Editing Reformed Christianity (section)

=== Revelation and scripture ===
{{see also|General revelation|Biblical inspiration|Sola scriptura}}
[[File:Presbyterian Church in the United States of America no background.png|thumb|upright=1.2|The seal of the [[Presbyterian Church in the United States of America]], an early American Presbyterian church founded in 1789]]
Reformed theologians believe that God communicates knowledge of himself to people through the Word of God. People are not able to know anything about God except through this self-revelation. (With the exception of general revelation of God; "His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).) Speculation about anything which God has not revealed through his Word is not warranted. The knowledge people have of God is different from that which they have of anything else because God is [[Infinity (philosophy)|infinite]], and finite people are incapable of comprehending an infinite being. While the knowledge revealed by God to people is never incorrect, it is also never comprehensive.{{sfn|Allen|2010|pp=18–20}}

According to Reformed theologians, God's self-revelation is always through his son [[Jesus]] Christ, because Christ is the only mediator between God and people. Revelation of God through Christ comes through two basic channels. The first is [[Genesis creation narrative|creation]] and [[Divine providence|providence]], which is God's creating and continuing to work in the world. This action of God gives everyone knowledge about God, but this knowledge is only sufficient to make people culpable for their sin; it does not include knowledge of the gospel. The second channel through which God reveals himself is [[Redemption (theology)|redemption]], which is the gospel of [[Salvation in Christianity|salvation]] from condemnation which is punishment for sin.{{sfn|Allen|2010|pp=22–23}}

In Reformed theology, the Word of God takes several forms. Jesus Christ is the Word Incarnate. The prophecies about him said to be found in the [[Old Testament]] and the ministry of the [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostles]] who saw him and communicated his message are also the Word of God. Further, the [[Sermon|preaching]] of ministers about God is the very Word of God because God is considered to be speaking through them. God also speaks through human writers in the [[Bible]], which is composed of texts set apart by God for self-revelation.{{sfn|Allen|2010|pp=24–25|}} Reformed theologians emphasize the Bible as a uniquely important means by which God communicates with people. People gain knowledge of God from the Bible which cannot be gained in any other way.{{sfn|McKim|2001|p=12}}

Reformed theologians affirm that the Bible is true, but differences emerge among them over the meaning and extent of its truthfulness.{{sfn|Allen|2010|p=28}} Conservative followers of the [[Princeton theologians]] take the view that the Bible is true and [[biblical inerrancy|inerrant]], or incapable of error or falsehood, in every place.{{sfn|Allen|2010|p=31}} This view is similar to that of [[Catholic]] orthodoxy as well as modern [[Evangelicalism]].{{sfn|Farley|Hodgson|1994|p=77}} Another view, influenced by the teaching of [[Karl Barth]] and [[neo-orthodoxy]], is found in the [[Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)]]'s [[Confession of 1967]]. Those who take this view believe the Bible to be the primary source of our knowledge of God, but also that some parts of the Bible may be false, not witnesses to Christ, and not normative for the church.{{sfn|Allen|2010|p=31}} In this view, Christ is the revelation of God, and the scriptures witness to this revelation rather than being the revelation itself.{{sfn|McKim|2001|p=20}}