Martin Luther on revelation

This quote comes from McGrath's book A Passion for Truth. He attributes this to Martin Luther. McGrath drawn the distinction between the notion of revelation from God and a revelation of God. This distinction is best illustrated by how Christian and Islam regard their holy book. In Qur'an, the passage is understood to be a revelation from God, dictated by archangel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad. The basic Islamic understanding is that the book is an authoritative revelation in the form of a book, not a person. The difference between this and the Christian view is brought out clearly by Martin Luther. For Luther, Islam has the Qu'ran and Judaism the Torah. Luther's statement expresses how radically different Christian's perspective about God's revelation.

God does not want to be known except through Christ; nor can he be known in any other way. Christ is the offspring promised to Abraham; on him God has grounded all his promises. Therefore Christ alone is the means, the life, and the mirror through which we see God and know his will. Through Christ declares his favour and mercy to us. In Christ we see that God is not an angry master and judge but a gracious and kind father, who blesses us, that is, who delivers us from the law, sin, death, and every evil, and gives us righteousness and eternal life through Christ. This is a certain and true knowledge of God and divine persuasion, which does not fail, but depicts God himself in specific form, part from which there is no God.

For Christians, McGrath adds, Jesus is the embodiment and self-revelation of God. At the heart of the Christian faith stands a living person, not a book.