If you are going to insist that the passages you like to use to support your view teach that "new revelation" is perpetual, then you are going to have to answer my questions and statements concerning their nature and authority, i.e., they being from God must of necessity be inspired, infallible and inerrant. This being indisputable, how do they relate to the authority of the Bible, which is self-attesting to its divine origin, character and authority? On the practical side, what is a person to do who allegedly receives a word from God which doesn't contradict Scripture, e.g., "buy the blue Chevrolet"? Isn't this person under total obligation to obey this "prophecy"? And what is a congregation to do when a person stands up and says that "God has given me a word of exhortation" and tells them that God would have them do such-and-such? Are they not also under total obligation to conform themselves to what was spoken?
Actually, this is a different topic. If we reject prophesyings just because the idea of being responsible to obey true prophecies is 'scary' that is no reason to reject modern prophecy. It is the logical fallacy of an argument based on fear.
If a word is from God, yes the listener should be obligated to obey it. But if the word is not from God, He is not. men warned Paul, through the S/spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem. Paul thought he was supposed to go. He said he was 'bound in spirit' to do so. Agabus prophesied that he was going up to Jerusalem.
Some people think if they get a word of prophecy they are alleviated in responsibility for their decision making. They are not. We are all responsible for our own decisions.
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Pilgrim said: Again, the ecstatic gifts, e.g., tongues, prophecy and revelation were temporal and after they had served their divinely appointed purpose for the initial establishment of the Church.
Can you show me chapter and verse on this? It just does not show up in my Bible. I haven't checked the book of Opinions yet, though.
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Pilgrim said: What the Church has now and which is its "SOLE and final authority in all matters of faith and practice" is the Scriptures.
And I cannot find this statement in scripture either, particularly the word 'sole'.
What I do find is,
John 16: 13. 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 shew you things to come. 14. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
And: II Corinthians 2 9. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Isn't the reason we believe the scripture to be authoratative because the Spirit inspired it? Doesn't the Spirit have a role in leading the church today?
