Wednesday, October 31, 2012

How Has God Revealed Himself? (Part 3)

In Part 2 we looked at the Westminster Standards' teaching on the natural revelation of God, which is primarily given in WCF 1.1a and LC 2a. God gives natural revelation in two distinct but unified ways: (1) within humanity and (2) without humanity. That which resides within humanity is called the "light of nature." That which resides without is called "the works of God," which are further defined as "the works of creation and providence." This natural revelation sufficiently and efficiently reveals the one true and living God, but it is "not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation." Instead, it is only sufficient "to leave men unexcusable." But natural revelation not only condemns humanity, it also temporarily preserves it through the restraint of civil evil (WCF 19.6).

The Westminster Standards also teach about another kind of revelation, supernatural (or special) revelation. We see this in WCF 1.1b-1.10, LC 2b-5, and SC 2-3. Let's begin with WCF 1.1b and LC 2b.

WCF 1.1b reads:
Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.
LC 2b reads:
Q. 2b. How doth it appear that there is a God? A. ...but his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation.
Here we encounter the doctrine of supernatural revelation broadly considered and then more narrowly considered in the doctrine of Holy Scripture.

Supernatural Revelation Broadly Considered

First notice the "therefore." The divines predicate supernatural revelation (insofar as they address it here) on salvation. Natural revelation is insufficient to save, therefore it pleased the Lord to reveal himself supernaturally.

Unlike natural revelation, supernatural revelation is not a universal constant. Instead, it has been given at "sundry times and in divers manners." While the Confession doesn't specify, these divers manners include theophanies, audible voices, angels, visions, Holy Scripture, and the incarnation.

The Confession teaches the Lord was pleased "to reveal himself" (i.e. who he is) "and to declare his will" (i.e. what he purposes for us). As we saw last time, natural revelation includes these same two subjects. It reveals the one, true, and living God (who he is) and that he should be worshiped and obeyed (what he purposes for us). Supernatural revelation goes further than this, teaching us about the mercy of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (who he is) and the covenant of grace whereby we might be saved (what he purposes for us). So LC 2b says, "his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation."

This supernatural revelation is given by God "unto his church" as its special possession. This is why the Apostle calls the church, "the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15b). God gathers and perfects his chosen people through this supernatural revelation. It is given to, through, and for them.

Supernatural Revelation Narrowly Considered in the Doctrine of Holy Scripture      

After thousands of years of giving supernatural revelation "at sundry times, and in divers manners," the Confession says it pleased the Lord "to commit the same wholly unto writing." Notice what has been committed wholly unto writing is "the same" as the other. In other words, Scripture is the same kind of revelation as the theophanies, the audible voices, the messages delivered by angels, the visions, and even the incarnation. There is no essential difference between those ways of revelation and Holy Scripture. When we read our Bibles we encounter essentially the same kind of revelation that Moses encountered in the burning bush. When we hear the Bible preached we encounter the same kind of revelation that the disciples encountered in beholding the person and work of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful truth!

That the Lord has committed supernatural revelation "wholly unto writing," implies two things. First, it implies that all other ways of supernatural revelation have ceased. Second, it implies that the Lord has now (since the cessation of the other ways) given all the supernatural revelation he is going to give until the Second Coming. With regard to the cessation of the earlier ways the framers teach explicitly, "those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased." And since the only supernatural revelation available today is Holy Scripture they say it is "most necessary."

The framers give four reasons for the Lord's committing supernatural revelation wholly unto writing. The first two have to do with the revelation itself. They write, "for the better preserving and propagating of the truth." The truth of supernatural revelation is less likely to be corrupted, and if it is corrupted, it is more likely to be discovered and corrected. Further, to be able to hand a person the completed canon of Holy Scripture all at once expedites its propagation. The other two have to do with the effect of the revelation. They write, "for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world." The Lord has committed supernatural revelation wholly unto writing for the good of his church. That it might be better established and comforted in the face of its threefold opposition: the world, the flesh, and the Devil. What a gift of grace the Holy Scripture is to us!

