Mysticism and Private Interpretations

• Bible
• Bible study
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Oct 18, 2014 2531

by Stephen Beagles

There are some Christians who believe that the purpose of the Bible is to point them to Christ, and then once they know Christ then they have no more need for a Bible as Christ reveals Himself to them personally. Then there are those Christians who believe that only a personal revelation from Christ can help them to understand the real meaning of Scripture. The problem with this type of thinking is that there is no way to establish if these “revelations” are real, imaginary, or inspired by a demonic spirit who is impersonating Christ — A False Christ.

The truth is that Jesus is revealed in the Old Testament, and He always lived His life in accordance to the established truth of God’s word.

1. He is the ultimate revelation of God, and we know this because He points us back to the scriptures as proof of His divinity.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27, NIV).

2. The gospels were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for our benefit, and the teachings of Christ were recorded to keep us from being led astray.

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mark 13:22-23, NIV).

3. The function of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of of what Christ has already said as recorded in the New Testament Gospels.

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26, NIV).

Jesus warned us not to believe anyone who claims to be Christ or who claims to have a revelation from Christ that contradicts the written word of God. The Holy Spirit speaks through the inspiration of the scriptures or in a way that is in complete harmony with what Jesus has already said.

Yes, people can misuse the Bible to defend their own personal views of God. The Devil is a master theologian and has been twisting the words of God in a way that caused 1/3 of all the Holy Angels to fall from heaven. But The Holy Spirit who inspired the scriptures will also help us to interpret the Bible and keep us from error. The Spirit is consistent and does not allow for private interpretations, or private revelations, that contradict the plain teachings of the inspired word of God.

Do we still need the Bible when we invite Jesus into our hearts? Yes! Jesus teaches us how to interpret the scriptures in a way that reveals who He is as the messiah. How do we guard against misinterpreting the scriptures? We must allow the plain teachings of scriptures to keep us focused on the truth about Jesus. How can we tell if we are being led by the REAL Jesus and not by our own imaginary or demonic Jesus? We must remember the words of Christ concerning Himself. Jesus warned us ahead of time to keep us from being led astray.

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:22, NIV).

~Stephen Beagles