A Glass Darkly
by
Justin Mangonel
Tabernacle Theology Series
Do we or don’t we have the complete revelation of God? Depending on how you answer this question says a lot about your theological view of our Father. On one hand, if you believe that the scriptures are complete and contain all the revelation God wishes to give humanity then understanding His word is only a matter of fitting the pieces together properly. On the other hand, if you believe that scripture are not complete and there is more revelation to be had then while you hold the Bible in high esteem you are also open to and expecting God to reveal more of Himself and His plan for mankind. In essence those who believe the Bible is incomplete are open to further revelation beyond the current scriptures while those who believe the scriptures are complete are not.
The widely held belief that the Bible was completed at the end of the first century A.D. is incorrect. Our Father did not stop speaking when John the revelator lay down His quill. The fact that no known writings since have risen to the level of scripture does not preclude God from again recording His thoughts for mankind’s edification. This is a crucial point to ponder; for in order to receive further revelation from our Father it is necessary to believe it is possible. If one cannot accept that God still speaks today then the voice of the Almighty may be mistaken as simply one's own imagination or worse yet, originating from the Devil.
Jesus said.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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.
John 16:12,13.
At the time Jesus said these words the revelation that He wished to give to His disciples was incomplete. He said that when the Spirit of Truth came He would lead and guide His disciples into all truth. Therefore, the Holy Spirit both leads us into new truth and shows us, through revelation, things that will come to pass.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12,
The apostle Paul admitted, that at present, we only have partial revelation, but then promised there shall come a time when we do see clearly and all shall be revealed. Through this scripture, God declares a day will come when we shall stand face to face with Him as Moses did.
And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Exodus 33:11
When we know Him as He knows us our doubts will be driven away because our knowledge of our God shall be made complete. Moreover Paul states
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1 Corinthians 13:9
At this present time our knowledge of God and the spiritual realm is only partial. Therefore, we must admit that, because we lack clarity, our prophetic word is also indistinct and only approximates the truth.
A central understanding of the Bible is that the New Testament is not inspired in the same way as the Old Testament. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would simply fall upon a person and possess them.
“And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"
1 Samuel 10:10,1
Whereas in the New Testament we see that the spirits prophesy by permission.
"And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."
Corinthians 14:32
The New Testament also differs from the Old Testament in the degree that it is God breathed. Scripture declares that the entire Old Testament is inspired,
"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
1 Timothy 315-17
The writings that Paul refers to as "the holy scriptures" are the Old Testament writings and I do believe that they are 100% God breathed. However, in the New Testament Paul states such things as,
"Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful."
1 Corinthians 7:25
If we are committed to let the scriptures speak for themselves, we must admit that the apostle Paul really meant that he was only giving us his best judgment on the issue.
And again we read,
"The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments."
2 Timothy 4:13
Paul really means that he just wants them to bring some things he forgot at Troas and there is really nothing more God breathed about this passage than that. We must believe Paul when he makes the distinction between the “commandment of the Lord" and "my judgment". Moreover, we should not give both types of scripture the same divine weight because he obviously didn’t.
To many, the thought that the New Testament is not absolutely inspired down to the very jots and tittles is a bit unnerving. In our present age, we must come to understand that because the Holy Spirit now dwells within us He has formed a partnership with us. We yield to the Spirit of our Father by choice and He does not forcefully possess us as in times past. When the penmen of the New Testament wrote the books of Bible they were yielding to the Holy Spirit and letting Him flow through them while they wrote. Mostly they did it perfectly, but sometimes their humanity and/or imperfection shows through.
Our faith and confidence in God rests not upon how perfect the scriptures are but upon our personal relationship with the author of them. The New Testament is a remarkable document that contains profound revelations of our Lord that are probably 99.9% accurate to the original texts. However, as accurate as our New Testament may be it is but a springboard to knowing our Heavenly Father through personal experience. It is written,
"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."
John 16:13
This scripture demonstrates that the revelation God intended to give His people was not complete and that further revelation was forthcoming (referring to what is now the New Testament). Moreover, the Holy Spirit did not stop speaking to God’s saints with the completion of the book of Revelation. Revelation's prohibition against adding or subtracting from it refers to that that book alone and is not a moratorium on further revelation. The New Testament writers were simply men who had walked with Jesus or, like Paul, had been caught up into the third heaven. There is coming a time when we too shall know God perfectly as He knows us and in that day revelation will flow through us just like the apostles.
Until that time we will continue to know in part and prophesy in part simply because we yield to God in part. We must find our way by faith and listen, hear, and obey to the best of our ability knowing that we shall not do all perfectly. Paul says,
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
2 Corinthians 3:18
Finally, we should seek to have the mindset of Paul,
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded..."
Philippians 3:13-15
