Don Stewart :: Does Scripture Record Everything That God Has Revealed to Humanity?

Does Scripture Record Everything That God Has Revealed to Humanity?

God Has Spoken to Us – Question 18

No. God gave other visions, dreams, and prophetic messages to His people that are not recorded in the Scripture. We know nothing of their details. For reasons known only to Him, God has not decided to reveal the content.

We can make the following observations about this subject:

1. The Bible Provides Sufficient Truth but Not Exhaustive Truth

The Bible reveals sufficient truth about God, but not exhaustive truth. It does not tell us everything that God has done, or all the people that He has spoken to. Moses wrote,

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29 RSV)

Some things have been left unsaid.

2. The Scripture Is Selective in What It Reveals

Scripture informs us that not everything that Jesus said and did was recorded in the New Testament. John wrote,

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30, 31 TNIV)

The New Living Translation renders these verses in the following manner:

Jesus’ disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life. (John 20:30, 31 NLT)

John also wrote,

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:25 TNIV)

Again, we have the biblical testimony that only certain things were recorded about the life and ministry of Jesus. The writers were purposely selective in what they wrote.

3. No Other Religion Reveals God’s Plan of Salvation

This, however, does not mean that the so-called revelations found in other religions, and other sacred books, have been God-given. Anything that God reveals will always be consistent with His past revelations. He will not contradict Himself. The Bible says,

“I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6a NIV)

God’s character does not change. He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.

The psalmist wrote,

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2 NRSV)

The character of God cannot change. Neither will He break His Word. This means that He will not contradict Himself.

Therefore, all other so-called revelations from the various religions and cults contradict what the Scripture says about the nature of God, and His plan of salvation. They are not to be trusted. Only the Scripture is to be relied upon as God’s authoritative Word.

Summary – Question 18
Does Scripture Record Everything That God Has Revealed to Humanity?

The Scripture only selectively records God’s revelation to humankind. Scripture speaks of other times when God has spoken but the contents of what God said were not revealed.

We know from John’s gospel that the words and events about the Lord Jesus that were recorded were only selective of the many more things that Jesus both said and did.

Yet this does not mean that other religions can claim that God has spoken through them as well as through the Scripture. God will not contradict Himself.

The very heart of all non-Christian religious systems is contradictory to what has been revealed in Scripture.

Consequently, their words are rejected as coming from the true God.