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Theo Ch 3 - Notes on the lectures covering
chapter 3.
Theology Survey I (Liberty University)
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The nature of revelation
● Humans are finite, God is infinite, what we know about Him must be revealed
by Him.
● There are two types of revelation:
○ General Revelation: God’s communication of himself to all persons
at all times and in all places
○ Special Revelation: God’s particular communications and
manifestations of Himself to particular persons at particular
times, that are available now only through sacred writings (the
Bible)
The modes of general revelation
● There is knowledge of God revealed through nature:
○ Psalms 19:1-4 (NASB) 1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The
heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring
the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to
night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the
earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has
placed a tent for the sun,
○ Romans 1:20 (NASB) For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they
are without excuse.
● There is knowledge of God revealed through history (preservation of Israel):
○ Acts 14:16-17 (NASB) 16 “In the generations gone by He
permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He
did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and
gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your
hearts with food and gladness.”
● There is knowledge of God revealed through human nature:
○ Romans 2:14-16 (NASB) 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the
Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law,
are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law
written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their
thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day
when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men
through Christ Jesus.
Human beings are often able to recognize the genuineness of specific
revelations through general revelation:
● Genesis 41:37-39 (NASB) 37 Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and
to all his servants. 38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man
like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since
God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as
you are.
● Daniel 2:47 (NASB) The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is
a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you
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have been able to reveal this mystery.”
● Daniel 3:26 (NASB) Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the
furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and
Abed-nego, come out,
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you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach,
Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.
● Jonah 1:9-10 (NASB) 9 He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD
God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men
became extremely frightened and they said to him, “How could you do this?”
For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD,
because he had told them.
Differing views of the value of General Revelation:
● Natural Theology: the view that it is possible to construct a valid theology
of God apart from specific revelation (the Bible)
○ Assumes nature is basically intact (i.e. it has not been distorted by sin)
○ Assumes humans are not limited in their ability to perceive general
revelation
○ Tends to reject paradoxical doctrines as misunderstandings
○ Relies on reason; no need for institution (church) or specific revelation
(Bible)
○ Thomas Aquinas held a quasi natural theology
■ He believed that truth was split into two realms; the higher
realm of grace, knowable only by specific revelation, and the
lower realm of reason, incorporating more observable truths.
■ He used arguments for the existence of God, such as the
cosmological and teleological arguments for God.
● Denial of General Revelation:
○ Some, such as Karl Barth, believe that revelation is inherently
redemptive in nature, and that man does not have general
revelation, citing:
■ Romans 1:21 (NASB) For even though they knew God, they did
not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in
their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
■ Psalms 19:3 (NASB) There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
○ Contends that God’s revelation is exclusively in Jesus Christ
○ Contends that genuine revelation always results in a positive reaction
○ Contends that knowledge of God is always redemptive/savivic in nature
● General Revelation without Natural Theology
○ God has given objective, valid, rational revelation through nature,
history, and human personality
○ But that revelation is blurred by sin and the fall
○ And humans in our sinful state do not recognize and acknowledge
God in His general revelation
■ Romans 1:21-23 (NASB) 21 For even though they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became
futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged
the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of
corruptible man and of birds and
four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
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○ Mankind cannot be saved via general revelation
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■ Romans 10:14 (NASB) How then will they call on Him in whom
they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom
they have not heard? And how will they hear without a
preacher?
General Revelation and Human Responsibility
● General revelation is to unbelievers as the law (which is specific revelation) is
to the jews
○ Romans 2:14 (NASB) For when Gentiles who do not have the
Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having
the Law, are a law to themselves,
● The law serves to show us that we do not meet the divine standard
○ Galatians 3:23-24 (NASB) 23 But before faith came, we were kept in
custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to
be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to
Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
● In the same way, general revelation shows us our inadequacy
○ Nature reveals that a powerful, eternal God exists (Rom 1)
○ Human nature reveals that we do not live up to the standard (Rom 2)
● It may be possible for someone to be saved through general revelation, by
throwing themselves on the mercy of God without knowing the basis of how
that mercy is provided – similar to the old testament saints, who had the
form of the gospel without it’s full context.
○ However, we know that in practicality no one seeks God:
■ Romans 3:9-11 (NASB) 9 What then? Are we better than they?
Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and
Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE
RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO
UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
Implications of General Revelation
● General revelation provides common ground for evangelising to unbelievers
● General revelation provides a lens to help interpret specific revelation
● General revelation, and the unbeliever’s rejection of it, justify God’s
judgement on those who have never heard the gospel
● General revelation is the impetus of the worldwide variety of false religions
● Creation and the gospel are in harmony
● General revelation provides a basis for arguing for biblical principals in secular
contexts
● Expect a growing interest in nature in the third-world church
● Genuine knowledge and morality in unbelievers is not their own doing,
general revelation deserves the credit for revealing reality.
