| General
Revelation |
Special
Revelation |
Job
38-40
Psalm 19
Acts 14:15-17; 17:22-31
Romans 1:18-21; 2:14-16 |
John
1:1, 14, 18; I Timothy 3:16
Hebrews 1:1-3; Matthew 5:17-18
22:29-32; Luke 16:17; 21:33
John 10:35; II Timothy 3:16
II Peter 1:19-21 |
World
or Nature
History
Human Constitution (e.g., Conscience) |
Theophanies
or Christophanies (e.g., Gen. 18-19)
Scripture: Old and New Testament (2 Tim 3:16)
Audible Speech (e.g., Gen. 2:16; 1 Sam. 3:4)
Prophecy: (e.g., Isa. Jer. 26:1-6; 30-31)
Miracles or Miraculous Events:
For Example, Abram (Gen. 12);
The Birth of Isaac (Gen. 21);
The Passover (Exod. 12);
The Red Sea (Exod. 14)
Dreams (e.g., Gen. 28:12-16)
Visions (e.g., Dan. 7:13; 8:1)
Actions (e.g., Gen 18) |
| General
Revelation is a revelation of Law. It is God's revelation or
manifestation of Himself as God and as the creator and the righteous
judge, and of man as sinner and standing under God's divine
judgment. The problem is that fallen man even perverts the clear
message of general revelation and what is derived from it--natural
theology (e.g., Rom. 1 and 2).
It is given to all people at all times and at all places. The
three primary categories of general revelation are through nature,
human history, and human nature--internally--for example, via
conscience.
Special Revelation is God's manifestation or revelation of
Himself via three major categories (see below). Its content is
salvific or redemptive. It includes the Gospel and the promises of
God. It is communicated in both words (e.g., Scripture) and acts or
actions. It must be revealed/initiated by GOD alone.1
Christ and the Scriptures respectively are the supreme examples of
special revelation.
Three major categories of special revelation include: miraculous
events, divine speech, and visible manifestations.2
Special revelation is redemptive or salvific in nature.
|
| General
Versus Special Revelation |
General
Revelation
Law |
Special
Revelation
Gospel |
| 1. |
Makes
Known GOD's Power and Divinity |
Makes
Known GOD's Saving Grace |
| 2. |
Known
through Nature |
Known
Via Supernatural Revelation
Culminates in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ |
| 3. |
Continuous |
In
Redemptive History |
| 4. |
Addressed
to ...
All Men: Humanity as Humans
Man Qua Man as Sinner |
Addressed
to ...
a Special Class of Sinners |
| 5. |
Supplies
Man's Natural Needs |
Supplies
Redemptive Knowledge, Salvific For Example, Acts 10:1-48; 11:13-18s |
| 6. |
Mundane,
Ordinary, "Natural" |
Supernatural
Revelation Direct Intervention by GOD GOD must intervene; only GOD
can. |
| 7. |
Universal
To All People in All Places
at All Times |
Progressive
and Particular
To Particular People at Particular Times |
| 8. |
Humanity
is without Excuse |
Directs
the Sinner to Salvation |
General
revelation is not salvific.
General revelation is a necessary pre-condition or building block
for special revelation.
General revelation provides the context for special revelation, but
not the content. Thus, general revelation is necessary but not
sufficient for salvation.
Internal Conscience: Romans 2:14-16
External Nature: Psalms 19; Romans 1
Cosmological Argument; Moral Argument;
Ontological Argument; Teleological Argument |
Special
revelation provides the content or information necessary for
salvation. |
| Natural
theology is derived from nature--general or natural revelation (the
three major categories mentioned above). Natural theology includes
all that we can know about theology (e.g., God and human nature),
derived from the previous three, without special revelation. |
| Endnotes |
- Class notes from Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, Systematic
Theology (Anaheim, CA: Simon Greenleaf School of Law, Spring
1987).
- H. Wayne House, Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992).
- This chart is developed from class notes from Kim
Riddlebarger's Biblical Criticism and Authenticity
(Anaheim: Simon Greenleaf School of Law), Fall 1987; Kim
Riddlebarger, Biblical Criticism and Apologetics: Course
Syllabus 4th ed. (Anaheim: Simon Greenleaf University,
1994), 16-17.
|
|
Revision Date: 12/1/99
Copyright ©1999 Craig S.
Hawkins. All Rights Reserved. |
