The Early Acceptance of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is without doubt the most complicated, controversial, and esoteric of the entire Bible! Some even doubt that it should even be in the Bible at all, and assert that its place in the Bible Canon was controversial from the start. This is false. Why? The early acceptance of Revelation by the Christian Church is proof that the book is divinely inspired.
EVIDENCE OF THE EARLY ACCEPTANCE OF REVELATION
- We have early, widespread and consistent reception of Revelation. Papias (c 125), Justin Martyr, Irenaus, the Muratorian Fragment, Hippolytus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen all accepted Revelation as authentic. That’s impressive! Every one of these accepted Revelation as inspired, on the basis that John, the apostle was the recorder. B W Bacon was so impressed with the initial widespread acceptance of Revelation, that he wrote: “There is no other book in the entire NT whose external attestation can compare with that of Revelation, in nearness, clearness, defintiteness, and positiveness of statement” (The Making of the New Testament, 190).
- Objections to Revelation were later and limited. Gaius in the early 3rd century rejected Revelation, thinking it was a forgery of the apostate Cerinthus. This is the first real objection.
- Objections to Revelation were not on any historical basis. Gaius rejected the literal millennnial reign of Christ, so he thought the reference in chapter 20 of such had to be a product of the apostate Cerinthus.
- Any such objections were resolved early. It was accepted by the synods of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397), by Philastrius of Brescia (c 385), Rufinus of Aquilia (c 404), Jerome (c 414), and Augustine (c 426). They accepted Revelation as authentic because it was accepted by the early Christians as authentic.
- There are many quotations from Revelation by early writers, who quoted it as being authentic.
- The writings of the Apostles were viewed as authentic (Jude 1:17-18; 2 Peter 3:15-16).
2 thoughts on “The Early Acceptance of Revelation”
I have heard that the Greek of John’s epistles and his gospel was very good and the Greek in the Book of Revelation is very poor. Do you think this is true? If so, how can all Revelation be written by the same author as the Gospel of John and the epistles of John?
LADYTRUTH37’S RESPONSE ON BEHALF OF BIBLE AUTHENTICITY:
In the 3rd century African bishop Dionysius asserted that the Greek syntax, vocabulary, subject matter, style and themes of Revelation were so different from John’s gospel and letters, that Revelation had to have had a different writer. Modern skeptical scholars hold the same view. The Greek used in Revelation is quite different from the Greek used in John’s gospel and letters., so many skeptical scholars assert that the apostle John wasn’t the writer. Who wrote the book of Revelation?
EVIDENCE OF THE APOSTLE JOHN’S WRITERSHIP
The internal and external evidence debunks the theory that the apostle John wasn’t the writer, as we can see from the following:
“I am John, your brother, and as a follower of Jesus I am your partner in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom. I was put on the island of Patmos because I had proclaimed God’s word and the truth that Jesus revealed” (Revelation 1:9 GNB). The writer identifies himself as the John with whom his contemporary readers are very familiar with. The apostle John being on the penal isle of Patmos very late in the 1st agrees with what is otherwise known about the apostle John.
“The revelation of Jesus Christ . . . He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John” (Revelation 1:1 NAB). John is identified in third person as being the human recipient of the revelation.
“Write down the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these” (Revelation 1:19 LSB). John is told to write down the revelation that he has seen, which places him as the writer.
‘I, John, am the one who was hearing and seeing these things” (Revelation 22:8 LSB). John identifies himself by name for the 3rd time in Revelation.
Revelation has many ideas and themes in common with John’s gospel and letters. Only John’s gospel and Revelation refer to Jesus as “the Word” (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13), and “the Lamb” (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6,13; 7:10,14; 22:7,9; 21:9; 22:1).
The word “witness” is one of the apostle John’s themes, appears about 180 times in the New Testament, about 80 of which are in John’s writings (48 in John; 12 in 1 John; 5 in 3 John; 14 in Revelation).
Writers are well known to use different styles when dealing with different subject matter. John’s gospel consists mostly of historical narratives, and his letters provide Christians truths and counsel. In the Revelation, he records what he was shown in apocalyptic visions. These are strangely esoteric, making the content of Revelation starkly different from John’s other writings. This, in itself, accounts for the different subject matter, syntax, and vocabulary.
CONCLUSION
We have examined powerful evidence in favor of John being the writer, notwithstanding the great differences between Revelation and john’s other four Biblical writings.