Theology B. The Bible Flashcards
Define and distinguish <b>“general revelation” </b>and “special revelation.”
General revelation is truth about God available to everyone through nature, history and God’s image in
mankind.
“Although the light of nature, and the work of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and
power of God; as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are nor sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his
will, which is necessary unto salvation. “-WCF 1.1
Define and distinguish “general revelation” and <b>“special revelation.” </b>
Special revelation is what God has revealed about Himself to His people, through special messengers
(angels or prophets), Jesus Christ, or the Scripture. Certain theological knowledge, i.e., the way of
salvation, can come only through this method.
“Therefore it pleased The Lord, at sundry times, and in diverse manners, to reveal himself, and to declare 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 makes The Holy Scriptures to be most necessary; those
former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased “-WCF 1.1
Define and defend (including Scripture proofs) the “inspiration” of Scripture.
To say that the Scripture is inspired is to say that it is God’s special revelation-a product of God’ s direct
intellectual superintending of the men who wrote it. Therefore the inspired Scriptures are the very words
of God and thus are the absolute and immutable authoritative rule for faith and practice.
.’All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, that the
man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work “ 1 Timothy 3:16-17
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in
these last days he has spoken to us by his Son …” Hebrews 1: 1,2
“Above all, you must understand that no prophesy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own
interpretation. For prophesy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit “ 2 Peter 1:10-21
Define and defend the “necessity” of Scripture.
Scripture is necessary as a means of revealing the saving truth of Jesus Christ, “the knowledge of God and
of his will that is necessary for salvation”.
“The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God; but his word and Spirit
only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation. “-WSC ##2
I Cor. 2:11 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so
the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
Rom 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
What is the “canon”? Defend it scripturally.
Canon means rule, measure or standard. The Old Testament canon was confirmed by Jesus himself
(Matthew 5:17). The New Testament built on the teaching of Jesus as he taught and trained the disciples
to accurately share his message. Matthew 10: sending out of the twelve with a specific message. John 20:
23
Jesus appears to twelve with final instructions and Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 3, Peter understands Paul to be
writing Scripture.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill
them. “ Matthew 5: 17
2 Peter 3:15-16 “just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also
in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught
and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
Define and defend the “authority” of Scripture.
The authority of Scripture rests not with any humans but solely with God, inspired by the Holy Spirit
which makes , it God’s very word. It possesses historical authority in that it is 100% historically reliable.
It possesses normative authority in that it is God’s rule for faith and practice.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-
17
Define and defend the “sufficiency” of Scripture.
Scripture is complete, containing all that is needed for God’s glory and for man’s salvation, faith, and life.
” The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and
life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced
from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or
traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be
necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are
some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human
actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according
to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.
.-WCF 1.6
Define and defend the “perspicuity” of Scripture.
The knowledge of saving faith is so clearly and simply presented in Scripture that anyone who earnestly
seeks salvation therein can easily gain this knowledge for himself, and need not depend on the church or
the priesthood to attain it.
“All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear to all; yet those things which are necessary
to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of
Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in due use ordinary means, may attain, unto a
sufficient understanding of them.”-WCF 1.7
What is distinctive about Reformed interpretation of Scripture?
It sees the continuity between the Old and New Testament. The principle of private interpretation, that is,
the right of the individual believer to interpret Scripture without the aid of a priest or any other.
What principles should guide our interpretation of Scripture?
Scripture is the only infallible rule of interpretation. When there is ambiguity concerning one passage, the
true meaning must be found in other clearer portions of Scripture.
“The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself and therefore, when there is a question about
the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one) it must be searched and known by other
places that speak more clearly. “-WCF 1.9
Define and defend (including Scripture proofs) the “inerrancy” of Scripture.
The Bible, in all that it teaches, is free from error. Where it speaks to history it is true, but it doesn’t speak
to everything.
What do the Scriptures principally teach
What man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man. (WCF 2-5: WLC 7-19: WSC 4-11)
