FINALITY AND SUFFICIENCY - LESSON 14

TAKE A QUIZ

Do latter day revelations exist? Yes No

There are many religious groups that claim inspiration and authority for writings or prophecies in addition to the New Testament of Jesus Christ. The Mormons claim the Book of Mormon. The Jehovah’s Witnesses follow the publications of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. The Seventh Day Adventists regard Ellen G. White as a prophet equal to John the Baptist. The Catholics accept Church tradition and the Pope, when he speaks ex cathedra, in addition to the New Testament. The Muslims accept Mohammed and the Koran in addition to Moses, Jesus and the Bible. The Jews, while retaining the Old Testament and their traditions (the Mishna and the Gemara), reject Christ and the New Testament. There are some religious groups that reject both the Old and New Testaments (e.g. Buddhism). Therefore, one of the challenges the Christian faces when trying to bring people to Jesus is the establishment of a standard of authority for determining what we will believe and practice in the worship of God.

This study is designed to show that the New Testament claims sufficiency for itself in establishing the will of Christ. Furthermore, it will show that the New Testament does not admit to any continued latter–day revelation from special prophets who are the successors of the Apostles or other inspired men of the 1st Century. Once this is established all other “revelations” and “prophets” must be rejected and the NT embraced as the final and complete revelation of God’s will for all men in all time.

HEBREWS 1:1–2

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

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COMMENTARY

This text affirms that God has placed all authority in the hands of His Son, Jesus. Moreover, this authority supersedes previous authority which had been given to the prophets to whom the fathers had given heed. Now, in this last dispensation, we are to listen to Jesus.

1/11

JEREMIAH 31:31–34

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

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COMMENTARY

The prophet announces that God will make a new covenant having different and better features than the covenant that he made with Israel upon bringing them out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19–20). This covenant is the New Testament of Christ.

2/11

HEBREWS 8:6-7

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

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COMMENTARY

The passage above (Jeremiah 31:31–34) is quoted in the verses that follow this text (vv. 8–12). The Apostle Paul testifies that the New Testament of Christ is the better covenant that fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah. Thus, it is His covenant through which Christ now speaks which we are to hear.

3/11

DEUTERONOMY 18:15–19

15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

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COMMENTARY

Just as Moses prophesied that there would be a NT he prophesied that there would be another Lawgiver. His would be greater than that of Moses since all were to hearken unto Him (v. 15). Furthermore, all He spoke was to be regarded as the Word of God (v. 18). Everyone that disregards this Lawgiver and His Law will be held accountable and judged.

4/11

Acts 3:20–23

20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’

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COMMENTARY

Jesus is the prophet of whom Moses spoke. Jesus is the one we are to hear and heed in “all things whatsoever” He speaks concerning the forgiveness of ours sins (vv. 19, 26).

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JOHN 14:26

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

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COMMENTARY

This text reveals that Jesus sent the Spirit to teach the Apostles “all things” and to give them infallible memory of those things which He taught. If the NT is insufficient, how could Christ say the Holy Spirit taught the Apostles all things? He could not? That conclusion is untenable. The New Testament must be a complete and final revelation of the mind and will of Christ.

6/11

JOHN 16:13

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

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COMMENTARY

Here the Holy Spirit is described as being “the Spirit of Truth” Who would guide the Apostles into all truth. If Jesus withheld truth from the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Spirit failed to give all the truth He possessed, He is not “the Spirit of Truth.” Again, this is an untenable position. The New Testament is surely all the truth which Jesus promised to give.

7/11

1 CORINTHIANS 2:7–10

7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

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COMMENTARY

The Apostles claimed to know all the things that were in the mind of God concerning salvation. How did they know “the deep things of God”? The Holy Spirit that “searcheth all things” revealed it to them. If He did, then there is no need for additional revelation from God on any matter that pertains to Christ and redemption.

8/11

2 TIMOTHY 3:15–17

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

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COMMENTARY

Verse 17 is the key passage in this text affirming that “all Scripture” (the totality of Scripture) has the power to make a man “complete” or “perfect.” Some want to make a point about the OT being the only “scriptures” available. Note that Paul deals with the OT in verse 15 and says that it AND “faith which is in Christ Jesus” make a man “wise to salvation.” The OT alone is insufficient to effect saving faith, there must be the completed revelation that comes from Christ through His Apostles. With this additional revelation he is “throughly furnished unto all good works.”

9/11

1 CORINTHIANS 13:8–13

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

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COMMENTARY

Paul affirms that there would be a time when that “which is in part,” which included prophecy, would “fail” [vanish, done away, put away]. The means of obtaining the parts would vanish when “that” which is complete [perfect] arrived. They do not await a person, but a thing––the revelation. Paul illustrates the thought by referring to an ancient mirror made of polished brass. Partial revelation through prophecy, etc. is like the dim reflection of the mirror. Whereas, the completed revelation would result in a face to face encounter, a clear perception of things as they actually are.

10/11

JUDE 3

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

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COMMENTARY

Jude affirms that “the faith,” the revelation of the Word of God that produces faith in the hearers of it (Romans 10:17), was “once delivered,” meaning once for all time, therefore, having no need of repetition or addition (cf., 1 Peter 3:18 and Hebrews 9:28––How many times does Christ have to die?).

11/11

Completed!

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