Elizabeth Prata and the silence of God

Ms. Prata is commenting on her own article about Beth Moore, found here. Our comments in bold.

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We critiqued Ms. Prata's article here. As we noted, absent from that article was any direct scriptural explanation of what she found offensive or heretical about Beth Moore. 

In the below comment she tries to explain. And she will barely quote Scripture.

We should note that we are not defending Beth Moore, we are simply critiquing Ms. Prata.
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I dismiss the “way God speaks to her” utterly and completely. The still small voice is something that God did once for Elijah to make a point. (This is an unsupported assertion. She cannot know this regarding Elijah, and she cannot know how the prophets of old heard the voice of God.) 

The church today, and especially undiscerning women, have incorrectly adopted the still small voice method as a normal means God speaks. However, God does not speak to people today outside of scripture. (Let's see if she is able to back up this assertion.) 

Moore often claims extra-biblical revelation and teaches from that basis and not from the bible. Here are 2 links to help you understand this critical fact. http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs... http://www.gty.org/resources/q... (Neither link is particularly helpful. We find some additional links when we go to the second one for John MacArthur, but the problems we see with his presentation are too much to go into on this post. We shall devote a future post to analyze his presentation.)

In addition, I strive to use scripture as the basis for the points I am making. It is important to always use the word as the basis because that is absolute truth. You should strive to use the word to make your point and not personal exhortations and dream revelation, also. (Ironic that Ms. Prata takes an entire paragraph to "exhort" her interlocutor without referencing any Scripture...)

As for your dream, yes God “chooses” how He will speak to us. In former times He chose to speak directly, through prophets, dreams, signs, miracles, a cloud, a pillar of fire, earthquake, thunder, a still small voice, a donkey, the Law, and His incarnated son. (Has Ms. Prata ever read Ac. 2:17-18? 

“In the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." 

Not "former times," but "in the last days." Are we not in the last days?)

Now He said He will speak through the word.

“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 “(Hebrews 1:1-2). (Waaait. Ms. Prata appears confused. She previously said that "He will speak through the word." Now she quotes the actual verse and it says "He has spoken to us in His Son." Further, the very next verse says, "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." If Jesus is silent, how can He be "sustaining all things?" Is His Word no longer sustaining things? 

We also need to note that Bible is not synonymous with "the word." The word ῥῆμα means a thing spoken, (a) a word or saying of any kind, as command, report, promise, (b) a thing, matter, business. That is, Jesus is "breathing out" his word and "sustaining all things." 

It is also a title given to Jesus, as He is, among other things, the voice of God communicating his excellent word to mankind. The Bible is the transcription of that. Jesus stands above his word even as an author stands above his writings. The two are not the same.

Is Jesus really not speaking in his Church in this day? He. 4:12: 

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." 

Ms. Prata's muddled theology requires the silence of the Living God.)  

The canon is closed (Rev 22:18-19). (It seems that cessationists have a real reluctance to actually quote the Bible. That passage says, 

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 

So where does it talk about the canon? Well, it doesn't. The passage speaks warning to those who would add or subtract anything to the prophecy of this book, That is, the prophecy of Revelation. It says nothing about the N.T. gift of prophecy.

Further, the closed canon is completely irrelevant to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the prophetic.)

(...)

Yes Beth More’s teaching “makes me uncomfortable” because it is outside the bounds of the orthodoxy Jesus died to deliver once for all to the saints.(Jude 1:3). (Um, "the faith," not Scripture.)

I just wish you were more uncomfortable with it.

As for the still small voice and the dream experience, He will not go back on His word in Hebrews and Jude to then personally deliver new teachings to Moore (Thousands of new sermons are preached every Sunday. When did it become heretical to preach a new teaching? And don't cessationists believe the Holy Spirit enlightens the scriptures? So how is it that God doesn't "personally deliver" revelation?) 

with instructions to pass them on(!) or give dreams to you. Dreams were some of the former “many ways” but no longer can be trusted because God closed the canon and speaks through His word now. (Repeats her assertion but hasn't demonstrated it.) 

The Bible must be the final and only authority on all matters of faith -what we believe- and practice. (No Christian would disagree.)

Peter of all people said that he had reason to speak through His testimony, having seen the glorified Christ, but he said the word is better. (2 Peter 1:19). (Once again we are left without actual scriptures quoted. we'll let you try to figure out how can be construed to say what the author asserts: 

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Paul said the same. (2 Cor 12:2). (Sigh. Same challenge. How does this say what she says it says: 

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know — God knows. 

 Why you say different?