Is God Really talking to you privately?

     In modern America, there seems to be “re-birth” of claims of private visits, private messages from God, and private theology (people who are sure they were saved when they “were baptized as an infant / prayed the salvation prayer / raised their hand at a revival / or when they were confirmed as a teenager” etc.)  Over the centuries, Roman Catholics have claimed that Mary occasionally appears to some women or young girls and gives them a special message or that the face of Jesus appeared in a communion cloth or on the side of a building or something.  Amongst non-Catholics, especially subjective Pentecostals and charismatic folks, there has been a growing number of claims that God/Jesus appeared to them or is speaking to them privately - “God told me” or “I know the Lord is telling me to do such and such.”

     To be sure, revelation did come through a number of men and women and God has communicated directly with selected people in the past (Hebrews 1:1-2; 2Peter 1:20-21) who were being called to play a significant role in His overall plan.  However, throughout history there have also been many claims of communication with the gods or spirits, equally telling individuals to do special things (sometimes even to commit crimes) and these were NOT revelations from God.  How should we react when people tell us that God has spoken privately to them?

     There is no way that any of us can tell someone else what they did or did not experience - or what really occurred.  On the other hand, the Bible does not suggest that God’s people should be focusing much attention on this kind of claim either.  It is not my job to spend most of my time trying to check out every alleged private message that somebody claims they received.  Even more important, the kingdom of God and the Church of Jesus Christ are NOT built upon the conglomeration of private claims made by certain individuals, but upon the commonly-recognized foundation of Jesus, and His original prophets and apostles,

For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  (1Corinthians 3:11)

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.  (Ephesians 2:19-22)

The validity of continuing claims of private messages from God is even more suspect after the Apostolic Age because, in Jesus, God has finished the period of revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2),

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.  (Hebrews 1:1-2)

the faith has been “once for all delivered to the saints,”

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.  (Jude 3)

and the original Apostolic message was not to be changed by anyone,

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!  (Galatians 1:6-9)

Private Messages and False Prophets

     The Bible gives us some background on the problem of revealed covenant religion versus personal/private mystical experience.  It borders on (or overlaps) the problem that Israel had with false prophets - those who claimed God was speaking to them when He was not and claiming that God had sent them, when, in fact, He had not,

"I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied.  (Jeremiah 23:21)

Being able to distinguish true/false spokesmen from God was important and God did not leave His people defenseless - the Law of Moses provided two tests for those who claimed to be God’s messengers/prophets.  The first test was that, even if they demonstrated miraculous signs, what prophets taught was the ultimate test and their doctrine needed to be in harmony with earlier revealed information,

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  "You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.  (Deuteronomy 13:1-4)

The second test identifies the concern over distinguishing true/false prophets and declares that predictive prophecy that is truly given by God will be fulfilled 100%!

But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.  "You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?'  When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.  (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)

The warnings of the Apostles Paul and Peter about false prophets to come during the church age also asserts that faulty content in their teaching (discerned by comparison with commonly-recognized revealed truth - Scripture) is the primary means of identifying them - “speaking perverse things” (Acts 20:30) and “introducing destructive heresies” (2Peter 2:1-3).  Jesus said that false prophets also identify themselves in their ongoing lifestyle,

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?  So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  So then, you will know them by their fruits.  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  (Matthew 7:15-24)

 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?  (Luke 6:46)

So, false prophets are known by their ungodly behavior and those who call Jesus “Lord” (regardless of what else they may do - even miraculous?) must still do God’s will and act on the words of Jesus.  There are many in our time who cite the name of Jesus, preach in His name and even claim miraculous powers, but see no reason to submit to the words of Jesus that do not fit in their own theologies.  The Bible also tells us that “true prophets” are often not received well,

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  (Matthew 5:11,12)

while false prophets tend to be popular, 

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.  (Luke 6:26)

probably because they tell people what they already want to hear,

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.  (2Timothy 4:2-4)

     Examples of “false prophets” given in the Old Testament also gives us some idea of what to suspect.  Jeremiah and Ezekiel tell us that false prophets speak visions that arise from their own imaginations,

Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the Lord. . . . How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart,  (Jeremiah 23:16,26)

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, 'Listen to the word of the Lord!  Thus says the Lord God, "Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing.  (Ezekiel 13:2-3)

they promise blessings rather than judgment to rebellious and self-willed people,

They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The Lord has said, "You will have peace"'; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, 'Calamity will not come upon you.'  (Jeremiah 23:17) 

they tend to ignore God’s Word,

But who has stood in the council of the Lord, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?  (Jeremiah 23:18) 

they focus on their own dreams and boastings,

I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, 'I had a dream, I had a dream! . . . who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? . . . Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams," declares the Lord, "and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares the Lord.  (Jeremiah 23:25,27,32)

and their claimed “message from God” is nothing more than words and phrases they have stolen from each other,

“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares the Lord, "who steal My words from each other.”  (Jeremiah 23:30) 

God promised that He would be against those “who see false visions and utter lying divinations” (Ezekiel 13:9).

