How did God reveal His Will unto us?
God revealed His Will and Truths unto us through our first parents, the Patriarchs, the Prophets and through the Apostles. “God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high.” (Heb.1:1-2)
- STAGES OF DIVINE REVELATION
How many are the Stages of Divine Revelation?
There are 4 Stages of Divine Revelation:
- PRIMITIVE REVELATION
- PATRIARCHAL REVELATION
- MOSAIC REVELATION
- CHRISTIAN REVELATION
- PRIMITIVE REVELATION (since the first parents)
Primitive Revelation was revealed by God through Adam and Eve. (My Catholic Faith by Bishop Louise LaRavoire Morrow, S.T.D., p.23)
God revealed to them by saying: “Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death.” (Gen.2:16-17)
- PATRIARCHAL REVELATION (during the time of the Patriarchs)
Patriarchal Revelation was given by God through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (My Catholic Faith by Bishop Louise LaRavoire Morrow, S.T.D., p.23)
God revealed to them when He said to Abraham: “And my covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant.” (Gen.17:13)
- MOSAIC REVELATION (during the time of Moses and the Prophets)
Mosaic Revelation was given by God through Moses and the Prophets. (My Catholic Faith, p.23)
“Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they should say to me: What is his name? what shall I say to them? God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you. And God said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to you: This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations..” (Exo.3:13-15)
- CHRISTIAN REVELATION (Christ Himself, True God and True Man revealed Himself and Divine Truths to His Apostles)
Christian Revelation was revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself who taught the people through His 12 Apostles. (My Catholic Faith, p.23)
“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: nor hidden, that shall not be known. For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers, shall be preached on the housetops.” (Lk.12:2-3).
“And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” (Mk.16:15-16)
“And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” (Mt. 28:20).
“And this Gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.” (Mt.24:14)
How did Divine Revelation come down to us?
Divine Revelation came down to us through our first parents (Adam and Eve), the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), Moses and the Prophets and lastly through the Apostles who were the first members of the Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ,
“God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high.” (Heb.1:1-2)
How did Our Lord Jesus Christ hand down the Christian Doctrine to the people until the consummation of the world?
A. Before He began His public ministry, Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist in Jordan River.
“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him. But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all justice. Then he suffered him. And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mt.3:13-17).
B. Then, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness.
“Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Who answered and said: It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said to him: It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, And said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me. Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan: for it is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and ministered to him.”
(Mt.4:1-11)
C. After Fasting in the Wilderness, Jesus chose His first 12 Disciples He called “Apostles”. They were the first members of the Church. They were:
St. Simon Peter (Mt.4:18, Mk.1:16, Lk.5:10, Jn.1:40-42)
St. Andrew (ibid.)
St. James the great (Mt. 4:21-22)
St. John (ibid.)
St. Philip
St. Bartholomew
St. Thomas
St. Matthew (Mt.9:9, Mk.2:14, Lk.5:27-28)
St. James the less (Son of Alpheus)
St. Judas Thaddeus
St. Simon (the patriot) and
Judas Iscariot (the traitor of Jesus). (Jn.6:70)
D. Jesus commanded His Apostles to preach the Gospel to all mankind of the whole world (Mt.28:19-20). He ordered them to make disciples of all nations and baptize them IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY GHOST (Mt.28:19-20).
E. Jesus chose the 12 Apostles and added more disciples to His Flock especially during the Pentecost. Thus, from a smaller number of 12, Christians multiplied rapidly at the Birth of the Church (i.e. Pentecost). From 12 members, 120 new Christian converts were baptized prior to the Descent of the Holy Ghost. And when the promised Paraclete came down unto them, 3,000 new converts were baptized by St. Peter. (Acts.1:26, 12-15; 2:38-41)
F. Church membership increased in number from Jerusalem (Lk.24:47, Jn.6:70, Jn.1:12-13, Mt.23:37-39, Mt.21:43) to Rome (Acts.23:11) where the Faith was “spoken of in the whole world” (Rm.1:7-8) (in Greek KATTA angeletai in HOLO to cosmo, Rm.1:7-8. In short KATTA HOLO or KATH’OLIS, Lk.4:14. From the words KATTA HOLO and KATHOLIS, the Latin word Catholico was derived.) St. Paul himself had gone to Rome (Rm.15:24,28). The Gospel is not just for the people of Jerusalem but for everyone (Acts.1:8).
G. Christians taught what they had received from the Disciples ahead of them. (1 Cor.15:3). They were forbidden to preach another Gospel. “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.” (Gal.1:8).
Even St. Paul resisted St. Peter, the first Pope when he did not walked “uprightly unto THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL” (Gal.2:11,14).
St. Peter’s fall was foretold by Our Lord but He assured him of His Prayers. “And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.” (Lk.22:31-32)
When St. Peter was once converted, he confirm his brethren writing to them, “You therefore, brethren, knowing these things before, take heed, lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from your own steadfastness.” (2 Ped.3:17).
H. THROUGH THE YEARS, when there was confusion among some members of the Church, they convened in Dogmatic Councils to pronounce Catholic Dogmas and condemn Heresies. “If the Church teaches any doctrine that cannot be found in Holy Scripture, it will be found in Tradition, and therefore traceable to the Apostles.” (My Catholic Faith, p.19)
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Sources:
(1) Except when specified, all Biblical Verses were taken from Douay-Rheims Bible.
(2) My Catholic Faith by Bishop Louise LaRavoire Morrow, S.T.D
(3) Google images
(4) Rm.1:7-8, Greek New Testament by Nestle-Aland