The Holy Spirit Gives Revelation

We saw His work in creation in Genesis 1:1-2 where it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.”

We said last time that the name of God in verse 1 gives indication that “the heavens and the earth” was created by the triune God.

The Hebrew word for “God” is elohim in verse 1 means that the singular God exists in a form of plurality.

The im ending is plural but the word is singular—means “gods” or this singular God existing in some form of plurality.

But now in verse 2 we see the third Person of the triune God mentioned.

It says “the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters”

The word “moved” could be translated “vibrated” referring to the Holy Spirit as the energizer—the One who imparts energy to the universe in a vibrating movement over the surface of the waters.

R.C. Sproul defines this word by saying the Holy Spirit “keeps things intact.” He is “the divine Preserver and Protector.” He “maintains what the Father brings into being.” He is “the Orderer of Creation,” the Former and Preserver...of life.”

John MacArthur says, “the fact that earth alone, of all known planets, seethes with life, is directly owing to the Holy Spirit’s activity described in Genesis 1:2. The entire Bible testifies that the Spirit of God is the source of all life and creation” (The Battle for the Beginning, 78-9).

So the Holy Spirit was involved with the Father and the Son in the Creation.

He created the world by giving it life and energy.

In the words of Job 26:13, “He adorned the heavens” meaning, He made the heavens “glorious and beautiful” (Edwin Palmer, The Holy Spirit, 23).

We also said that the Holy Spirit created the hosts of heaven and man.

Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Now we are going to ask a third question.

“What does the Holy Spirit do in relation to revelation or the Scriptures?”

There are 3 things He does that I want us to pay attention to this morning. The first is: He gave revelation to man.

I. Who is the Holy Spirit?

II. What Does the Holy Spirit Do in Relation to Creation?

III. What Does the Holy Spirit Do in Relation to Revelation?

He Gave Revelation to Man

What do we mean by “revelation?”

The meaning of revelation

“Revelation” comes from the Greek word apokalupsis, which means “disclosure” or “unveiling.” It is “the disclosure of that which was previously unknown” (Charles Ryrie, the Holy Spirit, 33).

“The Holy Spirit takes what is unknown to man about God and makes it known. He gives man the revelation of God.”

How does He do that? Let’s answer that question by looking at:

The agents of revelation

The agents of revelation are the prophets and apostles.

He spoke through the prophets

“The Old Testament prophet’s message did not originate with himself. He was merely the vehicle through whom God spoke to the people; he was guided by the Holy Spirit in giving forth his message” (Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 257).

2 Pet.1:21 says, “For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

The word “moved” (pheromenoi, pres.pass.part.) means, “continually carried” or “borne along” (MacArthur).

John Calvin says, “They did not of themselves, or according to their own will, foolishly deliver their own inventions” (Calvin’s Commentaries: 2 Peter).

What they wrote or “spoke” was controlled by the Holy Spirit. He is “the divine author and originator, the producer of the Scriptures. In the OT alone, the human writers refer to their writings as the words of God over 3800 times” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible).

Jeremiah 1:4 says, “Now the word of the Lord came to me saying.”

Peter told those assembled on the day of Pentecost that what they heard was what was spoken by Joel the prophet:

Acts 2:16-17 says, “But this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams.”

Deut.34:10 refers to Moses as being a prophet. We see an example of this in Exodus 4:22-23 where God said to him, “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the Lord, ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 ‘So I said to you, 'Let My son go that he may serve Me'; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”

What did Moses do? He repeated these words to Pharaoh and Pharaoh “hardened” his heart and would not let the people go.

According to Acts 2:30 David was called a prophet. We also see an example of that when he says in 2 Sam.23:2, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.”

In Ezekiel 2:1-2 God said to Ezekiel, “‘Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!’ 2 As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.”

Ezek.3:16-17 says, “At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.”

He spoke through the apostles

The twelve (Acts 2:4)

Peter (Acts 2:14; 10:19-20)

Paul - (Acts 9:17-20)

John (Rev.1:9-10; 4:2)

He spoke through the apostles’ associates

Stephen (Acts 6:8-10; 7:51-60)

Philip (Acts 8:29, 39)

The methods of revelation

How did the Holy Spirit communicate to the prophets, apostles, and apostles’ associates?

He spoke directly (e.g., Philip - Acts 8:29, “Then the Spirit said to Philip”)

He spoke through visions (e.g., Paul - Acts 16:6-10)

He spoke through dreams

Joel 2:28 (quoted in Acts 2:17), “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.”

Now that we have seen the meaning, agents, and methods of revelation, let’s see how he used the apostles in reference to His revelation.

