cessationism versus continuationism

• "Full cessationists believe that all miracles have ceased, along with any miraculous gifts."

• "Classical cessationists assert that the miraculous gifts such as prophecy, healing, and speaking in tongues ceased with the apostles. However, they do believe that God occasionally works in supernatural ways today."

• "Consistent cessationists believe that not only were the miraculous gifts only for the establishment of the first-century church, but the need for apostles and prophets also ceased."

• "Concentric cessationists believe that the miraculous gifts have indeed ceased in the mainstream church and evangelized areas, but may appear in unreached areas as an aid to spreading the Gospel."

• "On the spectrum of continuationist views, some agree with cessationists that the gift of prophecy is passed along with the office of apostles and prophets. They concede that these specific gifts, being foundational, are passed, but they remain open to all the non-foundational gifts."

• "Accounts of spiritual gifts can be found throughout history, but it was not until the advent of Pentecostalism and the later Charismatic movement that large numbers of Christians began to adhere to a radical continuationism, arguing that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are meant to be experienced by all Christians in every age."

• "Lutherans have held to a middle position, "open but cautious" continuationism, that views the full range of spiritual gifts as not given exclusively through the medium of the first century canonical apostles, but also not necessarily promised in every place and time in church history."

[Jesus is speaking:] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3)

And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. (2 John 1:5-6)

[Jesus is speaking:] If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15)

[Jesus is speaking:] "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:21-24)

[Jesus is speaking:] If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10)

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)

[Jesus is speaking:] Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. (1 John 3:21-22)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:18)

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. (James 2:20-24)

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:25-26)

So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. (Acts 26:19-20)

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

1. One possibility is that God always intended for those things to cease or die out, so God is the One who caused those things to stop.

2. The other possibility is that God did not intend for those things to cease or die out, so people are the ones who caused those things to stop.

"If anyone speaks in a tongue, two - or at the most three - should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets." (1 Corinthians 14:27-32)

"So the Twelve [apostles] gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism." (Acts 6:2-5)

"Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) - Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia - who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke." (Acts 6:8-10)

"Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is rightly called the Great Power of God." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw." (Acts 8:5-13)

"Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."" (Matthew 21:18-22)

"when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power [dunamis]. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

"In 2 Timothy 3:5, morphosis is used ironically referring to that godliness (eusebeia [G2150]) which is merely a form and simply an external appearance. Such godliness is a sham and devoid of any real power (dunamis [G1411]) to break the power of sin. Those who practice such religion find the external forms and expressions of evangelical worship to be amenable to their lifestyles but they are violently at odds with the gospel's internal effects of subduing sin and nurturing holiness." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, morphosis, emphasis added)

"Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles [dunamis] had been performed, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles [dunamis] that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles [dunamis] that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day."" (Matthew 11:20-23)

"Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [dunamis]?" they asked." (Matthew 13:54)

"Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles [dunamis], wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know." (Acts 2:22)

"Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power [dunamis], performed great wonders and signs among the people." (Acts 6:8)

"Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles [dunamis] and signs which were done." (Acts 8:13 NKJV)

"God did extraordinary miracles [dunamis] through Paul" (Acts 19:11)

"To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers [dunamis], to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles [dunamis], then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles [dunamis]?" (1 Corinthians 12:27-29)

• Authority: Scripture is the supreme authority for the Church (the body of Christ). Every other type of earthly authority, including reason, tradition, church leadership, etc., is fallible and needs to be completely in agreement with Scripture.

• Sufficiency: Scripture was never intended to contain every possible truth (such as every scientific or historical fact), but it's sufficient for providing us with everything we need in order to be saved and to persevere to the completion of our salvation.

• Clarity: While pastors and Bible teachers are important for helping Christians understand what the Bible teaches, the clarity of Scripture means that anyone can read the Bible and discover the basics of how to receive salvation.

"Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question...When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses." The apostles and elders met to consider this question...James spoke up. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me...It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood..." Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul - men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements" (Acts 15:1-2, 4-6, 13, 19-20, 22-28)

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people." (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:3-16)

"On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left." (Acts 20:7-11)

"From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house...I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God...for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears."" (Acts 20:17-20, 27, 31)

"For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ - with all boldness and without hindrance!" (Acts 28:30-31)

"Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church." (1 Corinthians 4:16-17)

"I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you." (1 Corinthians 11:2)

"Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:19-24)

"All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ." (Philippians 3:15-18)

"I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ." (Colossians 1:25-28)

"rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:7)

"For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts." (1 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

"So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

"For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."" (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." (2 Timothy 1:13-14)

"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness - in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." (Titus 1:1-4)

""The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."" (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

"But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: "The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." (Hebrews 8:6-13)

"Too many churches are Trinitarian in doctrine, yet binitarian in emphasis. We speak much of God the Father and God the Son, but rarely do we even talk about the Holy Spirit. Yet so critical is the Holy Spirit to the mission of the church that Jesus told His disciples not to undertake the Great Commission until they were filled with the Holy Spirit's presence and power." (Signs And Wonders In Evangelism )

• Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 12:32, Proverbs 30:5-6, 1 Corinthians 4:6, Revelation 22:18-19

  "Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you." (Deuteronomy 4:1-2)
  
  "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it." (Deuteronomy 12:32)
  
  "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." (Proverbs 30:5-6)
  
  "Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other." (1 Corinthians 4:6)
  
  "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll." (Revelation 22:18-19)

  In Deuteronomy 4:1-2 and 12:32 (above), the Jews were forbidden from adding to or taking away from the Law of Moses based on human logic, reasoning, emotions, traditions, etc. However, God is allowed to add to Scripture because there were many more books added to the Bible after Deuteronomy. The same applies to Proverbs 30:5-6 (above).
  
  In 1 Corinthians 4:6 (above), the apostle Paul said "Do not go beyond what is written." Once again, this tells us not to add new doctrines based on human logic, reasoning, emotions, traditions, etc., but God is allowed to add to Scripture because there were more books added to the Bible after 1 Corinthians (see my article called Who Wrote the New Testament?).
  
  In Revelation 22:18-19 (above), the apostle John said not to add to or take away from the book of Revelation.
  
  Based on these passages, people sometimes say that Scripture alone contains everything that we must believe and do in order to serve and glorify God because we're forbidden from adding to what the Bible says.
  
  But what they're misunderstanding is that the Holy Spirit in our hearts guides us and teaches us (see my article called How to Discern God's Guidance). In articles online that argue in favor of sola scriptura, you'll rarely find any mention of the Holy Spirit's ministry in our lives, yet the New Testament makes it very clear, in a variety of ways, that we need to be listening to the Spirit in order to obey Him (see my article above).
  
  For example, the New Testament says that various Christians will be given messages from God through such things as dreams, visions, tongues and interpretation, or prophecies, as in these examples:

  "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'"" (Acts 2:14-18)
  
  "During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)" (Acts 11:27-28)
  
  "Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." (Acts 16:6-10)
  
  "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me." (Acts 20:22-23)
  
  "Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied." (Acts 21:8-9)
  
  "After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'"" (Acts 21:10-11)
  
  "What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two - or at the most three - should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets." (1 Corinthians 14:26-32)

  In the above passages, when we're told what was in a prophecy or a vision (a severe famine, a man of Macedonia, and Paul being arrested and imprisoned), notice that none of those things are new doctrines for the church. In the other passages above, we're told that God gave messages to various Christians but we're never told what those messages were. Therefore, those messages were not new doctrines for the church; they were messages from God specifically for a person or a local church congregation or some other group of people.
  
  If God gives messages to Christians today through such things as dreams, visions, tongues and interpretation, or prophecies, this is not going beyond what is written because what is written in the New Testament shows that miraculous experiences such as these were never intended to be limited to the first century as we saw earlier. Those messages are not adding to Scripture because they're not new doctrines for the church and they don't fit the criteria for adding Scripture to the New Testament canon as we'll see. Instead, they are messages for a specific person or group, telling them what they need to do or giving them guidance, instruction, or warning.

