Matthew 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
The person of Jesus Christ is the most fascinating character of history and eternity. I would like to take today's blog and the next couple of blogs to do a sweeping overview of who exactly Jesus Christ is. I will use a simple device in aiding our remembrance of the essential doctrinal truths of this incredible person Jesus Christ:
He is One Person...having two natures...occupying three offices. Today we will focus on the first, namely what is it about Jesus Christ that makes Him "One" Person.
He is One Person in Co-unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit
As Jesus was praying in His high priestly prayer in John 17:5, He makes this statement: “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." Christ here reveals the Eternal Pre-existent glory and non-ending life He has had with the God the Father from all eternity. The Apostle Paul writes these words in 1 Corinthians 8:6 - "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."
Why the Person of Christ leads to the understanding of the Trinity
The authority of the scriptures and understanding of the historic Christian Church has been that first there is One God and second, the Deity of Jesus Christ. Both truths are taught in scripture and theologians have come to understand that Christ, being one person, is in Co-unity with the Father. Additionally, Christ is also in Co-union with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19-20 reveals Christ's command to: "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name (not names) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." This special co-union between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is known as the Trinity, or the God-head (the Eternal center of undivided life shared by and dwelling in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
He is One Person with a distinct identity
As "Person", Christ is defined by who He is in the Three-fold Co-Union with the Father and Holy Spirit. God the Son has His own distinct identity. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, has this to say: "The eternal Triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."
Christ as the second member of the Trinity has these distinct qualities that are rooted within His identity as God the Son:
He reveals the Father. Hebrews 1:3a "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature....". To one of His disciples Jesus says these words in John 14:9 "He who has seen Me has seen the Father".
He regulates creation. Hebrews 1:3b "and upholds all things by the word of His power." Colossians 1:16 explains - "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
He rules over His church The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul says this in Colossians 1:18 "And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." We read similar statements in Ephesians 5:23 - "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body."
So Christ is One Person. Tomorrow we will consider what is meant when we say Jesus Christ has two natures.
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Book of no errors
Psalm 12:7 The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
The past several blogs have dealt with the identity and extent of the inspired books that make up the 66 books of the Bible. Like a measuring stick that determines truth, the entire collection of inspired books are we we call "The Canon of Scripture" (the word canon literally means "measuring stick"). But now what makes the 66 books as individual books, as well as a collection, authoritative and binding upon the conscience of every Christian? The nature of biblical authority resides in the concept referred to as "biblical inerrancy".
What do we mean when we say that the Bible is inerrant?
In addition to the verse above, other passages speak to the fact that the scriptures are without error. (Psalm 119:96; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Peter 1:21). Inerrancy simply means that the Bible, in all of its over 31,000 words and 1189 chapters is completely accurate about every matter and doctrine, whether it be scientific, historical, spiritual or literary. The Bible was written by 40 human authors who were specifically graced by God to produce writings without error.
Two important elements of biblical inerrancy
Material Inerrancy
With that said, we must understand two important aspects of inerrancy. The first is what we call "material inerrancy". When the Prophets and Apostles composed the original manuscripts (also called autographs) of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Manuscripts, the very wording or "material" of the original manuscripts were without error. After those original manuscripts were composed, they were copied, and then copied again.
Over the centuries, we have collected over 800 copies of the Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts and over 5500 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. As handcopied manuscripts, spelling differences and switching around of word order were inevitable. These small differences, called "textual variants" (or textual differences) have no effect on essential doctrines nor the facts of scripture.
Thankfully the nature of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages can still communicate the same message and content if the ordering of words are slightly different from one manuscript to the next. We have well over 90% certainty of the wording of the original text of the Old Testament and 99% certainty of the exact wording of the original Greek New Testament text, by far the greatest quality of any ancient document.
Formal Inerrancy
With the original manuscripts no longer around, how can we know that the copies and translations today are by authority the inerrant word of God? This is where the second concept, called "formal" inerrancy becomes useful. "Formal" authority refers to the doctrines, teachings and facts communicated by the copies and translations made from the original manuscripts.
The doctrines and teachings of the scriptures have not been lost through the centuries of copying of the manuscripts of the Bible. When Jesus and the Apostles quoted the Old Testament, they were doing so from a Greek Translation called the Septuagint. Their attitude toward the translations and manuscripts of their day demonstrates what we are discussing here. Because the original manuscripts were in the "material" of their original wording inerrant, biblical doctrines and details have been faithfully communicated through the remarkable preservation of the manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. This is why we can say that the Bibles we have today are by virtue of their authority the inerrant Word of God.
The Practical Value of biblical inerrancy
Reading, studying, teaching and preaching God's word demands an accurate text. What would happen if we discovered errors in matters of doctrinal, historical or scientific truth? It would undermine the Christian faith and the confidence we have in living out the Christian faith. Christian faith derives from scripture and though it. (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)
It is the Holy Spirit who guides and illluminates the text. (1 John 2:20,27). If I don't have the inerrant word of God, then I won't have an accurate picture and understanding of Christ. Inerrancy is without a doubt still relevant and highly practical, since it describes the nature of the source of biblical Christianity - The Bible.
The past several blogs have dealt with the identity and extent of the inspired books that make up the 66 books of the Bible. Like a measuring stick that determines truth, the entire collection of inspired books are we we call "The Canon of Scripture" (the word canon literally means "measuring stick"). But now what makes the 66 books as individual books, as well as a collection, authoritative and binding upon the conscience of every Christian? The nature of biblical authority resides in the concept referred to as "biblical inerrancy".
What do we mean when we say that the Bible is inerrant?
In addition to the verse above, other passages speak to the fact that the scriptures are without error. (Psalm 119:96; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Peter 1:21). Inerrancy simply means that the Bible, in all of its over 31,000 words and 1189 chapters is completely accurate about every matter and doctrine, whether it be scientific, historical, spiritual or literary. The Bible was written by 40 human authors who were specifically graced by God to produce writings without error.
Two important elements of biblical inerrancy
Material Inerrancy
With that said, we must understand two important aspects of inerrancy. The first is what we call "material inerrancy". When the Prophets and Apostles composed the original manuscripts (also called autographs) of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Manuscripts, the very wording or "material" of the original manuscripts were without error. After those original manuscripts were composed, they were copied, and then copied again.
Over the centuries, we have collected over 800 copies of the Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts and over 5500 manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. As handcopied manuscripts, spelling differences and switching around of word order were inevitable. These small differences, called "textual variants" (or textual differences) have no effect on essential doctrines nor the facts of scripture.
Thankfully the nature of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages can still communicate the same message and content if the ordering of words are slightly different from one manuscript to the next. We have well over 90% certainty of the wording of the original text of the Old Testament and 99% certainty of the exact wording of the original Greek New Testament text, by far the greatest quality of any ancient document.
