Revelation and Authority: General Revelation (1)

When it comes to authority, this is the primary battleground between Protestants and Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church states that it is the magisterium, or, really, the Church centred in the Pope is where the ultimate authority lies. On the other hand, the Protestant says that it is God’s Word written and God’s Word alone that is our highest and ultimate authority.

Now, Roman Catholics will state that their position is one that recognises three equal strands of authority: the Scriptures, Tradition, and the Magisterium (the Pope). Each of these three are equal and necessary. In reality though if the Magisterium determines what tradition is and what the Scriptures teach then it is the Magisterium that holds the ultimate position. What do the Scriptures say? Ask the Magisterium. What are these infallible Traditions? The Magisterium will tell you.

This is in contrast to the Protestant position which is that our ultimate authority is none other than God’s written Word. So God’s Word stands above the Church. The Scriptures can correct the church’s doctrine and the church’s doctrine can only be found in the Scriptures.

The Roman Catholic position must say that the Scriptures are not sufficient apart from Tradition and magisterial interpretation. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, §80, 82, 85, and 95 and also the Council of Trent session 4, 8 April 1545).

Or as Herman Bavinck puts it:

We have to make a choice: either Scripture contains a witness, a teaching about itself, its inspiration and authority, and in that case the church simply accepts and confirms this witness; or Scripture itself does not teach such an inspiration and authority, and in that case the church’s dogma about Scripture stands condemned for a Protestant. Roman Catholic theologians, accordingly, face a powerful contradiction. On the one hand, in the doctrine of Scripture they attempt to prove its inspiration and authority from Scripture itself. On the other hand, having come to the doctrine of the church, they attempt to weaken those proofs and to demonstrate that only the witness of the church offers conclusive certainty. (Reformed Dogmatics 1:458)

God’s Revelation

We can give thanks that God has revealed himself to us. But we have to take a step back and ask what is revelation and what is its purpose? If God decides to reveal himself to us a necessary corollary is that revelation needs to be able to be understood. Revelation that cannot be understood isn’t revelation at all. Second, when God decides to reveal his himsef in an understandable way, there cannot be any higher authority to authenticate it or otherwise that undermines its own claim.

Think with me, God reveals himself, who stands above God to authenticate his message? The God who is revealing himself, is the highest authority in the universe, so his revelation has to be self-authenticating. The author of Hebrews makes this very point in chapter 6 verse 13.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,…

This brings us to an excellent test case by examining General Revelation. What is General Revelation you ask? It is God’s World. It is all of creation that speaks of who God is. Paul says in Romans 1:18-20

18   For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Let’s break this down. The world proclaims plainly to humanity (see Ps. 19:1-6). Why? Because it is from God (v. 19). What does it say clearly about God? His eternal power and his divine nature are on full display. And to what end? So that all humanity is “without excuse”. General revelation is clear — which it has to be to be revelation (it has to be understood). It also accomplishes its purpose which is to leave people without excuse. All human beings who have ever lived will stand before God and will be unable to offer an excuse as to why they didn’t believe in this God who made the world.

The word we translate “plain” (phaneron) carries the idea of “to being evident so as to be readily known, visible, clear, plainly to be seen, open, plain, evident, known” (from BDAG s. v. phaneron) and its opposite is kruphios which means hidden or secret. In other words General Revelation is self-evident.

General and Special Revelation

Now we have to conclude that general revelation is sufficiently clear to condemn. There is no external infallible authority that needs to authorise this revelation. There is nothing needed to supplement this, whether that is tradition or ecclesiastical interpretation.

What about Special Revelation? Based on the above argument we have to conclude that special revelation must be at least as clear as general. Why? First, remember that the whole point of revelation is to be understood! Second, if it’s not, that would mean that God speaks more clearly in judgment and condemnation than he does in grace and salvation. That would be difficult to conclude when we look at the lengths to which God goes to reveal his mercy to his people.

In fact this is the way that the Bible presents itself. It is clear. Now this does not mean immediate comprehension (somethings are more difficult than others after all — 2 Peter 3:16), or that there are no interpretive disagreements (eg., who is the object of baptism). But it does mean that the things necessary for salvation and for living the Christian life are plainly seen.

The Problem of Dual Authority

Who watches the watchmen? For Rome, the Scriptures cannot be clear. This is because the Magisterium is required for understanding what the Scriptures teach. For them the church precedes Scripture. If the Scriptures are clear then they can function as their own authority. But if we say that they are not clear that does not solve our problem of authority. For the infallible interpretations of the Roman Catholic Church, which they say are needed to understand Scripture, those interpretations must themselves be known, understood, and justified.

By what authority does Rome claim to be the infallible interpreter of Scripture and Tradition? It cannot be because the Scriptures declare it, because that would concede too much (the Scriptures are clear and authoritative!). It cannot be on the basis of faith — I just believe it — because that is the same argument for the infallibility and final authority of the Scriptures. God has spoken, we should respond in faith!

This means you either need a tertiary infallible authority to authorise Rome (which leads on and on ad infinitum) or you must come to a circular argument whereby the Magisterium is infallible because the Magisterium said it is infallible. Which by the way is the exact same argument used for Sola Scripture. The main difference is that the Scriptures are our final authority because God has said so!

Lastly, even when the Roman Catholic Church does make pronouncements, how do we understand them cognitively? Is it not historical and literary context, the plain meaning of words, and proper exegesis? Are the pronouncements and counsels of Rome more understandable than the Holy Scriptures? Again we must ask, how come they do not need a secondary infallible interpretive guide? The Scriptures have the voice of Jesus speaking to us by the Holy Spirit working within us… and have you tried to read some of the Papal Encyclicals!?

Coming to a close (sort of)

Sola Scriptura, Scripture Alone, means that our highest rule is God’s Word. This does not reject the role of the church and tradition. It merely says, what Paul says, that the Scriptures get the final say (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

If general revelation is clear enough to leave humanity without excuse, then special revelation must be equally as clear to lead sinners to Christ. As John (John 20:31) says "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Scripture does not depend upon an external infallible authority to render it understandable and binding; it is authoritative simply because it is the Word of God (Heb 1:1-2).