• Psalm 19:7-14

  "The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:7-14)

  People sometimes use passages such as this to show the complete sufficiency of Scripture because this passage says that God's law, statutes, precepts, commands, and decrees are perfect, refreshing, trustworthy, right, radiant, firm, righteous, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, and in keeping them there is great reward, and so on.
  
  If the supporters of sola scriptura were correct that Psalm 19 (above) was intended to teach that Scripture is sufficient or complete, then no more Scripture would have been needed after Psalm 19 (above) was written. Think about it for a moment.
  
  The above passage is certainly true, but it doesn't support sola scriptura because if the Holy Spirit gives us messages today through dreams, visions, tongues and interpretation, prophecies, etc., then those messages would be perfect, refreshing, trustworthy, right, radiant, firm, righteous, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, and in keeping them there is great reward, and so on.

• Matthew 5:17-20, Mark 7:5-13, Luke 16:16-17, 29-31, John 5:45-47, 10:31-36

  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)
  
  "So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?" He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions." And he continued, "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.' But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) - then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."" (Mark 7:5-13)
  
  "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law." (Luke 16:16-17)
  
  [Jesus is speaking:] "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Luke 16:29-31)
  
  "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:45-47)
  
  "Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are "gods"'? If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came - and Scripture cannot be set aside - what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?"" (John 10:31-36)

  Supporters of sola scriptura use passages such as these to show that Jesus spoke of Scripture as a final authority, resting the truthfulness of His arguments on the absolute trustworthiness of Scripture.
  
  All of our Christian doctrines, views, traditions, etc., need to be completely in line with Scripture; no argument there. But what they don't seem to understand is that Jesus made all of those statements before the cross. No one before the cross had the indwelling Holy Spirit as Christians do, so they only had the Law of Moses and the Prophets (essentially what we would call the Old Testament).
  
  After the cross, all Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit who gives us knowledge, insight, wisdom, and understanding (e.g., Luke 21:14-17, Ephesians 1:17-18, Philippians 3:15-18, Colossians 1:9-10, 2 Timothy 2:4-7, James 1:5, 3:17). During Jesus' life on earth, He only did the Father's will; whatever the Father showed Him and told Him, that's what Jesus did (e.g., John 4:34, 5:19-20, 30, 6:38, 8:15-16, 26-29, 42, 47, 9:4, 12:44-50, 14:9-11, 17:4-8). On earth, Jesus was our perfect role model because we can do what He did, by operating in the power of the Holy Spirit just as He did, through faith (e.g., Matthew 17:19-20, 21:21-22, Mark 9:23, 11:22-24, Luke 17:5-6, John 14:11-14, Acts 3:12, Romans 15:18-19). The apostle Paul and other New Testament writers repeatedly told us to imitate Jesus and to imitate those who are imitating Jesus (e.g., Romans 15:5, 1 Corinthians 4:16-17, 11:1, Ephesians 4:32-5:2, Philippians 2:5, 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, 2 Thessalonians 3:9, Hebrews 6:12, 1 Peter 2:21, 4:1, 1 John 2:6).
  
  Everything that we believe and say and do needs to be completely in line with Scripture, but not in the sense of "Scripture alone" because that leads to relying on our own interpretations. Instead, as the previous paragraph shows, we need the Holy Spirit's interpretation and we must imitate Jesus as our role model by listening to and obeying everything that God shows us and tells us through the Holy Spirit within us.

• Acts 17:10-12

  "As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men." (Acts 17:10-12)

  This passage commends the Berean Jews for examining "the Scriptures" to verify Paul's claims, and many of them received salvation because in Acts 17:12 (above) we're told that "many of them believed." In the previous verse (Acts 17:11) they were not yet Christians. They were Jews who believed they were under the Old Covenant and were required to obey the Law of Moses, so to them at that point, "the Scriptures" specifically meant the Hebrew Scriptures (essentially what we would call the Old Testament). That's the only Scripture that the Berean Jews would have recognized, partly because they were not yet Christians (so they would not have accepted the New Testament), and partly because (with the possible exception of the books of James and Galatians) there was no such thing as the New Testament at that point (see my article called Who Wrote the New Testament?).
  
