Special Revelation Is The Basis For Preaching On Doctrine

Special Revelation Is The Basis For Preaching On Doctrine

We are in a series of posts about preaching on doctrine.  In the last post we saw that preaching on doctrine begins with God revealing himself, and we explored preaching on General Revelation.  In this post we are going to see that special revelation is the basis for preaching on doctrine in your church.

What Is Special Revelation?

Special revelation refers to the fact that God has revealed himself most fully in the Scriptures.   Here is how a man named Don Stewart puts it:

Definition of Special Revelation

Special revelation can be defined as a supernatural communication from God that has been given to humanity. This communication can come in either oral or in written form. The truths revealed by special revelation could not be known through looking at unwritten tradition, nature, providence, history, our conscience, or any by reasoning process. God must reveal directly them to us.

In the past, special revelation came to specific people at specific times and in specific places. These acts of special revelation can now be found in only one place – the Bible.

There Are Three Parts To Special Revelation God revealed Himself at different times, in different ways, and to different people. The writer to the Hebrews says.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by the Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2).

The Word Is What We Celebrate

If you only had general revelation you would have some limitations on getting to know what God is like.  If you were one of those people mentioned in the last post who had never heard about God, Jesus or Scripture, you would, most likely, believe in a creator God.  But that God would be more feared than loved.  Storms that threaten, diseases with no treatment, and the wars between clans would make you doubt what that God was up to.

So we need special revelation.  Special revelation is the basis for preaching on doctrine because God fully reveals himself in the Bible.   Here are the primary Scriptures that tell us about the Inspiration of the Scriptures.

• 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”.

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• 2 Peter 1:21: “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”.

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• Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword”.

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• Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”.

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• Matthew 4:4: “But he answered, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God'”

 

God somehow spoke to people and caused them to write down what they “heard” from him.

The Mystery of Special Revelation

So Special Revelation is the basis for preaching doctrine because that is where God has more fully revealed himself than in general revelation.  But there is mystery here as well.   How did it happen?  How did the prophets receive God’s message for his people?  There are stories, traditions of how this happened.  For the book of Revelation, for instance, John was supposedly in a cave that you can still visit.  There the images of the book appeared to him.

But how did God speak to the writer of Joshua, or to the writers of the New Testament?  That is not totally clear, but because God wanted to reveal himself, the message was made clear.

Preaching About Special Revelation

When you preach about special revelation, make sure your people know that God wanted them to know him well.  That’s why he revealed himself.  And also let them know that the best way to get to know God is to study the Scriptures that reveal him.

For further reflection, here is another sermon on God’s revelation by Jeff Strite.