What is the relationship between truth and revelation?
When first deciding to write on this topic I was not sure what direction to take. Defining the relationship between truth and revelation can become quite difficult. There may be many different approaches that can be taken in answering this question; however, in attempting to answer the question “What is the relationship between truth and revelation?” I have realized that first I need to come to a clear definition of truth and also a clear definition of revelation. Once I have defined each of these, I can then move on and begin discussing their relationship in correspondence with each other.
Truth is defined as “Sincerity; genuineness; honesty, the quality of being in accordance with experience, facts, or reality; conformity with fact…actual existence”. Although this is the technical definition of truth, we must also keep in mind that truth has many different aspects that need to be considered. I am not going to go into great detail here about truth and the value of truth because we have been covering it in great detail in class, however, I do want to point out a few important aspects of truth. We know that there are varying degrees of truth. Some of these include: absolute certainty, which is infallible and no doubt can exist; moral certainty, in which the conviction is reached after thoughtful study; and opinion, which is based on judgment about a person, place, or thing. This is certainly not a complete list of the degrees of truth, but this gives us an idea as far as how complicated truth becomes. We also know that there are differing theories pertaining to the situations in which truth or a certain truth is applicable. For example, some things are absolutely true which means that the truth presented exists no matter the circumstances surrounding the truth. Some may say that God exists is an absolute. Some would say that murdering is wrong is universal because that truth applies to all situations and all people. Some may say that some truths are objective and are dependant on reality and that which is outside of the human. As we can see from looking at the surface of a few of the theories surrounding truth, there are many aspects to truth. Knowing what is true can become a tedious process and will require critical thinking to begin to understand the concept of truth better.
Now that I had discussed truth somewhat I will now move into defining revelation. Revelation is defined as a disclosure of something that is not known, but is made known to human beings by a divine or supernatural power; God. Just like there are different kinds of truths, there are different kinds of revelation as well. The two types of revelation are general and special. General revelation is that which is revealed about God through what we can see in nature; God’s creation. We see this kind of revelation discussed in Romans 1:20; “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Holy Bible). By studying and surrounding ourselves with nature we may learn that God exists, God is in control and brings order to this world in the midst of chaos, and God is concerned for his creation and cares about our wellbeing. This concept of general revelation is stated well by Coleson when he says “The beauty of the world communicates God’s love for us”, however, through general revelation we are not able to discover the plan of salvation (Coleson, 267). We are not able to come to an understanding of the gospel and plan of salvation through logical reasoning. Although as Christians we believe our hope in Christ and his plan of salvation to be true, we come to this conclusion by revelation as we are told in Galatians 1:11-12 “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Holy Bible).
As we know by know there are many different aspects to teach truth and revelation that make this topic a bit difficult to address. It may seem hard to compare the two; truth and revelation, however, when we look closely we can see that there is a distinct relationship between the two and they do relate to one another on more than just a surface approach.
As we can conclude from the definition of truth we know that truth is that which conforms to facts. Truth corresponds to reality, whereas revelation does not necessarily correspond with what that which is actually existent. As I have discussed earlier there are two different kinds of revelation; general and special. General revelation, being that which is revealed by God through nature, does indeed correspond with that which actually exists: nature, however, special revelation cannot be compared in the same way. Special revelation might be revealed in a dream or a vision, which does not correspond to that which actually exists. The dream or vision has actually occurred, however, the actual events of the dream or vision may not have been experienced by the individual. Is this to say that special revelation is not truth? I do not believe so. Special revelation is given by God and therefore must be truth.
The Bible is full of revelation, in fact, an entire book in the New Testament is devoted to revelation and is appropriately titled Revelation. Although many of the events and details given in the book of Revelation have not come to be as of yet, that does not take away from their credibility. This idea of these revelations not being fulfilled as of yet, but still maintaining their truth, corresponds to the theories of truth mentioned previously. The events mentioned in the book of Revelation are indeed true, but some have not happened yet. One can argue that this would be an example of the events in Revelation being true today if this statement comes true in the future, and false today if this statement never becomes true and the events never happening. I believe however that if God has said it will happen, then it will happen, even if we do not live to see it happen. We may not ever experience the results of that which is revealed to us by God, however, this does not take away from the credibility that God’s word is true.
As we study the basis of revelation we are told that God uses revelation to reveal himself and truth to his children. We have been learning in class that we can arrive at truth and know truth in a variety of different ways. Revelation therefore, may just be one more way in which we discover truth and truth is revealed to us.
