It appears that the term progressive has ruffled a few feathers, so let me see if I can shed some clarity on it.
In the King James Bible, the term progressive revelation itself does not appear, but the concept is clearly seen throughout Scripture. In the same way the word Trinity is not in the Bible but the concept is there.
Progressive revelation simply means that God did not reveal all of His truth at once, but unfolded it gradually over time. Each stage of the Bible adds more light, building on what came before.
* Old Testament beginnings: God first revealed Himself to Adam and Eve, then expanded His promises to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Law of Moses gave Israel knowledge of God's holiness and their need for atonement ( Deut. 29:29).
* Prophets and promises: Through the prophets, God progressively revealed details about the coming Messiah, His kingdom, and the new covenant ( Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 31:31-34). Yet many truths were still hidden.
* Christ's earthly ministry: In the Gospels, Christ revealed the Father more fully ( John 1:18; Heb. 1:1-2). Still, some things were kept from His disciples until later ( John 16:12-13).
* Paul's writings: Paul speaks of "the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God" but was revealed to him for the Body of Christ ( Eph. 3:1-9; Col. 1:25-26). This shows God unfolding truths at the right time.
* So in the King James Bible, progressive revelation is the unfolding of God's plan across the ages-truths hinted at in earlier times, then revealed more fully later, especially concerning Christ and the mystery given to Paul.
It appears that the term progressive has ruffled a few feathers, so let me see if I can shed some clarity on it.
In the King James Bible, the term progressive revelation itself does not appear, but the concept is clearly seen throughout Scripture. In the same way the word Trinity is not in the Bible but the concept is there.
Progressive revelation simply means that God did not reveal all of His truth at once, but unfolded it gradually over time. Each stage of the Bible adds more light, building on what came before.
* Old Testament beginnings: God first revealed Himself to Adam and Eve, then expanded His promises to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Law of Moses gave Israel knowledge of God's holiness and their need for atonement ( Deut. 29:29).
* Prophets and promises: Through the prophets, God progressively revealed details about the coming Messiah, His kingdom, and the new covenant ( Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 31:31-34). Yet many truths were still hidden.
* Christ's earthly ministry: In the Gospels, Christ revealed the Father more fully ( John 1:18; Heb. 1:1-2). Still, some things were kept from His disciples until later ( John 16:12-13).
* Paul's writings: Paul speaks of "the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God" but was revealed to him for the Body of Christ ( Eph. 3:1-9; Col. 1:25-26). This shows God unfolding truths at the right time.
* So in the King James Bible, progressive revelation is the unfolding of God's plan across the ages-truths hinted at in earlier times, then revealed more fully later, especially concerning Christ and the mystery given to Paul.
Please see Pg 2
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