The Revelation of God

In modern times the Christian faith's claim to possess a unique revelation of God has faced numerous challenges. A central issue has been the role of the Bible. While some have continued to defend the view that the Bible, inspired by God, is God's self-revelation in a direct way, others have argued that God's revelation is to be found primarily in divine action or in the person of Jesus Christ, rather than in the Scriptures as such.
Peter Jensen argues that it is better to follow the biblical categories of the knowledge of God and the gospel than to start from "revelation" as an abstract concept. First, Jensen focuses on revelation, whether special or general, from the viewpoint of the knowledge of God through the gospel. Next, he examines the nature and authority of Scripture and our approach to reading it. Finally, he turns to the revelatory work of the Holy Spirit through illumination. The result is a creative and compelling exposition of the evangelical understanding of revelation for the contemporary scene.

Peter Jensen is archbishop of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia.