From: morgan@socs.uts.edu.au
Subject: Re: Prophetic Warning to New York City
Reply-To: morgan@socs.uts.edu.au
Organization: University of Technology Sydney
Lines: 49

In article <Apr.9.01.10.38.1993.16892@athos.rutgers.edu> evensont@spot.Colorado.EDU (EVENSON THOMAS RANDALL) writes:
>In article <Apr.7.01.56.20.1993.22789@athos.rutgers.edu> reid@cs.uiuc.edu (Jon Reid) writes:
>>Deon.Strydom@f7.n7104.z5.fidonet.org (Deon Strydom) writes:
>>
>Which brings me around to asking an open question.  Is the Bible a closed
>book of Scripture?  Is it okay for us to go around saying "God told
>me this" and "Jesus told me that"?  Wouldn't that imply that God is STILL
>pouring out new revelation to us?  I know that some people will feel
>that is okay, and some will not.  The concept of a closed canon would
>certainly cast a shadow on contemporary prophets.  On the other hand,
>an open canon seems to be indicated sometimes.
>

Let's get back to basics.  Canon (from the latin) means a rule.  If
we say that a rule is open then its a rule made to be broken.  
There is an issue also of measurement against a rule.  Thus the words
that are spoken need to be compared against the rule/canon but not
added to the canon.

Is new revelation necessary?  Topical, current, personal revelation
I'd say is necessary.  New revelation for all people for all times
is not necessary as we have that in Scripture.

You also seem to confuse canon with scripture.  Scripture may speak of
itself being open - ie God speaking today.  It would speak that it is
closed in the sense that the canon is unchangeable.  (Though the concept
of canon is later historically.)

>Also interesting to note is that some so called prophecies are nothing new
>but rather an inspired translation of scripture.  Is it right to call
>that prophecy?  Misleading?  Wouldn't that be more having to do with
>knowledge?  I know, the gift of knowledge may not be as exciting to
>talk about, but shouldn't we call a horse a horse?
>

I agree with the problem of confusion.  If prophecy is meant to encourage,
exhort or correct then is an overlap with scripture.  If prophecy is
meant to bring a `word' of the form "the man you live with is not your
husband" then that is knowledge.  Yet the exact words their are scripture.
I would expect the difference to be the motive and means for delivery.
The reading of scripture itself can be a powerful force.

Regards
 David
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