"Something hidden has been made known;" literally "an uncovering or an unveiling; an antithesis of discovery; a disclosure of knowledge otherwise unknown." Revelation is a means of acquiring knowledge completely opposite from the usual human methods of observation, speculation, research, and reason.

First, let's take a look at some of the ways the human race has sought knowledge and truth?

Philosophy, which says – Pondering, thinking, and reasoning are The Way to discover truth and knowledge. The questions about truth and knowledge and reality never change, only the philosophical answers change. What is good and bad? Where do we come from? Who is God? But, the philosophical answers to the TRUTH questions arise out of two fallacies which reveal the inadequacies of Philosophy:

A. Our reason was unaffected by the fall. Jeremiah 10:14; Romans 1:21-24; The greatest reality of this is that the more we speculate and philosophize about God and creation the farther from the truth we get. This fallacy fails to take into consideration the fact that the fall seriously affected our reason – it has become darkened and perverted and is quite unreliable.

B. We can know ultimate truth apart from divine revelation. 1 Corinthians 1:19-20; Ecclesiastes 8:17; Philosophy cannot supply ultimate answers to any question since all truth must ultimately be grounded in an authentic, divine revelation which the philosopher bypasses in his quest for truth. This fallacy fails to take into consideration that sinful reason and human speculation are both inadequate to provide us with trustworthy answers to the vital questions of life.

Science, which says – Scientific discovery and not revelation is the only valid means of knowing reality and final truth. Science has become the god of this age and is being worshipped as the savior and great benefactor of our world. The scientists’ respect for truth is commendable, and where the scientist can demonstrate his conclusions factually I have no objection; but science doesn’t always limit itself to demonstrable and proven facts, for terms like theory, hypothesis, supposition, observation, problem, experimentation, and speculation are all frequently used words in the field of science. Job’s friend, Zophar, said, "Can you, by searching, find God?" (Job 11:7). Scientific discovery must be criticized for its erroneous presupposition that all truth is mechanically measurable and perceptible by the physical senses.

Religion, which says – By religion, I mean, "the discover of metaphysical truth which relates human beings to divine reality by our own efforts and through our own terms." Without exception all the religions of the world are based on discovery, a quest for ultimate reality, a journey by which we find something. The religions of man are presumptuous attempts on the part of fallen creatures to devise and contrive means by which they might uncover God’s hiddenness and relate themselves to Him for their own ends and purposes. See MT 11:27 & LK 19:10. * Look at all the great religions of the world. What do they all have in common? What do they all lack?

Through philosophy, science, and religion, apart from Divine Revelation, we can only assume two things about ultimate knowledge and truth: 1. A Supreme Being exists and 2. It has a creative nature and a supernatural essence. Only through the testimony of Biblical Revelation can the general truths of philosophy, science, and religion be fully understood in proper context. We cannot, through human means, find God or discover all there is to know about Him; but the Bible does teach that these natural means of discovery do render us without excuse when it comes to belief in God. See PS 97:6-7.

The Hebrew word for revelation is /galah/ and the Greek word is /apokalupsis/. Both of these words deal with an uncovering of something or a disclosure of something or someone previously unknown. Thus, revelation is God’s self-disclosure.

There are two types of revelation:

1. Biblical Revelation is special and personal; special or personal revelation is seen in DT 4:7, 7:6, PS 147:19-20, EX 3, MT 11:27,& ROM 3:1-2. Secondly, it is redemptive as seen in JN 1:1-18 & ROM 3:21ff. Also, it is supernatural as seen in IS 48:6-7. Finally, it is historical as seen in IS 46:9-10. An example is found in 2 Kings 19:35-36 where Sennacherib’s army is destroyed. In any history book it might be described as a catastrophe of fate, but in the Bible credit is given where credit is due – to the angel of the LORD. See IS 10:12-19.