Formal Inerrancy
With the original manuscripts no longer around, how can we know that the copies and translations today are by authority the inerrant word of God? This is where the second concept, called "formal" inerrancy becomes useful. "Formal" authority refers to the doctrines, teachings and facts communicated by the copies and translations made from the original manuscripts.
The doctrines and teachings of the scriptures have not been lost through the centuries of copying of the manuscripts of the Bible. When Jesus and the Apostles quoted the Old Testament, they were doing so from a Greek Translation called the Septuagint. Their attitude toward the translations and manuscripts of their day demonstrates what we are discussing here. Because the original manuscripts were in the "material" of their original wording inerrant, biblical doctrines and details have been faithfully communicated through the remarkable preservation of the manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. This is why we can say that the Bibles we have today are by virtue of their authority the inerrant Word of God.
The Practical Value of biblical inerrancy
Reading, studying, teaching and preaching God's word demands an accurate text. What would happen if we discovered errors in matters of doctrinal, historical or scientific truth? It would undermine the Christian faith and the confidence we have in living out the Christian faith. Christian faith derives from scripture and though it. (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)
It is the Holy Spirit who guides and illluminates the text. (1 John 2:20,27). If I don't have the inerrant word of God, then I won't have an accurate picture and understanding of Christ. Inerrancy is without a doubt still relevant and highly practical, since it describes the nature of the source of biblical Christianity - The Bible.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Why there are only four gospels
Galatians 1:9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
So-Called Modern Discoveries of "Lost Gospels"
For the past 50 years, and most recently in the past ten years, we have been hearing news reports about the discovery of "Lost Gospels" allegedly written by Jesus' Apostles. Titles such as "The Gospel of Thomas" and most recently "The Gospel of Judas" have been touted as lost works that should had been included in the New Testament.
The time period following the completion of the New Testament books saw an onslaught of forged writings produced under the assumed names of the Apostles. Is it true that we have works that should had been included in the New Testament canon? Or was it immediately recognized by Christians in the early church that the so-called "gospels" that we are hearing about today were nothing more than heretical forgeries?
History's testimony
In the first 300 years of the church a movement arose that threatened to undermine the truth of God's Word. That movement, called "Gnosticism" (nos-ti-sism) taught that salvation was not by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but rather through a special, mystical knowledge (a gnosis) that was attained through denial of the physical world. Furthermore, these Gnostics emphasized communication with the angelic realm, denied the sufficiency and authority of scripture and denied that Jesus Christ physcially died on the cross.
An early Christian leader by the name of Irenaeus of Lyons, wrote a book called "Against Heresies", wherein he describes the teachings of the Gnostics and their writings. The fact that we have many of these "so-called" gospels in existence today enables us to examine the nature of their teachings.
A quick survey of these "so-called" gospels
Below is a quick survey of the teachings and contents of a few of the Gnostic gospels. Having read these works, I can tell you that they are not even in the same ball-park of authority or quality as our beloved four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) As will be shown, they do not match with the information we find in the four biblical Gospels:
1. Gospel of Thomas - Written almost a century after the Apostles' deaths, Thomas teaches that salvation is through a mystical encounter with Jesus, rather than through faith and trust in His shed blood. It is composed of 114 loose sayings supposedly made by Him. There is not one mention of His crucifixion or His Lordship, teachings that are central to the four Gospels and the New Testament.
2. The Gospel of Peter - This work was written 100 years after the death of the Apostle Peter. Not only was it not written by the Apostle Peter, but the work also suggests that Jesus did not Himself die on the cross, but rather made it appear that He did, and had Judas do it in his place! The Gnostics denied Jesus' physical body, and thus no need for a cross. Clearly this goes against the central teachings of the New Testament.
We could mention other so-called gospels, however their teachings and short-comings clearly demonstrate why they were immediately rejected as scripture. Irenaeus' work "Against Heresies" spells out in detail the work and beliefs of these Gnostics. What makes this resource valuable is that Irenaeus was alive when all of this stuff was being written.
So why only four Gospels, and no more?
By reading the Book of Acts and the early testimonies of Christian leaders following the days of the Apostles, we have a unified testimony of the composition and purpose behind the four Gospels. Matthew was the first Gospel written to communicate to Jews living in Israel that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah and Savior. As you read in Acts 1-8, the church was predominately Jewish and centered in Jerusalem.
As Christianity spread, God called Saul to become Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. From Acts 9-28 we see the Gospel mission becoming more and more focused on the Gentiles. Paul had a close friend named Luke, who was both a medical doctor and historian. History tells us that Luke took down the sermons of Paul and consulted eye-witness testimony of Jesus life in the composition of His Gospel (which he states in his opening in Luke 1:1-4).
When Luke completed his Gospel, the Holy Spirit led the Apostle Peter to preach a series of messages about Jesus' life from the Gospel of Matthew and the newly inspired Gospel of Luke. Mark, his trusted friend, wrote them down under Divine inspiration and the Gospel of Mark was used to verify the details of Luke in comparison to Matthew.
But now what about the emphasis upon the Deity and humanity of Christ? The Apostle John, the same author who wrote Revelation and 1,2,3 John, wrote His Gospel in 95 A.D to supplement the material of the first three Gospels. In John's Gospel we see details of Jesus' ministry in and around Jerusalem, as well as proofs of His deity and affirmations of His humanity.
When taken together, these four Gospels provide a composite and complete picture of Jesus Christ. Nothing more could be said or needed to be said. Out of all the books of the Bible, the Four Gospels have one the strongest cases for being included in the list of inspired books. All we can say is that when compared to the Gnostic Gospels, we discover that the Gnostic gospels are not really gospels at all, but false gospels.
So-Called Modern Discoveries of "Lost Gospels"
For the past 50 years, and most recently in the past ten years, we have been hearing news reports about the discovery of "Lost Gospels" allegedly written by Jesus' Apostles. Titles such as "The Gospel of Thomas" and most recently "The Gospel of Judas" have been touted as lost works that should had been included in the New Testament.
The time period following the completion of the New Testament books saw an onslaught of forged writings produced under the assumed names of the Apostles. Is it true that we have works that should had been included in the New Testament canon? Or was it immediately recognized by Christians in the early church that the so-called "gospels" that we are hearing about today were nothing more than heretical forgeries?
History's testimony
In the first 300 years of the church a movement arose that threatened to undermine the truth of God's Word. That movement, called "Gnosticism" (nos-ti-sism) taught that salvation was not by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but rather through a special, mystical knowledge (a gnosis) that was attained through denial of the physical world. Furthermore, these Gnostics emphasized communication with the angelic realm, denied the sufficiency and authority of scripture and denied that Jesus Christ physcially died on the cross.
An early Christian leader by the name of Irenaeus of Lyons, wrote a book called "Against Heresies", wherein he describes the teachings of the Gnostics and their writings. The fact that we have many of these "so-called" gospels in existence today enables us to examine the nature of their teachings.