  Supporters of sola scriptura often mention this passage to show that the Bible is sufficient and complete with everything we need to know for honoring God and serving Him, but they don't realize that what they're saying (based on this passage) is that the Old Testament is sufficient and complete because that's the only Scripture mentioned in this passage. By using this passage in this way, they don't understand that they're eliminating the need for any New Testament Scripture because the Berean Jews were only using the Old Testament for verifying Paul's claims.

• Romans 3:1-2

  "What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God." (Romans 3:1-2 NKJV)

  People sometimes say that the words of Scripture are "the oracles of God" (based on the above passage), so they argue that the written words of Scripture are our only infallible authority. But that's not what this passage says, and this passage does not support sola scriptura.
  
  When Paul wrote the above passage in late winter or early spring of AD 57-58, most of the New Testament had not yet been written (see my article called Who Wrote the New Testament?). As numerous Bible commentaries point out (search for "oracles" at that link), "the oracles of God" that were committed (past tense) to the Jews in the above passage are the Old Testament promises made to Abraham (the first patriarch of the people who would later be called the Jews), and the laws given to the Jews through Moses (beginning in Exodus 19), and the rest of the Old Testament after Moses. For example, this passage uses the same Greek word for "oracles" as in the above passage, and it specifically refers to the words of God given to Moses:

  "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.' This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us" (Act 7:37-38 NKJV)

  So when people who believe in sola scriptura use Romans 3:1-2 (above) to support their view, they don't seem to realize that they're arguing that the Old Testament is our only infallible authority because the promises, laws, and teachings given by God from the time of Abraham until Jesus was born are the only "oracles" mentioned in the above two passages. By using Romans 3:1-2 (above) in this way, they don't understand that they're eliminating the need for any New Testament Scripture.
  
  The Greek word for "oracles" is used two more times in the New Testament:

  "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV)
  
  "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:10-11 NKJV)

  In Hebrews 5:12-14 (above), it's not clear if "the first principles of the oracles of God" refers to the same "oracles" as in Romans 3:1-2 (above), or if it includes New Testament principles, but 1 Peter 4:10-11 (above) very specifically says that spiritual gifts that involve speaking should be treated as speaking "the oracles of God." Later in this article we'll see that we're told to test and carefully weigh all messages that might be from God because some messages given by people are only from their flesh (their human nature). Messages given accurately through the gifts of the Spirit actually are from God, and Peter referred to them "as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:10-11, above), as a number of Bible commentaries point out:

  "If any man speak - In order to explain or enforce God's word, and edify his neighbour, let him do it as those did to whom the living oracles were committed: they spoke as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost." (Clarke's Commentary, 1 Peter 4:11)
  
  "The whole duty of Christians is classified under the general heading of "speaking" and "doing"; but it is actually God who does both! He supplies the words which the speaker is to speak, and the means or strength by which the minister does." (Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible, 1 Peter 4:11)
  
  "The word rendered "oracles" (λόγια logia) means, properly, something "spoken" or "uttered"; then anything uttered by God - a divine communication - a revelation." (Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible, 1 Peter 4:11)
  
  "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: It is evident from 1 Corinthians 12 and from this passage that there are both utterance and non-utterance gifts were given. "If any man speak" or exercises his utterance gift, he must speak as the "oracles" (logion), "the utterances of God through Christian teachers" (Vine, Vol. III 144; Thayer 379-2-3051), that is, the word of God. Oracles are divine utterances or revelations (Acts 7:38). This gift was used correctly only when what was stated was in harmony with the word of God (Hebrews 5:12). Some gifts were speaking, (utterance) and some were non speaking (non-utterance). Only to the extent that one stayed with the word of God was he exercising his gift correctly." (Contending for the Faith, 1 Peter 4:11)
  
  "If any man speaketh. Through a gift of the Spirit. He must speak not his own words, but speak as though they were God's oracles, speakers of a divine message." (The People's New Testament commentary, 1 Peter 4:11)
  