2. General Revelation is God revealing Himself by means of creation and our conscience. General revelation or natural revelation refers to that knowledge of God, which comes to us outside the Scriptures. Generally speaking, God has revealed Himself to us objectively and subjectively. Objectively through creation – PS 19 & ROM 1:18-23. Subjectively through our conscience -- ROM 2:15. What is the divine purpose of general or natural revelation? Prepatory! See Acts 17:22ff. And also for bringing God glory! See PS 8:1-4.

God has revealed Himself particularly in His Word, as well as through His mighty acts in creation and in our conscience. This unveiling of Himself is called revelation – God’s self-disclosure. The written record of this revelation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is called the Scriptures or the Holy Bible, which is the result of the inspiration of God. The writer and the reader then need illumination in order to understand the inspired revelation in the Scripture. Revelation involves God’s disclosure of truth to human beings; inspiration concerns our accurate reception and recording of this truth; illumination refers to the recipient's understanding of the revelation. Revelation is God unveiling of Truth; inspiration is God assuring the accurate reception, interpretation, recording, and reading of the Truth; illumination is the God-given enlightenment brought to us direct from the Holy Spirit of God to help us understand the Truth.

WHAT DOES INSPIRATION MEAN?

Let’s look a little closer at the term "INSPIRATION." The word "inspiration" and "inspire" do not appear in the original languages of the Bible, Hebrew or Greek; but the basic translations we use today employ the terms in two different passages: JOB 32:8 and 2 TIMOTHY 3:16. In Hebrew and in Greek these two words, translated as "inspiration" in our Bibles, literally mean "breath" so the phrase "inspiration of God" might be translated as "the breath of God" or "God-breathed."

A good question to ask then is "what does 'God-breathed' mean?". Well, for one, it means that the inspired Word of God has come directly out of His mouth. Jesus said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." We need the God-breathed Scriptures to live. They sustain us and inspire us to live life to the fullest. Without the Word of God, there is no life in me nor in you.

God-breathed also means that our Holy Scriptures have come from God's innermost parts, His heart or His gut. They have come from inside Him. Usually, this sort of image adds meaning to our words. When we say that something was written "from the heart," we mean that it was personal and meaningful. The Bible is a personal book written to give meaning to our lives. God inspired it for the purpose of sharing His innermost thoughts, His gut-instincts, and His heart with His children.

Finally, God-breathed means that the Bible is precious. Every breath we breathe is precious and valuable. If you do not think it is, then stick your head in the tub full of water and stay there a while. You will soon come up for a precious breath of fresh air. The Word of God is like that breath of fresh air, and we must desire it, treasure it, and seek it in order to live.

Thus, inspiration is that divine influence of the Holy Spirit upon the writers of Scripture whereby their writings were made verbally infallible because they were recording the very words of God. In other words, God used the personalities of the writers as well as their skills to help Him record His Word. This is why their individualism is seen clearly in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit moved upon the hearts of the writers in a dynamic way, which was in harmony with their own personalities. He allowed for their peculiar temperament, style, education, and culture to shine through in the Bible.

WHAT DOES ILLUMINATION MEAN?

Now, let's take a closer look at the term "ILLUMINATION." Jesus, himself, taught us that the Holy Spirit reveals all truth to us. He said that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things. The Scriptures, being a revelation from God and an inspiration of Him, too, must be interpreted properly and respectfully. The only real way to do this is through the illumination brought to us directly from God, Himself, through the third member of the trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God illumines our understanding such that we can interpret and apply the inspired revelation found in the Word of God, which is the Bible.

1. The word Bible comes from the Greek word for "papyrus plant" (biblos), since the leaves of that plant were used for paper.

2. Ancient Bibles were sometimes printed on vellum -- parchment made from sheep or goat skins. It required an entire flock of sheep to provide the skins for one 4th century New Testament. But, with water and a scrub-brush, the words could be cleaned off the pages, and the vellum could be reused.

3. Before the invention of mass-production printing (1455), the Bible's transmission depended on many anonymous scribes and monks who patiently copied biblical manuscripts by hand. It would have taken weeks or even months to copy a book like Isaiah. Today we know of about 2,300 Bible manuscripts copied between A.D. 300 and 1500.

