Progressive revelation (Christianity)

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Progressive revelation is the doctrine in Christianity that the sections of the Bible that were written later contain a fuller revelation of God than the earlier sections.^{[citation needed]} Proponents believe that God didn't tell people his entire plan all at once, as they wouldn't be able to handle it.^{[citation needed]} "Progressive revelation does not mean to say that the Old Testament is somehow less true than the New Testament. The progress was not from untruth to truth - it was from less information to more full information."^[1]

For instance, the theologian Charles Hodge wrote:

"The progressive character of divine revelation is recognized in relation to all the great doctrines of the Bible... What at first is only obscurely intimated is gradually unfolded in subsequent parts of the sacred volume, until the truth is revealed in its fulness."^[2]

The ultimate revelation of God is understood to be found in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Gospels.^{[citation needed]} So there is a more complete disclosure of who God is in the person of Jesus. For example, the New Testament is to be used to understand and interpret the Old Testament better. Likewise, all sections of the Bible are believed accurate in Evangelicalism.

One example would be the doctrine of the Trinity. The belief in Jesus of Nazareth and his person and resurrection from the dead pressed the Jewish Christians to reassess the nature of God in a fundamental way and to understand that God is tri-personal not unitarian. There is not just a single person that is God; there are three – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.^{[citation needed]}

Another example would be in particular ethical standards like the distinction between clean and unclean foods, which was done away with. It was valid prior to Christ, but following the arrival of Christ there is no longer any obligation to maintain this distinction between clean and unclean foods.^{[citation needed]}

See also[]

• Biblical inspiration
• Christian views on the old covenant
• Continuous revelation
• Deposit of faith
• Direct revelation
• Dispensationalism
• General revelation
• Progressive revelation (Bahá'í)
• Special revelation
• Supersessionism

References[]

External links[]

• Barry, Eldr, Progressive revelation: The unfolding of God's revelation (PDF).
• Progressive revelation, An introduction, Religious tolerance.
• What is Progressive Revelation

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