I had started a post dealing with theology. I decided to take a break and was browsing Christian books for my Kindle. I am, to say the least, SHOCKED at what I found. I decided to write this post instead as a means to get it off my chest and to do what I can to warn people about what they read.
Here are a few descriptions of books that I saw in the Christian section. One book speaks for Jesus who is now warning people that He is coming. It is written in the first person, that is Jesus is speaking directly. One sentence states “this is your LORD….I must come soon.” Unbelievably another book, and I kid you not, states “The book is written by Jesus using a human instrument.” It goes on to state that the books has paintings that Jesus created using that human instrument. I guess it’s a new bible since it is “inspired.” As to a new bible, someone really did create a new bible. He replaced all the names and places in the Scripture with American cities. For instance, Moses is in Alabama. Moving along in that bible, the governor of Illinois asks the nurse why she is keeping the boys alive. She replies that “Illinoisans aren’t like Alabamans.” I could not read any further. There were many more outrageous Christian books that I am not going to list as that is not theme of this post.
As Christians, we need to be very cautious what we read and/or watch. In order to be discerning, it is crucial that we read and know the Word of God. Without knowing the Word of God, Christians fall prey to all sorts of nonsense. The fact of the matter is that the Canon of Scripture is closed. God has a warning to those that adds or takes away from His Word:
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV)
People can easily be led astray whether it is through strange “Christian” books, weird teachings and behavior in different churches unless each Christian takes personal responsibility to read the Word of God. As we have seen by these false prophecies, they do not come to fruition as in the latest rapture prediction set for May 21 of this year by Harold Camping. Back in the early 1800’s, a chicken in England began laying eggs that had the message inscribed on the eggs “Christ is coming.” Locals believed that the end of the world as about to happen. Turns out it was a cruel joke not only upon the folks that believed this nonsense but also upon the poor chicken. The hen had already laid the egg and after inscribing this message on the egg, it was cruelly pushed back into the chicken’s body.
If people would read their bible and understand God, they would realize that God does not used chicken eggs or other such nonsense to add to the Holy Scriptures. There is so much nonsense and it’s unbelievable that people fall for this nonsense and purchase these books thus lining the pockets of these false prophets and charlatans.
Scripture is closed. God has taken us from the beginning of time to the end of time. We have not yet reached the end of time but we know how it ends because He included that in Scripture.
As Christians, we need to be wise and discerning in what we read and watch.
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Scott
October 18, 2011 at 9:22 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I agree that that mentioned book is not scripture, but to call the Bible “closed” based on Revelations 22:18-19 is naive. John was referring to the Book of Revelations not the entire Bible, seeing how it wasn’t complied into a book at that time and he wasn’t finished even making his writings. The following points are also useful in clarifying what’s legit and whats not.
God is superior even to His Word
The Bible is an important record of God’s message to humanity. However, the Bible—or any other written text—cannot be the focus of the Christian’s life or faith. Only One deserves that place: God.
One Christian author cautioned believers from placing the Bible ‘ahead’ of God:
It is possible, however, to stress the Bible so much and give it so central a place that the sensitive Christian conscience must rebel. We may illustrate such overstress on the Bible by the often-used (and perhaps misused) quotation from Chillingworth: “The Bible alone is the religion of Protestantism.” Or we may recall how often it has been said that the Bible is the final authority for the Christian. If it will not seem too facetious, I would like to put in a good word for God. It is God and not the Bible who is the central fact for the Christian. When we speak of “the Word of God” we use a phrase which, properly used, may apply to the Bible, but it has a deeper primary meaning. It is God who speaks to man. But he does not do so only through the Bible. He speaks through prophets and apostles. He speaks through specific events. And while his unique message to the Church finds its central record and written expression in the Bible, this very reference to the Bible reminds us that Christ is the Word of God in a living, personal way which surpasses what we have even in this unique book. Even the Bible proves to be the Word of God only when the Holy Spirit working within us attests the truth and divine authority of what the Scripture says. Faith must not give to the aids that God provides the reverence and attention that Belong only to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Our hope is in God; our life is in Christ; our power is in the Spirit. The Bible speaks to us of the divine center of all life and help and power, but it is not the center. The Christian teaching about the canon must not deify the Scripture.
To argue that the canon is closed effectively seeks to place God’s written word (the Bible) above God Himself. Some have even called this practice “bibolatry” or “bibliolatry.” Critics are effectively ordering God not to reveal anything further, or refusing to even consider that He might choose to speak again.
Closed canon is not a Biblical doctrine
The idea of a closed canon is not a Biblical doctrine. The Bible bears record that God called prophets in the past. Why could He not—indeed, why would He not—continue to do so?
Ironically, it would seem that the only way to know that there can be no extra-Biblical revelation is via revelation: otherwise, decisions about God’s Word are being made by human intellect alone. Yet, since the Bible does not claim that it is the sole source of revealed truth, the only potential source of a revelation to close the canon would be extra-Biblical. Thus, those who insist on a closed canon are in the uncomfortable position of requiring extra-Biblical revelation to rule out extra-Biblical revelation!
As one scholar observed: “For evidence about what was within the canon, one had to go outside the canon itself.” After all, there was “no scriptural evidence to decide what were the exact limits of the canon.”
