General Revelation

Definition

General revelation refers to the knowledge of God and divine truths that can be perceived through nature, human conscience, and history. It provides an understanding of God’s existence and attributes without the need for special revelation, such as scripture or prophetic messages. This concept emphasizes that everyone has access to some understanding of God through the world around them.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. General revelation serves as a foundational understanding of God that is available to all people, regardless of their religious beliefs.
2. The natural world reflects God's attributes, such as his creativity and power, allowing individuals to infer his existence.
3. Philosophers and theologians argue that general revelation can lead individuals toward a belief in God but may not provide comprehensive knowledge about Him.
4. Human conscience plays a key role in general revelation, as it guides moral understanding and ethical behavior based on an innate sense of right and wrong.
5. While general revelation is important, it is considered incomplete without special revelation, which provides deeper insights into God's character and purpose for humanity.

Review Questions

• How does general revelation contribute to our understanding of God's attributes?
  • General revelation contributes to our understanding of God's attributes by allowing individuals to observe the natural world and recognize qualities such as creativity, power, and order. Through nature, people can infer God's existence and begin to appreciate aspects of His character without specific teachings or texts. This means that everyone, regardless of their background, has the potential to gain insights into who God is simply by experiencing the world around them.
• Discuss the relationship between general revelation and human conscience in forming ethical behavior.
  • General revelation informs human conscience by providing an innate sense of right and wrong that guides moral decision-making. As individuals perceive God's moral order in creation, they develop ethical frameworks based on this understanding. The conscience acts as an internal compass that aligns with general revelations about goodness and justice, shaping how people behave and interact with one another within various cultural contexts.
• Evaluate the limitations of general revelation compared to special revelation in understanding God.
  • While general revelation offers valuable insights into God's existence and some of His attributes through nature and human conscience, it has limitations when compared to special revelation. General revelation can lead to a general belief in God but lacks the specific details about His character, intentions, and plan for salvation that special revelation provides. Without special texts or prophetic messages, individuals may form incomplete or distorted views of God. Thus, while both forms of revelation are important for faith development, special revelation is essential for a fuller understanding of divine truths.

Related terms

Special Revelation:

Special revelation is the direct communication from God to humanity, often through sacred texts or prophetic insights, that provides specific truths about God's nature and will.

Natural Theology:

Natural theology is the study of God based on reason and ordinary experience, seeking to understand divine attributes through observation of the natural world.

Imago Dei: Imago Dei refers to the theological concept that humans are created in the image of God, which underlines the significance of human dignity and moral capacity in understanding divine revelation.