God has spoken in many different ways
We read in the Bible about God communicating with humans in a variety of ways. He communicated through a variety of mediums, including thunder or blinding light (Exodus 19:19; Acts 9:3-5), a supernatural vision or dream (Daniel 2:19; Matthew 2:13), and an audible voice (Exodus 6:2; 1 Samuel 3:10).
God’s words sometimes revealed God’s will for the people as a whole (Exodus 19:3-5), sometimes they commanded people directly and personally what to do (Acts 9:10–12), and occasionally they forecasted what would happen in the future (e.g. 2 Kings 22:16). Thus, God talked to a large number of people in a variety of ways and at a variety of periods.
God’s revelation is complete in Jesus
Over the ages, God made Himself increasingly known. God’s revelation was transmitted orally and in writing, providing a growing “source of information” about Him to succeeding generations. God primarily communicated with them through the prophets, and the Bible has several accounts of God’s interactions with humans in addition to many of these prophetic messages.
In the end, God made Himself known through the Son (Hebrews 1:1–3; John 1:18). Prophets are no longer necessary since Jesus Christ revealed to us God’s will. Since Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s revelation, the Bible finishes with the death of the final apostle, who was also the last eyewitness to Jesus’ earthly ministry. God will not add any more material to the Bible, which is already full (see Revelation 22:18–19), and neither should we.
Because the Bible contains the entirety of God’s revelation to us as Christians today, we “hear” from God more than any other generation before us. Adam, Abraham, and David only had portions of “the whole picture,” whereas we have “the whole picture,” so to speak. Jesus stated to his followers:
However, you are blessed with eyes that see and ears that hear. As it is written in Matthew 13:17, “For verily, I say unto you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
Furthermore, our knowledge now surpasses that of the disciples back then!
God is still speaking to us through the Bible
The Bible is more than merely a collection of God’s previous pronouncements. “Because the word of God is dynamic and alive.” (See also Isaiah 55:11 and 1 Thessalonians 2:13). (Hebrews 4:12). Every time we read the Bible, we may sense God interacting with us directly. His word is useful for equipping us for all good works by serving as a source of instruction, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
The Bible renews our brains, transforming us and revealing who God is. In this manner, we can ascertain what God’s good and perfect will is without God having to speak to us directly or loudly (Romans 12:2). More and more of the truth found in God’s revealed word is made understandable to us by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13–14). There is already enough revelation for us.
God can still speak to us in other ways
People can still hear from God “in many ways.” Numerous accounts exist of people who experienced God’s revelation to them in dreams; others who feel God’s special guidance when faced with critical decisions; and still others who [hear God’s “voice”] through counsel from other believers, ideas that occur to them, or a combination of circumstances. Furthermore, the Bible itself states that
“The sky above announces God’s craftsmanship, and the skies declare his splendor. Speech flows from day to day, and understanding is revealed at night. There are no words or speech whose voice is not heard. According to Psalm 19:1-4, “their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”
So, nature “speaks” about its Creator too!
All other “revelation” should be checked against the Bible
We should always verify any impressions we have of hearing from God outside of the Bible with His infallible and last word. Not only is that crucial for churches and communities, but also for individual Christians. According to 1 John 4:1:
“Beloved, test the spirits to see if they are from God; do not believe every spirit.”
Speaking in God’s name today, Christians ought to base their teachings on what God has previously made known to humanity via the written word of Scripture. People have claimed to speak for God throughout history. However, we can determine that they are not from God if their statements contradict the Bible, particularly when they identify Jesus as God and Savior (Deuteronomy 18:20; Galatians 1:8-9; 1 Timothy 6:3-5). Any message that isn’t found in the Bible is faulty. The Bible is incredibly reliable and strong.
