One Body: Special Revelation

Lesson 08 in our series (series began September 7, 2025)

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Lesson Summary:

We continue One Body by moving from natural revelation to special revelation—God’s gracious self-disclosure in words, spoken and written so that sinners might know His mercy in Christ. Creation and conscience reveal God’s holiness and our guilt, but only the Gospel—revealed through prophets, Scripture, and Christ Himself—tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We define special revelation as God’s Word in human language, given through visible and audible means where He chooses to be found: the burning bush, cloud and fire, the tabernacle and temple, preaching, and ultimately the enfleshed Word, Jesus Christ. We explore prophetic speech as “God’s words in man’s mouth,” why true prophecy must align with what God has already spoken, and how Scripture—God-breathed and inspired by the Spirit—remains the authoritative source for all teaching in the Church. Finally, we turn to the cross as the supreme revelation of God’s glory: the place where His holiness and saving love are fully made known.

• Special revelation = God speaks: His Word comes in concrete, historical, understandable form — not guesses or human imagination.

• Christ is the center: All revelation leads to Christ crucified, the fullest display of God’s glory and love.

• God gives prophets His words: True prophecy is deputized discourse.

• Scripture is God-breathed: Inerrant, sufficient, powerful — and authoritative for preaching and teaching today.

• Natural revelation speaks only law; special revelation delivers the gospel: We can know God’s holiness and anger from nature and conscience, but His grace and promises only from the Word.

Deuteronomy 18; Hebrews 1:1–3; 2 Timothy 3:14–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Romans 5:8; Exodus 3; John 20:30–31; Luke 24:44–47; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Hebrews 4:12