“[ὅτι] κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνωρίσθη μοι τὸ μυστήριον, καθὼς προέγραψα ἐν ὀλίγῳ, πρὸς ὃ δύνασθε ἀναγινώσκοντες νοῆσαι τὴν σύνεσίν μου ἐν τῷ μυστηρίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,” — Ephesians 3:3, 4.

“and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.” — Ephesians 3:3, 4 NRSV.

The reference to the “mystery” (μυστήριον) of Christ refers us back to Ephesian 1:9ff: “…he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (NRSV.) I’ve always thought μυστήριον would be better translated “secret” here rather than “mystery.” It signifies something previously unknown which has now been revealed. Translating it as “mystery” suggests it is obscure or hidden, but Ephesians proclaims the μυστήριον has now been revealed. God’s intentions in Christ were unknown before, but now revealed.

The term ἀποκάλυψις, by its derivation, means uncover and, thus, reveal. This is a claim to a special insight imparted by God, which reveals a previously secret plan of God. Adam Clarke (1762-1832) wrote:

The apostle wishes the Ephesians to understand that it was not an opinion of his own, or a doctrine which he was taught by others, or which he had gathered from the ancient prophets; but one that came to him by immediate revelation from God, as he had informed them before in a few words, referring to what he had said chap. i. 9–12.

What was reveled here is an insight, or interpretive key which illuminates the plan of God. It illuminates and re-interprets the Old Testament Scriptures — but, revealing a secret plan that had always been in the mind of God: “a plan for the fullness of time.”

So, while inspiration can be a rational process of collecting reports and writing them down (as in the Gospel of Luke), it can also come in moments of spiritual insight, where a long standing secret (μυστήριον) is revealed.

People who have engaged in research have experienced something similar. The goal is to write a research paper on a particular topic. The researcher collects information and opinion. At first it seems hopeless. The researcher is faced with a mass of information, which at first seems overwhelming and incoherent. But, eventually, in the process of research something happens: a hypothesis emerges. It is not something that can be scheduled, but, in the course of time an organizing insight arises that gives meaning and organization to the amassed information. This is when the process of writing can begin.

So, inspiration can also be this: insight that gives new meaning and relevance to Scripture in the light of new information.

And, this also points us to the centrality of Jesus Christ — his life and message — to the understanding of Scripture. Christ is the key.

And now we turn to the book of Revelation. Here again we encounter the word “revelation” (ἀποκάλυψις) and are directed to the centrality of Christ.

“Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς δεῖξαι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει, καὶ ἐσήμανεν ἀποστείλας διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου αὐτοῦ τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννῃ, ὃς ἐμαρτύρησεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὅσα εἶδεν. Μακάριος ὁ ἀναγινώσκων καὶ οἱ ἀκούοντες τοὺς λόγους τῆς προφητείας καὶ τηροῦντες τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένα, ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς ἐγγύς. Ἰωάννης ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτων ἃ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ” — Revelation 1:1-4 GNT28-T.

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne….” —Revelation 1:1-4 NRSV.

It is claimed that what was conveyed to John was “revelation” (ἀποκάλυψις), that it was made known by way of an angel (ἐσήμανεν ἀποστείλας διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου αὐτοῦ), and that it consists in “the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ” (τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), and, further that this was conveyed visually, through what John “saw” (εἶδεν).

This language ties the inspiration claimed by John to the inspiration of the Old Testament prophets. This is a subject which I cannot pursue on any large scale now. Prophetic inspiration is generally understood to be ecstatic. But, I would add this caveat: this need not mean that it was irrational or bypassed the person’s reflective mental capacities. It mean that the person was lifted beyond themselves. See: my last post in this series.) Such an ecstatic state is natural to human beings and (in my opinion) is in no way necessarily irrational. Being able to look at things from beyond the self — even to reflect back on our self — is a healthy and natural and mature human state of mind. It should not be viewed as “animal” (as a pejorative) or irrational.

But, obviously this is a large topic — both in terms of Old Testament evidence, and psychological reality. (I hope to say more about this later.)

It seems to me that what is important here is that the inspiration was in the form of “visions“, that it was ecstatic (in the sense that John was lifted beyond himself) and that it was John’s account of these visions — conveyed by the mediation of angels.

This seems to me as far as I can go with an account of the experience of the inspiration the New Testament authors. Is this really enough to uphold common understandings of the authority of the Bible for Christian faith (i.e., making its authority dependent on the nature of its inspiration)? What am I missing?