His Article:
How we “do” Christianity, and the reverse
His Argument:
1. We have fellowship with God by means of scripture
2. Therefore to use any method besides what scripture makes plain is to not have fellowship with God (a.k.a. “do” Christianity)
3. To seek to know God by feelings, opinions, or ideas is not in accordance with scripture
4. Modern revelation is nothing more than feelings, opinions, and ideas. (This was not stated plainly, but Dan pointed me to the article and this is consistent with the rest of his writing. So I assume it is what he is saying.)
5. Therefore modern revelation is no way to “do” Christianity.
My Rebuttal:
I totally agree with Dan’s first three premises, yet totally reject his conclusion. We certainly have fellowship with God by means of scripture. I believe that that is the primary way even for people who are filled with the miraculous power of the Spirit. Furthermore, I absolutely agree that for someone to be guided by feelings, opinions, ideas, and the like is terribly wrong and leads to very weak, shallow, and even wrong faith. However, he really has no place to make the fourth statement. In order to make it, he would have to know all those who have claimed to receive revelation from God in modern times and know the inner-workings of whatever it is they received, or he would have to be able to prove from scripture that revelation has ceased.
But clearly Dan does not know these things and he has not demonstrated from scripture that revelation has ceased, so clearly he cannot make that claim. I agree that most people today who believe that God spoke to them are merely setting their own ideas and opinions on an unacceptably high pedestal, however, that does not mean that no one has received some revelation from God, nor does it mean that we can’t receive revelation from God.
Moreover, even if he could make the fourth claim (without proving it from the Bible), the ultimate conclusion would not follow. Is it not clear that there are times in the Bible when God simply does not speak, then after a long period he again gives revelation (1 Sam 3:1, Ps 74:9, Amos 8:11,12)? I do believe that we are in one such period when the word of the Lord is rare, but I also believe and pray for an outpouring to come when we all once again will fulfill the words of Joel 2:28.
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