Teaching Students About Natural and Special Revelation
Our students live in a world where they are encouraged to view multiple paths to truth as equally valid. They are encouraged to question the very nature of truth and how it’s revealed to us. This can present challenges to the claims of exclusivity Christianity makes, and it can be difficult for students to understand how God reveals himself to us. As youth workers seek to faithfully disciple their students in this climate, one aspect is teaching them about natural and special revelation.
What are Natural and Special Revelation?
Historically, theologians have explained the way God reveals himself to us in two categories, natural and special revelation. Natural, or general, revelation encompasses the ways God demonstrates his existence, power, and glory in a general way. The truth God reveals naturally helps us to know some things about him but falls short of providing what is necessary for salvation. In Romans 1:19-20, Paul expresses it this way: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” As the term “natural” revelation indicates, one primary way humanity understands some general truth about God is in nature, his creation. David describes this revelation in Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Through natural revelation, God demonstrates his existence, power, and glory to all people.
Special revelation builds upon what God has revealed generally, to communicate what is necessary for salvation. While all are “without excuse” because of natural revelation, simply knowing that God exists and created the world does not mean someone knows that salvation is found in Christ. Later in Romans 10:13-15, Paul emphasizes this fact: “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” Disciples of Jesus are called to preach the good news of salvation so that all may hear and have an opportunity to respond.
There are a few ways God has revealed what is necessary for salvation. First and most importantly, the person of Jesus is the most complete communication of this special revelation. The writer of Hebrews begins his letter by explaining how Jesus’ life is the ultimate fulfillment of all the ways God had revealed himself previously: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) Another primary way God has revealed the truth of salvation is through his Word. Jesus himself included the Scriptures among several witnesses to his identity as God and Messiah, in John 5:39-40: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” We can know what is necessary for salvation through the person of Christ, and in how the Bible communicates his life, death, and resurrection.
How Can You Teach Students About Natural and Special Revelation?
Because our students live in a pluralistic culture that encourages them to question the veracity of exclusive truth claims, helping them to understand natural and special revelation can be challenging. One of the first things we might have to do is establish that objective truth does exist. This can be as simple as asking them if it’s possible for two contradictory statements to be true at the same time - like “2+2=4” and “2+2=7.” In my experience, when students have spent just a few moments critically considering objectivity they are able to see that some exclusive truth claims do exist.
The next challenge comes in helping them process what they believe to be true outside of Christianity. They may have emotional attachments to people who hold opposing worldviews, and if we launch an attack as if they lack any truth we may harden our students’ hearts to hear the truth of the gospel. When we do this we also deny the truth of natural revelation. While creation is one of the primary ways God reveals general truths about himself, we can also see natural revelation at work through the common grace non-believers have been given. For example, a “secular” movie that expresses themes of redemption or glimpses of truth we can affirm in another religion (without affirming the worldview wholeheartedly) can be ways to demonstrate natural revelation through critical engagement with the culture around us.
As our students learn differently, it may be helpful to explain natural and special revelation in different ways as well. One example for visual learners is to take students on a walk outside and ask them to make note of what they can learn about God, and what nature fails to communicate. Or we could ask our students to think of an artist whose music, film, or visual media they appreciate. What do they know about that person based on the works they’ve created? What are some of the ideas they hold to or themes that are important to them? And on the other hand, what would they only learn about that artist from a direct conversation with them? Or through reading their autobiography?
Whatever creative means we use to teach students about natural and special revelation, we must also bring them back to Scripture. I appreciate the way Paul describes them both in Romans, as he explains natural revelation in chapter 1 and communicates what is necessary for salvation in the following chapters. His plea for the importance of sharing special revelation with others in Romans 10 is also a valuable aspect of this conversation, as it makes the discussion very practical. As we teach our students about the various ways God has communicated himself and his plan for salvation, may we help them to see how the truth of these doctrines makes a difference in our daily lives. We can be motivated to grateful worship because the infinite God of the universe has revealed himself to us in ways we can understand. And we can be motivated to share about him and his loving way of salvation with those who don’t yet know.