A quick survey of these "so-called" gospels
Below is a quick survey of the teachings and contents of a few of the Gnostic gospels. Having read these works, I can tell you that they are not even in the same ball-park of authority or quality as our beloved four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) As will be shown, they do not match with the information we find in the four biblical Gospels:
1. Gospel of Thomas - Written almost a century after the Apostles' deaths, Thomas teaches that salvation is through a mystical encounter with Jesus, rather than through faith and trust in His shed blood. It is composed of 114 loose sayings supposedly made by Him. There is not one mention of His crucifixion or His Lordship, teachings that are central to the four Gospels and the New Testament.
2. The Gospel of Peter - This work was written 100 years after the death of the Apostle Peter. Not only was it not written by the Apostle Peter, but the work also suggests that Jesus did not Himself die on the cross, but rather made it appear that He did, and had Judas do it in his place! The Gnostics denied Jesus' physical body, and thus no need for a cross. Clearly this goes against the central teachings of the New Testament.
We could mention other so-called gospels, however their teachings and short-comings clearly demonstrate why they were immediately rejected as scripture. Irenaeus' work "Against Heresies" spells out in detail the work and beliefs of these Gnostics. What makes this resource valuable is that Irenaeus was alive when all of this stuff was being written.
So why only four Gospels, and no more?
By reading the Book of Acts and the early testimonies of Christian leaders following the days of the Apostles, we have a unified testimony of the composition and purpose behind the four Gospels. Matthew was the first Gospel written to communicate to Jews living in Israel that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah and Savior. As you read in Acts 1-8, the church was predominately Jewish and centered in Jerusalem.
As Christianity spread, God called Saul to become Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. From Acts 9-28 we see the Gospel mission becoming more and more focused on the Gentiles. Paul had a close friend named Luke, who was both a medical doctor and historian. History tells us that Luke took down the sermons of Paul and consulted eye-witness testimony of Jesus life in the composition of His Gospel (which he states in his opening in Luke 1:1-4).
When Luke completed his Gospel, the Holy Spirit led the Apostle Peter to preach a series of messages about Jesus' life from the Gospel of Matthew and the newly inspired Gospel of Luke. Mark, his trusted friend, wrote them down under Divine inspiration and the Gospel of Mark was used to verify the details of Luke in comparison to Matthew.
But now what about the emphasis upon the Deity and humanity of Christ? The Apostle John, the same author who wrote Revelation and 1,2,3 John, wrote His Gospel in 95 A.D to supplement the material of the first three Gospels. In John's Gospel we see details of Jesus' ministry in and around Jerusalem, as well as proofs of His deity and affirmations of His humanity.
When taken together, these four Gospels provide a composite and complete picture of Jesus Christ. Nothing more could be said or needed to be said. Out of all the books of the Bible, the Four Gospels have one the strongest cases for being included in the list of inspired books. All we can say is that when compared to the Gnostic Gospels, we discover that the Gnostic gospels are not really gospels at all, but false gospels.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Why there are truly no "lost books of the Bible"
Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
I remember when I first became a Christian I had a relative who had also gotten converted at about the same time as myself. One day my family and I went to his home for a visit, and I noticed a curiously titled book in his collection called "The Lost Books of the Bible". As I began to thumb through that volume, I ran into "The Book of Adam and Eve" and the "Book of Abraham" and other books supposedly written by famous biblical characters.
Not One Inspired Book of the Bible has ever been lost
Some people today are saying that there are other books other than the 66 books that should had made it into our Bibles. Has all the books that God the Holy Spirit inspired made it into the Bible? Are there "lost books" of the Bible? It will be the contention of this blog that due to the nature of these "so-called" lost books, the dates of their composition and their corrupt theology, that we can confidently say that not one inspired book of the Bible has ever been lost.
What are these "so-called" Lost Books of the Bible
We saw yesterday that in the time period between the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish people began to write non-inspired devotional and historical works that collectively are called "The Apocrypha". As one digs more into what the Jewish people were thinking during that time, many curious questions were being asked. Many folks speculated about details not spoken of in the Bible. Thus between 200 B.C to almost 200 A.D the Jews composed a collection of Books under the assumed names of Biblical people.
In the scholarly community the "Lost Books" of the Bible are known by the weird name "Pseudo-pigrapha" (soo-da-pi-grafa), meaning "false-writings". Much like the Apocrypha, this collection of writings were immedately rejected as non-inspired. The number of these books number in the dozens, and below some of their names are mentioned for reference:
1. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (supposed writings by Jacob's Twelve Sons)
2. The Books of Adam, Eve and Noah (Alleged records written by Adam, Eve and Noah)
3. The Book of Enoch (A long book recording the supposed revelations of the pre-flood prophet Enoch)
4. The Book of Abraham (you guessed it, supposedly written by Abraham)
These books were in a sense, the fiction of their day
Though this may be a poor analogy, it serves to illustrate how the Jewish people may had regarded these works. People were speculating about things in the Bible that they did not understand. What these Pseudo-pigrapha did was to fill in a curiosity gap and an entertainment gap. But even more-so, the people of God had not heard a fresh revelation for 400 years. Thus they began to write these books in an attempt to deal with the pain of God's silence. Unfortunately, by assuming the names of Biblical characters, the Pseudo-pigrapha were written under false pretense.
Though popular in their day, these books were never regarded as inspired by God
By the days of Jesus, the Jews would had been well aware of the existence of these books (much like today's New York Times Best Sellers or popular Christian Authors). However the doctrines being communicated by these books was even more radical than that of the Apocrypha. The extreme figurative language and at times non-sensical nature of these books made it easy to see their counterfeit nature. Furthermore, these books as a collection taught for instance that angels were not just merely created beings, but in some cases could do similar things to God. Also too, claiming to be written by biblical characters, when it was clear in many cases that they were not, demonstrates a lack of regard for the scriptures.
Why there are no "Lost Books of the Bible", just more books of men
As Jesus said in the verse above, not one word of God will ever pass away. Not only did God the Holy Spirit work with the 40 human authors of scripture to produce each and every Bible book, He also guaranteed that not one would be lost. If we were to unearth an alleged book today written by The Apostle Paul, Peter or the Prophet Isaiah, we could say with utmost confidence that the book would be non-inspired. Why? Because God had fixed the number of books He chose to inspire, as well as the time periods in which they were written (Hebrews 1:1-2) God has even guaranteed His people that with the sending of the Holy Spirit, they would have the guidance they need to discern what is the truth of God versus the words of men. (John 16:13) Psalm 119:89 tells us plainly: "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven."
I remember when I first became a Christian I had a relative who had also gotten converted at about the same time as myself. One day my family and I went to his home for a visit, and I noticed a curiously titled book in his collection called "The Lost Books of the Bible". As I began to thumb through that volume, I ran into "The Book of Adam and Eve" and the "Book of Abraham" and other books supposedly written by famous biblical characters.