  "His divinely inspired words are not his own, but God's, and as a steward (1Pe 4:10) having them committed to him, he ought so to speak them. Jesus was the pattern in this respect (Mat 7:29; Joh 12:49; Joh 14:10; compare Paul, 2Co 2:17). Note, the very same term as is applied in the only other passages where it occurs (Act 7:38; Rom 3:2; Heb 5:12), to the Old Testament inspired writings, is here predicated of the inspired words (the substance of which was afterwards committed to writing) of the New Testament prophets." (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, 1 Peter 4:11)

  As 1 Peter 4:10-11 (above) specifically tells us, spiritual gifts that involve speaking should be treated as speaking "the oracles of God." Therefore, the Bible specifically refutes sola scriptura ("Scripture alone") because throughout this article we'll see that none of the gifts of the Spirit have ever ceased or died out, including the spiritual gifts that involve speaking. Again, we're told to test and carefully weigh all messages that might be from God, which means that messages given by pastors, popes, church leaders, or any other Christians should never automatically be treated as if they're infallible. But when messages truly are from God (who is certainly an infallible authority), then they should be treated as authoritative and should be obeyed as in these examples:

  "In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized" (Acts 9:10-18)
  
  "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa." (Acts 10:1-8)
  
  "About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them." Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?" The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along." (Acts 10:9-23)
  
  "Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." (Acts 13:1-3)
  
  "Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia." (Acts 16:6)
  
  "When they [Paul and his companions] came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas." (Acts 16:7-8)
  
  "During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them." (Acts 16:9-10)
  
  "When I [Paul] returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking to me. 'Quick!' he said. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.' 'Lord,' I replied, 'these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" (Acts 22:17-21)
  
  "On one of these journeys I [Paul] was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven." (Acts 26:12-19)
  
  "We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."" (Acts 27:18-25)

  God is certainly an infallible authority, and He guides and directs all Christians, so we need to be listening to Him and obeying Him throughout the day, every day. For help in understanding His written instructions (the New Testament), see my article called How to Study the Bible. For help in discerning His spoken instructions, see my article called How to Discern God's Guidance.

• 2 Timothy 3:14-17

  "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

  People sometimes use this passage to show that Scripture is the only method by which God gives us the knowledge of His will concerning what we need to believe and do. But that's not what this passage says, and this passage does not support sola scriptura.
  
  In the above passage, Timothy was told to "continue in what you have learned," and in the following passages, Christians were told to hold to the teachings or traditions that were passed on to them:

  "I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you." (1 Corinthians 11:2)
  
  "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings [traditions in the NKJV] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

  In these and any similar passages, continuing in what we have learned or holding to the teachings and traditions passed on to us does not in any way imply that there will never be anything more for us to be taught. For example, children learn addition and subtraction at an early age, and they need to continue in what they learned about them and hold fast to what they learned about them because they'll need that knowledge for the rest of their lives. But this does not in any way imply that they'll never need to learn anything else about math. Furthermore, in the two passages above, notice that Paul specifically referred to teachings or traditions that he had passed on to them, some of which were "by word of mouth" and not in any of his letters (i.e., not in Scripture). In other places, Paul specifically reminded some churches of what he had taught them in person (verbally), and rules that he laid down in all the churches, and he mentioned things that he had told them in person that he received from the Lord and which he referred to as "the word of God" (e.g., Acts 20:31, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 7:17, 11:23, 15:1-3, Galatians 1:6-12, 5:21, 1 Thessalonians 2:6-13, 4:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:5, 3:6-10). In all of these statements that Paul made (and in similar statements in other passages), he treated those teachings, traditions, instructions, and rules as being authoritative for Christians, even when they were never written down as part of the Bible. Paul did not expect Christians to believe in sola scriptura ("Scripture alone").
  
