Does God Give New Messages to Christians Today?

How does God speak to us today? Does God continue to give Christians new truth, new information for guidance? Or has God already given to us all He intends for us to have in His completed Word, the Bible? Answers to these questions are definitely theological in nature, but also extremely practical.

Christians are divided on this matter. How they understand how God speaks today affects their daily living in numerous ways. Christians fall into two broad categories on this issue and are labeled as either Continuationist or Cessationist based upon their understanding.

What is Continuationism?

Continuationists believe that Christians today continue to receive new revelation from God. They believe that God continues to speak by adding truth and specific guidance about God’s will beyond what is already written in the Bible. These Christians claim that they can receive this new direct revelation from God. Some would claim that what they receive is equal to what we have in recorded Scripture.

What are the mediums by which we should receive this revelation? They believe that direct words from God come through dreams, visions, prophecies, words of knowledge, tongues, etc. Reception of specific revelation about God’s will should be normal Christian experience. Millions of professed Christians around the world right now are Continuationists.

What is Cessationism?

I believe that all forms of continuing (new) revelation from God ceased with the completion of the Word of God as we have it in the Christian Bible. This makes me a Cessationist. A Cessationist believes that God no longer adds to the body of truth God has given to mankind. Nothing else is necessary to know God and His ways, be reconciled to Him and live for Him.

Continuing revelation tied to the apostles

The gifts of the Spirit that provided new revelation have ceased. Various Scriptures and doctrines can be brought to bear on this, but Hebrews 2:1-4 provides a good explanation of why this is so.

1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Continuing revelation and sign gifts provided by the Holy Spirit were tied directly to the ministry of the apostles. These men attested to what Christ said and did and what it meant for Jew and Gentile. Once these apostles and their co-workers fulfilled their ministries and passed away, the gifts connected to them did also. If the gift of prophecy still exists in some measure, as some might argue, it is only the aspect of proclamation of truth already revealed.

Normal Christianity and limits on exceptions

What we are talking about here is what is to be normative for Christians today. Could God speak or guide someone though a dream or vision today, especially in extreme circumstances? Of course He could. Could God give a missionary the temporary ability to speak in tongues? I don’t want to say God can’t or say He never would.

We hear accounts of such things, and we don’t have to automatically assume these are not true. However, there is always a strong element of subjectivity involved. While often problematic, these experiences are not usually attempts to add to the body of truth that we have in our Bibles. Instead these are in the category of guidance to seek Christ or something similar.

We have no reason to think that God would add truth about Himself, salvation, the Christian life, or prophecy about the future to what He has already given. And even if God did give new revelation in some way, it would be in complete agreement with what is already recorded in the Word of the Spirit (1 Jn 4:1-6).

A closed Canon of Scripture

The apostles wrote as though there was an authoritative body of truth that was communicated through them that would be the foundation for the Church. For example, Paul spoke to Timothy this way: 1 Tim, 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:12-14; 2:2; 4:1-15. Nowhere is it suggested that God’s people seek new revelation from God.

Early Church Fathers, understanding these realities, needed to clarify what writings were indeed from God and thus binding on all God’s people. They agreed upon the collection of writings (Canon) that we have today which includes both the Old and New Testaments. Any understanding of continuing revelation threatens the final authority and sufficiency of this Canon of the Bible we hold in our hands. A good extended teaching series on how we got our Bibles and related doctrines is Mark Minnick’s From the Mind of God to the Mind of Man.

Dangers of Continuationism

Many attempts to add to Scripture

The Bible is full of warnings against false prophets and false teachers that claim to speak for God when they do not (2 Pet. 1:16-2:22; 2 Jn, Jude). John, the last author of inspired Scripture, gave a strong warning at the closing of Revelation: the curse of God is upon anyone who dares add or subtract from God’s revelation (Rev.22:18-19; also Deut. 4:32). 

Belief in continuing revelation is a very serious matter. It has led to many cults and other syncretized versions of Christianity around the world today. The Gospel message itself has been under constant attack by Satan’s use of those who claim to have received a new word from God. Catholics, Iglesia ni Cristo, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Almighty God (Eastern Lightning), Unification Church, Scientology, even the entire world of Islam, and many more, have all come about through those claiming faith in the God of the Bible who then added or subtracted from Scripture, creating something different.

God told me to.

Belief in continuing revelation causes many genuine followers of Christ today to be guilty of adding to God’s revealed Word, though in lesser ways. Confusion abounds about the sufficiency of Scripture, knowing the will of God, making decisions, and authority in the local church because of it. Subjective claims like “God told me,” “God wants me to,” and “the Spirit led me to” become authoritative. How can you argue with someone who claims direct revelation from God?  

As John MacArthur argues, “the continuationist view actually defaults on the sole sufficiency of Scripture at the most practical levels—because it teaches believers to look for additional revelation from God outside of the Bible” (Strange Fire, 242-243).

Resting solidly on biblical authority

Many look to dreams, impressions or instincts that are interpreted as the Spirit’s clear leading. Rather than focusing on what the Bible actually says and doesn’t say, Continuationists often look for subjective experiences to confirm guidance. A very helpful classical resource that exposes this unbiblical approach to guidance and returns us to genuine biblical guidance is Decision Making and the Will of God by Friesen and Maxson.

The only authority a Christian pastor, teacher, or counselor has comes from what is clearly taught in the written Word of God. This is the anchor. With continuationism, biblical authority becomes unclear, weakened, leading to all kinds of subjectivism, even heresy and apostasy, in God’s name.

The Scriptures: a prophetic word more fully confirmed

God speaks to His people today through the word of the Spirit, the Holy Scriptures. This word from God is far more authoritative than any personal subjective experiences we may have had. As Peter said in 2 Peter 1:16-21,

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God is the only sure word, because it is not contaminated by man’s own will or interpretations, as experiences are.

If you would like to read a thorough treatment on the necessity of Cessationism, consider John MacArthur’s Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship. Or watch the Strange Fire Conference.