As we look more in depth into the relationship between truth and revelation we can conclude that it is no easy task to discuss the two multi-faceted topics by themselves, let alone discuss how they relate to one another. I may never fully understand the concept of truth or the concept of revelation, or how they relate to each other. I think the biggest thing as far as understanding is to continue seeking to answer the tough questions we are presented with. If we are to uncover any of the tough questions that life throws our way, we must be willing to seek out the answers and be willing to study the things that we do not understand in order to gain a better insight.
Colson, Charles: The Good Life: Tyndale House Publishers Inc. 2005.
NIV Study Bible. Dan. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985.
When first deciding to write on this topic I was not sure what direction to take. Defining the relationship between truth and revelation can become quite difficult. There may be many different approaches that can be taken in answering this question; however, in attempting to answer the question “What is the relationship between truth and revelation?” I have realized that first I need to come to a clear definition of truth and also a clear definition of revelation. Once I have defined each of these, I can then move on and begin discussing their relationship in correspondence with each other.
Truth is defined as “Sincerity; genuineness; honesty, the quality of being in accordance with experience, facts, or reality; conformity with fact…actual existence”. Although this is the technical definition of truth, we must also keep in mind that truth has many different aspects that need to be considered. I am not going to go into great detail here about truth and the value of truth because we have been covering it in great detail in class, however, I do want to point out a few important aspects of truth. We know that there are varying degrees of truth. Some of these include: absolute certainty, which is infallible and no doubt can exist; moral certainty, in which the conviction is reached after thoughtful study; and opinion, which is based on judgment about a person, place, or thing. This is certainly not a complete list of the degrees of truth, but this gives us an idea as far as how complicated truth becomes. We also know that there are differing theories pertaining to the situations in which truth or a certain truth is applicable. For example, some things are absolutely true which means that the truth presented exists no matter the circumstances surrounding the truth. Some may say that God exists is an absolute. Some would say that murdering is wrong is universal because that truth applies to all situations and all people. Some may say that some truths are objective and are dependant on reality and that which is outside of the human. As we can see from looking at the surface of a few of the theories surrounding truth, there are many aspects to truth. Knowing what is true can become a tedious process and will require critical thinking to begin to understand the concept of truth better.
Now that I had discussed truth somewhat I will now move into defining revelation. Revelation is defined as a disclosure of something that is not known, but is made known to human beings by a divine or supernatural power; God. Just like there are different kinds of truths, there are different kinds of revelation as well. The two types of revelation are general and special. General revelation is that which is revealed about God through what we can see in nature; God’s creation. We see this kind of revelation discussed in Romans 1:20; “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Holy Bible). By studying and surrounding ourselves with nature we may learn that God exists, God is in control and brings order to this world in the midst of chaos, and God is concerned for his creation and cares about our wellbeing. This concept of general revelation is stated well by Coleson when he says “The beauty of the world communicates God’s love for us”, however, through general revelation we are not able to discover the plan of salvation (Coleson, 267). We are not able to come to an understanding of the gospel and plan of salvation through logical reasoning. Although as Christians we believe our hope in Christ and his plan of salvation to be true, we come to this conclusion by revelation as we are told in Galatians 1:11-12 “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Holy Bible).
As we know by know there are many different aspects to teach truth and revelation that make this topic a bit difficult to address. It may seem hard to compare the two; truth and revelation, however, when we look closely we can see that there is a distinct relationship between the two and they do relate to one another on more than just a surface approach.
As we can conclude from the definition of truth we know that truth is that which conforms to facts. Truth corresponds to reality, whereas revelation does not necessarily correspond with what that which is actually existent. As I have discussed earlier there are two different kinds of revelation; general and special. General revelation, being that which is revealed by God through nature, does indeed correspond with that which actually exists: nature, however, special revelation cannot be compared in the same way. Special revelation might be revealed in a dream or a vision, which does not correspond to that which actually exists. The dream or vision has actually occurred, however, the actual events of the dream or vision may not have been experienced by the individual. Is this to say that special revelation is not truth? I do not believe so. Special revelation is given by God and therefore must be truth.
The Bible is full of revelation, in fact, an entire book in the New Testament is devoted to revelation and is appropriately titled Revelation. Although many of the events and details given in the book of Revelation have not come to be as of yet, that does not take away from their credibility. This idea of these revelations not being fulfilled as of yet, but still maintaining their truth, corresponds to the theories of truth mentioned previously. The events mentioned in the book of Revelation are indeed true, but some have not happened yet. One can argue that this would be an example of the events in Revelation being true today if this statement comes true in the future, and false today if this statement never becomes true and the events never happening. I believe however that if God has said it will happen, then it will happen, even if we do not live to see it happen. We may not ever experience the results of that which is revealed to us by God, however, this does not take away from the credibility that God’s word is true.