  Certainly all Scripture is inspired by God ("God-breathed") and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training to thoroughly equip us for every good work, as 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (above) says. However, just because something (such as Scripture) is useful in order for us be taught, rebuked, corrected, or trained, this does not mean that it's the only method by which we can be taught, rebuked, corrected, or trained. For example, lately I've been dabbling with the python computer programming language, so I've been using an online tutorial for python. It has been useful for teaching and training me and correcting my programming mistakes to thoroughly equip me to write programs in python, but this does not mean that the tutorial I'm using is the only method by which we can be thoroughly equipped to write programs in python.
  
  As I described above, the New Testament specifically tells us to be led by and taught by the Spirit, so in order to be properly obedient to God we need to listen to both the New Testament and the Holy Spirit within us (not just Scripture alone).

• Hebrews 1:1-2

  "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." (Hebrews 1:1-2)

  Supporters of sola scriptura frequently quote this passage and say that since God "has spoken" (past tense) to us by His Son, Jesus, then God's revelation to us has been fully uttered and there's nothing more for Him to say to us. But as in all of the passages in this section (and any other passages that use the past tense such as Hebrews 2:1-4), supporters of sola scriptura are extrapolating beyond what the passage actually says.
  
  According to their logic, the book of Hebrews begins by saying (in the above passage) that God spoke to us through Jesus in the past (because "has spoken" is in the past tense), and therefore He has finished speaking to us and there's nothing further that He will say to us. But if they're correct that there's nothing further that God will say to us then He stopped speaking to us before the book of Hebrews was written. Think about it for a moment. Therefore, according to the logic of the supporters of sola scriptura, the book of Hebrews and all New Testament books written after it are not God's words so they're not Scripture. This demonstrates the error in their logic because the book of Hebrews and all New Testament books written after it are Scripture (see my article called Who Wrote the New Testament?).
  
  The book of Revelation was written decades after Hebrews (see my article above), and Revelation contains quotes from Jesus. Therefore, since Revelation is Scripture (see my article above), then Hebrews 1:1-2 (above) does not mean that God finished speaking through Jesus in the past (before Hebrews 1:1-2) and would never speak through Jesus again.
  
  For example, imagine that in the past my grandfather gave his son (my father) a message for me and my brother. In that case, my grandfather "has spoken to us by his son" (past tense), which is exactly what Hebrews 1:1-2 (above) says, but notice that this does not mean that our grandfather would never speak to us again or that our grandfather would never speak to us in any other way. Similarly, God has spoken to us by His Son, but this does not mean that God will never speak to us again or that God will never speak to us in any other way.

• 2 Peter 1:3-4

  "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4)

  Supporters of sola scriptura use this passage to show that everything that's necessary, and everything that God requires of us, is recorded for us in Scripture. But once again, they're extrapolating beyond what the passage actually says.
  
  Their faulty logic with this passage is similar to their faulty logic with Hebrews 1:1-2 (above). If Peter started the book of 2 Peter (in the above passage) by saying that God has given us (past tense) everything in Scripture that we need to know and therefore God has finished speaking to us, then the book of 2 Peter and all New Testament books written after it are not God's words so they're not Scripture. This demonstrates the error in their logic because the book of 2 Peter and all New Testament books written after it are Scripture (see my article called Who Wrote the New Testament?).
  
  In 2 Peter 1:3-4 (above) we're told that God's divine power (not Scripture) has given us everything we need, and that we may participate in the divine nature. This was accomplished by God giving us the indwelling Holy Spirit at the moment we received salvation (see my article called How to Receive Salvation), who guides us and teaches us (see my article called How to Discern God's Guidance), and enables us to participate in the divine nature (which is described in detail in the free PDF of my book called Divine Healing Absolutely Is for Today).

• Jude 1:3

  "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people." (Jude 1:3)

  Jude began his letter (Jude 1:3, above) by saying that "the faith" was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. Some supporters of sola scriptura assume this means that Scripture has been given to us once and for all in the past, so Scripture is fully sufficient and God has stopped speaking to us. But by their logic, God stopped speaking to us before Jude wrote the above passage. Once again, their faulty logic means that the book of Jude and all New Testament books written after it are not God's words so they're not Scripture. This is the same faulty logic they use with other passages we've seen (above).
  