Not One Inspired Book of the Bible has ever been lost
Some people today are saying that there are other books other than the 66 books that should had made it into our Bibles. Has all the books that God the Holy Spirit inspired made it into the Bible? Are there "lost books" of the Bible? It will be the contention of this blog that due to the nature of these "so-called" lost books, the dates of their composition and their corrupt theology, that we can confidently say that not one inspired book of the Bible has ever been lost.
What are these "so-called" Lost Books of the Bible
We saw yesterday that in the time period between the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish people began to write non-inspired devotional and historical works that collectively are called "The Apocrypha". As one digs more into what the Jewish people were thinking during that time, many curious questions were being asked. Many folks speculated about details not spoken of in the Bible. Thus between 200 B.C to almost 200 A.D the Jews composed a collection of Books under the assumed names of Biblical people.
In the scholarly community the "Lost Books" of the Bible are known by the weird name "Pseudo-pigrapha" (soo-da-pi-grafa), meaning "false-writings". Much like the Apocrypha, this collection of writings were immedately rejected as non-inspired. The number of these books number in the dozens, and below some of their names are mentioned for reference:
1. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (supposed writings by Jacob's Twelve Sons)
2. The Books of Adam, Eve and Noah (Alleged records written by Adam, Eve and Noah)
3. The Book of Enoch (A long book recording the supposed revelations of the pre-flood prophet Enoch)
4. The Book of Abraham (you guessed it, supposedly written by Abraham)
These books were in a sense, the fiction of their day
Though this may be a poor analogy, it serves to illustrate how the Jewish people may had regarded these works. People were speculating about things in the Bible that they did not understand. What these Pseudo-pigrapha did was to fill in a curiosity gap and an entertainment gap. But even more-so, the people of God had not heard a fresh revelation for 400 years. Thus they began to write these books in an attempt to deal with the pain of God's silence. Unfortunately, by assuming the names of Biblical characters, the Pseudo-pigrapha were written under false pretense.
Though popular in their day, these books were never regarded as inspired by God
By the days of Jesus, the Jews would had been well aware of the existence of these books (much like today's New York Times Best Sellers or popular Christian Authors). However the doctrines being communicated by these books was even more radical than that of the Apocrypha. The extreme figurative language and at times non-sensical nature of these books made it easy to see their counterfeit nature. Furthermore, these books as a collection taught for instance that angels were not just merely created beings, but in some cases could do similar things to God. Also too, claiming to be written by biblical characters, when it was clear in many cases that they were not, demonstrates a lack of regard for the scriptures.
Why there are no "Lost Books of the Bible", just more books of men
As Jesus said in the verse above, not one word of God will ever pass away. Not only did God the Holy Spirit work with the 40 human authors of scripture to produce each and every Bible book, He also guaranteed that not one would be lost. If we were to unearth an alleged book today written by The Apostle Paul, Peter or the Prophet Isaiah, we could say with utmost confidence that the book would be non-inspired. Why? Because God had fixed the number of books He chose to inspire, as well as the time periods in which they were written (Hebrews 1:1-2) God has even guaranteed His people that with the sending of the Holy Spirit, they would have the guidance they need to discern what is the truth of God versus the words of men. (John 16:13) Psalm 119:89 tells us plainly: "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven."
Saturday, January 14, 2012
What are Apocrypha and why they are not scripture?
What are the Apocrypha?
When Malachi penned his book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 400 years passed until God would once again speak a word to men like Matthew to pen inspired scripture. In between Malachi and Matthew history saw the rise and fall of four major world empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. During that period, the Jews wrote 14 non-inspired books of history and devotional reflection that are referred to today as "The Apocrypha". The word "Apocrypha" means "that which is hidden" or "concealed". You have perhaps heard about them or have seen them in a Catholic Bible. For reference sake, the Apocrypha are as follows:
1. 1st Esdras
2. 2nd Esdras
3. Tobit (a fictional account of a Jewish man by the name of Tobit)
4. Judith (an alledged addition to the Book of Daniel)
5. Bel and the Dragon (an alleged addition to the Book of Daniel)
6. The Song of the Three Holy Children (an alleged addtion to the Book of Daniel)
7. Additions to Esther (supposed extra verses for the biblical book of Esther)
8. Susanna
9. 1 Macabbees (historical record of the Jewish opposition to Rome)
10. 2 Macabbees (reflections on Jewish opposition to Rome)
11. Prayer of Mannasseh (supposed prayer of repentance prayed by the biblical King Mannasseh)
12. Wisdom of Solomon (also called Sirach)
13. Book of Baruch (an alledged addition to Jeremiah)
14. Ecclesiasticus (a Jewish Philsophical work trying to prove the Jewish faith from reason)
Just as you would walk into a book store and find many non-inspired books reflecting on the contents of scripture or giving a history of the church, the Apocrypha functioned in much the same way for the Jewish people. Though written by the Jewish people, these 14 books were never accepted as equal or inspired to the Old Testament Books stretching from Genesis to Malachi. As one reviews the history of these 14 books, it is evident as to why they cannot be deemed as inspired scripture like the 66 books of the Bible.
How did the Apocrypha end up in some Bibles?
The world's first Bible translation included the Apocrypha due to their popular use
As the Jewish people came to speak the Greek language, the time came for the need of a Greek translation of the Old Testament. The project of translating the Hebrew Bible into Greek occured from 275 b.c up until almost the time when Jesus came on the scene. The Hebrew Bible continued to be copied and interpreted by the Jewish Rabbi's (Teachers) and Scribes (guys who hand-copy manuscripts), however the vast majority of the Jewish world came to use the Septuagint. The Apocrypha, though not being recognized as inspired scripture, were included in the Greek Old Testament due to their wide use by the Jews. This version of the Old Testament was used by the Early Church, since most of it spoke Greek. Think of our English Bibles that have study notes, maps and Topical indexes. Though not inspired, they have been found to be of wide use among God's people.
The Apocrypha were never acknowledged by the Jews and Early Church as inspired scripture
Jewish Historians such as Josephus in his work "Antiquities of the Jews" and the Greek speaking Jew "Philo" both refer to the Old Testament in their writings. Josephus in particular writes about how the Old Testament books were recognized, accepted and in full use before the close of the Old Testament. In his work, there are listed the documents of the Old Testament that are found in our English Bibles. Interestingly Josephus does not mention the apocrypha, reflecting the widely held Jewish view of the non-inspired nature of the Apocrypha.
The early church also had this same general opinion. Documents such as the Muritorian Canon (composed over 100 years after the death of the Apostles) and the work "The History of the Church" by the church father "Eusebius" (written in the 300's A.D) mention the books of the Old and New Testament as being inspired. Yet the Apocrypha are not included in those lists. The reason why the church came to this conclusion is mainly because we never see the Apocrypha quoted as scripture by the Apostles in the New Testament.
