What if the Bible isn’t enough? What if God desires us to have more of a relationship with Him than a hermeneutical understanding of morality and doctrine? And isn’t that what the Bible teaches: walk in the Spirit, walk by faith, the Spirit will guide us into all truth, despise not prophesying?
If you’re anything like me, first you rejected these speculations. Then you couldn’t stop thinking about them, and started reading the Bible in a new light, considering the possibilities. And now that you’re seriously tempted to believe in continuing revelation, you’re scared. I’m not very good at explaining this fear. I think about how I have relied on the Bible so much. How do I appeal to fellow believers about their belief and practice except on a universally accepted standard? How do I witness to nonbelievers except by demonstrating the inerrancy (internal consistency and outward truth) of the Bible? Can I claim that internal consistency proves anything when that was a test for which books made it into the Canon or not? Supposing God does speak to me, how will I know it’s Him? What if He speaks to someone else? Why should I submit to what He speaks through them? How will believers be on the same page, with each one (or at least each congregation) receiving his own revelation?
Maybe I’m scared because I never dreamed I would be here, believing these things. And where else will it lead? Maybe if I need to hear from God today, or in the future, I have to trust that He will speak; I can’t just sit comfortably holding in my hand all He was ever going to say. I have to believe in a God who is able to communicate not just to me, but to people around me. I have to believe in a God whose mercy is so great that even when I’m sinfully not listening, He’ll cushion me from making mistakes too terrible. But I need His mercy every time, because whenever I’m not listening to Him, I’m doing my own thing. So maybe I don’t like this belief because it puts me out of control. I can’t force revelation from God by being smarter or studying longer or even by asking the right teacher.
On the other hand, I like it. The God of the universe is speaking to real live people today. He has designed a community for His people that is interdependent. We get to be a part of His ministry both to those who have believed and to those who have not. God has not left us alone to make up our own decisions.
To God be all glory.
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