Should Christians Expect Miracles Today? Objections and Answers from the Bible, Part 3, by Wayne A. Grudem
19. If we allow for prophecy and things such as hearing from the Lord today, aren’t we in danger of being led astray by an overemphasis on subjective guidance? Haven’t many Christian groups in the past made shipwreck of their faith by following such subjective guidance and using “The Lord told me” to justify all sorts of serious errors?
Yes, there is a danger of excessive reliance on subjective impressions for guidance, and that must be clearly guarded against. People who continually seek subjective “messages” from God to guide their lives must be cautioned that subjective personal guidance is not a primary function of New Testament prophecy. They need to place much more emphasis on Scripture and seeking God’s sure wisdom written there.
I readily admit that many mistakes have been made in this area in the past. People have placed an unhealthy emphasis on subjective guidance, neglected the teachings of Scripture, and fallen into error. Usually this has been because they did not realize that prophecy in the Church age is not the word of God, and can frequently contain errors. But here the question must be, Are misunderstandings and abuses necessary for the gift of prophecy to function? If we are to argue that mistakes and abuses of a gift make the gift itself invalid, then we would have to reject Bible teaching too (for many church leaders have led people astray). The abuse of a gift does not mean we must prohibit the proper use of the gift, unless it can be shown that there cannot not be proper use—that all use has to be abuse.
Many charismatic writers would agree with my cautions against focusing on prophecy for personal guidance, as the following quotations indicate:
Michael Harper (Church of England):
Prophecies which tell other people what they are to do—are to be regarded with great suspicion.43 Dennis and Rita Bennett (American Episcopalians):
We should also be careful of personal, directive prophecy, especially outside the ministry of a mature and submitted man of God. Unrestrained “personal prophecy” did much to undermine the movement of the Holy Spirit which began at the turn of the century …Christians are certainly given words for one another “in the Lord” …and such words can be most refreshing and helpful, but there must be a witness of the Spirit on the part of the person receiving the words, and extreme caution should be used in receiving any alleged directive or predictive prophecy. Never undertake any project simply because you were told to by presumed prophetic utterance or interpretation of tongues, or by a presumed word of wisdom, or knowledge. Never do something just because a friend comes to you and says: “The Lord told me to tell you to do thus and thus.” If the Lord has instructions for you, He will give you a witness in your own heart, in which case the words coming from a friend …will be a confirmation to what God has already been showing you. Your guidance must also agree with Scripture.44 Donald Gee (Assemblies of God):
[There are] grave problems raised by the habit of giving and receiving personal “messages” of guidance through the gifts of the Spirit …The Bible gives a place for such direction from the Holy Spirit …But it must be kept in proportion …An examination of the Scriptures will show us that as a matter of fact the early Christians did not continually receive such voices from heaven. In most cases they made their decisions by the use of what we often call “sanctified common-sense” and lived quite normal lives …Many of our errors where spiritual gifts are concerned arise when we want the extraordinary and exceptional to be made the frequent and habitual. Let all who develop excessive desire for “messages” through the gifts take warning from the wreckage of past generations as well as of contemporaries …The Holy Scriptures are a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.45 Donald Bridge (British charismatic pastor):
The illuminist constantly finds that “God tells him” to do things …Illuminists are often very sincere, very dedicated, and possessed of a commitment to obey God that shames more cautious Christians. Nevertheless they are treading a dangerous path. Their ancestors have trodden it before, and always with disastrous results in the long run. Inner feelings and special promptings are by their very nature subjective. The Bible provides our objective guide.46 On the other hand, many cessationists (i.e., people who don’t believe in miraculous gifts such as prophecy today) are skeptical of any element of subjectivity in the realm of guidance. This is the opposite mistake. The people who make this objection are often the ones who need this subjective process most in their own Christian lives. This gift requires waiting on the Lord, listening for Him, hearing His prompting in our hearts. For Christians who are completely evangelical, doctrinally sound, intellectual, “objective” believers, probably what is needed most is the strong balancing influence of a more vital “subjective” relationship with the Lord in everyday life. And these people are also the ones who have the least likelihood of being led into error, for they already place great emphasis on solid grounding in the Word of God.
Category: Pneuma Review, Spirit, Summer 2000
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