The Roman Catholic Church's continued use and gradual elevation of the Apocrypha
By the 400's A.D the church in the Western Roman Empire was speaking more Latin and less Greek. A man by the name of Jerome translated the Old and New Testament into the Latin Version known as the Vulgate. It would be this Bible that would be used by the Roman Catholic Church for the next 1,000 years. Though Jerome in his writings never acknowledged the Apocrypha as inspired, they were included in his version due to their wide use. The Catholic Church would gradually come to value the Apocrypha more and more over the centuries as it saw the need to justify some of its beliefs not taught in the inspired books of the Bible.
The Roman Catholic Church deems the Apocrypha as equal to scripture in the 1500's
By the days of the sixteenth century (1500's), the Roman Catholic Church was in need of reform, both theologically and morally. In partial response to the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church needed a way of supporting its doctrines that it knew were not in the Bible. Since they already had been using the Apocrypha, the church convened a meeting, The Council of Trent, in the 1500's. It was at that council that the Roman Catholic church declared the Apocrypha to be "equal" to scripture, a "second canon".
For over 1500 years the testimony of the early church and the Jews was that the Apocrypha, though useful in some sense, were not inspired. Yet The Roman Catholic Church ignored that testimony. To this day, in Roman Catholic Bibles, you will find the Apocrypha being referred to as "The Deutro-canonical" books, which simply mean that they are regarded as scripture (by the Roman Catholic Church).
Why the Apocrypha are not included in many Modern Non-Catholic English Bibles
In the 1500's the Church in England broke away from the Catholic Church, under the leading of King Henry VIII. The Church of England, known as the Anglican Church, retained the Apocrypha in the various English translations, including the King James Bible. In all editions of the King James Bible, the Apocrypha were inserted in between Malachi and Matthew until the 1700's. By influence of the Reformation, Christian leaders, especially in America, recognized the original position of the early Christians and Jews, and from the 1800's onward, no edition of the King James Bible included the Apocrypha.
In 1881 English Scholars did the English translation known as the "Authorized Standard Version". This version, as well as most English versions produced today (other than Catholic Bibles and the New Revised Standard Version), do not include the Apocrypha.
Practical Considerations
So how is the Bible believing Christian to regard the Apocrypha? Some of the books, such as 1 Macabbees,, are valuable historical records of what the Jews were dealing with between the Old and New Testaments. 1 Macabees 9:27 reminds us that there was no word from God in the times following Malachi, thus showing how the Apocryphal writers themselves viewed what they were doing - namely non-inspired work. Other Apocryphal books, such as Tobit, teach salvation by works, and provide no value. The Apocrypha as a collection are uneven in their usefulness, and must be cautiously approached or avoided all together.
To know what is authoritative for living the Christian life is crucially important for growing in Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-2 reminds us to crave the pure milk of the word, so that we may grow in our faith. Knowing which books are inspired is important, since only by the written Word of God can anyone be converted to saving faith and grow in Christ. My prayer is that you, dear reader, have found today's blog helpful in understanding the value of knowing God's word, the 66 inspired books.
When Malachi penned his book under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 400 years passed until God would once again speak a word to men like Matthew to pen inspired scripture. In between Malachi and Matthew history saw the rise and fall of four major world empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. During that period, the Jews wrote 14 non-inspired books of history and devotional reflection that are referred to today as "The Apocrypha". The word "Apocrypha" means "that which is hidden" or "concealed". You have perhaps heard about them or have seen them in a Catholic Bible. For reference sake, the Apocrypha are as follows:
1. 1st Esdras
2. 2nd Esdras
3. Tobit (a fictional account of a Jewish man by the name of Tobit)
4. Judith (an alledged addition to the Book of Daniel)
5. Bel and the Dragon (an alleged addition to the Book of Daniel)
6. The Song of the Three Holy Children (an alleged addtion to the Book of Daniel)
7. Additions to Esther (supposed extra verses for the biblical book of Esther)
8. Susanna
9. 1 Macabbees (historical record of the Jewish opposition to Rome)
10. 2 Macabbees (reflections on Jewish opposition to Rome)
11. Prayer of Mannasseh (supposed prayer of repentance prayed by the biblical King Mannasseh)
12. Wisdom of Solomon (also called Sirach)
13. Book of Baruch (an alledged addition to Jeremiah)
14. Ecclesiasticus (a Jewish Philsophical work trying to prove the Jewish faith from reason)
Just as you would walk into a book store and find many non-inspired books reflecting on the contents of scripture or giving a history of the church, the Apocrypha functioned in much the same way for the Jewish people. Though written by the Jewish people, these 14 books were never accepted as equal or inspired to the Old Testament Books stretching from Genesis to Malachi. As one reviews the history of these 14 books, it is evident as to why they cannot be deemed as inspired scripture like the 66 books of the Bible.
How did the Apocrypha end up in some Bibles?
The world's first Bible translation included the Apocrypha due to their popular use
As the Jewish people came to speak the Greek language, the time came for the need of a Greek translation of the Old Testament. The project of translating the Hebrew Bible into Greek occured from 275 b.c up until almost the time when Jesus came on the scene. The Hebrew Bible continued to be copied and interpreted by the Jewish Rabbi's (Teachers) and Scribes (guys who hand-copy manuscripts), however the vast majority of the Jewish world came to use the Septuagint. The Apocrypha, though not being recognized as inspired scripture, were included in the Greek Old Testament due to their wide use by the Jews. This version of the Old Testament was used by the Early Church, since most of it spoke Greek. Think of our English Bibles that have study notes, maps and Topical indexes. Though not inspired, they have been found to be of wide use among God's people.
The Apocrypha were never acknowledged by the Jews and Early Church as inspired scripture
Jewish Historians such as Josephus in his work "Antiquities of the Jews" and the Greek speaking Jew "Philo" both refer to the Old Testament in their writings. Josephus in particular writes about how the Old Testament books were recognized, accepted and in full use before the close of the Old Testament. In his work, there are listed the documents of the Old Testament that are found in our English Bibles. Interestingly Josephus does not mention the apocrypha, reflecting the widely held Jewish view of the non-inspired nature of the Apocrypha.
The early church also had this same general opinion. Documents such as the Muritorian Canon (composed over 100 years after the death of the Apostles) and the work "The History of the Church" by the church father "Eusebius" (written in the 300's A.D) mention the books of the Old and New Testament as being inspired. Yet the Apocrypha are not included in those lists. The reason why the church came to this conclusion is mainly because we never see the Apocrypha quoted as scripture by the Apostles in the New Testament.