  Throughout the New Testament, Christianity is sometimes referred to as "the faith." For example, the author of the Gospel of Luke traveled with the apostle Paul on one or more of his missionary journeys, and Luke wrote a chronological account of the spread of Christianity during the first 30 years after the cross, which we call the book of Acts. We can see that Christianity was referred to as "the faith" practically from the beginning as the number of disciples was increasing as in these examples:

  "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." (Acts 6:7)
  
  "The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith." (Acts 13:7-8)
  
  "They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said." (Acts 14:21-22)

  The first New Testament book (James) was most likely written in AD 45-48, and the second New Testament book (Galatians) was most likely written by Paul in AD 48 during the time period of Acts 14:26-28, just after Paul finished his first missionary journey (see my article called Who Wrote the New Testament?). Therefore, the events in the above passages all took place before Paul wrote Galatians in AD 48, which shows that Christianity was referred to as "the faith" practically from the beginning. Clearly "the faith" cannot refer to the full and complete Bible because at most there was only one New Testament book written when the events in the above passages took place.
  
  Before the cross, the Jews were living under the Old Covenant and were required to follow the 613 commands in the Law of Moses (see my series called Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments). The New Covenant was initiated at the cross and is based on faith in Jesus, and it superseded the Old Covenant faith of Judaism (see my series above). "The faith" (Christianity) was "once for all" entrusted to God's holy people because Christianity will never be superseded by any other form of faith, and this is what Jude 1:3 (above) is referring to.

"On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt - on that very day - they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak." (Exodus 19:1-7)

"See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel." (Malachi 4:4)

Judaism 101 - A List of the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments)

"This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Isaiah 2:1-4)

"The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. "Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail."" (Isaiah 51:3-6)

"I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever." (Ezekiel 37:22-25)

"In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken." (Micah 4:1-4)

What criteria were used to determine the canon of Scripture?

The Bible: The Holy Canon of Scripture

"Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'"" (Acts 2:14-18)

"Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied." (Acts 21:8-9)

"What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two - or at the most three - should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets." (1 Corinthians 14:26-32)

"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know - God knows. And I know that this man - whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows - was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

"Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." (1 Corinthians 14:29)

"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21)

"Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist - denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23)

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world...If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God." (1 John 4:1-3, 15)

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist." (2 John 1:6-7)

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false." (Revelation 2:1-2)

• Will never add to Scripture.
• Will never contradict the proper understanding of Scripture.
• Need to be tested and carefully weighed to be sure they're actually from God, which means that messages given by pastors, popes, church leaders, or any other Christians should never automatically be treated as if they are infallible. But when messages truly are from God, then they should be treated as authoritative and should be obeyed.

"The Scriptures are an authoritative document of God which produces holiness" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, graphe)

"a document, that is, holy Writ (or its contents or a statement in it): - scripture" (Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary, graphe)

"1) a writing, thing written 2) the Scripture, used to denote either the book itself, or its contents 3) a certain portion or section of the Holy Scripture" (Thayer's Greek Definitions, graphe)

"Invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament...It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testaments." (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

"the Old and New Testaments, which make up the Bible, God's written Word. God gave to the world His living Word, Jesus Christ, and His written Word, the Scriptures." (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

""a writing," (a) of the OT Scriptures, (1) in the plural, the whole...; (2) in the singular in reference to a particular passage...; (b) of the OT Scriptures (those accepted by the Jews as canonical) and all those of the NT which were to be accepted by Christians as authoritative" (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears." (1 Corinthians 13:8-10)

"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed [apokalupsis]. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:7-8)

"God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed [apokalupsis] from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels." (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed [apokalupsis] at his coming." (1 Peter 1:13)

"Historical research is an imperfect science. Who really knows history that well? We only have a fraction of the literature from the period of the death of the last of the apostles up to the beginning of the Reformation. That is, for fourteen-hundred years we have very scanty historical sources on which to base our study. Is this sufficient evidence on which to base the conviction that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were lost to the church throughout its history?
But were the gifts really lost? There is, in fact, ample evidence throughout church history for the use of the gifts in the church." (Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Jack Deere, p.73).