In Part 4 we will look at the doctrine of the canon in WCF 1.2-3, LC 3, and SC 2.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

How Has God Revealed Himself? (Part 2)

In Part 1 we introduced our topic and gave a brief historical account of the Westminster Standards. In Part 2 we will begin to explore how the Westminster Standards answer the question "How has God revealed himself?"

Westminster Confession of Faith 1.1a reads:
Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation.
Larger Catechism 2a reads:
Q. 2a. How doth it appear that there is a God? A. The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God.
Here we have the totality of the Westminster Standards' teaching on the doctrine of natural (or general) revelation. Natural revelation is defined positively (i.e. what it is and does) and negatively (i.e. what it isn't and doesn't do).

What Natural Revelation Is and Does

The Westminster Standards teach that there are two distinct but unified ways of natural revelation: (1) "The light of nature," which the LC further describes with the prepositional phrase "in man" and (2) "the works of God," which the WCF further describes as "the works of creation and providence" (cf. WCF 3-5; LC 14; SC 8).

This raises an important question. Isn't the light of nature itself a work of creation? And if so, why do the Standards distinguish between them? It appears that the Westminster divines are distinguishing these ways with respect to their relationship to man. The light of nature is that aspect of natural revelation which resides  within man as God's special image bearer. 

Natural Revelation Within Man 

The locus classicus for this doctrine is Romans 2:14-15. The text reads, "For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them." Here the Apostle teaches that the Gentiles who do not have the law (i.e. the special revelation of God) nonetheless do what the law requires "by nature." He calls this aspect of human nature "conscience" (con "with," science "knowledge"). It is located within man (i.e. the immaterial part). It is "on their hearts" and in their "thoughts."

The "light of nature in man" is that aspect of human nature that is commonly called conscience. To be human is to have knowledge of God by nature. This knowledge is one sphere of natural revelation.

Natural Revelation Without Man

"The works of God," which are his "works of creation and providence," are natural revelation that resides without man. Both works are the execution of God's eternal decree (cf. SC 8).

Ps. 19:1-4a teaches, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." Further, Rom. 1:19-20 teaches, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

In these two passages we see that the creation reveals the God who made it. The psalmist says, "the heavens declare," and "the sky above proclaims." Moreover, the Apostle teaches that God's invisible attributes are revealed "in the things that have been made."

We also see that God reveals himself in the work of providence (i.e. his upholding, directing, disposing, and governing his creation). So the psalmist says, "Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge."

This natural revelation of God, both within man and without man, declares "plainly that there is a God" (LC 2). But lest we think that it only declares some generic concept called God, WCF 1.1 teaches that it manifests specific attributes of the one true and living God, namely "the goodness, wisdom, and power of God." 

What Natural Revelation Isn't and Doesn't Do

Natural revelation has its limits. It teaches all humanity that the one true and living God exists and should be obeyed and worshiped. Moreover, since we don't do this, it teaches us that we are sinners who justly deserve his wrath (cf. Rom. 1:18ff.). But it doesn't teach us what God has done to save sinners (cf. Rom. 3:21ff.). To put it another way, natural revelation teaches us about the law but not the gospel. It teaches us about God's justice but not his mercy. It teaches us about the covenant of works but not the covenant of grace (cf. WCF 7; LC 20, 22, 30-36; SC 12, 16, 20). Only supernatural (or special) revelation teaches us about the covenant of grace. Therefore, WCF 1.1 teaches that natural revelation is sufficient "to leave men unexcusable" for their sin, but it is "not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation."

But natural revelation doesn't just condemn. It is also temporarily preserves humanity through the restraint of civil evil. WCF 19.6a reads: "Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly."

In Part 3 we will begin to look at what the Westminster Standards teach about the supernatural revelation of God.