Ask the PastorBy Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship,
Shambaugh, IA The Unchanging Bible
Why hasn’t God added anything new to the Bible since the time of the apostles?
At one time I would have answered the question this way: “We have a complete and concise Word from God that addresses every essential need of man. Because man is still fundamentally the same, the Bible will continue to be relevant to man in every age to come.”
I still believe this to be true. No matter how complex or advanced society becomes, man’s sin-issues and need for redemption, remain unchanged. However, as I study church history, there is a second reason why there will never be additional writings added to the Bible: the problem of heresy.
By the middle of the second century, approximately 50 years after the final New Testament book was written, a new movement called Montanism, attempted to undermine the absolutes of Scripture. This group believed subjective revelations—prophesies, visions, and such—to possess greater authority than in the written Word of God. Such revelatory gifts may be genuine, but unless they are subjected to the authority of the Scriptures, they can produce much error. That’s been true throughout church history.
Bear in mind that no gathering of learned clergy ever decided which books were and which were not divinely inspired. Instead, the inspiration of these texts was recognized and affirmed by the common consent of God’s people, who held firmly to the testimonies of the eyewitnesses—the New Testament. (Acts 2:32, 3:15, 5:32, 10:39-41, 1 John 1:1, 1 Cor 15:8).
Subjective revelations will come and go, but the testimonies of those who knew and saw Jesus, will stand the test of time. You or I may speak or write under the "anointing" of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20), but such “inspiration” does not guarantee inerrancy. You and I may often be right; we will never be infallible! Whatever any human teacher teaches must be tested in the light of the Scriptures (1Th 5:20-22).
There is no need for an expanded Bible, since we already have, “the word of the prophets made more certain, and [we] will do well to pay attention to it” (2 Peter 1:19). More information is not needed. We have more than enough to understand, apply, and obey, as it is!
--Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com) |