Throughout Biblical history, the canon was clearly not closed. New prophets were called, and new authoritative writing was made. It would seem strange for this to cease without revelatory notice being given that God’s practices were about to change.
Some authors are even now asking if the decision to close the canon was a mistake:
The first question, and the most important one, is whether the church was right in perceiving the need for a closed canon of scriptures….did such a move toward a closed canon of scriptures ultimately (and unconsciously) limit the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the church?…Does God act in the church today and by the same Spirit? On what biblical or historical grounds has the inspiration of God been limited to the written documents that the Church now calls its Bible?…one must surely ask about the appropriateness of tying the church of the twentieth century to a canon that emerged out of the historical circumstances in the second to the fifth centuries CE. How are we supposed to make the experience of that church absolute for all time?…Was the church in the Nicene and post-Nicene eras infallible in its decisions or not? Finally, if the Spirit inspired only the written documents of the first century, does that mean that the same Spirit does not speak today in the church about matters that are of significant concern, for example, the use of contraceptives, abortion, liberation, ecological irresponsibility, equal rights, euthanasia, nuclear proliferation, global genocide, economic and social justice, and so on?…
These are striking questions, and those who insist upon a closed canon may have difficulty resolving the issues which they raise. Joseph Smith’s insistence that God did not cease to speak, and that the canon was not closed, resolved these issues many decades before modern Christians began to grapple with them.
Early Christians did not have a closed canon
The early Christian Church did not have a fixed canon, nor did it restrict itself to the canon used by most modern Christian churches:
If the term “Christian” is defined by the examples and beliefs passed on by earliest followers of Jesus, then we must at least ponder the question of whether the notion of a biblical canon is necessarily “Christian.” They did not have such canons as the church possesses today, nor did they indicate that their successors should draw them up….
Even in regard to the OT canon, it has been shown that the early church’s collections of scriptures were considerably broader in scope than those presently found in either the Catholic or Protestant canons and that they demonstrated much more flexibility than our present collections allow….in regard to the OT, should the church be limited to an OT canon to which Jesus and his first disciples were clearly not limited?
Scriptural interpretation requires revelation
Even if one were to grant that the Bible contains all necessary teachings, it is clear from Christian history that the Bible can be interpreted in many different ways by sincere readers. What else but additional, on-going revelation can settle legitimate questions of interpretation and application of God’s word? Are we to rely on human reason alone to do so? Does this not in essence turn to an extra-Biblical source for information about divine matters?
The doctrine of a closed canon and the end of authoritative revelation is not found in the Bible. To insist upon this doctrine is to place a non-Biblical doctrine in a place of pre-eminence, and insist that God must be bound by it. Such a doctrine would require the very revelation it denies to be authoritative. Even the proper interpretation of Biblical teachings requires authoritative revelation, which are necessarily extra-Biblical.
Tishrei
October 19, 2011 at 12:59 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Scott,
There was about a 400 year period of time when God did not speak and He did not speak until Jesus came to earth. It was obvious that the Old Testament was not the end of His speaking because He spent a great deal of time preparing the Israelites for a coming Savior.
That being said, it is obvious that the Canon is closed. God took us through the beginning of time, His creation to the end of time (book of Revelation). We now know the whole story from the beginning to the end.
As to your comment that the Bible can be interpreted in many different ways by sincere readers and therefore ongoing revelation is necessary to settle legitimate questions is incorrect. God has one meaning but it may have different applications. The Bible states in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” That pretty much takes care of needing more revelation to settle legitimate questions for God said that Scritpure is enough so that man may be qdequately equipped for every good work.
Thanks for stopping by.
Harlequin
October 19, 2011 at 9:16 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Mormon’s are so sneaky…..
http://www.irr.org/mit/mormon-apologists-misrepresent-Floyd-Filson.html
Harlequin
October 19, 2011 at 9:24 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hey Blog Lady T.,
It is shocking what is out there, but that kind of thing has been around long before even Joseph Smith put on his magical spectacles, or was it a magic rock in a hat, and you know the rest of the sad story.
Keep up the good work. Don’t get sucked into any discussions with Mormons who can’t even come out and say what they are. It will just use up your time. Trust me.
Tishrei
October 19, 2011 at 1:01 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks Harlequin,
I don’t plan on getting into any long debates about the sufficiency of Scripture. We already have the whole story from the creation to the end of time.
Harlequin
October 19, 2011 at 9:26 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Or plagiarists. Take your pick.
Harlequin
October 19, 2011 at 9:29 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
This is crazy. Here’s more
http://en.fairmormon.org/Bible/Open_canon_vs._closed_canon
I binged this sentence from Scott with quotes and got the above
“Even if one were to grant that the Bible contains all necessary teachings, it is clear from Christian history that the Bible can be interpreted in many different ways by sincere readers. What else but additional, on-going revelation can settle legitimate que”
Tishrei
October 19, 2011 at 1:04 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I never would have picked up on this.
BLT
Harlequin
October 19, 2011 at 2:39 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It’s like he cut and paste his entire post. Exactly like
Echo
October 19, 2011 at 4:35 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Scott, the answers to all your questions are found in the Bible. An open canon is the invention of false teachers. It opens the door wide to the introduction of false teaching.
Motivational Christianity - Fruit of the Word | Fruit of the Word
November 7, 2011 at 2:27 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
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