3.3.3

Revealed Knowledge in the Bible & Church

Test yourself

Revealed Knowledge of God Through the Bible & Church

For all Christians, the Bible tells the story of salvation history. The Catholic Church thinks that God has not left us with just the Bible, but a Church

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Salvation

  • In Christianity, salvation is the saving of human beings from death and separation from God through Christ's death on the cross and resurrection.
  • Salvation is also called deliverance or redemption.
  • It is clear throughout the Bible that God speaks to his people directly.
  • This is through visions and the work of key figures.
    • God becomes known to people in the Bible through his direct revelation to them.
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Direct revelation

  • A Biblical example of direct, immediate revelation is that of St Paul, whose previous name was Saul.
  • Saul travelled to Damascus to arrest Christians there.
  • As he did so, Jesus appeared from the heavens in a flash of bright light to ask him why he was persecuting the Christians.
  • He was struck blind and Saul proceeded to Damascus where he fasted and prayed.
    • In a vision, Jesus told his disciple Anania to find Saul and restore his sight.
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Direct revelation continued

  • Ananias was skeptical, as he knew Saul hated Christians and would probably punish him.
  • But Ananias went anyway and did what he was told.
  • Saul's sight was restored and he became a disciple of the religion he sought to destroy.
  • He took the name Paul, to signify a new start in his life.
  • Paul became a pivotal figure in the Christian church. He wrote over half of the New Testament.
    • Through Paul, many Christians gain revelation of God through the Bible and Paul’s stories and letters.
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Interpreting the Bible

  • Different Christians interpret the Bible differently.
    • Fundamental Christians will take the Bible as the Word of God that cannot be wrong.
  • They will take the Genesis story as a literal account of creation.
    • Other Christians will see the Bible as an inspired text that still holds authority.
  • But, they may see the Bible as an account of how God has worked through the lives of different people.
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Church

  • The Catholic Church thinks that God has not left us with just the Bible, but a Church. - The Church is the ‘Body of Christ’, which passes on truths and teachings from one generation to the next.
  • In 325 AD the Bishops of the Church met at Nicaea to discuss what the official teachings of the Church should be.
  • They eventually came up with the Nicene Creed.
    • This sets out numerous Catholic beliefs, including those about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
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The Holy Spirit

  • The Church believes that the Nicene Creed is revealed truth from God.
  • This is because the Holy Spirit is believed to guide and inspire the leaders of the Church in their decisions.
  • The Catholic Church believes that there is a combination of sources of Christian truth.
  • In addition to the Bible, there is the continuing inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
    • The Holy Spirit works within the Church to deliver fresh inspiration and teachings.
    • The Holy Spirit does this through the Magisterium and the Pope to pass on to Catholics today.

Jump to other topics

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.6Religious Experience

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

2Religion & Ethics

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.9Gender & Society

3.10Gender & Theology

3.11Challenges

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