The One True Living God An Overview of God, The Redeemer, Redemption and His Plan for the Ages Session # 4 -- "Special Revelation: The Bible and Jesus Christ I. LET US REVIEW THE LAST LESSON Ø Match the topic with the Scripture or description that matches best: 1. The Bible Is Inspired by God John 17:17 2. The Bible Is Authoritative 2 Timothy 3:16-17 3. The Bible s 66 Books Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 4. The Bible Is God s Truth The Canon Ø Fill in the missing words to the Summary Description regarding this key topic of theology: Summary Description of the Bible The O, T, L God of the universe R Himself T to us in His Word, the B regarding all things necessary for our F and L. Ø Please write 2 Timothy 3:16-17 from memory:
II. INTRODUCTION TO OUR STUDY OF THE BIBLE During our last lesson we began to consider divine revelation through which God unveiled His work and glory. First of all, we noticed that God is the ultimate author of the Bible by which He inspired or breathed out His Word to his servants as they declared God s message to His people. Then we recognized that God s Word has authority over our lives in terms of what we are to believe about God and how we are to live daily. We do not have the right to ignore or disagree with God regarding what He has revealed to us. Also we noted that God inspired just sixty-six books or letters collected and written in the Bible which makes up what we call the Canon, God s Holy Word. Finally, we noted that His Word is truthful. When God speaks to us, He communicates reliably, truthfully, and accurately regarding who He is, His will for our lives, and who we are. We will now continue to look at other elements of God s Word and then take a special look at the greatest of all revelations, God the Father s Son, Jesus Christ. III. LET US OVERVIEW OUR STUDY IN THE BIBLE Key Topics in Theology Summary Description of Revelation The one, true, living God of the universe revealed Himself truthfully to us in His Word, the Bible, regarding all things necessary for our faith and life. IV. LET US STUDY SPECIAL REVELATION MORE CAREFULLY A. Revelation of God in His Word, the Bible, continued 5. The Bible s Main Message Is Clear and Plain The Bible is like no other book. As we have mentioned already that the Bible is a Divine-human book. It presents a story of who God is and what He is doing in the world. That story begins at creation and concludes with the end of time, when God will create a New Heavens and a New Earth. However, we cannot say that the Bible is written on a fourth-grade level. Nevertheless, the simple message is clear: the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, created us, loves and cares for His people, and has provided deliverance (salvation) from our sins through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, the God-man. Yes, God s Messiah came into this world, fulfilled the
Father s will, died for sinners, rose again, ascended to heaven and is promised to come again to judge the world, and receive His beloved children to live with Him. This simple, beloved message of the Bible is clear to everyone who sincerely desires to know, understand, trust, and follow God s ways. The message is so simple that a child can understand, yet so profound that scholars cannot fully comprehend its depths. This truth is noted in the Westminster Confession of Faith: All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. (WCF 1:7) Listen to God s Word as our Lord affirms this truth, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:105,130). 6. The Bible Best Interpreter Is Itself, the Bible As was stated earlier, not all parts of the Bible are equally clear, so when there is uncertainty we need to look to other portions of Scripture to clarify God s Word. Simply stated, the Bible is its own best interpreter! Again the Westminster Confession of Faith provides a helpful statement regarding this important truth: The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly. (WCF 1:9) Jesus affirmed as much when debating the religious leaders of his day: But Jesus answered them, You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. Matthew 22:29-33 (ESV)
7. The Bible Is the Supreme Rule and Guide for Christian Truth and Experience A final point worth remembering relates to who gets to determine what is correct interpretation or proper behavior. It is obvious that not all Christians believe the exactly same thing in every detail of their belief system. There are Christians who baptize by immersion, and then other churches use sprinkling. Some believers pray using the gift of tongues (ecstatic utterance) while others believers believe this gift has served its purpose in the New Testament era and is no longer useful for the Church today. We could continue listing hundreds of differences. So who gets to decide whose right and what is proper Christian behavior? A wise and godly approach to such matters is to let the collective message of the Bible speak for itself in such matters. Our conscience in these matters is to rest with the guidance of the Holy Spirit who He speaks to us through His Word. We ought not to allow others to bind our conscience on uncertain or small matters unless these can be proven conclusively from Scripture. The Holy Spirit must make that clear to us from His Word in Holy Scriptures. There is only one true and accurate teaching of God s Word. The Westminster Confession of Faith makes this final point in its first chapter on Of the Holy Scripture: The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture. (WCF 1:10) This point is vividly illustrated with Christ s encounter with the Devil in the wilderness. Satan tested the Lord to submit to his evil desires. During one particular trial the Devil suggested that our Lord jump from a high pinnacle suggesting that His Heavenly Father would protect His Son. Listen how Jesus used Scripture to clarify the proper understanding of Scripture and proper behavior of those who trust in the care of the heavenly Father: Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will command His angels concerning You ; and On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Matthew 4:5-7 (NASB)
One should also wave a cautionary flag when it comes to our Christian experience. Our experience should be tested by the clear teaching of God s comprehensive message found in the Bible. I remember a time many years ago when I counseled a married woman who was planning to abandon her husband for another man. She confirmed it was right for her, because it made her feel good, and that God would later forgive her for leaving her husband. Clearly she was allowing her thoughts and feelings to control and guide her behavior, rather than allow God to direct her through His Word. How important it is in daily matters as well as religious experience that we must be guided by the message of the Spirit speaking to us through His Word. B. Revelation of God in God s Son, Jesus Christ Jesus Came in the Flesh to Reveal the Father and His Will for Mankind We now consider the greatest of all God s revelations to humanity, that is the revelation that comes to us from the heavenly Father s own beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was sent on a mission to reveal the Father: So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and Him you do not know. John 7:28 The true Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. No one has ever seen God; the only (begotten) God, who is at the Father's side, He (Jesus Christ) has made Him (the Father) known. John 1:9,18 Again, the author to the Hebrews spoke of the superior and final revelation of God to mankind in Christ Jesus, 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 (Hebrews 1:1,2). We will deal more with the person and work of Jesus Christ in later lessons. Yet for now, we want to notice how Christ fulfilled the office of a Prophet. Prophets are spokesmen on God s behalf. They declared God s message to God s people on behalf of God. Christ is revealed in Scripture as the ultimate of all prophets. We might say He is the Prophet of prophets! This prophetic ministry of Christ is made clear in several passages: Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Moses said, The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to
everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. Acts 3:19-23 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:5 V. LET US REVIEW OUR THEOLOGY OF SPECIAL REVELATION Ø Fill in the missing words to the Summary Description regarding this key topic of theology: Summary Description of Revelation The O, T, L God of the universe R Himself T to us in His Word, the B regarding all things necessary for our F and L. Ø Match the topic with the description that suits it best: A. The greatest revelation of all time Psalm 119:105,130 B. The Bible s can be understood by a child Scripture with Scripture C. The best way to interpret the Bible Jesus Christ, the Prophet D. Only sure guide for faith and behavior is 1. The teaching of the pastor 2. The teaching of my church 3. The Bible 4. A historic statement of faith Ø Memorize 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 VI. LET US LOOK AHEAD In our next lesson we will begin to consider our next major area of study in theology by looking specifically at God Himself and his existence.