History Of Writing Materials

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment." (Hebrews 5:11-6:2)

• Will never add to Scripture.
• Will never contradict the proper understanding of Scripture.
• Need to be tested and carefully weighed to be sure they're actually from God, which means that messages given by pastors, popes, church leaders, or any other Christians should never automatically be treated as if they are infallible. But when messages truly are from God, then they should be treated as authoritative and should be obeyed.

• 07/06/2024 - Added an update in the Introduction section.

• 05/31/2024 - Slightly modified my comments on Acts 2:14-18 in the section called "Do Messages from God Have Equal Authority with Scripture?"

• 04/20/2024 - Slightly modified the last paragraph in the section called "Why Do People Believe Cessationism?"

• 04/06/2024 - Added Ephesians 4:3-16, Acts 28:30-31, 1 Corinthians 4:16-17, Ephesians 4:19-24, Philippians 3:15-18, and 2 Thessalonians 3:10 in the section called "Sola Scriptura." Added a section called "Matthew 5:17-20, Mark 7:5-13, Luke 16:16-17, 29-31, John 5:45-47, 10:31-36."

• 03/21/2024 - Slightly modified the section called "The Importance of Being Obedient to God." Added a paragraph in the section called "Why Do People Believe Cessationism?" Slightly modified the Conclusion section.

• 03/06/2024 - Added more information in the section called "Sola Scriptura."

• 02/27/2024 - Slightly modified the section called "The Importance of Being Obedient to God." Added two paragraphs in the section called "Do Messages from God Have Equal Authority with Scripture?"

• 02/21/2024 - Added a section called "Romans 3:1-2." Added 1 Corinthians 11:2 and 2 Thessalonians 2:15 in the section called "2 Timothy 3:14-17." Modified the third bullet point in the section called "Do Messages from God Have Equal Authority with Scripture?" Modified the third bullet point in the Conclusion section.

• 01/31/2024 - Added some information about the Jerusalem Council in the section called "Sola Scriptura."

• 01/05/2024 - Deleted some redundant passages in the section called "What Does "Scripture" Mean?" Modified the section called "Is There Any Scriptural Evidence That Miraculous Experiences Were Dying Out in the First Century?"

• 09/23/2023 - Removed the scare quotes from the word "pastor." Modified the section called "Is There Any Scriptural Evidence That Miraculous Experiences Were Dying Out in the First Century?"

• 08/26/2023 - Slightly modified the section called "Sola Scriptura."

• 08/11/2023 - Deleted Matthew 7:19-27 in the section called "The Importance of Being Obedient to God."

• 06/01/2023 - Added a couple of passages in the section called "Sola Scriptura" to show that the New Covenant specifically involves discerning God's guidance within us.

• 04/12/2023 - Added a quote at the end of the section called "Sola Scriptura."

• 03/09/2023 - Added a link to my article called "How to Study the Bible" in the section called "Sola Scriptura." Added a link to my article called "Who Wrote the New Testament?" in the section called "2 Peter 1:3-4."

• 03/02/2023 - Added a paragraph at the end of the Conclusion section.

• 01/22/2023 - Modified the section called "Why Do People Believe Cessationism?" Modified the section called "Acts 17:10-12." Modified the section called "2 Timothy 3:14-17." Modified the section called "2 Peter 1:3-4."

• 11/27/2022 - Added a link to my series called "How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit" under "2 Peter 1:3-4."

• 09/29/2022 - Modified the section called "Terminology Issues."

• 09/04/2022 - Modified the section called "Terminology Issues." Modified the section called "Is There Any Scriptural Evidence That Miraculous Experiences Were Dying Out in the First Century?"

• 08/26/2022 - Modified the section called "Why Do People Believe Cessationism?"

• 07/29/2022 - Modified the section called "Terminology Issues." Modified the section called "Why Do People Believe Cessationism?"

• 07/24/2022 - Added 2 Timothy 3:1-5 in the section called "Why Do People Believe Cessationism?" Modified my closing statement.

• 07/23/2022 - New article.