Spiritual Gifts
ix
The objection founded upon
2 Timothy 3:16
, which some have
gravely presented, deserves no more than a passing remark. If Paul, in
saying that the scriptures were able to make the man of God perfect,
thoroughly-furnished unto all good works, meant that nothing more
should be written by inspiration, why was he, at that moment, adding
to those scriptures? At least, why did he not drop the pen as soon as
that sentence was written? And why did John, thirty years afterwards,
write the book of Revelation? This book contains another text which
is quoted to prove the abolition of spiritual gifts.
For I testify to every man that heareth the words of the prophecy
of this book, if any man shall add to these things, God shall add to
him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall
take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from
the things which are written in this book.
Revelation 22:18, 19
.
From this text it is claimed that God, who at sundry times, and in
divers manners, spake in time past to the fathers by the prophets, and,
in the commencement of the Gospel day, by Jesus and His apostles,
hath hereby solemnly promised never to communicate any thing more
to man in that way. Hence all prophesying after this date must be false.
This, say they, closes the canon of inspiration. If so, why did John
write his Gospel after his return from Patmos to Ephesus? In doing
so did he add to the words of the prophecy of that book written in the
[10]
Isle of Patmos? It is evident from the text, that the caution against
adding to or taking from, refers not to the Bible as we have the volume
compiled, but to the separate book of Revelation, as it came from the
hand of the apostle. Yet no man has a right to add to or subtract from
any other book written by inspiration of God. Did John, in writing the
book of Revelation, add anything to the book of Daniel’s prophecy?
Not at all. A prophet has no right to alter the Word of God. But the
visions of John corroborate those of Daniel, and give much additional
light upon the subjects there introduced. I conclude then that the Lord
has not bound Himself to keep silence, but is still at liberty to speak.
Ever be it the language of my heart, speak, Lord, through whom Thou
wilt; Thy servant heareth.
Thus the attempt to prove from scripture the abolition of spiritual
gifts, proves a total failure. And since the gates of Hades have not
prevailed against the church, but God still has a people on earth, we