As we study the basis of revelation we are told that God uses revelation to reveal himself and truth to his children. We have been learning in class that we can arrive at truth and know truth in a variety of different ways. Revelation therefore, may just be one more way in which we discover truth and truth is revealed to us.
As we look more in depth into the relationship between truth and revelation we can conclude that it is no easy task to discuss the two multi-faceted topics by themselves, let alone discuss how they relate to one another. I may never fully understand the concept of truth or the concept of revelation, or how they relate to each other. I think the biggest thing as far as understanding is to continue seeking to answer the tough questions we are presented with. If we are to uncover any of the tough questions that life throws our way, we must be willing to seek out the answers and be willing to study the things that we do not understand in order to gain a better insight.
Colson, Charles: The Good Life: Tyndale House Publishers Inc. 2005.
NIV Study Bible. Dan. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985.
posted by Meg at 8:53 AM
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
Megan,
You have done a very good job at organizing your thoughts in a clear and structured way. I found it very easy to follow your thoughts; for which I am truly grateful. :)
There were several things that I agreed with you whole-heartedly on. The first of which being the definitions you gave for truth and revelation. I, too, believe that we, as you phrased it, "must also keep in mind that truth has many different aspects that need to be considered." It can be dangerous to speak of truth by the dictionary definition in regard to the question "What is the relationship between truth and revelation?" Indeed, we must gain as clear and as solid a basis of understanding to what truth and revelation are as we possibly can. Additionally, what was remarkable was the explanation you gave for what revelation is. This helped me clear my own thoughts on the matter and how I would express them!
I would like to give an example of something that I disagree on but as I look over your thoughts one more time, I find nothing. This makes it hard to adhere to the requirements in our blog responses, but I cannot bring myself to disagree on anything for I do agree. Instead, however, I will note something that I found lacking. In your paragraph defining truth, I found that you failed to speak of one vitally important core of truth. We must remember to take note of the following: God IS truth and His word IS truth. I do see, though, that you noted this later in your paragraph about revelation. It just would have been more effective to also mention this within the paragraph on truth.
On a side note, what is sad to me is how so many of us couldn't care less what truth is or what sort of importance it is not only to ourselves and this world but to knowing Christ. Truth is so vital and this is exemplified in Jeremiah 5:1 when the Lord says, "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city." For one seeker of truth, the Lord was willing to forgive an entire city. Truly, the Lord has expressed how important truth is to us, so we must be the seeker of truth that He has called us to be.
This is an extremely well-organized blog! I especially liked how you first clearly defined the words before voicing your specific opinions about the issues. The only questions I would have for you is regarding how special and general revelation differ. When you talk about the role that God’s creation plays in general revelation you use Romans 1:20 as an example: “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse,”. You later quote Colson’s idea that beauty can reveal God’s love, but cannot show us the path to salvation. However, if I am reading Romans 1:20 correctly, men are without excuse for not understanding God’s love through nature. The question of whether or not general revelation is sufficient for salvation is one that has confused me for quite some time. During high school I used a Christian curriculum that first claimed that general revelation was sufficient for salvation, and in another place blatantly refuted their own claim. The reason I would be inclined to agree with your stand is Romans 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The only difficulty I still have is that one verse of the Bible is not meant to annul another. My guess is that most of the general Christian population believes that general revelation is not sufficient for salvation. Logically speaking, this is also my opinion. However, somehow seeing creation leaves people without excuse.
Although this question was not addressed, I still enjoyed reading your blog, and I also agree with you when you say that anything true in the future is also true today. Therefore predictions in the book of Revelation are true today even if we do not live to see them fulfilled.
What a great question to end the semester with Megan, what is the relationship between truth and revelation? I always wanted someone else’s thoughts and ideas about this topic what is the relationship between truth and revelation? I don’t know much about truth other than what I have learned in class, and I really don’t know anything about revelation. I think that the class discussions have helped me and you to understand what truth are and that truth has many different degrees to defining it. You did a great job discussing and defining the two terms truth and revelation. I now understand what revelation is a lot better after reading your blog. I do agree with you that truth does have many aspects, and that we learned most of them in class. I didn’t know that revelation had two different types general and special. The general revelation is that, “which is revealed about God through what we can see in nature; God’s creation.” It is true that God uses revelation to reveal himself and truth to us. I agree with you that revelation can be another way that we can use to discover truth, and to make truth more revealing to us. Revelation is a big part in the Bible since it has it’s own section in it. Yes, some of the ideas in the revelation part of the Bible are true, and that some haven’t happened yet. Overall, I think you did a great job researching and answer your question what is the relationship between truth and revelation? I like how you used definition because it helps us the reader understand the main points of your blog. I now understand and know a lot more about revelation after reading your blog.
Post a Comment
<< Home