Critique of THE PROTESTANT'S DILEMMA by Devin Rose
Chapter 15 - The Closure of Public Revelation
Page 105:
Virtually all Christians agree that public revelation – the “deposit of
faith” given by God to man for our salvation, as opposed to private
revelations given by God to individuals for some specific purpose –
ended with the death of the last apostle. Because of this, we know that
all necessary savific truths have already been given to us, although we
may expand or deepen our understanding of those truths over time.
Protestants believe this even though no passage in the Bible states
when (or if) public revelation ended or will end. This puts them in the
awkward position of affirming sola scriptura while also professing
belief in this binding truth found nowhere in Scripture.
Note: The Apostle John warns about adding revelation beyond the book of Revelation.
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this
book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues
that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words
of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the
Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written
in this book. Revelation 22:18-19.
Page 106: Not that Protestants
haven’t tried to find one. Since the Book of Revelation is usually
placed at the end of the Bible, some of them point to Revelation 22:18
as evidence that no more books could be added after it. But the
stronger verse that could be interpreted to support the belief that
public revelation ended with the death of the last apostle is Jude 3:
“I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the
faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Protestants
assume that the faith delivered to the saints is coextensive with the
books of the Bible; so if that faith was “once for all delivered,” then
no more books could be inspired.
Note: Traditions of men have gone beyond the simple faith in Jesus Christ.
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be
justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by
the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 2:15-16.
Page 106: Sola scriptura
therefore requires that public revelation ended. Otherwise books could
be added to the Bible, and those books could contain infallible
statements that would either add new truths to the existing body of
revelation or, even worse, modify or outright refute Protestant
interpretations of other verses. Protestants intuitively understand
this principle, which explains one reason why they respond so strongly
against Mormonism, which claims to be a Christian religion but has
added books to Scripture.
Note: Mormonism should never be confused with Christianity.
Unlike most other Christian groups, Mormonism espouses a distinctly
nontrinitarian theology as regards the nature of God. The LDS Church,
the largest denomination within Mormonism, teaches that the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost are three separate and distinct beings, the
Father and Son having perfected physical bodies and the Holy Ghost
having only a body of spirit. While the three beings are physically
distinct, in Mormon theology they are one in thoughts, actions, and
purpose and commonly referred to collectively as "one God" or the
"Godhead". Also, Mormonism teaches that God the Father is the literal
father of the spirits of all men and women, which existed prior to
their mortal existence. Further, all humans as children of God can
become exalted, inheriting all that God has, as joint-heirs with
Christ, and becoming like him. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Note: Mormonism is actually Hinduism cloaked in Christian terminology.
Page 107: The passage from the
book of Revelation that warns people not to add or take away from the
words of the book clearly refers only to that book (since at the time
of its writing there was no single “book” of the whole Bible).
Note: The author is ignorant of the foreknowledge of God.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called,
these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also
glorified. Romans 8:29-30.
Note: God foreknew the canon of the Holy Bible in the first century A.D.
Page 107: Indeed, similar passages exist in Deuteronomy 4 and 12, yet, of course, many books were added to the Bible and Deuteronomy.
Note: There is a difference between the law and future prophecy.
“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32.
Note: The author is ignorant of Scripture context.
Page 107: Jude 3 is a more
interesting possibility, and in Catholic theology it is plausible to
interpret the verse in a way that supports (but not proves) the belief
that public revelation is closed. One problem for a Protestant seeking
to use it alone as a proof text is the probable dating of Jude itself.
Unless Jude were the very last book of the Bible to be written, it
makes no sense to claim that the inspired author intended his words to
mean that no more books of the Bible would come after him. Scholars
consider it likely that 2 Peter draws from Jude, which argues for an
earlier dating of the letter, probably in the 50s or 60s. Another
problem is that Jude’s status as Scripture was not universally attested
to – recall Luther himself appealed to this fact in his prologue to the
four New Testament books he rejected, which included Jude. Since the
Church took centuries to accept Jude as Scripture, it is unlikely that
one of its statements would have been used to prove the closure of
public revelation.
Note: Has the Catholic Church added to the Christian faith with their traditions?
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been
assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from
childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make
you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2
Timothy 3:14-15.
Catholic Prayer: HAIL, Mary, my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul!
Thou art all mine through thy mercy, and I am all thine. But I am not
thine completely enough. Destroy in me all that may be displeasing to
God.
Place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to thee. Amen.
Page 108: If this belief about
the end of public revelation did not come from Scripture, where did it
come from? The answer is Sacred Tradition: the revealed Christian
truths that were not written down to be part of Scripture but were
transmitted orally and preserved by the Church.
Note: The author accepts only statements by Catholics and misquotes Protestants.
Page 106: The Westminster divines were borrowing from the long-held
understanding of the Church that no more books would be inspired by
God. But no biblical verses explicitly support this declaration.
Note: God foreknew the canon of the Holy Bible in the first century A.D.
Pages 108-109: Protestants
frequently attack Catholic truths found principally in Sacred Tradition
(such as Mary’s Immaculate Conception), even caricaturing the very idea
of Tradition as a game of Telephone, where the original message gets
garbled as it passes along a chain of people until what the last person
hears doesn’t even resemble the original. But they don’t have a problem
with accepting Tradition’s judgment about the closure of public
revelation, because they happen to believe that one (not to mention
that guaranteeing the biblical canon is closed is also a necessary
precondition for sola scriptura.
Note: God foreknew the closure of canon in the first century A.D.
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Acts 1:7
Note: The author is ignorant of the foreknowledge of God.
Page 109: If Protestantism is
true, there is no reason to say for sure that revelation is closed
(since nowhere does Scripture say it is). And so the possibility
remains that there may be future public revelation – like the Book of
Mormon – leading to confusion and chaos among God’s people.
Note: The Book of Judith is bad fiction and is not Scripture.
It is generally accepted that the Book of Judith is not historical. The
fictional nature "is evident from its blending of history and fiction,
beginning in the very first verse, and is too prevalent thereafter to
be considered as the result of mere historical mistakes." Thus, the
great villain is "Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled over the Assyrians" (1:1),
yet the historical Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylonia. Other
details, such as fictional place names, the immense size of armies and
fortifications, and the dating of events, cannot be reconciled with the
historical record. Judith's village, Bethulia (literally "virginity")
is unknown and otherwise unattested to in any ancient writing.
Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Note: The Book of Mormon is bad fiction and is not Scripture.
The Book of Mormon mentions several animals, plants, and technologies
for which there is no evidence in pre-Columbian America. These include
asses, cattle, milk, horses, oxen, sheep, swine, goats, elephants,
wheat, barley, figs, silk, steel, bellows, brass, breast plates,
chains, iron working, plows, swords, scimitars, and chariots. The
Smithsonian Institution has stated that “none of the principal food
plants and domestic animals of the Old World (except the dog) were
present in the New World before Columbus.” Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Note: God foreknew the closure of canon in the first century A.D.
MAIN INDEX
BIBLE INDEX
HINDU INDEX
MUSLIM
INDEX
MORMON INDEX
BUDDHISM INDEX
WORD FAITH INDEX
WATCHTOWER INDEX
MISCELLANEOUS INDEX
CATHOLIC CHURCH INDEX