Mark Baker’s Review of THE REVELATION OF GOD, by Peter Jensen

A Brief Book Review from Books At a Glance

by Mark Baker

 

Occasionally I will run across a volume that I call a “hidden gem,” a book that contributes considerably to its field but has not received the attention it deserves. Peter Jensen’s The Revelation of God is one such book. It is part of Gerald Bray’s Contours of Christian Theology series, which aims to give a systematic treatment to major doctrines of the Christian faith. 

It is no secret that the Enlightenment has changed the trajectory of theological conversation, many times for the worse. Jensen’s bold move is to refuse to let Enlightenment thought shape the direction of his theology. Many such theologies critique the Enlightenment, but in so doing they follow the same order and logic of Enlightenment thought and thus ironically remain beholden to many of its key tenets. Not so with Jensen. His book begins with four chapters on the gospel, arguing that the gospel is central to God’s revelation.

The book’s central argument hangs on four fundamental axioms. First, “the gospel is the measure of all revelation” (85). Christians don’t start with the gospel and then move on to more important truths. All of the Christian life centers on the gospel. Second, “Christian revelation is basically verbal” (87). The gospel is revelation, not just a witness to revelation. Third, “revelation conveys both information and relationship” (90). The only way to relate with God is through the words that he has revealed. Therefore, the gospel is not just something to be believed; it is also something to be obeyed. Fourth, “The Jesus Christ of the gospel, in whom we have believed, is none other than the one the gospel identifies as fulfilling the existing word of God in the Scriptures” (92). In short, Scripture is revelation. It is a simple point, but on this point, everything else changes. After laying this foundation, Jensen then covers other key elements of revelation: Scripture, experience, and the Holy Spirit. This section alone is worth the price of the book. 

Jensen’s treatment of experience serves as a key case study for the efficacy of his method. Most theologies of revelation—even evangelical treatments—begin with these categories from general revelation. In contrast, Jensen rightly argues that the gospel must inform the scope and limits of natural theology. Because he has established his case with the four fundamental axioms, Jensen is able to celebrate the importance of general revelation without letting it usurp the authority of the gospel. 

When dealing with the doctrine of Scripture, Jensen argues for both the infallibility and the inerrancy of Scripture. He holds to what many scholars call “limited inerrancy,” which allows for “minor errors of fact” in areas such as history or science (198). From my perspective, it does not seem necessary to call such apparent discrepancies “errors.” We need to consider genre and historical setting. Nevertheless, Jensen maintains a high view of Scripture and adequately guards against any possibility of a “slippery slope” from limited inerrancy to any kind of disregard for the authority or accuracy of Scripture. 

The final chapters address the relationship between the Holy Spirit and revelation. Jensen takes a soft cessationist view. He admits that “[n]o text in Scripture teaches that contemporary miracles are impossible or have ceased” (272). He wisely does not use 1 Corinthians 13:8–12 as a proof text for his position. His main argument appears to be aimed at an extreme position that most continuationists do not hold. For example, he states that the “contemporary phenomenon of prophecy” should be understood as a category of general revelation and should be considered as a fallible testimony (273). Very few continuationsts would disagree with this statement. He appears to be guarding against a perceived slippery slope from continuationism to open theism (e.g., 270), whereas many of his conversation partners (most notably Wayne Grudem) hold a high view of the sovereignty of God in addition to celebrating the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit today. 

Even if you’re not convinced by all of Jensen’s arguments, this volume truly is a hidden gem that deserves to be rediscovered. If you want a robust treatment of the revelation of God that is not beholden to Enlightenment categories, go no further than this excellent book. 

 

Mark Baker (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as director of the Heart of Texas Foundation | College of Ministry, located in Houston, TX.