Progressive Revelation

Progressive Revelation: Is It Complete or Not?

The other day, I was discussing the concept of progressive revelation, a term used by Protestants, Catholics, and other denominations to teach that God has or is revealing Himself and His will through Scripture over a period of time, gradually increasing clarity within Scripture concerning His revelatory nature. The idea is that the more recent the Scripture, the more understanding we have of God’s overall revelation toward mankind. This doesn’t mean that previous Scriptures are less relevant; they are still necessary to gain a full understanding of God’s complete revelation.

I had a conversation with a friend who figured out I’m a Mormon. He had reservations about the fact that He doesn’t believe God has added anything new to the Bible canon and that any additions are heretical. The first thought that came to mind was that he should consider reading the Book of Mormon before making a decision. However, since I know that will not happen, I needed to take a different approach. I figured that since he was a religious educator, I would use terms and concepts that he would understand from a Protestant perspective. Thus, I brought up the concept of progressive revelation, a heavily used term in the theological realm--badly misused, in my opinion—and asked him: Has God finished speaking to us, or is He still speaking? He realized that whichever stance he took, there would be a counter-argument. As an academic, he realized that the answer was not as easy as it seems.

The problem with progressive revelation, from a Protestant/Catholic perspective, is that God has closed the canon on Scripture and no longer speaks through Scripture to reveal more of Himself, or so they believe. The problem with closing the canon on Scripture is that Protestants and Catholics don’t have the same canon. So, which canon is correct, i.e., which do we use as God’s final Word? The other problem is that much of what they rely on for doctrinal stances, within both Protestant and Catholic theology, comes from outside their own acceptable canons. The deeper you dive into theology, the more one uses external sources for information, i.e., non-canonical sources. The argument is difficult for the average lay person to understand because a typical Protestant or Catholic doesn’t understand anything about theology or doctrines. They simply believe they are right, and others are wrong. This is why I enjoy writing from my own Protestant canonical perspective to show that I can support our own doctrinal beliefs using only Protestant information.

So, what about progressive revelation? Is God finished revealing Himself to mankind? No. In an earlier essay, I wrote about the fact that salvation is only part of God’s plan, and that restoration was God’s ultimate intended purpose. Let me try and define the concept of salvation within a Protestant/Catholic context. The problem is that salvation within the Protestant/Catholic realm is limited to avoiding the consequences of sin; thus, they tend to ignore the importance of the restoration of our relationship with God. It is this limitation on the concept of salvation that has caused problems, in my view. I use the term Salvation within this essay and in my past essay to signify mere avoidance of the consequences of sin at the expense of restoration. Since Adam and Eve, mankind has been looking forward to restoring its relationship with God. One of the biggest issues with progressive revelation is that those who use progressive revelation believe that all Scripture looks toward salvation only, at which point, Scripture becomes a tool for avoiding the consequences of sin only. I believe God wants a relationship, a restoration, and Scripture points toward restoration. This makes a big difference when reading and interpreting Scripture. Since Jesus has come and offered salvation, progressive revelation is now complete in the Protestant context. If salvation were the ultimate goal, then maybe they would have a point, but that’s not the final purpose of Scripture – restoration is. Salvation merely to avoid punishment is not the ultimate goal--the restoration of our relationship with God is, and this relationship is continual. If one only accepts the Atonement of Jesus Christ to avoid punishment for sin and stops there, then one has missed the more important aspect of restoration with God. One should accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ for the restoration of one's relationship with God, which has been fragmented by sin. Our restored relationship with God is the primary goal, while the avoidance of punishment or ex-communication from God is a byproduct of restoration. The cancellation of our sin debt through the Atonement of Jesus Christ is necessary to enter into a relationship with God, but we shouldn’t stop at the cancellation of one’s sin debt and instead proceed into a restored relationship with God. The ultimate purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is for the restoration of our relationship with God, and this should be our motivation for accepting the Atonement of Jesus Christ, not simply to avoid punishment for one's sins. A flow chart would work as follows: One desires a relationship with God (restoration), one recognizes that sin is a barrier to that relationship, and one seeks forgiveness of sins (salvation) to enter into a relationship with God (restoration). The differences may seem subtle, but it makes a huge difference when one reads and gleans information from Scripture. Reading Scripture with the intention of fortifying our relationship with God, instead of merely avoiding punishment, makes a big difference. When restoration becomes our motivation, we begin to understand why the commandments of God are important for guiding our lives. The idea of salvation only, without restoration, is what has caused so much apostasy within the Protestant and Catholic Churches. Once Protestant/Catholic believers accept the Atonement for the remission of sins only, they believe they now have a blank check to live life on their own terms. Remaining in sin while committing more sin doesn’t seem to be much of a problem because their sin debt has been canceled through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. One immediately notices the problem when all you focus on is the avoidance of sin as your only motivation for accepting the Atonement of Jesus Christ. God desires restoration, of which salvation is a byproduct, not the ultimate purpose. God seeks a relationship with mankind, which is fragmented by sin and in need of restoration.

The Book of Revelation is the last book in the Protestant/Catholic Bible. Revelation is concerned with the restoration of God’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, and the reign of Jesus Christ—the Restoration of God’s rule here on Earth. Restoration is the main purpose; it is what frames the story of mankind, from Genesis to Revelation. The restoration of His Church is necessary to elicit the restoration of His rule on Earth, but the Church is more than just a denominational name: It is a Priesthood of Believers. God’s work on Earth always has been accomplished through the priesthood, through intermediaries representing God’s authority while serving mankind. You can learn more about the priesthood in my previous essay, “Why Restoration? Why Jesus? Why the LDS Church?”

