Sam Waldron’s To Be Continued: Are the miraculous Gifts For Today? is a book I am now half way through. He basically argues via a cascading argument for the cessation of the miraculous gifts. By demonstrating that the Apostolic office has ceased he then demonstrates how the others that pertain to that era have ceased as well.
I may attempt to discuss the book at a later date when I have finished. For now I wanted to raise a point I thought was very applicable in today’s climate of weak theology.
His chapter on Old Testament Prophets and the nature of their prophecy is quite enlightening. It could easily fit into a book on the nature of Scripture. Explaining the nature of the Old Testament Canon he cites portions of Deuteronomy 13 and 18.
Deu 13:1 "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,'
Deu 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 13:4 "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
Deu 13:5 "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
Deu 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.
Deu 18:16 "This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.'
Deu 18:17 "The LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well.
Deu 18:18 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
Deu 18:19 'It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.
Deu 18:20 'But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.'
Deu 18:21 "You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'
Deu 18:22 "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
Notice chapter 13 verse 4. The people under the Old Covenant were to listen to the voice of God. Chapter 18 verse 19 commands that we are to obey a prophet’s words as if they are God’s own.
The obvious question arises. How can an average Protestant understand this? The Roman Catholic apologist says it is not possible to know what is canonical without Mother-Church. Yet if a true prophet of God speaks we must listen and obey. By definition, what a prophet says at any time is canonical. This command was given centuries prior to Jesus.
Therefore, those who say the people of God cannot recognize God’s voice without an infallible teaching magesterium are in error. God commanded us to obey the prophets. There is no need for a prophet to appeal to another authority.
The Apostles have the authority of Christ. Their words are Christ’s words. The logical conclusion should be obvious to all. Whether there is an infallible magesterium or not, they are to be heard and obeyed as if Christ were speaking, even today.
It might be argued that the Apostolic office is still being passed down. If you are willing to concede that Scripture may still be written by those, who possess this office (Mormons anyone), then we may have a further discussion.
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