Over the past few decades, most people have wondered whether God still communicates to the world and if indeed He still exists. Additionally, people have wondered whether they can still be able to communicate and reach God. The book of Romans 1:19 and Matthew 11:27 say that people cannot know anything regarding God and His ways unless He reveals Himself to the people. The good news is that God has His ways of revealing Himself to others through the natural world through what we see and what is around us. The natural world tends to act as another form of God's communication and the scripture that enables people to learn about God. Naturally, people learn about God through general revelations and the scripture, known as special revelations. Therefore, this paper researches the two modes of learning and how they contribute to the functions and strategies of discipleship.
Different theologies across the world have been able to classify general revelations as the individual's ability to gain knowledge of God through the natural world and how He is present in it. However, it is first important to note that there is a limitation in the knowledge gained through general revelation since it only brings the picture of his existence and not so much on his salvation. General revelation teaches Christians about God's presence through his creation, rain, vegetation, and even seasons ( Langer, 2019). Therefore, general revelation portrays God as the creator, but it does not dwell much on the gospel itself. On some occasions, the Bible has touched on some examples of general revelation, with one evident in the book of Psalms 19:1-4 that states that the heavens express God's glory, and the skies show the work of His hands. Generally, the entire passage expresses God's existence and power, which can all be seen when one observes the universe ( Wood, 2019). Therefore, God's disciples can learn that God is with His people throughout even when He cannot be seen.
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On the other hand, special revelation is the truth gained through how God reveals Himself in the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ. Special revelation enables disciples to learn of God's love, holiness, as well as his omniscience and omnipotence. Most importantly, the disciples can also learn of his commitment to judging sin and his plan of salvation towards those who will receive his word. Additionally, people can also gain access to his words, wisdom, and teachings, which helps guide disciples throughout their daily lives. The Holy Spirit inspired those who wrote the Bible through special revelations in the form of dreams, theophanies, and angles. The content of special revelation has now gained its permanent form in the Old and the New Testaments' scriptures, which all talk of God's doings. Both scriptures are considered the only form of special revelation that is available to us and the evidence of special revelations ( Langer, 2019). There is a significant relationship between general and special revelation, which is the background against which humanity stands about the creator provided by the general revelation and true understanding of God's word provided by special revelation.
According to Langer (2019), the Christian community should focus more on discovering the meaning of being and making disciples instead of focusing more on making converts. Discipleship entails that Christians should follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ and share the same life as his instead of just being good church members who only listen as the words are spoken. Special revelation and the creation of God through general revelation have shown the commitment and work of God (Langer, 2019). Additionally, the life of Jesus Christ revealed how disciples should live their lives in Christ. Disciples are required to take note of all His revelation to build a strong Christian foundation. Through Jesus Christ, the importance of general revelation is seen in his parables and His life experiences, which were all meant to serve as teachings for those who desire to become His disciples ( Harvey, 2016). Jesus also showed the importance of special revelation when he referred to the scriptures when talking to his disciples and when preaching. This was a clear indication that both forms of God's revelation are interconnected, hence proving equally important.
The relationship between the two is evident, especially on how they go hand in hand. For instance, the disciples can reflect on general revelation through the special revelation of the Bible. At the same time, general revelation helps the disciples to have a firm grasp of God's special revelation in the Bible (Wood, 2019). On the one hand, Christians need special revelation because it is meant to clarify, specify, and reveal God beyond what is revealed in general revelation. On the other hand, the disciples can apply what is revealed in the scriptures into their daily lives through general revelations (Harvey, 2016). For instance, some of the guidelines in the Bible do not provide infallible principles to follow hence requiring God's creation to apply them. An excellent example is a rule that God directs to husbands about loving their wives. This revelation depends on the general revelation in creation for it to be applied.
In conclusion, people need to continue with studies and read more about the general and special revelation to be fully aware of Christ's mind and will and worship him as God. Despite the tension that might arise in the two forms of revelation, Christians should be patient and humble to ask theologians and seek detailed information on different sources. Exploring the two forms of God's revelation helps us to build our Christian theology, therefore requiring his disciples to depend on his revelation in creation fully and the Bible altogether.
References
Harvey, T. (2016). Growing together: A study of Christian discipleship . Wilmore, KY: Asbury Theological Seminary.
Langer, R. (2019). General Revelation, Science, and integration: Objections and opportunities. Christian Education Journal, 16 (3), 425-444.
Wood, J. (2019). Orbit and axis: Carl FH Henry on revelation and education. Perichoresis, 17 (3), 63-82.