The Roman Catholic Church's continued use and gradual elevation of the Apocrypha
By the 400's A.D the church in the Western Roman Empire was speaking more Latin and less Greek. A man by the name of Jerome translated the Old and New Testament into the Latin Version known as the Vulgate. It would be this Bible that would be used by the Roman Catholic Church for the next 1,000 years. Though Jerome in his writings never acknowledged the Apocrypha as inspired, they were included in his version due to their wide use. The Catholic Church would gradually come to value the Apocrypha more and more over the centuries as it saw the need to justify some of its beliefs not taught in the inspired books of the Bible.
The Roman Catholic Church deems the Apocrypha as equal to scripture in the 1500's
By the days of the sixteenth century (1500's), the Roman Catholic Church was in need of reform, both theologically and morally. In partial response to the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church needed a way of supporting its doctrines that it knew were not in the Bible. Since they already had been using the Apocrypha, the church convened a meeting, The Council of Trent, in the 1500's. It was at that council that the Roman Catholic church declared the Apocrypha to be "equal" to scripture, a "second canon".
For over 1500 years the testimony of the early church and the Jews was that the Apocrypha, though useful in some sense, were not inspired. Yet The Roman Catholic Church ignored that testimony. To this day, in Roman Catholic Bibles, you will find the Apocrypha being referred to as "The Deutro-canonical" books, which simply mean that they are regarded as scripture (by the Roman Catholic Church).
Why the Apocrypha are not included in many Modern Non-Catholic English Bibles
In the 1500's the Church in England broke away from the Catholic Church, under the leading of King Henry VIII. The Church of England, known as the Anglican Church, retained the Apocrypha in the various English translations, including the King James Bible. In all editions of the King James Bible, the Apocrypha were inserted in between Malachi and Matthew until the 1700's. By influence of the Reformation, Christian leaders, especially in America, recognized the original position of the early Christians and Jews, and from the 1800's onward, no edition of the King James Bible included the Apocrypha.
In 1881 English Scholars did the English translation known as the "Authorized Standard Version". This version, as well as most English versions produced today (other than Catholic Bibles and the New Revised Standard Version), do not include the Apocrypha.
Practical Considerations
So how is the Bible believing Christian to regard the Apocrypha? Some of the books, such as 1 Macabbees,, are valuable historical records of what the Jews were dealing with between the Old and New Testaments. 1 Macabees 9:27 reminds us that there was no word from God in the times following Malachi, thus showing how the Apocryphal writers themselves viewed what they were doing - namely non-inspired work. Other Apocryphal books, such as Tobit, teach salvation by works, and provide no value. The Apocrypha as a collection are uneven in their usefulness, and must be cautiously approached or avoided all together.
To know what is authoritative for living the Christian life is crucially important for growing in Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-2 reminds us to crave the pure milk of the word, so that we may grow in our faith. Knowing which books are inspired is important, since only by the written Word of God can anyone be converted to saving faith and grow in Christ. My prayer is that you, dear reader, have found today's blog helpful in understanding the value of knowing God's word, the 66 inspired books.
Friday, January 13, 2012
God's Word is the Bible, not the Book of Mormon
2 Peter 1:20-21 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Yesterday we looked at the differences between revelation, inspiration and illumination. We discovered through our study that there is no new revelation nor inspired documents being produced today. We also found out that God is still speaking today as it pertains to His "lluminating work" through the scriptures. But now what about other "so-called" holy books? There is no shortage of religions claiming to have divinely inspired writings. How can we evaluate whether or not a given work bears the marks of Divine inspiration?
Testing for Divine inspiration
When we are evaluating whether or not a document is of divine origin, we look for tell-tale marks or features. Historically throughout the scripture itself, as well as throughout the history of the church, certain "tests" were applied to determine the authenticity of a book claiming Divine inspiration.
1. Was the book written by an apostle or prophet or close associate under their direct supervision? (Exodus 24:4; 1 John 1:1-5; 2 Peter 3:16)
2. Does the book contain any examples of accurately, predictive prophecies? (Deuteronomy 13; Isaiah 41:23-25)
3. Does the book accurately describe history? (Isaiah 41:23-25)
4. Does the book possess the ability to convert the human heart? (Psalm 19:7)
5. Was the book immediately received as written revelation by God's people? (2 Peter 3:16)
6. Does the books teaching conflict with other books clearly recognized as inspired? (2 Peter 3:16)
By these six tests we can measure other claims for Divine inspiration to determine whether or not a given work is of Divine origin.
Practically applying these tests - evaluating the Book of Mormon
A quick testing of other books claiming divine revelation will determine the validity of such claims. We take for instance the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith wrote the book in the 1840's, claiming to had been a prophet to restore the lost message of Christianity. However from records of his life we discover that Joseph Smith had been convicted of fraud and occultic practices. If Joseph Smith were to be evaluated in light of 2 Peter 1:21, we would discover that he wrote the book of Mormon based upon his own "private interpretation" and "reasoning" concerning the churches of his day. Thus his prophetic credentials are without a doubt questionable. Other than Joseph's Smith's immediate followers, the Book of Mormon has never been accepted as inspired scripture by the Christian church here in America or abroad.
In terms of the accuracy of predictive prophecy or descriptions of history, the Book of Mormon fails on both counts. As far as we know, there has been no genetic link proven to exist between various Native American tribes and the Jewish people, nor is there any archaelogical evidence of the existence of the two groups of people spoken of in the book of Mormon - the Lamanites and the Nephites. Both of these details are central to the plot of the Book of Mormon, and yet on matters of history, the Book of Mormon is found wanting. Likewise, there is no example of predictive prophecy in the book.
With regard to the Book of Mormon being able to convert the human soul to saving faith in Christ, here too we see failure. For one thing, the Jesus defined in Mormonism is different from the Jesus of scripture. Mormon doctrine teaches that Jesus is a created being who is, among other things, the brother of Lucifer! This is opposite of the Biblical teaching on Christ's Deity and Lucifer being a created being who is the arch enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the wrong Jesus is taught, true saving faith will never be persuaded to trust in that Jesus, since those who follow the Master know His voice, and won't heed the voice of a stranger. (John 10:5)
Then finally, the Book of Mormon's theology is so different from the teachings of the Bible. Doctrines central to the Christian faith such as The Trinity, Christ's deity and salvation by grace alone through faith alone are ultimately denied by the Book of Mormon. As we can see from this quick survey, it is apparent that the Book of Mormon cannot be termed "The Word of God", but rather "a book of men".
The Bible alone is God's word
When we look at the Bible, it passes all six tests. It alone contains hundreds of predictive prophecies, gives an accurate account of history and creation and has the power to convert the human soul. In almost every case, the books of the Bible were immediately recognized as inspired. Even in cases where the people of God may had hesitated, large segments of the Christian community accepted books like Revelation and Hebrews, with universal recognition occuring within a century after the works were completed. Without a doubt, the Bible alone can be constituted the word of God.
