His Article:
Of dreams, semi-hemi-demi private revelations, machetes, monkeys and their mystical masters
His First Argument:
1. “God told me so” is a trump card
2. It takes you out of the realm of debate, spiritual principles, and reasoning
3. To be out of this realm is wrong
4. God can’t tell you so
My Rebuttal:
Here I agree with Dan’s chain of reasoning, but I don’t understand why he says that “God told me so” puts you out of the realm of debate (this is also addressed in a previous argument). Hasn’t he noticed that even in the supreme case of God “telling you so” namely – the Bible – no one is out of the realm of debate? For example, a person believes the Bible (read: God) teaches that man has a free will. It is the Bible so God did tell that person so, but then there is that sticky issue of interpretation. Dan and I both know that what God actually said is that he is sovereign over human wills. So saying “God told me so” doesn’t make you automatically right.
If this is the way with the Bible it is even more so the way with “semi-hemi-demi private revelations”. It should never take a person out of the realm of debate, rather, it should throw him or her into it like never before because now he/she has this whole new revelation that must be deemed Biblical or unbiblical, from the Lord or not from the Lord, God actually spoke or God didn’t actually speak, interpretation A or interpretation B, and the need for debate and discussion goes on and on - much further than if a person just starts with the Bible.
“God told me so” does not make anything easier, rather it makes it harder, because now a person is even more susceptible to error, needs an even deeper understanding of the Bible, and must have even more thoroughly integrated wisdom to really judge things of this nature accurately.
To more accurately direct Dan’s accusation: I think what he is talking about here is really pride vs. humility. A proud man, even if he is cessationist, will remove himself from the realm of debate because of his arrogance. A humble man, even if he believes that flies buzzing in his ear speak the oracles of God to him, will subject himself to the wisdom of others and not despise their assessment of his supposed revelation.
His Second Argument:
1. “God told me so” is an inerrant understanding of God’s will
2. To oppose God’s will is to sin
3. To argue with a person to whom God has spoken is to oppose the will of God
4. This is messed-up (removes from debate, makes people bad, makes irresponsible)
5. God can’t speak to people
My Rebuttal:
First, I think Dan will realize that this really isn’t a good argument (being “messed-up” never made something untrue before), but because I agree with him – that it would be messed up (in the sense that it would be unbiblical) I will respond to his premises instead. As you will notice from my previous rebuttal, “God told me so” is certainly not an inerrant form of God’s will. Therefore, to argue with a person to whom “God has spoken” is not sin in any way.
In an extreme situation, consider the Catholic Bible vs. the Protestant Bible. Reformation leaders opposed the Apocrypha as being revelation from God. But it was even in the Canon, many people believed that God had spoken in this instance! Nevertheless, the Reformers knew it couldn’t belong because of its inconsistency with the rest of God’s revelation. If that is okay, then clearly no reasonable opposition to anything that one or two individuals purport to be from God is sinful. On the contrary, God commands us to test prophecies and even revelation given by angels (1 Cor 14:29, 37, 38; Gal 1:8).
So, yes, to oppose God’s will is to sin. And if a person were clearly following the Lord’s command, like giving money to the poor, and you opposed him or her, then you would be sinning. But clearly it is God’s express will that we do oppose those brothers and sisters who are falsely following what they believe to be the will of God. The question we must grapple with Biblically, for both counselors and revelatees, is if a revelation is truly the will of God.
An interesting diversion: I just thought of cases such as Zechariah’s (Luke 1:10-23) where he was actually made mute because he “did not believe” the words of Gabriel. I find that very interesting – perhaps the Bible takes an even more open view to visions than I do! But I digress.
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