He Used Men to Record His Word

This is divine inspiration

2 Peter 1:21 again says, “For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Pay attention to the last part of this verse: “Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

2 Timothy 3:16 describes it this way:

“All Scripture is inspired by God.”

“All Scripture” would be primarily a reference to the OT. The Holy Spirit’s “superintending work assured the infallibility of the communication” (Enns).

“Inspired” is the Greek word theopneutos. It literally means, “God-breathed.” A better word would perhaps be “expiration” rather than “inspiration.”

BB Warfield says, “The Greek term has...nothing to say of inspiring or of inspiration: it speaks only of a ‘spiring’ or ‘spiration.’ What it says of Scripture is, not that it is ‘breathed into by God’ or is the product of the Divine ‘inbreathing’ into its human authors, but that it is breathed out by God, ‘God-breathed,’ the product of the creative breath of God.”

What does all of this mean? John MacArthur gives some helpful comments:

He says inspiration is “God superintending human authors so that using their own individual personalities, experiences, thought processes, and vocabulary, they composed and recorded without error His revelation in the original copies of Scripture” (message, “The Doctrine of Scripture).

William MacDonald says, “What they wrote was not a concoction of their own ideas, and it was not the result of human imagination, insight, or speculation.

The fact is that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In some way which we cannot fully understand, God directed these men as to the very words to write, and yet He did not destroy the individuality or style of the writers. This is one of the key verses in the Bible on divine inspiration. In a day when many are denying the authority of the Scriptures, it is important that we stand firmly for the verbal, plenary inspiration of the inerrant word.

By verbal inspiration we mean that the words as originally penned by the forty or more human writers were God-breathed (see 1 Cor. 2:13). God did not give a general outline or some basic ideas, then let the writers phrase them as they wished. The very words they wrote were given by the Holy Spirit.”

John 14:26 says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”l

John 16:13-14 says, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

Paul Enns says “The Holy Spirit guided the New Testament writers in the following ways. (1) He helped the writers remember the facts of Christ's teaching. (2) He enabled them to understand theologically what they were writing. At the time Jesus spoke to them they did not grasp the significance of His impending death and resurrection. (3) He guaranteed the completion of the entire New Testament. The "all things" of John 14:26 has reference to all spiritual truth necessary for man and would of necessity imply the completion of the New Testament canon” (259).

The writers of Scripture viewed each others writing as “Scripture”

In 1 Timothy 5:17-18, Paul views Luke’s writings as Scripture (Paul quotes Deut.25:4 and Luke 10:7. “In quoting from both the Old and New Testaments Paul regarded them as equal in authority” [Enns]).

In 2 Peter 3:14-16, Peter views Paul’s writings as Scripture

In Jude 1:17, Jude views Peter’s writings as Scripture (e.g., 2 Peter 2 speaks on the same subject of false teachers)

He Gives the Understanding of God’s Word

Edwin Palmer says the Holy Spirit “gives man not only an infallible book, but also eyes so that he can read that book” (The Holy Spirit, 57).

God reveals His Word “through the Spirit” (1 Cor.2:10-14)

All believers have the Spirit (Rom.8:9) and are taught by Him (1 John 2:27)

“The anointing is the Holy Spirit, and here we learn that the Holy Spirit abides in you. This is a positive statement that once the Holy Spirit is received, He will never be taken away.

Because we have received the Holy Spirit, we do not need any one to teach us. This does not mean that we do not need Christian teachers in the church. God has made specific provision for such teachers in Ephesians 4:11. It means that the Christian does not need any teaching apart from what is found in the Word of God as to the truth of God.

The Gnostics professed to have additional truth, but John is saying here that there is no need for additional truth. With the Word of God in our hands and the Spirit of God in our hearts, we have all that we need for instruction in the truth of God” (MacDonald).

Edwin Palmer says, “When the Holy Spirit comes into people’s lives he enlightens them, gives them understanding, teaches them, opens their eyes, removes the veil from their hearts, and softens their hearts so that they can know the things of the Spirit of God. Without Him, man is blind to see the truths of revelation: but when there is a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, man knows all things” (58).

CONCLUSION

So the Holy Spirit gave His revelation (or Word) to man by speaking through His prophets, apostles, and apostles’ associates.

He spoke directly and through visions and dreams—He used men to record His Word.

We need the Holy Spirit! For without Him there would be no world or people; there would be no salvation or Bible.

He permanently indwells all of God’s children and is the resident teacher who grants them understanding of His Word.

As we have stated at the beginning of this study, when you receive Christ, you are given the Holy Spirit.

He comes into your life and takes up resident and leads you to live a holy life that is pleasing to God.

Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ?

If not, I want to call on you to repent of your sin and embrace Christ as the only means of heaven.