's reason.

Theologians use the term "special revelation" to describe God's intervention to make his will and knowledge available that would not otherwise be available through general revelation. Disclosure of this "special revelation" is at specific times to specific persons, and believed to have been generally given through scripture, miracles, and through the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of Special Revelation is to impart the knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ, salvation and the atonement. Essentially it is knowledge and understanding, "that is requisite to salvation, that is, an explicit knowledge of Christ and his gospel."

Who is God? It is hard to imagine a more profound and important question. It is a question that leads to many more questions. What is God like? How does he exist? Can we know absolute truth? Or is truth relative?

All the philosophies of mankind ask the same obvious questions about reality. Did something or someone exist before the creation of the universe? In the beginning of time, was there a prime reality, a great uncaused first cause? How did man come to exist in the universe? What is man? How do we know we exist? How do we know what is real? What happens to us after we die? Is there an absolute difference between right and wrong?

Man's philosophies have proposed many interesting arguments and solutions, but most conclude that ultimately we can never know for sure the answers to these questions. Modern philosophy teaches that God is unknowable; there are no absolutes; reality is a matter of individual perception. Without realizing it, most people in the modern world have picked up this relativistic philosophy. They are uncritical, open-minded, accepting of every idea. Life is a process without meaning. There is no ultimate purpose in life. There are no absolutes.

Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that the existence and character of God is knowable and unchanging. We can know God exists, who He is, and what He is like. Truth and morality are based on God's character as revealed in scripture

"Who is God?" To answer this question, it is logical to ask, "Who does God say He is?" For the answers, we must look to scripture. The Bible contains many names of God which give us an idea of His nature and character. God is the same in both the Old and New Testaments. The Hebrew and Greek names of God in the Old and New Testaments are intimately related to His nature and character. His names, nature and character are forever unchanging.

According to the Bible, God is infinite, personal, Triune, transcendent, immanent, omniscient, sovereign, and holy.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The Bible begins with creation, and the fact that God is Creator is always in view from Genesis to Revelation.

Scripture focuses our attention not so much on the act of creation as on God himself as the Creator. In Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 God is the subject of most of the sentences. We read that God created, God said, God saw, God divided, God called or named, God made, God set or appointed, God blessed, God rested, and God sanctified.

Creation is the revelation of an intelligent, loving, personal God. In contrast to pantheism He is distinct from His creation (Psalm 90:2). In contrast to deism He continues to be personally interested in His handiwork; for He upholds, sustains, and preserves it (Nehemiah 9:6).

The rest of the Bible continues this emphasis on God as the Creator, bringing it into many facets of our relationship to Him. We are to worship and serve Him as the Creator (Isaiah 40:26, 28, 31). We are warned not to strive against our Maker (Isaiah 45:9). We are to commit the keeping of our souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19). We also recognize that our help comes from the One who made the heavens and the earth (Psalms 146:5, 6; 121:2; 124:8), and there is nothing too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:17).

The Bible further emphasizes the fact that God is the Creator of all things. Repeatedly in both the Old and New Testaments this is brought to our attention (Exodus 20:11; Psalm 146:6; Nehemiah 9:6; Acts 14:17; Revelation 4:11; 10:6).

This is one of the distinctive elements of the Biblical revelation. In contrast to ancient heathenism and modern materialism, the Bible teaches a genuine beginning. Most heathenism was dualistic, teaching that the universe in some form existed eternally alongside the gods. In the heathen myths the gods are seen as having created something, but always from preexisting materials. The very declaration that God is the Creator sets Him apart from the idols (Psalm 96:5).

Materialists teach that matter and its laws are eternal and are the sum total of all existence, thus ruling out the idea of God altogether.(Dorman pg 73) But the Bible declares that God is the Creator of all things and that He existed before all things (Psalm 90:2). Thus we have a genuine beginning when God brought the