Please note that these are posted online with permission from the writer for the benefit of those who attended the Bible Study class. However, please do not re-post or copy content without prior permission from Bro Koay Kheng Hin.
Note: These are the actual Lesson Notes that were used for the Bible Study. Transcribed notes from the lesson proper was not done at that point of time. Sorry.
MODULE 1 - THE WORD OF GOD
An overview of biblical fundamentals
The aim of this overview of biblical fundamentals is for us to grow in the knowledge of God. This knowledge of God encompasses his person and purposes as well as his will and works. The focus will be less upon the intellectual discourse concerning how the teachings of the Bible can fit into a rational framework. It will instead focus upon the exposition of biblical teachings per se. In such an overview two basic truths need to be emphasized. The first truth is that God is infinite while we are finite beings. Therefore, as much as we try to understand and decipher his thoughts there will always remain mysteries that belong to him alone. The second truth is that the Bible is taken as the sole infallible authority in our study of biblical fundamentals. It is pertinent to note that knowledge about God is a prerequisite for knowledge of God while, at the same time, emphasizing that it is ultimately the knowledge of God that we seek.
“One can know about God without knowing Him but one cannot really know Him without knowing about Him”.
KNOWING GOD
- God’s General Revelation
- God’s Special Revelation
- The Preservation of the Revelation: Inspiration
- The Preservation of the Revelation: Inerrancy
- The Power of God’s Word: Authority
- The Canon of Scripture
- The Interpretation of the Bible
Lesson 1 God’s General Revelation
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
The skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Ps 19:1)
1. God’s General Revelation (Ps 19:1)
The general revelation of God is grounded upon the fact that He is the Creator of the universe. In his act of creation he has left his imprint upon nature and man. Human history is necessarily also His Story. He is in total control of world events and influencing them for His purpose and glory.
Definition
General revelation is God’s communication of himself to all persons at all times and in all places. It refers to God’s manifestation through nature, the inner being of man and history.
God’s manifestation through nature
(Ps 19:1-4) The glory and wisdom of God are evident in the vastness of space.
The universe is a revelation of God’s creation of the magnificent heavenly bodies, which are characterized by radiance and regularity.
(Rom 1:19-20) The creation bears clear witness to its Maker, and the evidence is plain to the people. This natural revelation is a clear testimony of the eternal power and divine nature of God. However it is at the same time a limited testimony in that it does not disclose his love and his grace especially God’s revelation in His Son. Natural revelation is sufficient to make human beings responsible but is not by itself sufficient to accomplish their salvation.
God’s manifestation through the inner being of man
(Rom 2:14-16) The basic requirements of the law are stamped on human hearts. Human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore moral beings. All people, for example, when they quarrel, instinctively try to determine who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Similarly, despite the differences in laws and customs among peoples around the world, what unites them in a common humanity is the recognition that some things are right and some things are wrong.
(Acts 17:22-23) The Greeks were religious, prone to worship. Human beings possess this innate desire to worship a divine being.
God’s manifestation through history
(Job 12:23) God actively acts in the history of the human race. He humbles great people and nations, showing himself to be the only true sovereign being.
(Is 10:5-13) God uses the nation of Assyria to bring judgment upon a wayward Israel.
(Rom 11:5) The preservation of the people of Israel through all the apostasy, persecutions and hardships is a testimony of God’s working in history.
Conclusion
(Rom 1:19-20) The creation bears clear witness to its Maker, and the evidence is plain to the people. This natural revelation is a clear testimony of the eternal power and divine nature of God. However it is at the same time a limited testimony in that it does not disclose his love and his grace especially God’s revelation in His Son. Natural revelation is sufficient to make human beings responsible but is not by itself sufficient to accomplish their salvation.
God’s manifestation through the inner being of man
(Rom 2:14-16) The basic requirements of the law are stamped on human hearts. Human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore moral beings. All people, for example, when they quarrel, instinctively try to determine who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Similarly, despite the differences in laws and customs among peoples around the world, what unites them in a common humanity is the recognition that some things are right and some things are wrong.
(Acts 17:22-23) The Greeks were religious, prone to worship. Human beings possess this innate desire to worship a divine being.
God’s manifestation through history
(Job 12:23) God actively acts in the history of the human race. He humbles great people and nations, showing himself to be the only true sovereign being.
(Is 10:5-13) God uses the nation of Assyria to bring judgment upon a wayward Israel.
(Rom 11:5) The preservation of the people of Israel through all the apostasy, persecutions and hardships is a testimony of God’s working in history.
Conclusion
God has revealed himself through nature, man and history. However, it is not sufficient for man in his finiteness and sinfulness to come to a saving knowledge of him if such general revelation is not accompanied by special revelation.
Review questions
Review questions
- When you think about the beauty of nature and the immensity of the stars and that God created and designed them to show us his power and glory, how does it make you feel about the person of God?
- How does an understanding of the doctrine of general revelation affect your approach to evangelism?
- Does an awareness that God is actively influencing events in the world to fulfill his purpose bring assurance to you in the midst of the present economic and political turmoil?
- Can a person who has not heard the gospel say that it is unfair for him to be judged for not knowing God?
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