Insufficient Natural Revelation, Sufficient Written Word

<p>The light of nature and the works of creation and providence so clearly manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God that they leave men without excuse. Yet this general revelation is not sufficient to give the knowledge of God and of His will that is necessary unto salvation. It establishes man's guilt, but it cannot open the way of grace.</p>

<p><strong>A. The Reality and the Limit of General Revelation</strong><br>

Nature, creation, and providence truly and clearly disclose God — this is the direct echo of Romans 1:20 (KJV): "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." General revelation is real and valid; but the Confession is equally clear that it does not supply saving knowledge. It condemns, but it does not save.</p>

<p><strong>B. The Necessity and the Progressive Character of Special Revelation</strong><br>

The phrase "at sundry times, and in divers manners" is drawn directly from Hebrews 1:1 (KJV): "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets." This affirms that revelation was not given all at once, but unfolded progressively across the whole course of redemptive history. It was given, moreover, "unto his Church" — not to mankind in general, but to the covenant community.</p>

<p><strong>C. The Theological Motive for Inscripturation</strong><br>

The Confession gives three reasons why God committed His revelation to writing: for the better preserving and propagating of the truth; against the corruption of the flesh; and against the malice of Satan and of the world. Scripture, then, is not merely a vehicle of information — it is given for the protection and establishment of the Church against fallen human nature and against spiritual attack.</p>

<p><strong>D. The Absolute Necessity of Scripture</strong><br>

"Which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary." This is the conclusion of the whole section: the insufficiency of general revelation, joined to the necessity of inscripturated special revelation, yields Scripture as most necessary — not merely useful, but indispensable for the knowledge that leads to salvation.</p>

<p><strong>E. The Cessation of Revelation</strong><br>

"Those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased." Since the apostolic age, the direct channels of divine revelation — dreams, visions, immediate voice — have closed. This is the confessional ground of Sola Scriptura, and it stands as the Church's historic answer to every later claim of new revelation, whether charismatic or mystical.</p>