Yesterday we looked at the differences between revelation, inspiration and illumination. We discovered through our study that there is no new revelation nor inspired documents being produced today. We also found out that God is still speaking today as it pertains to His "lluminating work" through the scriptures. But now what about other "so-called" holy books? There is no shortage of religions claiming to have divinely inspired writings. How can we evaluate whether or not a given work bears the marks of Divine inspiration?
Testing for Divine inspiration
When we are evaluating whether or not a document is of divine origin, we look for tell-tale marks or features. Historically throughout the scripture itself, as well as throughout the history of the church, certain "tests" were applied to determine the authenticity of a book claiming Divine inspiration.
1. Was the book written by an apostle or prophet or close associate under their direct supervision? (Exodus 24:4; 1 John 1:1-5; 2 Peter 3:16)
2. Does the book contain any examples of accurately, predictive prophecies? (Deuteronomy 13; Isaiah 41:23-25)
3. Does the book accurately describe history? (Isaiah 41:23-25)
4. Does the book possess the ability to convert the human heart? (Psalm 19:7)
5. Was the book immediately received as written revelation by God's people? (2 Peter 3:16)
6. Does the books teaching conflict with other books clearly recognized as inspired? (2 Peter 3:16)
By these six tests we can measure other claims for Divine inspiration to determine whether or not a given work is of Divine origin.
Practically applying these tests - evaluating the Book of Mormon
A quick testing of other books claiming divine revelation will determine the validity of such claims. We take for instance the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith wrote the book in the 1840's, claiming to had been a prophet to restore the lost message of Christianity. However from records of his life we discover that Joseph Smith had been convicted of fraud and occultic practices. If Joseph Smith were to be evaluated in light of 2 Peter 1:21, we would discover that he wrote the book of Mormon based upon his own "private interpretation" and "reasoning" concerning the churches of his day. Thus his prophetic credentials are without a doubt questionable. Other than Joseph's Smith's immediate followers, the Book of Mormon has never been accepted as inspired scripture by the Christian church here in America or abroad.
In terms of the accuracy of predictive prophecy or descriptions of history, the Book of Mormon fails on both counts. As far as we know, there has been no genetic link proven to exist between various Native American tribes and the Jewish people, nor is there any archaelogical evidence of the existence of the two groups of people spoken of in the book of Mormon - the Lamanites and the Nephites. Both of these details are central to the plot of the Book of Mormon, and yet on matters of history, the Book of Mormon is found wanting. Likewise, there is no example of predictive prophecy in the book.
With regard to the Book of Mormon being able to convert the human soul to saving faith in Christ, here too we see failure. For one thing, the Jesus defined in Mormonism is different from the Jesus of scripture. Mormon doctrine teaches that Jesus is a created being who is, among other things, the brother of Lucifer! This is opposite of the Biblical teaching on Christ's Deity and Lucifer being a created being who is the arch enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the wrong Jesus is taught, true saving faith will never be persuaded to trust in that Jesus, since those who follow the Master know His voice, and won't heed the voice of a stranger. (John 10:5)
Then finally, the Book of Mormon's theology is so different from the teachings of the Bible. Doctrines central to the Christian faith such as The Trinity, Christ's deity and salvation by grace alone through faith alone are ultimately denied by the Book of Mormon. As we can see from this quick survey, it is apparent that the Book of Mormon cannot be termed "The Word of God", but rather "a book of men".
The Bible alone is God's word
When we look at the Bible, it passes all six tests. It alone contains hundreds of predictive prophecies, gives an accurate account of history and creation and has the power to convert the human soul. In almost every case, the books of the Bible were immediately recognized as inspired. Even in cases where the people of God may had hesitated, large segments of the Christian community accepted books like Revelation and Hebrews, with universal recognition occuring within a century after the works were completed. Without a doubt, the Bible alone can be constituted the word of God.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Why God is not producing new revelation
Hebrews 2:2-4 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
The question that was asked of me the other day
The other day I was asked this wonderful question: "How do we know that God is not producing any new scripture?" As I began to explain to this person why it was that God was not producing new scripture, it dawned on me that what they were really asking was "is there any new revelation"? It is vital that we answer this question and demonstrate that the Bible alone consitutes Divine revelation.
Distinguishing Three Terms - Revelation, Inspiration, Illumination
Revelation
When one begins to study the Bible, three terms are used in describing how God gets His revelation from where He is to where we are. Whenever we speak of God communicating his words to the prophets of the Old Testament, or to the Apostles of the New Testament, we call it "Revelation" in the proper sense. The term "Revelation" comes from a Greek term "apocalupsis" (apo-ca-loop-sis), meaning "to uncover, to unveil". So for instance when God "revealed" His Law to Moses and the people of God in Exodus 19-20, it was God's voice audibly being heard. When God's revealed His thoughts, it took what was previously unknown, and made it known.
Inspiration - Revelation written
But how was it that God's revelation could be authoritatively communicated? Again using Moses as an example, we read in Eoxdus 24:4 - "And Moses wrote down the words of God". As God was "revealing" His thoughts to Moses, He extended a unique supernatural grace to Moses and all of the Biblical writers whereby they, through their language, culture and literary style could produce documents that were without error and Divinely authoritative. This special supernatural act of God the Holy Spirit is what we call "inspiration". The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16a "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction and for training in righteousness."
Inspiration comes from a Greek word that literaly means "God breathed". Thus the Spirit of God supervised and "breathed" out through the words and and writing styles of the biblical authors the documents we call "scripture". This is where revelation becomes written and the Divine breathing out of God becomes codified in the ink and paper of the 66 books of the Bible. In other words, Inspiration is simply God's revelation going from audio and video into written form.
Illumination - The finished revealed and inspired scripture made understood by God
The unique grace that God the Holy Spirit did through inspiration ceased when the Apostle John wrote the last word in the book of Revelation. It took God 1500 years, working through 40 authors, writing in 3 different languages, to reveal and inspire the Bible. Now God is taking what He "revealed", and is making it "clear", "understandable" or "illuminated" to every generation of Christians who study it, hear it taught or preached. Just as a lamp "illuminates" a dark room, making plain details that I would otherwise miss, so it is the Word of God which is "a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". (Psalm 119:105)
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would continue in this ongoing ministry of illumination, making clear the contents of the Bible. (John 16:13). We also understand that it is God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit who guides Christians in their study and application of God's book. (1 John 2:20,27). Whenever anyone preaches or teaches the scriptures, they are performing a "prophetic" function, meaning that they are speaking God's words into today's world. However, as we will see below, in the formal sense of predictive prophets or true miracle working Apostles of Christ, none are alive, otherwise we would have much thicker Bibles!
What are true Prophets or Apostles?
The Prophets who wrote the Old Testament were uniquely qualified men whose ministries had the marks of accurate predictions, pointing people to the God of the Bible, and attestation of their ministries through miraculous signs that demonstrated their authenticity. (Deuteronomy 13:6-18; Isaiah 41:22-23) A Prophet in the Hebrew Bible was literally someone "who spoke on behalf of God the words of God".