Thus, when restoration becomes our motivation for accepting the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we understand that progressive revelation can and still happens because now we have a restored relationship with God, leading us to the restoration of His Church, which is necessary to return to our original restored relationship with our Creator and God. Thus, restoration becomes our complete picture, our final destination, and our present reality.

Reading the Book of Mormon is essential to continuing progressive revelation. It doesn’t take away, but rather enhances, our understanding of Jesus Christ and God, teaching us how to maintain our restored relationship by obeying His commandments and our covenant relationship with Him. You can learn more about the commandments in my essay “A Foundation for Charity,” in which I explain how God’s commandments are lived. Our motivation for coming to God is essential to our understanding of what is expected of us. Restoration should be our ultimate motivation for accepting the Atonement of Jesus Christ, while salvation is a byproduct of the Atonement. One doesn’t seek forgiveness from someone so that they can continue to sin against that person. Rather, one seeks forgiveness to restore a fragmented relationship with the expectation of not continuing to sin against that person. There is an implied effort—to try not to sin anymore to maintain the relationship. Forgiveness isn’t a term we use lightly, for it has a purpose--to restore a relationship fragmented by sin, not a license to continue to sin. Unfortunately, I have had to deal with many Protestants who believe only in avoidance of sin, not the restoration of a fragmented relationship. Restoration is our final destination in restoring God’s Church, and His priesthood is part of the restoration narrative. Thus, progressive revelation is still taking place. God is still at work, and He is still speaking to us today through His restored Church: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I only have scratched the surface on the topic of progressive revelation, but over the years, I have had numerous issues with Protestant churches teaching only the concept of salvation through the avoidance of sin, leading to people living on their own terms afterward. There is so much confusion within Protestant/Catholic churches, each twisting God’s Word, eliminating God’s Commandments, and denying the consequences of a sinful lifestyle, so that entering into a relationship with God seems unimportant. Today, sin has become good, and God’s Commandments are considered evil under some Protestant teachings. God’s Word is, in fact, progressive in revelation, which is why we need the Book of Mormon to complete our understanding of restoration, yet God is still not finished. He is still using His living prophets through the priesthood for more complete revelation, enhancing our understanding of Godly revelation. Protestants find it easy to say God’s Commandments were from another time, for another culture, and that they are no longer relevant today since restoration is not central to their teachings. Restoration changes our focus and our purpose in life, and today’s society has a hard time with that.

More can be said, but I will stop here because there is much to digest in this short essay. Refocusing our purpose in life is never easy, but unless you live for restoration, live under the Atonement of Jesus Christ for restoration, you must think about what I have written here and ask yourself: What kind of relationship do I have with God and Jesus Christ? What is my primary motivation toward God? Does my church aim to bring me into a restored relationship with God, or is it even capable, outside the priesthood, of bringing me into a restored relationship with God? Restoration causes contemplation.

The main questions are: Which should be our starting point: salvation or restoration? Which should account for our motivation? If you answered restoration, you can move to the following questions: How does restoration work? To where does it lead? Who can get me there? How do I remain there? All these questions and answers are found within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I have spent over numerous years studying Scripture from various perspectives. I understand the diversity that exists within the Protestant/Catholic theological schools of thought. As I seek to defend my new faith, I have had to become an instant Mormon theologian, which I’m not, but I realize that God uses our gifts to serve Him, and that my gift is my education, even though it has a Protestant/Catholic foundation. I have learned that at times, it is necessary for me to turn the conversation toward issues of Protestant and Catholic theology. This short essay is a good example of how I use their beliefs in progressive revelation to support the Book of Mormon, or at least give the naysayers the option of leaving the window open for such a possibility. The biggest difficulty I have in testifying to God’s restoration to Protestants/Catholics is that the individual believers and the Church have very distinctive views on theology, i.e., no two individuals believe the same way, and no two churches believe the same way, within a Protestant/Catholic concept. I realized at times that I need to ask them, “Whose beliefs are you espousing: your personal stance, your church’s stance, or your denominational stance? All these stances are different.” I usually will add “Shouldn’t you first convert your own church and denomination into accepting your beliefs before you try and attempt to change me and my beliefs?” It is the proverbial take the plank out of your eye before taking the speck out of someone else’s. Of course, this makes my job of defending my faith complicated, but at least the few people who have engaged me in conversation have had to do some self-reflecting of their own when we were done. Theology is not an easy subject; it is a very large field and requires tremendous effort to cover the thousands of years of information available to handle the Word of God correctly--which is why staying within the boundaries of my education is important. However, over the next few years, I will dive into the Book of Mormon, D&C, and Pearl of Great Price. I’m reading volumes of books on Mormon teaching and doctrinal interpretations, and I hope to be better prepared with my Mormon theology in the future. Using my current education does have its advantages, however, and if used properly, it can be an effective tool for supporting my beliefs, while at the same time causing others to consider my stances and their validity.

In the coming weeks, I will discuss the concept of Progressive Wisdom. It will serve as a continuation of this essay. I’m often reminded that the faith of the people and the faith of the Church can be two different lived realities. The way the Church articulates its faith vs. how Church members actually live their faith is one of the greatest disparities within the Protestant/Catholic tradition. I often have been very critical of that very fact. I look forward to continuing my apologetical writing in hopes of getting others to consider my arguments. Maybe someone will decide to do a little investigating on their own and find the truth. All I can do is try and open the door. Meanwhile, I will continue to write, as I now have a forum from which to speak and critics who are looking for answers. Just maybe I can take the plank out of their eyes, so that they can see clearly. Let’s see.

#Jesus #Restoration #LDS #SergioSmith