Revelation/Covenant religion vs. private mysticism

     Israel’s religion was rooted in Divine revelation that was recorded in the Law/Scriptures and it is to this Law that Israel was to base their relationship with God, not private mystical feelings or claims.  There were “secret things” (and these were God’s business) and there were “revealed things” and Israel was to focus on the latter,

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.  (Deuteronomy 29:29) 

With reference to those who encouraged following the private claimed messages of mediums and spiritists, Isaiah said that God’s people should instead consult God by going to the Law and Testimony - the written revelation from God (Isaiah 8:19-20).  Paul wrote pointedly against Christians basing their faith on those who emphasize Old Testament elements, self-abasement, angel-worship, or claimed private visions,

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.  Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.  (Colossians 2:16-19)

Rather than follow people we should follow Scripture,

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.  (1Corinthians 4:6)

     Did Jesus really appear in your bedroom last night?  I remember the guy who told me that Jesus had appeared in his bedroom the previous evening and told him to quit smoking.  So, I asked this fellow if he was so moved by this experience that he was now giving up cigarettes, to which he answered “no!”  This made me a bit suspicious, for Scripture tells us that true encounters between God and His spokesmen were not taken lightly (Isaiah 6:5; Daniel 7:15,28; 8:27).

     Should we expect Jesus to be making private appearances to folks down through the Church Age?  Actually, I don’t think we should.  Paul taught that Jesus’ appearance to him was His final post-resurrection appearance,

and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.  (1Corinthians 15:8) 

The Apostle Peter also noted in his letter to the saints in Asia Minor that he did not expect Jesus to be making such appearances,

and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  (1Peter 1:8) 

How could Peter be so confident that believers in Asia Minor had not seen Jesus?  Did the Apostles know anything that we don't, such as whether or not Jesus would be making private appearances during the Church Age?  This seems to be the case, for we are very dependent on them for our knowledge of Jesus and His teachings.  Peter said that Heaven had received Jesus and that He would be there until the time of the restoration of all things, the “new heaven and earth” to follow the 2^nd coming and judgment (Acts 3:20,21).  When Jesus returns, it will resemble His departure (Acts 1:9-11) and every eye will see it (Revelation 1:7).  Thus, my conclusion has to be that Jesus has NOT been “returning” many times, privately, to a scattered bunch of selected individuals.

     So, how else do we explain such claims?  When people do not root their beliefs in objective information, then they tend to base their religion in subjective experiences.  Sometimes such people have trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy and things imagined seem to be real.  If such folks conceive of Christianity as a mystical, voodoo-like ecstasy that comes and goes to/from people, then it might not be hard to imagine a visit from Jesus and then claim it as a real event.  When you do imagine and claim a visit from Jesus, you suddenly seem to have authority for whatever you want to think or do!

     A second explanation could be that people are being visited by spirits - lying, demonic spirits that appear as “angels of light,”

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.  (2Cor. 11:13-15)

This issue of clear age-long covenant revelation versus claimed private messages from God is well illustrated in the events described in 1Kings 13.  Following the division of the Israelite kingdom and Jeroboam’s institution of false religion in the northern kingdom, God told a Judean prophet exactly what to do, but he was later deceived by an apostate prophet in the northern kingdom who claimed a private message from God contrary to what had been revealed.  The lesson for Israel was obvious - just as God's message to the Judean prophet was true and he should not have been deceived by the false "private message" claimed by the apostate Israelite prophet later on, so God had revealed the Mosaic Law and worship in Jerusalem as central to His covenant with Israel and Jeroboam's new religion based on idolatry at Bethel and Dan was false.  For us, the New Covenant faith was fully revealed to the Apostles and is not to be amended or rejected in favor of the "private messages" claimed by individuals today.  God's clearly revealed Covenant information remains in effect throughout the age and is not to be abandoned for the private messages that individuals claim to have received.

God talks to Most of us through Scripture

      If God does not speak to most of us privately, how does He communicate with us?  God spoke to Israel through Moses and the Prophets and these things were written down.  Israel related to God by means of a covenant, which was built upon the Law of Moses and objective information given at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 34:27,28; Deuteronomy 4:2; 5:31; 29:29; Joshua 1:8; 23:6).  Israelites were NOT to do their own individual/private "spiritual thing" (Deuteronomy 12:8) or claim “private" messages from God - all were to follow the Law and it was the same for everyone (Exodus 12:49).

     Jesus took a very high view of Scripture (Matthew 5:17-19), said that the “Law and Prophets were proclaimed until John” (Luke 16:16), said that the Mosaic Law pointed to Himself (John 5:39-46), and declared God’s word to be truth (John 17:17).  John either recorded Jesus’ words/thoughts or added the comment that Scripture “cannot be broken” (John 10:35).  While we are now in a New Covenant and New Testament information dominates Old Testament material, Paul still viewed Old Testament material as valuable background and teaching information for later generations (Romans 15:4; 1Corinthians 10:11).  Although deceivers will be around and even get worse, Paul told Timothy to be diligent in study so as to handle the Word of Truth accurately (2Timothy 2:15) and to stick with Scripture (2Timothy 3:13-17).  Peter also had a very high view of the authority and absolute truth of Scripture (2Peter 3:13-18).

     Throughout history, pagan religions have often tended to be subjective “do your own thing” affairs.  As the absolute and fixed truth of Scripture is traded in for the claimed “private revelations” of individuals, “Christianity” becomes an increasingly bizarre collection of subjective private experiences and opinions.  On the other hand, the Judeo-Christian system has always been rooted in objective revelation, recorded for all in Scripture.

     Although troubled by those who claim their own dreams and visions, God wants His Word to be the source of our faith and what we tell others,

"But who has stood in the council of the Lord, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened? . . . "But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds. . . .  "The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?"declares the Lord.  (Jeremiah 23:18,22,28)

Thus, I will continue to follow Paul’s instructions to Timothy,

But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.  But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.  (2Timothy 3:13 - 4:5)

A Ministry of Severn Christian Church (Severn, Maryland)

Unless otherwise noted, all material produced by Charles E. McCoy

All Scripture citations/quotations from New American Standard Bible

To send a question to Chuck: chuck@severnchristian.org