When we come to the New Testament, the Apostles functioned similarly to the Old Testament Prophets. However their qualifications had other features: they had to had been an eye witnesses of the resurrected Christ, directly called by Christ,as well as have accompnaying signs and miracles. (Acts 2-4; 2 Corinthians 12:12; 1 John 1:1-5) These were termed "Apostles of Christ", with the last one being The Apostle Paul. Only true Prophets or those so uniquely gifted in the Old Testament, or Apostles and those who were directly supervised by the Apostles (such as Mark and Luke) were deemed by God as qualified authors of the Bible. Once they died, no more such men have lived.
So God is speaking, through illumination of The Bible
As we just read in the above text in Hebrews, God has revealed His plan and purpose of salvation in the Bible. In fact, this particular text was written in 64 A.D, making it one of the last Bible books to be written. In fact, other than the books of 1,2,3 John and Revelation, all the other Bible books had already been composed or written. Only the Apostles Paul and John would had been alive at the time of the writing of Hebrews (and perhaps Paul himself may have written these words). In Hebrews 2:2-3a we see statements concerning the finished revelation of the Old Testament and in 2:3b-4 we see statements concerning God's revelation of the New Testament to the Apostles.
In Summary - God is speaking through illumination and is not producing new revelation or inspiration
When we distinguish those three terms: Revelation, Inspiration and Illumination, I believe it will clear up much confusion. From what we have looked at today, we explain why it is that God is not producing new revelation - because there are no true prophets or apostles in the sense that we see in the Bible. Secondly, there is no more Divine inspiration, since the grace that makes possible the production of error free, Divinely sourced documents, ceased once the New Testament was complete. Thirdly, we can still say that God is speaking as it touches His ongoing work of illumination, making the scriptures clear through each Christian's study or through the teaching and preaching of God-called preachers and teachers.
The question that was asked of me the other day
The other day I was asked this wonderful question: "How do we know that God is not producing any new scripture?" As I began to explain to this person why it was that God was not producing new scripture, it dawned on me that what they were really asking was "is there any new revelation"? It is vital that we answer this question and demonstrate that the Bible alone consitutes Divine revelation.
Distinguishing Three Terms - Revelation, Inspiration, Illumination
Revelation
When one begins to study the Bible, three terms are used in describing how God gets His revelation from where He is to where we are. Whenever we speak of God communicating his words to the prophets of the Old Testament, or to the Apostles of the New Testament, we call it "Revelation" in the proper sense. The term "Revelation" comes from a Greek term "apocalupsis" (apo-ca-loop-sis), meaning "to uncover, to unveil". So for instance when God "revealed" His Law to Moses and the people of God in Exodus 19-20, it was God's voice audibly being heard. When God's revealed His thoughts, it took what was previously unknown, and made it known.
Inspiration - Revelation written
But how was it that God's revelation could be authoritatively communicated? Again using Moses as an example, we read in Eoxdus 24:4 - "And Moses wrote down the words of God". As God was "revealing" His thoughts to Moses, He extended a unique supernatural grace to Moses and all of the Biblical writers whereby they, through their language, culture and literary style could produce documents that were without error and Divinely authoritative. This special supernatural act of God the Holy Spirit is what we call "inspiration". The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16a "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction and for training in righteousness."
Inspiration comes from a Greek word that literaly means "God breathed". Thus the Spirit of God supervised and "breathed" out through the words and and writing styles of the biblical authors the documents we call "scripture". This is where revelation becomes written and the Divine breathing out of God becomes codified in the ink and paper of the 66 books of the Bible. In other words, Inspiration is simply God's revelation going from audio and video into written form.
Illumination - The finished revealed and inspired scripture made understood by God
The unique grace that God the Holy Spirit did through inspiration ceased when the Apostle John wrote the last word in the book of Revelation. It took God 1500 years, working through 40 authors, writing in 3 different languages, to reveal and inspire the Bible. Now God is taking what He "revealed", and is making it "clear", "understandable" or "illuminated" to every generation of Christians who study it, hear it taught or preached. Just as a lamp "illuminates" a dark room, making plain details that I would otherwise miss, so it is the Word of God which is "a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". (Psalm 119:105)
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would continue in this ongoing ministry of illumination, making clear the contents of the Bible. (John 16:13). We also understand that it is God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit who guides Christians in their study and application of God's book. (1 John 2:20,27). Whenever anyone preaches or teaches the scriptures, they are performing a "prophetic" function, meaning that they are speaking God's words into today's world. However, as we will see below, in the formal sense of predictive prophets or true miracle working Apostles of Christ, none are alive, otherwise we would have much thicker Bibles!
What are true Prophets or Apostles?
The Prophets who wrote the Old Testament were uniquely qualified men whose ministries had the marks of accurate predictions, pointing people to the God of the Bible, and attestation of their ministries through miraculous signs that demonstrated their authenticity. (Deuteronomy 13:6-18; Isaiah 41:22-23) A Prophet in the Hebrew Bible was literally someone "who spoke on behalf of God the words of God".
When we come to the New Testament, the Apostles functioned similarly to the Old Testament Prophets. However their qualifications had other features: they had to had been an eye witnesses of the resurrected Christ, directly called by Christ,as well as have accompnaying signs and miracles. (Acts 2-4; 2 Corinthians 12:12; 1 John 1:1-5) These were termed "Apostles of Christ", with the last one being The Apostle Paul. Only true Prophets or those so uniquely gifted in the Old Testament, or Apostles and those who were directly supervised by the Apostles (such as Mark and Luke) were deemed by God as qualified authors of the Bible. Once they died, no more such men have lived.
So God is speaking, through illumination of The Bible
As we just read in the above text in Hebrews, God has revealed His plan and purpose of salvation in the Bible. In fact, this particular text was written in 64 A.D, making it one of the last Bible books to be written. In fact, other than the books of 1,2,3 John and Revelation, all the other Bible books had already been composed or written. Only the Apostles Paul and John would had been alive at the time of the writing of Hebrews (and perhaps Paul himself may have written these words). In Hebrews 2:2-3a we see statements concerning the finished revelation of the Old Testament and in 2:3b-4 we see statements concerning God's revelation of the New Testament to the Apostles.
In Summary - God is speaking through illumination and is not producing new revelation or inspiration
When we distinguish those three terms: Revelation, Inspiration and Illumination, I believe it will clear up much confusion. From what we have looked at today, we explain why it is that God is not producing new revelation - because there are no true prophets or apostles in the sense that we see in the Bible. Secondly, there is no more Divine inspiration, since the grace that makes possible the production of error free, Divinely sourced documents, ceased once the New Testament was complete. Thirdly, we can still say that God is speaking as it touches His ongoing work of illumination, making the scriptures clear through each Christian's study or through the teaching and preaching of God-called preachers and teachers.
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