Conversation with Ray

A commenter named Ray stopped by today and left a series of thoughts on my post entitled "Dialogue With Mormons on the Number of Gods in Existence".

To summarize my interpretation of his comments Ray sought to present and defend a Biblical case for "new light" or "new revelation" being provided to the Body of Christ through modern day prophets.

I vehemently disagree with this theology as does every orthodox Biblical Christian and church of which I'm aware. The pitfalls of "new revelation" are too numerous and spiritually bankrupt to list on a simple blog since entire volumes have been written on this subject.

Please understand it's not my intent in this post to cast disparagement upon Ray personally. And Ray, if you're reading this, I'm praying for you to come into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Ancient of Days, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, my kinsman redeemer, the second person of the One True Triune Living God Almighty.

Ray,

Thanks for your comments and your thorough review of the OT. I'm familiar with the Tanakh and the proper exegesis of its relationship with the NT, which taken together (OT & NT) represent the whole, plenary, inspired counsel of God.

I confess that I didn't read Matt's comments as taking the position that prophets couldn't exist after John the Baptist, but I'll go back and review his post in its entirety. The point that's important to keep in mind - and it's a critical point - is that there are many false prophets gone out into the world, and the teachings of the LDS are sadly a prime example.

False prophets will inevitably deny, refute, twist or otherwise attempt to explain away or diminish the authority of scripture (the Holy Bible), especially with "new revelation" or "new light". The JW's are also guilty of this same unfortunate and spiritually suicidal error. Deception is deadly, and I think this is what Matt is attempting to refute and reveal during his conversation with the LDS adherents.

The Biblical prophets you've mentioned were all God inspired men who spoke by the Holy Spirit. The Biblical prophets all maintain a unity and cohesion within their message because they weren't speaking by their own authority, but by the authority of God Almighty and in accordance with His perfect will. In fact, this is the reason we read them in the Bible today for only true prophets of God who were without error, and whose prophecies were fulfilled with absolute precision were considered to be authentic by the Jews and retained. They documented everyone who claimed to be a prophet, and according to God's commandments everyone who rendered a false prophecy was killed and their false prophecies were destroyed.

(Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
20But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

22When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

By God's exacting measure how many modern "prophets" - so called - would have been allowed to strut about presumptuously prophesying were the church operating under the law? And I don't cast this stone – pun intended - merely at the LDS and JW's (though they're clearly both guilty) but also at many of the self-proclaimed "prophets" of the apostate professing ecumenical church of deceit which are so prevalent within mainstream Christianity.

But back to the subject at hand; even the inspired Apostle Paul who spoke with "power of attorney" on behalf of the Risen Lord of Glory commended the Bereans as being "more noble" for gladly receiving his word and then checking the scriptures (the OT at that time) to see if such things were so. (Acts 17:11)

The bottom line is that there is no Biblical prophet or prophecy which speaks any truth other than the truth contained within the Holy Bible. Scripture (the Holy Bible) alone is authoritative and if anyone, even an angel of heaven, were to present us with another gospel we are not to believe it, for it is a lie. (2 Cor. 11)

The real difficulty for any faith outside of Biblical Christianity is to answer the question, how is man to be saved? If salvation is of anything other than the unmerited grace alone of God Almighty made available through faith alone in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary – which is the plain teaching of the Holy Bible - then how else are men to be saved?

If it is within man's ability to earn salvation through meritorious works then we are doomed, for as you affirmed in your post above, ". . . cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Gal 3:10).

This is a serious issue! Can I earn my salvation by my own works? The Bible is crystal clear on this point and no amount of mental gymnastics can avoid the inescapable conclusion that men are guilty sinners before a perfect and holy God Who demands absolute perfection! In other words the unsaved are hopelessly condemned and without hope apart from Jesus Christ.

How does a guilty and condemned sinner attain absolute perfection before a perfect and holy God? Is man able to attain that by his good works? Again the Bible answers with an adamant "NO!!" Man's righteous works are as filthy rags before the Lord (Isaiah 64:6). So how are we to be saved?

The simple answer to this important question is found in Jesus Christ alone who said a man must be born-again (John 3:3, John 3:7). The Apostle Peter echoed this fact in 1 Peter 1:23. So how are we born-again? We are born-again when God's Holy Spirit enters our hearts and our lives after we have been miraculously saved (born-again) through submission to the authority of God Almighty by faith in the gift of the blood sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

It's only through the Jesus of the Holy Bible that we're saved. There are many counterfeit Christs being propounded by many groups and many men, but there is only one true Jesus Christ, and both the NT and the OT point directly to Him.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)