Study Guide for Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation
For the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Dei Verbum.
1. In the Prologue of Dei Verbum, we read that the “synod wishes to set forth the authentic
teaching on divine revelation and its transmission.” Drawing from scripture, what does the
synod identify as the purpose of divine revelation? (see also Para. 6)
From 1 John 1:2-3, we note that the purpose of divine revelation is fellowship;
fellowship among the faithful in the Triune life. Therefore, God chose to communicate Himself
and reveal His will through Jesus Christ so that all people may become sharers in the divine
nature. This infinite goodness of God is a mystery beyond our understanding.
2. In paragraph 2 of Chapter 1, we see that “the pattern of this revelation unfolds through deeds
and words which are intrinsically connected.” What are the different ways God reveals Himself?
Throughout the history of salvation, God reveals Himself through creation. He
manifested Himself to our first parents. After their fall, God chose to teach the nations about His
will and prepare His people for the Savior through prophets, patriarchs, kings, and priests.
Jesus Christ is the “mediator and the sum total of revelation” (para. 2). This means that
Christ, the Word made flesh, shows us the deepest love of God for man through his words and
deeds. Through Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension, God’s saving work is
accomplished and we are offered the treasure of eternal life in union with God.
3. “No new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord, Jesus
Christ” (Para. 4). What is the difference between public and private revelation? (see also
Catechism of the Catholic Church #66-#67)
Christ fully revealed God’s plan of salvation. The Gospel is the public revelation. But, this
revelation has not been made completely explicit; it is a mystery that Christians are called to
enter into through faith. Our life experiences, the joys and trials, are opportunities for us to
enter into God’s divine plan with faith. Private revelations, including the apparitions of Our Lady
of Fatima, can serve to help us grow in our faith. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we
read, “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called ‘private’ revelations, some of
which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong,
however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's
definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history.
Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and
welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints
to the Church” (CCC #67).