Is There NEW Revelation Today?
David A. DePra
Is there NEW revelation today – which is not found in the Bible? Is there any such thing as revelation from God which is outside of what He has revealed in the Bible? The answer to all such questions is a resounding, "NO!"
I’m not here even speaking of revelation which contradicts the Bible. Clearly, THAT would never be of God. More specifically, I’m talking about NEW revelation – which, to some, might appear to be absent from the Bible, yet not contradictory to it. Does God bring such revelation, manifestations, or events?
Again, the answer is NO. All revelation, manifestation, or work of the Holy Spirit, is going to be affirmed by scripture. God is obviously able to do anything He pleases. But He has already told us what He pleases: He will only work within the revelation given in His written Word.
The fact that there is no new revelation becomes clear once we recognize what revelation really is: It is revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ. It goes back to HIM. Regardless of what we are talking about as far as doctrine or teaching, it says something about the Person of Jesus Christ. Thus, to ask whether there is new revelation today is to ask whether there is a new Christ today! The answer is no.
All Truth is bound up in the Person of Jesus. Get to know Him and you will know the Truth. The work of the Holy Spirit, as fully affirmed through scripture, is to glorify Christ, testify to Christ, and to reveal Christ to us. Jesus said so, and scripture says it in many places.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Heb 1:1-2)
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:13-15)
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Eph 1:15-20)
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Col 2:2-3)
You cannot divorce Truth and revelation from the Person of Jesus Christ. God wants to reveal to us personally, His Son. But what God reveals will always be in total harmony with, and parallel to His written Word. In short, the written Word records the Truth about the Living Word Himself.
The Bible’s Claims
Practically, God will speak to His people via the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We must all come to know Jesus personally, in the heart, and have our minds renewed according to the Truth. But not NEW revelation. All that the Holy Spirit writes on our hearts and minds, in making of us living epistles, will already be written in the pages of the Bible. The Holy Spirit will give us understanding of what it means. The Bible itself promises this directly. God will never work in any way, or speak in any way, or reveal Himself in any way that is foreign to the Bible. All that He does will find some affirmation in scripture.
We need only turn to the Bible and we will see what claims it makes about itself. In this, we will see exactly what it’s place ought to be for our Christian living.
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Tim 3:15-17)
Here we see that the Bible itself doesn’t save us. But it does, "make us wise UNTO salvation," because it points us to Jesus Christ, the Person. Scripture is also said to be inspired, and profitable for many things, not the least of which is to teach us how to live.
Now notice: God would not say this if He left important things OUT of scripture. No. But simply knowing that the Bible is meant to teach us how to live does not equal actual living. We must not only honor the Bible as God’s Word, but we must put our faith in the Living Christ and actually live.
But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name. (John 20:31)
John says that everything he wrote was geared to pointing us to Christ by faith. This is the purpose of the Bible – to point us to, and keep us in, the Living Christ.
Isn’t is great that God inspired a timeless Word which is just as applicable for today as it has ever been? The Word of God is our final authority – one which points us to the Living Christ.