Many times we hear people say that the Lord revealed something to them directly, or that the only thing you need is your Bible and the Holy Spirit will teach you directly. Often there are those online who claims to be Apostles or prophets today that give us a word from God. But is that true?

John 16:12-15 (ESV)

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.“

This promise from Jesus was directly to the Apostles, and assures us that they got all the truth Jesus intended to pass down to us. If it doesn’t date back to what they left us, the New Testament, then it is not truth Jesus wants us to have. This was further reinforced in 

Jude 1:3 (ESV):

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

The truth was delivered once for all. There is no further additional revelation. Notice the way the Hebrew writer put it at the beginning of his letter:

Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV)

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Notice he “has spoken”, not “is speaking”. The revelation is complete in Jesus. That is why the Word is not still being confirmed by signs and wonders.

Hebrews 2:4 (ESV)

while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Again, notice the past tense without allowance for continuing action.

So what does this mean?

1.  God spoke through jesus, and by extension his apostles. He is not continuing to speak outside of his Word today. We have the apostle’s doctrine in the New Testament. (Acts 2:47; Luke 10:16)
2. Elders and teachers are needed in the church today, precisely because the promise of Spirit guidance into all truth was for the Apostles, not every single believer. The Spirit teaches through the Word. (2 Tim 3:15-17)
3. If a teaching is extra biblical, it is not for us today. If it’s new, it is t true. If it’s true, it isn’t new. We have all we need in the New Testament. Period. If you want a word from God, then open the Word of God!
4. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, we must search the Scriptures to see if something is true rather than just praying and asking the Lord to tell us if a teaching (or teacher) is true or not.
5. There are no prophets or apostles today. Their foundational ministries are completed.
6. The Word is already confirmed, so we have no further need for signs and wonders to do so. (Hebrews 2:4)

Introduction:

In our fast-paced world, finding meaningful connections and a sense of spiritual fulfillment can be challenging. One enriching practice that has stood the test of time is “lectio divina,” a contemplative form of Bible study that encourages deep engagement with sacred texts. In this blog post, we will delve into the practice of lectio divina, explore its steps, and highlight the numerous benefits this practice offers to individuals seeking a more profound connection with their faith.

Understanding Lectio Divina:

Lectio divina, which means “divine reading” in Latin, is an ancient Christian method of prayerful reflection on Scripture. The purpose of lectio divina is not to analyze or dissect the text but rather to foster a personal encounter with the Word of God. It is an intentional and meditative approach that encourages a deep, transformative engagement with the sacred text.

The Steps of Lectio Divina:

1. Lectio (Read): Begin by selecting a passage of Scripture. Quietly read the chosen passage, absorbing the words and allowing them to penetrate your heart and mind. Read slowly and attentively, focusing on understanding the literal meaning of the text. Ideally read it mentally, then again out loud. Follow with a third reading where you note and/or underline words and phrases that jump out to you in the text.

2. Meditatio (Meditate): Take a moment to reflect on the words that resonated with you during the reading. Ponder their significance and consider how they might apply to your life today. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and prompt deeper insights.

3. Oratio (Pray): Engage in a heartfelt conversation with God, expressing your thoughts, emotions, and concerns raised by the passage. Share your gratitude, seek guidance, or ask for wisdom and understanding. Be open and receptive to the promptings of the Spirit during this prayerful exchange.

4. Contemplatio (Contemplate): Enter into a silent, contemplative state. Release the need for analysis or interpretation and simply be present in the stillness. Allow the words of the passage to settle within you, inviting God’s presence to speak to your heart in a more profound way.

5. Actio (Act): Finally, consider how the insights gained from the lectio divina practice can be integrated into your daily life. Identify specific actions or changes you can make based on the transformative encounter with God’s Word. Embrace a commitment to live out the lessons learned from the scriptural passage.

Benefits of Lectio Divina:

1. Deepens spiritual connection: Lectio divina cultivates a sense of intimacy with God by fostering a personal and contemplative reading of Scripture.

2. Enhances understanding and interpretation: The practice allows for a deeper understanding of the sacred text by moving beyond mere intellectual knowledge and embracing spiritual insights.

3. Promotes personal reflection and self-awareness: Lectio divina encourages self-reflection as individuals explore how the Scriptures intersect with their own lives, emotions, and experiences.

4. Provides solace and comfort: Through lectio divina, individuals can find solace, peace, and comfort in the words of Scripture, helping them navigate through life’s challenges and uncertainties.

5. Encourages transformative growth: The practice offers an opportunity for personal growth by inspiring individuals to live out the values and teachings found in the Bible.

Conclusion:

Lectio divina is more than a mere study of Scripture; it is an immersive and transformative practice that invites individuals to encounter God’s Word in a deeply personal way. By incorporating the steps of lectio divina into your regular Bible study routine, you can cultivate a profound spiritual connection, gain valuable insights, and embrace the transformative power of God’s living Word. Give yourself the gift of this ancient practice and open your heart to a more meaningful and fulfilling journey of faith.

