is the Bible complete?

Ok I'm not trying to be sacrilegious but do you think it possible that sometime in the future (maybe duing the Tribulation) that people will be devinly inspired to write more of the Bible?

Rickster wrote:Ok I'm not trying to be sacrilegious but do you think it possible that sometime in the future (maybe duing the Tribulation) that people will be devinly inspired to write more of the Bible?

hehe I like that. Devinly inspired. I think the Devil use any and every means to discount the Bible. I think he is very active TODAY. This is why I try to be very careful in how I present God in all my stories. I don't want to put something in there that is going to lead someone down the wrong path. I ask that you all pray that I will be diligent in this.

I think that''s why we have to (this is where Paeter breaks in and says)

Sorry I ment Divine

ROFL. Now that is funny. I answered this post right after I got up. I must've been half asleep not to see that was what you meant.

But I think my answer still mostly applies. I consider the stories I write to be divinely inspired. I wouldn't consider them as scriptures, but I do consider them inspired by God and the Bible. They are more than just stories to me. They are stories with a lesson, and more meaning than what you hear on the surface. If you are unsure of what i mean check out this short story I wrote. I truly believe God told me to write this story.
http://cid-7c64a7f352c1207c.office.live.com/self.aspx/Short%20Stories/Almost.htm

Rickster wrote:Ok I'm not trying to be sacrilegious but do you think it possible that sometime in the future (maybe duing the Tribulation) that people will be devinly inspired to write more of the Bible?

I don't see any indication in scripture that we will be given more scripture between now and the return of Christ. So based on the evidence I can bring to mind, I'd say no. But as "cowboy" implied, many things produced by humans can be inspired by God. The way we can tell which ones were and which ones weren't is based on whether or not they line up with and are validated on every point by the existing canon.

Now, if I were to inch forward just a bit further than your suggestion of "during the Tribulation", I think it's very likely that there will be people hanging out with Jesus making a record of every freakin' thing he says when he comes to reign for 1000 years.(Scripture in mp3 format, spoken by Jesus!) The existing canon will probably take on a very different role during that time period and throughout the eternal kingdom thereafter.

Anyone done any reading lately on the closing of the canon? I'd LOVE to go look some stuff up for you, but I'm out of time right now. If I remember, I'll try to come back to this. Meantime, you can get some good info about the construction and closing of the canon in "Evidence That Demands a Verdict Vol. 1 and 2", by Josh McDowell.

The chain of revelation (God revealing Himself to humanity) follows the prophets, the Messiah, and those the Messiah gives authority. Individuals like Luke and Paul were commissioned by the Apostles . . . and in Paul's case, an ascended Jesus.

John, the Apostle of Jesus, was the last living apostle alive. He was the last person who could authorize divine revelation but he never "passed the authority-baton".

The next link in the chain of revelation is Jesus when he comes again.

Now I think the canon of Scripture could be theoretically still open if we were to find a legitimate letter of Paul or book written by Peter . . . but since we know that the Scriptures have been divinely inspired to function as revelation, it seems highly unlikely that God would allow a book to be lost.

Geisler & Nix have a really good section of their book A General Introduction to the Bible about this.

hvymtlcowboy wrote:I consider the stories I write to be divinely inspired. I wouldn't consider them as scriptures, but I do consider them inspired by God and the Bible. They are more than just stories to me.

I agree. I think the difference is this:

In Scripture, God inspires and directs human writers to compose inerrant, and infallible text that reveals Himself to humanity. It's like God is using the human author like a pen (though He does not overcome the author's personality).

In our own stories and writings, God gives inspiration to bring glory to Himself. It's more like we're walking in a dark room, then God turns the light on and we can see things as they are . . . but He leaves us to record what we see. So what we end up with is imperfect,but capable of bring Him glory.

Nathan James Norman wrote:

hvymtlcowboy wrote:I consider the stories I write to be divinely inspired. I wouldn't consider them as scriptures, but I do consider them inspired by God and the Bible. They are more than just stories to me.

I agree. I think the difference is this:

In Scripture, God inspires and directs human writers to compose inerrant, and infallible text that reveals Himself to humanity. It's like God is using the human author like a pen (though He does not overcome the author's personality).

In our own stories and writings, God gives inspiration to bring glory to Himself. It's more like we're walking in a dark room, then God turns the light on and we can see things as they are . . . but He leaves us to record what we see. So what we end up with is imperfect,but capable of bring Him glory.

I never thought of it in quite those terms. I like the analogy, tho.

Nathan James Norman wrote:

In Scripture, God inspires and directs human writers to compose inerrant, and infallible text that reveals Himself to humanity. It's like God is using the human author like a pen (though He does not overcome the author's personality).

Some GREAT mind-bending stuff about the nature of divine inspiration in Geisler's Systematic Theology Volume 1. Have you picked up any of these, Nathan? I'm muscling my way through volume two with a mentor right now. Easily the most challenging reading I've ever done. Wow! (I keep a dictionary handy!)

Paeter wrote:

Some GREAT mind-bending stuff about the nature of divine inspiration in Geisler's Systematic Theology Volume 1. Have you picked up any of these, Nathan?

Unfortunately no. I'm a big fan of Geisler's though (and I believe much of his writings in Introduction to the Bible are straight from his systematics books). Currently I've read W.G.T. Shedd's Dogmatic Theology (a fantastic read, minus his section on science), as well as Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology (which is not that good at all).

You'll have to let me know how you liked Geisler's volume overall when you're done!

[quote="Nathan James Norman"]

Paeter wrote:
Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology (which is not that good at all).

You'll have to let me know how you liked Geisler's volume overall when you're done!

Grudem's was my first read of any Systematic Theology and at the time I enjoyed it. But reading Geisler's stuff makes Grudem's volume look like something my son wrote. (He's almost three.)

I still recommend Grudem's to folks who might be intimidated by the phrase "Systematic Theology", though. An approachable entry point, I think, even though it may look big and intimidating to first-timers.

I do think it's important to keep i mind the distinction between the "inspiration" that we feel when we write or otherwise artistically create and the "inspiration" that Paul and the other Biblical writers experienced when they wrote.

The same word, but not the same thing. Not even close.

I believe that all 66 books of the bible were written by God through 40+ authors but after Malachi there were 400+ years of God being silent then prophecy of the Messiah first coming started coming true and then people like Paul Luke and others were filled with the spirit to write the "second volume" so Do you think it's possible when even more prophecy of the Messiah's second coming come true that people, possibly members of the 144,00, will be called to write a third volume? Maybe through letters like epistle

Rickster wrote:I believe that all 66 books of the bible were written by God through 40+ authors but after Malachi there were 400+ years of God being silent then prophecy of the Messiah first coming started coming true and then people like Paul Luke and others were filled with the spirit to write the "second volume" so Do you think it's possible when even more prophecy of the Messiah's second coming come true that people, possibly members of the 144,00, will be called to write a third volume? Maybe through letters like epistle

I'm thinking the most logical place for new inspired words of God to come from during the tribulation would be from the two witnesses. (Revelation 11:3)

Do I think it's POSSIBLE that more would come from somewhere else? Sure. Many things are possible. But even if one of the 144,000 claimed to have words from God, they would have to be put under severe scrutiny and need plenty of "signs and wonders" to even merit attention, as it was with the Apostles.

But since God prophesied regarding two witnesses he would provide around that time period, I would think he would take advantage of his own forecasting as evidence(along with the miraculous power he will give them) and use them as his voice rather than anyone else.