A question came up concerning "if the gifts of the Holy Spirit (including prophecy) were still available, then why shouldn't we seek out 'new' revelations about and from God?"
This has often been used as an argument by those who want to say that healing and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are all passed away and not available to the church today. They say that once the Bible was completed, then we didn't need gifts like prophecy, etc.
The thing is, it says nowhere in the Bible anything about the gifts stopping or any criteria for them being superseded any time before Jesus returns.
However, it does say in Revelation something about the completeness of scripture:
Rev 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
This makes the Bible the basis for testing all doctrine. We should carefully examine all of our doctrines, traditions, beliefs, and interpretations to make sure they square with the full counsel of God's Word.
The Holy Spirit is here to lead us into all truth. However, God does not contradict Himself. The Holy Spirit will not give someone a revelation, prophecy, or instruction that goes counter to scripture or preaches "another gospel".
The manifestations and gifts of the Holy Spirit have not faded away or stopped with the death of the last Apostle. They are still available to all who take God at His Word and believe.
Prophecy is basically just a message from God. The role of prophecy today is not to reveal "new truths". But prophecy can help us to see things in God's Word that we might have missed or misunderstood before. We just must be sure to study and show ourselves approved before accepting any "new" doctrines.
Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone") is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating, clear (perspicuous) to the rational reader, its own interpreter ("Scripture interprets Scripture"), and sufficient of itself to be the only source of Christian doctrine.
Scripture has one interpretation, but can have many applications.
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3 comments :
Regarding scripture interpreting itself - the question is, interpreting it to whom? Why are there thousands of denominations that have read the same Bible cover to cover, if it interprets itself? There are legitimate questions of meaning in Scripture that cannot be fully answered by the words on the pages of the Bible.
Like you said, it is the Holy Spirit who is to guide us into all truth - but has He failed in His job?
To be guided, one has to yield, and the carnal appetites of the flesh do not lend themselves to submission just because I read the Bible cover to cover. Sola Scriptura is not reasonable for me if I do not have any humility required for learning and if I do not have the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
Sola Scriptura says that scripture must be clear to the rational reader, and yet the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing. Foolishness to them. Not clear to them - Or maybe clearly foolish. Nobody receives revelation in and of their selves (by reasoning) and if you do not receive the revelations of the Bible, then the Bible is dead to you.
-Lee
Great feedback. All too often folks get caught up on one extreme or another.
Either they want to reason everything through with their own human reasoning, or they throw away their brain and follow whatever makes them feel good or give them a tickle or goosbump.
The first step must always start with accepting God is real and He has communicated His Word to us. Then purpose in our heart to accept and yield to what God says.
This allows for the Holy Spirit to reveal the wisdom in the scriptures to us -- as the truth must be spiritually discerned (it is indeed foolishness to those who rely only on our own wisdom). And we can know it is the Holy Spirit particularly because His wisdom always squares with the full counsel of the Word. That is how we "know His voice" and can differentiate wisdom from the Good Shepherd from that of the thief.
The Bible doesn't tell us everything there is to know, but it does tell us everything we need to know to know Him and function effectively during this present age.
OPINION: Best I can figure is that the great number of denominations comes from folks, at different times in history, exalting a particular tradition or formula over just following God.
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