“The ‘back-parts’ of God, which we call his attributes, his power, wisdom, truth, justice, which God calls his glory to Moses . . . and which we cannot see and live: these are infinitely more really and substantially . . . set forth to us, by what we know of Christ as a redeemer in the gospel; and do infinitely transcend whatever of them either was, or could have been expressed in millions of several worlds, filled all of them with several sorts of intelligent creatures, such as angels and men.” – Thomas Goodwin, Discourse on the Glory of the Gospel

Revealed in the Gospel

​”In our finitude, we are unable to comprehend an infinite God, yet the gospel enables us to see so much more of God than would otherwise have been possible. ” – Mark Jones, God Is 

Progressive Revelation

“As the sun riseth by degrees till he come to shine in glory, so it was with the Sun of righteousness. He discovered himself in the church by little and little. The latter times now are more glorious than the former; and because comparisons give lustre, the blessed apostle, to set forth the excellency of the administration of the covenant of grace under the gospel, he compares it with the administration of the same covenant in the time of the law; and in the comparison prefers that administration under the gospel as more excellent. Now besides other differences in the chapter, he insists upon three especially. They differ in generality, evidence, efficacy.” -Richard Sibbes, Glorious Freedom

 

Literature, Fiction as Echoes of Human Longing and Awareness of Ultimate Reality

“For if we take the imagery of Scripture seriously … then we may surmise that both the ancient myths and the modern poetry, so false as history, may be very near the truth as prophecy. At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.” -C.S. Lewis

 

Revelation is…

“The biblical word for this is “revelation.” The Greek word has the sense of unveiling, disclosure, even dénouement— that moment in the story when you finally realize who someone is, and what it means. No earthly stories can prepare us for what this will be like, because King Richard and King Kong are laughable in comparison to King Jesus. But there are a number of times in Scripture when Yahweh is suddenly seen to be the God of gods, and the Bible suggests that the return of Jesus will be something like these.” -Andrew Wilson, Incomparable

 

God Made Visible By His Works

“The intention of Moses in beginning his Book with the creation of the   world, is, to render God, as it were, visible to us in his works.” -John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis

Wonder

“The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.” -G.K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles

Scripture: Letters From Home

“The Holy City is not the Church of this country only, but of the whole world as well: not that of this age only, but from Abel himself down to those who shall to the end be born and believe in Christ, the whole assembly of the Saints, belonging to one city; which city is Christ’s body, of which Christ is the Head. There, too, dwell the Angels, who are our fellow-citizens: we toil, because we are as yet pilgrims: while they within that city are awaiting our arrival. Letters have reached us too from that city, apart from which we are wandering: those letters are the Scriptures, which exhort us to live well.” -Augustine, Exposition of Psalm 91

BTW NOTES: Many places on the internet simply offer the paraphrase “Scriptures are our letters from home.” However, the above is the direct quote. The paraphrase is close, but it’s not exactly what Augustine said (as far as I can tell).

Revelation is Bound Up with the Idea of a Transcendent God

“The fundamental word is “revelation.” Derived from a Latin noun meaning “unveiling,” it indicates that God has taken the initiative to make himself known. The reasonableness of this concept should be plain. For whoever or whatever God may be, he is altogether beyond our knowledge. “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” (Job. 11:7). Indeed not. His infinite greatness is veiled from our eyes. We cannot discover him by ourselves. If we are ever to know him, he must make himself known.” -John Stott, Understanding the Bible

Mysticism is Not Super-Religious It’s Sub-Religious

“It is to that sub-human, non-personal level that the mystic seeks to degrade our communion with God.” -J. Gresham Machen, The Person of Jesus: Radio Addresses on the Deity of the Savior