How God Has Spoken
I write today on a critical issue. One of the religious “sink holes” of our present and last centuries is the worldview that teaches that God still “speaks” today in an audible voice or other voice through certain spokespersons. This is a fallacious belief and assumption. If Christians will be Scriptural, then we must hold to a high view of Scripture- namely, that God speaks “only” in and through the written 66 books or writings of the Bible. There is no other voice or revelation or any more spoken or written “revelation” from God today outside of the Bible and the 66 writings contained in the Old and New Testaments. To believe otherwise is to deceive and lead people astray, willingly or unwillingly, with the belief that “God” has spoken outside of the 66 books of the Bible through some person, persons, or angel. Christians, if they are going to be Christian, should and must maintain that God has spoken “only” in the written Word of God- the Bible. There is no other “Word of God” or voice of God or Scripture today outside of the Bible. We must maintain the historical Christian view that “what God says, the Bible says; and what the Bible says, God says." The Bible alone is God’s revelation. The Bible alone is the voice of God today, there is and can be no other. The Bible alone is God’s authoritative Word, breathed out and written by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God as he “spoke” through the human writers of Scripture without error in the original autographs. (Textual Criticism is a whole other subject for a later post).
The Charismatic and Pentecostal movements, unfortunately, as well as many other
individuals in Christianity, historically and to the present time, have erred
to the extreme on this issue by assuming that God still “speaks” today in some person, persons, angel or written documents. St. Paul, the Apostle, wrote
much about this matter. For example: 1) He said that "All Scripture is God-breathed (Theopnuestos)
(inspired)."
(2 Timothy 3:16). 2) He said that if an angel were to come down from heaven and preach or teach a gospel contrary to “Apostolic teaching” then that angel is to be accursed (Galatians 1:6-9). The Christian community of the first century knew that God had spoken through the Apostles, including St. Paul. What Paul and the Apostles preached and taught, was correctly received, as the “revealed” Word of God as spoken by the Apostles- who also wrote the God-breathed writings. (1 Thessalonians 2:13). The Apostle Peter, for example, affirmed that the writings of St. Paul were or are Scripture (2 Peter 3:16). St. Peter further confirms the fact that Scripture is God-breathed. He states that God’s chosen (holy) men “spoke from God as they were carried (or borne) along by the Holy Spirit.” He further stated that no word from God ("Prophecy of Scripture") is of private interpretation because it was given by the Holy Spirit (I Peter 1:20-21). The Bible alone is the Word of God. There is no other word or testament from God but the 66 books of the Bible revealed or “inspired” (God-breathed) by the Holy Spirit of God. Lastly, the writer to the Hebrews (1:1-3) clearly delineates God’s historical methodology. Notice: 1) God spoke long ago, 2) God spoke long ago to the patriarchs of Israel, 3) God spoke to the patriarchs of Israel through or by the prophets of Israel, 4) God spoke in many portions and in many ways to them (many kinds of methods),
5) Lastly, God speaks in the last days “only” through the Son of God- The Lord Jesus, Messiah. This means that the God-breathed New Testament gospels are the written record of what God has "said" through the Son. This also means that the God-breathed New Testament, the Apostolic writings, are the record of God’s revelation through the Son. Scripture is quite clear, then, that the Bible alone is the revealed, written, Word of God. There is no other, and there can be no other, or will there ever be any other Word of God until we see Him personally face to face on "that day." Amen. Sola Scripture. Jesu juva. Soli Deo Gloria. (A.D. 7 April 2014). J.E.
(2 Timothy 3:16). 2) He said that if an angel were to come down from heaven and preach or teach a gospel contrary to “Apostolic teaching” then that angel is to be accursed (Galatians 1:6-9). The Christian community of the first century knew that God had spoken through the Apostles, including St. Paul. What Paul and the Apostles preached and taught, was correctly received, as the “revealed” Word of God as spoken by the Apostles- who also wrote the God-breathed writings. (1 Thessalonians 2:13). The Apostle Peter, for example, affirmed that the writings of St. Paul were or are Scripture (2 Peter 3:16). St. Peter further confirms the fact that Scripture is God-breathed. He states that God’s chosen (holy) men “spoke from God as they were carried (or borne) along by the Holy Spirit.” He further stated that no word from God ("Prophecy of Scripture") is of private interpretation because it was given by the Holy Spirit (I Peter 1:20-21). The Bible alone is the Word of God. There is no other word or testament from God but the 66 books of the Bible revealed or “inspired” (God-breathed) by the Holy Spirit of God. Lastly, the writer to the Hebrews (1:1-3) clearly delineates God’s historical methodology. Notice: 1) God spoke long ago, 2) God spoke long ago to the patriarchs of Israel, 3) God spoke to the patriarchs of Israel through or by the prophets of Israel, 4) God spoke in many portions and in many ways to them (many kinds of methods),
5) Lastly, God speaks in the last days “only” through the Son of God- The Lord Jesus, Messiah. This means that the God-breathed New Testament gospels are the written record of what God has "said" through the Son. This also means that the God-breathed New Testament, the Apostolic writings, are the record of God’s revelation through the Son. Scripture is quite clear, then, that the Bible alone is the revealed, written, Word of God. There is no other, and there can be no other, or will there ever be any other Word of God until we see Him personally face to face on "that day." Amen. Sola Scripture. Jesu juva. Soli Deo Gloria. (A.D. 7 April 2014). J.E.
3 comments:
Interesting comments... However, it is difficult for me to believe that the Word of God - spoken through our sacred scriptures - ended in the 2nd century? I do believe that Word of God is continues to be revealed except we (Christians) have yet to recognized these revelations. In other words, why would Word of God be revealed for thousands of years and did suddenly stop being revealed?
This is a good question. As my only source for truth is God and the Bible, then the answer, ultimately lies with God Himself. However, Scripture has much to say and some compelling reasons. For example, Hebrews 1:2 indicates "that in these last days, God has spoken in the Son." That is quite conclusive. Once the Apostolic ministry (those "last days," which are also "the days of the Messiah" and the "gospel dispensation") was concluded with the writing of the New Testament canon, then that concluded God's Revelation. One reason for this is that Jesus is the "telos" or the final end of God's self disclosure of Himself to man. In Christ God's Revelation is complete, concluded and final in regards to what He wanted to communicate. Another reason is to safeguard against heresy and false doctrine. For "many will come in My Name," claiming to be the Messiah and do "wonders." We are, however, not to believe them, but what God has already spoken. The book of Revelation closes with a warning to not add or take away from the "words of the prophecy of this book." How much more so the rest of the Holy Scripture?
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