The Apostles' Creed: The Holy SpiritSample

Special Revelation by the Spirit: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Special revelation is: God’s direct involvement, or his use of messengers, to make his existence, nature, presence, actions and will known to limited portions of humanity.

The Holy Spirit has provided special revelation in the form of Scripture, prophecies, dreams, visions, angelic visitations, and other unusual media. Special revelation is given primarily to special people or groups, particularly those who receive God’s offer of salvation. In the Old Testament, special revelation was given mostly to Abraham and his descendants. And in the New Testament, it was given to the church. Like spiritual gifts, special revelation is for the benefit of all God’s people, in order to convert and build up everyone in the faith.

The greatest special revelation the Holy Spirit ever gave us was the incarnation of Jesus Christ himself. Hebrews 1 praises our Lord as the pinnacle of all God’s revelation. And even now, the Holy Spirit continues to point us to Christ through the inspired Scriptures, which contain the words of Christ from all ages, relayed to us through his authoritative prophets and apostles.

The Holy Spirit’s authorship of Scripture is mentioned in passages like Matthew 22:43, Mark 12:36, Acts 1:16, 4:25, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. As just one example, consider what Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:20-21:

No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).

Since the apostolic age, the Spirit no longer inspires new Scripture. But the special revelation he has provided in the Old and New Testaments continues to reveal his will to Christians in every age.