Whether or not the Bible is the complete revelation of God has profound implications on Christianity today. If the Bible isn’t the complete revelation of God, then the door remains open to “other” revelation.
“Other” could be other scriptural authority such as the Quran or the Book of Mormon. Or, evangelists claiming to speak for God or church leaders holding a title of apostle or prophet. It gives license for individuals to dream their own interaction with God and His special revelation just to/for them. In fact, all of these exist today. They are often justified as an activity through/by the Holy Spirit or simply “hearing the voice of God”.
So what does Scripture say about if the Bible is the complete revelation of God?
Regarding his chief theological work, ‘Der christliche Glaube nach den Grundsätzen der evangelischen Kirche’: Its fundamental principle is that the source and the basis of dogmatic theology are the religious feeling, the sense of absolute dependence on God as communicated by Jesus through the church, not the creeds or the letter of Scripture or the rationalistic understanding.
Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), German theologian, philosopher, WikipediaHow Scripture answers "Is the Bible the complete revelation of God?"
The Bible is the complete revelation of God1,2,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14. While there was a time God spoke to man through prophets5,8, that time was replaced by the gospel revelation through His son, Jesus Christ and His time on earth5,9,10 and His appointed apostles7,9,10,11,12,13.
As of the first century, God’s word had been proclaimed throughout the whole world4,6,8,12,13. If the word was sufficiently complete in the first century to save individuals1,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13, how is it any less complete now and why would it be necessary for God to reveal more? The foundation7,9,12,13 would not still be being laid some 2,000 years later.
Answer built on scripture-blocks below
related to 'Is the Bible the complete revelation of God?'
lend your own study to the discussion
PUBLIC COMMENT POLICY: While your email is required, it will not be posted publically.
All comments are vetted for potential spam before being published, but will not be restricted otherwise.
In John 14:12-14; Jesus says that”whoever” believes in him will do the work that he has done, even greater works because he is going to the father; the “whoever” language seems to encompass a much larger audience than the remaining disciples in the upper room after Judas had left Doesn’t it?
Thanks for the new comment, Rick. Were you asking it connected to this question (Is the Bible the complete revelation of God?) or possibly another one on the site?
Is the Apocrypha included in the “word” ?The book of Jude quotes from the book of Enoch. Also, has knowledge also ceased,? First Corinthians 13 eight through 10.
Thanks for your comment and questions. There’s much to say about why the Apocrypha is not part of God’s inspired word; maybe it’s even a question we address in the future on this site. If we did, we would add the Jude 14 verse to which you refer. It says, “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,” (Jude 1:14). Following the BSF, the first thing we would do with this verse is answer the question, “What does it say?”. So, what does it say? It says he is quoting “Enoch, the seventh of Adam”; it doesn’t say, “It was also about these that the Book of Enoch says,…”. Enoch was a historical figure (Gen 5:18) and what we learn from this verse is that he apparently was a prophet of God but that’s as far as we can take it. Anything more is saying what it doesn’t say, correct? BTW, if Jude did say “It was also about these that the Book of Enoch says,…” and as a result could confidently conclude that Jude is quoting the Book of Enoch, it would not require us to conclude all the Book of Enoch inspired (and further still, the Apocrypha) any more than Paul quoting Aratus’s poem in his sermon to the Athenians (Acts 17:28) makes the poem inspired.
Your second question is also a good one. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 is passage #2 in our Scriptures pertaining to this question of “Is the Bible the complete revelation of God?” This passage clearly says that knowledge will pass away (along with prophecies and tongues). The immediate context of 1 Corinthians 13 points to “knowledge” being special knowledge or knowledge from God given its positioning alongside prophecies and tongues – all special gifts from God (or “gifts of the Holy Spirit”). Maybe your question is more “has it yet ceased?” If we interpret this passage to mean “special” knowledge hasn’t yet (today) passed, what is it that God still needs to impart for salvation? And how would that harmonize with the other passages listed that show, among other things, the completeness of the Gospel (or God’s word more generally) in the first century (e.g. passage #4 or #5)?