Starting from the point of man’s creation and the Fall:
a) Natural law and human reason – observing God’s greatness and goodness in what has been created and in His kindly intentions towards humanity680; the witness and controlling influence of the conscience regarding God’s requirements for human behaviour.
b) The Law, the Prophets and JHWE’s personal presence amongst His people of the Old Covenant; intended also to be an enlightenment to the rest of the world.
c) The short-lived presence, ministry and teaching of the incarnated Son of God to His disciples and others privileged to experience it; largely restricted to Jews and those who lived amongst them.
d) Detailed teaching of gospel salvation through the Church established by the apostles on a foundation which cannot be supplanted.
e) Century by century deepening of the Church’s understanding concerning matters not essential to what is required for gospel salvation but beneficial for her devotional life and ministry
f) Fulfilment of Jesus’ promise that the Spirit of Truth would finally “lead the Church into all truth and tell her of the things to come”681; her sagacity perfected through a more complete understanding of Holy Scripture such that the churches “come to the unity of the faith to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”682.