When I was online (okay, Facebook) the other day, we were discussing methods of Bible study. The person said that they just pray, read the verse, and God tells them what it means. My response was tentative, because she was wrong on so many levels that I didn’t know where to start without offending her with my reaction. Is “read once and pray” your method of studying the Word? Let me encourage you to reconsider.
To be clear, I have no objection whatsoever to praying before Bible study. In fact, you can and should pray before just about everything! Where the problem arises is when we pray and expect to have the interpretation supernaturally handed to us on a silver platter. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I have been reading and a verse seems to jump off of the page, or suddenly becomes clear. But those times are more a product of study and the pieces finally coming together than an epiphany of some sort. The Word of God is not a pond where the truth rises to the top and is effortlessly scooped off the surface. It is a rich gold mine that has priceless riches that we are to dig deeply into to discover what God has placed there for us.
God has promised to “reward those who diligently seek Him”, and we aren’t doing that when we refuse to put in the work to dig in and discover the depths of the truth. Failure to do the necessary work involved in mining the Word will lead to a life of milk diets at best, and deception at worst. Not every voice you think you hear is from God, but you will never be able to recognize truth without doing the work to let the Word transform and renew your mind. Jesus said to “keep on seeking, keep on knocking, and keep on asking” and that is not a one time experience.
There is also a misperception that it is more spiritual to just pray and ask for illumination than it is to do the work of studying in-depth for yourself. In fact it is less spiritual, because the read and wait method means disobedience to the command of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking. It also means that we don’t believe that God rewards those who “diligently seek Him.” What are you expecting Him to reveal that is not already there? Have you exhausted the text and discovered everything it has to offer? Then why do we go to it and expect new revelation when we have not mastered the truth that He has already revealed?
So do the work and dig into the Word. There is only one way to God, but there are also no shortcuts to studying His revealed will in the Word. Don’t be lazy about your studies. The gold and gems are there, but we must dig them out if we are to appreciate the treasure for what it is. God has promised that you will not come up empty! Doing otherwise doesn’t mean you won’t have any opinions about what the Bible says; it just means you will have a lot of wrong ones.

There is nothing like a good fish story, especially when you hear it the second time and remember how big the fish was the first time you heard it. There is a fish story in the Bible that happens to be true! And I believe it has some application to those of us today as well. You will see what I mean in a minute.

I am sure that most of us have had the misfortune of working with someone who had a bad attitude. They hate what they are doing and make sure everyone else regrets being there as well. It is a mystery of the universe how such folks ever accomplish anything at all in life. But, as with all things, what is impossible with man is possible with God.

The prophet Jonah was just such a man. He was a prophet of God, and he received a commission to go and preach. Seems like that would be a simple task. But Jonah was blinded by his racism, hatred and overall meanness to the point of direct disobedience to the command of God. Here was his simple job description:

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of A-mittaī, saying, “Arise, go to Nine-veh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” (Jonah 1:1, 2 NKJV)

Sounds pretty simple, right? But from the beginning, you can almost hear the wheels turning in Jonah’s mind. He hated the people of Nineveh with a passion. The last thing he wanted was for them to repent. “If I flee in the other direction, then the will not get the message, will not repent, and will be destroyed!”
So Jonah heads to the sea port of Joppa and gets passage clear to the other side of the Mediterranean at Tarshish, which was around Gibraltar.

Well, to make a long story short, the people of Nineveh end up being preached at by the worst possible candidate for a preacher. He is racist and hates them, he doesn’t want to be there, he doesn’t want them to accept his message, and he makes the message as short and blunt as he can. Sounds like a recipe for a failure. But God uses the message to turn the hearts if the people and they repent. The city is spared, and Jonah does not get to watch them being judged with fire from heaven.

Jesus, when talking to the Pharisees, alludes to the people of Nineveh.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. (Matthew 12:41 NIV)

The hardness of their hearts caused them to reject the message from the perfect messenger, the One who is the very Word of God. They will stand condemned by those who repented at the preaching of the most flawed of prophets. But what does that have to do with us today?

There has never been more access to the Bible in our language as there is today. Free resources abound with access to multiple translations of the text. In addition, study helps are easier than ever to obtain that can aid us in understanding what we are reading. We have access to audio, video and printed teaching (paper and electronic) that our forefathers could not even dream about. But can we truly say we know our Bibles as well as those of a generation ago? Many of them grew up in homes with one family Bible and didn’t get their own copy until they were grown. But they studied it and committed it to memory. We, on the other hand, are so distracted by what the world flashes in front of us that we have little time for plumbing the depths of the Word of God.

Those who struggled to obtain the Scriptures in the past, along with those in countries where the Bible is forbidden and must be read in secret, will rise to condemn those of us in countries where most Christians have multiple Bibles and study helps galore, yet do not take full advantage of such. We would be foolish to assume that our access to the Word will always be unfettered.

When I was headed over for Desert Storm, we stopped in the Philippines. I spoke to some missionaries there who spoke of soldiers who would memorize sections of the Bible, just in case they were ever captured. What would happen to us if the Bible was suddenly classified as “hate speech” and banned? What if we were imprisoned for our faith? Would we know enough Bible to live on spiritually?

May the ease with which we can become familiar with the Bible never become a cause for contempt, or a reason to take His Word for granted.