# Direct Revelation and the LBC



## fralo4truth (May 8, 2012)

Hi all,

For those of you more learned in the confessions than myself, I need your help.

Under the first article of _Of the Holy Scriptures_, the framers conclude:

_"...those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased."_

On this, Dr. Sam Waldron writes "If the Christ were still among us or his inspired apostles still walked the earth, then the Scriptures would not be so necessary. It was in fact the insistence of some that God's former ways of revealing himself had not ceased which elicited the Reformation insistence on the necessity of scripture."

He thus shows that the ministry of Christ and his apostles were the former ways of God revealing His will.

But my question is this, though.

Would this not also include examples of "direct revelation" in the Old Testament such as God's dealings with Abraham in which he spoke personally with him? Some of the Hardshell Baptists today, in their opposition to the idea that God works through gospel and/or human instrumentality, claim that God speaks "directly" to the soul in regeneration. Does this particular phrase of the LBC refute such a notion?

Another thing. Is this not channeling what the Anabaptists taught way back when?

Also, if you know of any good writings of direct revelation having ceased, please tell me. It would greatly benefit me.

Thanks a lot.


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## VictorBravo (May 8, 2012)

fralo4truth said:


> Would this not also include examples of "direct revelation" in the Old Testament such as God's dealings with Abraham in which he spoke personally with him?



Yes, I think that is exactly what the confession is talking about. Direct revelation has ceased.




fralo4truth said:


> Some of the Hardshell Baptists today, in their opposition to the idea that God works through gospel and/or human instrumentality, claim that God speaks "directly" to the soul in regeneration. Does this particular phrase of the LBC refute such a notion?



I think it does refute such a notion, but I admit not knowing completely what they are talking about.

The idea that his sheep hear his voice means that the regenerated person is changed to understand Scripture in a new way. The mechanics of that regeneration is kept in the hidden counsel of God, but we certainly hold that God works ordinarily through the ministry of his Word (Chapter 14).


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## rbcbob (May 8, 2012)

Notice the following phrases (all in Caps) from the LBC:

“Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to REVEAL HIMSELF, and to DECLARE THAT HIS WILL unto his church; and afterward for the better PRESERVING AND PROPAGATING OF THE TRUTH, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to COMMIT THE SAME WHOLLY UNTO WRITING; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.”

The concern being addressed by the framers of the 1689 LBC is what later theologians came to refer to the Propositional Revelation of God. This is distinct from General or Natural Revelation as found in God’s creation.

God’s *existence* and certain of His *attributes* may truly be known from His creation. However His *will* may only be known by Special, Propositional Revelation. This revelation of His will He has graciously given to His Covenant People through the prophets and apostles. The completion of this Special Propositional Revelation we have in the Words of Holy Scripture.

The completed canon of Scripture is a vital point of our faith. It has ever been under assault from the time of Luther (the Zwikau Prophets) and even before.
As for books which address the issue of completed Revelation there are many good books available. For something introductory you might try Victor Budgen’s CHARISMATICS AND THE WORD OF GOD. At the other end of the spectrum you could tackle C.F.H. Henry’s magnum opus GOD, REVELATION AND AUTHORITY.


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## Jeff Burns (May 8, 2012)

fralo4truth said:


> On this, Dr. Sam Waldron writes "If the Christ were still among us or his inspired apostles still walked the earth, then the Scriptures would not be so necessary. It was in fact the insistence of some that God's former ways of revealing himself had not ceased which elicited the Reformation insistence on the necessity of scripture."



This seems like a very difficult position to defend. In the day and age when the apostles did still walk the earth, they obviously felt the Scriptures were necessary, so much so that they continued to write them. Before the invention of air-travel and the internet, it would be extremely difficult for a man, or a group of men, to reach the vast majority of the populated globe. Scripture, in textual form, is ideal for going anywhere and reaching anyone. A side point I know, but I'm not sure what value Waldron sees in putting forward such an assertion.


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## KMK (May 8, 2012)

The LBC also says,



> Chapter 1, Paragraph 6. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new *revelation* of the Spirit, or traditions of men.9 Nevertheless, we acknowledge the *inward illumination* of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word,



The Particular Baptists saw a difference between 'revelation' and 'illumination' whereas many modern Christians do not. They equivocate and should be pressed to define what they mean by, "God speaks "directly" to the soul in regeneration."


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## Jerusalem Blade (May 9, 2012)

For example, when I was converted, a person was preaching / witnessing to me with regard to the message of the Gospel and Christ dying on the cross for sinners; although I was opposing this message, the Spirit of Christ illumined my heart to see that Jesus was my Lord and Savior, and my mouth was shut, and I born again.

This illumination came through the word, as it is written, "the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you" (1 Pet 1:25). Revelation from God now comes through His word . . . "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; andy he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John" (Rev 1:1).

God did indeed speak to my heart in that moment of regeneration, and He spoke by the word of the gospel, as it is written, "God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" (Heb 1:1). This illumination by the Spirit was God speaking directly to my soul, but it was by means of the word through the gospel.

I like Waldron, both in his Exposition of the 1689, and in his _To Be Continued?_, which is a refutation of continuing revelation through anything but the written word of God in Scripture. (Waldron is also good in his books on eschatology.)


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