For almost 20 years, I was part of the modern apostolic and prophetic movement, which some have termed the New Apostolic Reformation. During my time in this movement, I was identified as a prophet and functioned as such in the local church we attended at that time.
Though I believed the teachings we sat under for many years, the Lord would providentially minister to me through His Word while in this movement. By God’s grace and mercy and through a series of events that were quite painful and difficult, my family and I left this movement.
It was a trying time, and it was a freeing time because of the Bible study and reading that would follow, along with the conviction of God and the personal repentance He granted to me. Repentance is a gift.
Being in the Word
There have been several verses ministering to me and encouraging me in the way of the truth according to His Word during the last several years. Studying His Word has been such a blessing, and seeing the types and shadows of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament is beautiful.
It has been wonderful growing in the understanding of His Word and valuing His Word as authoritative and sufficient in my life as a believer in Christ and as a child of God.
John 8:31-32 is one of my personal favorites when Jesus says to the Jews who believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
When I tested what I had been a part of for so many years, I turned to Scripture because I understood this was where I needed to go for the truth.
Scripture had previously taken a backseat over personal experiences, and so studying God’s Word and growing in my fellowship with God was refreshing to my soul in these times.
When my family went through additional trials, learning what biblical prayer meant was a blessing and a necessity. Rather than commanding and demanding things to take place, I read of petitioning God, thanking Him, and resting in His peace, regardless of the outcome (Philippians 4:4-6).
In the midst of all this, one of the passages that really helped me more in understanding the value of God’s Word over personal experience came from Peter’s own account in 2 Peter 1. Peter had seen the transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the mount.
He had seen a glimpse of God’s glory that was veiled by the flesh. He tells fellow believers, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power of and coming of our Lord Jesus Chris, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16).
But then he later goes on to say, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy spirit” (2 Peter 1:19-21).
Peter had a real and powerful personal experience in the presence of the Lord. Yet he directs fellow believers to Scripture and to the power of the Word of God and to God Himself.
Regarding verse 19, Matthew Henry stated, “The divinity of the Scriptures must be known and acknowledged in the first place before men can give good heed to them.”
The Value of Scripture
I find the topic of sola Scriptura relevant this time of year, having acknowledged the significance of Reformation Day. You see, for years, I did not understand this term because I had not heard this term.
The Word of God would be stated to be valued, but then personal experiences were elevated and even pursued and revered.
Those who could testify of personally hearing God’s voice and having supernatural experiences were viewed as really knowing God. Scripture would be utilized to draw out a secret or hidden prophetic revelation said to be revealed by God.
It is safe to say that personal experiences were of equal value to what Scripture had to say, though this would be denied. However, it is important for us as believers to acknowledge and understand the importance of having a high view of Scripture and what sola Scriptura means.
According to John MacArthur, “Scripture is therefore the perfect and only standard of spiritual truth, revealing infallibly all that we must believe in order to be saved and all that we must do in order to glorify God. That — no more, no less — is what sola Scriptura means.”
When we profess sola Scriptura, we are stating that it is sufficient and it is the supreme authority in our lives. This was one of the five solas of the Protestant Reformation.
At that time, the leaders in the church, as well as the Magisterium, believed their words and declarations to be on par with the written Word of God.
Martin Luther did not believe this to be the case because of what Scripture said. It came down to a question of authority. Luther once said, “A simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the pope without it.”
According to the author of the book, In Christ Alone, “The Protestant ethos rests in the knowledge that God is known through His Word and that His Word is a reflection of His character.”
This comes back to us reading and studying His Word so that we understand His ways and His character, growing in our fellowship and relationship with God. We value His Word, having a high view of it because it is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16).
The Attack on Sola Scriptura
As someone who came out of the modern prophetic movement, I now understand why having this high view of Scripture is so important. Modern prophecies are claimed with authority in the name of God while denying equal authority with Scripture.
It seems contradictory to make this distinction. If we consider these occurrences, we should understand that God has never spoken without authority. He is God, and we are obligated to obey Him.
There are practices within this movement where people are told prophecy can be fallible while the professing prophet is not deemed a false prophet. The issue may simply lie in transmitting what God said wrong.
Practices in hearing God’s voice personally are encouraged, and for some, standing on the Word alone for instruction and understanding is deemed religious and a dead practice.
I believe the practices done within such beliefs bring an assault to sola Scriptura. When personal experiences are desired and pursued above being a student of the Word and growing in fellowship with God by understanding His Word more and treasuring the Gospel of Jesus Christ daily, we set ourselves up for error and deception.
We become starved sheep. The Protestant Reformation established the five solas, one being Scripture alone, sola Scriptura.
God’s Word is authoritative for our lives, and it is sufficient in guiding us in our spiritual lives. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, and the truth is found in the Word He authored. God has left us His sufficient Word. We can trust that when we read it, God has spoken.
For further reading:
The Five Solas - Points from the Past that Should Matter to You
What Was the Protestant Reformation?
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