4. The Roman Catholic Bible is larger than the Protestant Bible, and the Roman Catholic Old Testament is larger than the Hebrew Bible (which includes only Old Testament books). The Roman Catholic Bible is larger because it contains the Old Testament Apocrypha, Jubilees, 1 Enoch, Joseph Ben Gurion's medieval history of the Jews, Ethiopic Clement, and the Ethiopic Book of the Covenant.

5. The cost of the Bible in the 1300s might easily amount to a year's wages.

6. A lecturer at the University of Paris created the Bible's chapter divisions in the early 1200s. The divisions were not fully developed until 1551.

7. William Tyndale's first English New Testament, finished in 1525, had to be printed outside of England and smuggled back inside.

8. The medieval church did not object to Bible translations per se; there were Bibles in most European languages by the early 1500s. But, the church opposed the works of Tyndale and John Wycliffe because they held such "radical" views.

9. Tyndale's translation introduced many new words into the English language, such as, longsuffering, peacemaker, scapegoat, and even the word beautiful.

10. When the King James Version was published in 1611, the Geneva Bible was by far the most popular English Bible. It was the Geneva translation, not the KJV, which was used by William Shakespeare and the early American Puritans.

DIVISIONS OF BIBLIOLOGY  

The Authority of Scripture Martyn Lloyd-Jones (courtesy of Glenwood Hills Bible Church website)

FREEDOM AND AUTHORITY, by J.I. Packer (courtesy of The Highway Ministry, www.the-highway.com)

The Authority of Scripture, by William Webster (courtesy of The Highway Ministry, www.the-highway.com)

Origin and Authority of the Bible, by J. L. DAGG, D. D.
 

Sola Scriptura and the Early Church, by William Webster (courtesy of www.christiantruth.com)

What Do We Mean by Sola Scriptura? by Dr. W. Robert Godfrey (courtesy of The Highway Ministry, www.the-highway.com)

SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE, by J. L. DAGG, D. D.

The Scripture Sufficient Without Unwritten Traditions, by Thomas Manton (courtesy of Sola Scriptura Ministry at www.mbrem.com)

Traditionalism and Sola Scriptura Part I; by John M. Frame (courtesy of IIIM Magazine Online, Volume 1, Number 13, May 24 to May 30, 1999)

Surprised by What? A Defense of Sola Scriptura, by Jake Magee
This article is an examination of various Roman Catholic apologist's arguments against the doctrine of Sola Scriptura as found in the original "Surprised by Truth" book.

General Revelation, by Dr. King Counts from Systematic Theology Study Notes.

Special Revelation, by Dr. King Counts from Systematic Theology Study Notes.

THE CHICAGO STATEMENT ON BIBLICAL INERRANCY

The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture, by Herman Ridderbos (courtesy of The Highway Ministry, www.the-highway.com)

The Inspiration of the Bible, by A.A. Hodge (This article was made available on the internet via REFORMATION INK (www.markers.com/ink)

The Inspiration and Authority of the Scriptures, by B. B. Warfield

The Meaning of "Theopneustos", by B.B. Warfield
 

HOW DID WE GET OUR BIBLE?, courtesy of www.christchurchabq.org

The Formation of the New Testament Canon, by B.B. Warfield (courtesy of CART at www.crta.org)

The Concept and Importance of Canonicity, by Greg Bahnsen (courtesy of CART at www.crta.org)

THE HEBREW CALENDAR, courtesy of www.christchurchabq.org

The Doctrine of the Written Word

The Doctrine of the Word By Samuel Waldron (comprehensive)

              PART 1: REVELATION IN GENERAL

              PART 2: REDEMPTIVE REVELATION

              SECTION 3: ITS IMPARTATION - THE VARIOUS MODES OF REDEMPTIVE REVELATION

               PART 3: INSCRIPTURATED REDEMPTIVE REVELATION

               SECTION TWO: THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE

               II. The Debate over the Canon

               III. The Attestation of the Canon

               IV. The Form of the Canon

                V. The Acceptance of the Canon

                2. The Early Heresies