Dear Doves;

 

I appreciate everyone that studies the Bible and tries to understand what it means.  Thanks to all those, who recognize that their knowledge isn't perfect, but still endeavor to share with others that we may all come to a more perfect knowledge.  Since we will all have to give an account for what we write, just like the words we speak, we should all strive to write in a spirit of humility and with a desire to be teachable so that we may be corrected if in error.  

 

Many write from a particular doctrinal standpoint and are blinded to the truth because of their doctrinal blinders.  They are like some of the early Jewish Christians, "understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm" because they must uphold "their doctrine" at any cost.  However, my sole interest is in rightly dividing the word of truth and not upholding any particular doctrine or tradition.  Be like the Berean church therefore and search the scriptures to see if the things that I write aren't so, rather than to disprove what I write, because if your motive is to disprove then you may be more interested in upholding your doctrine than you are in coming to a knowledge the truth. 
    

Having said all that, I want to explain the difference between knowledge and revelation so that you can properly weigh the two differently.  There is always someone that has more knowledge of the scripture than you or I do, but it's one thing to have knowledge of what the scripture says, and another to understand what it means.  We teach our children to memorize scripture verses so that they might know what the Bible says, and at the same time we try to teach them what it means so that they can be doers of the word and walk in light of the verses that they have learned. 

 

We are commanded to study and to rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim. 2:15).  The more seriously we study the word to let it become part of us and control our every thought and action, the more revelation the Spirit will give us concerning the meaning and application of the scripture.  It's obvious that when the scripture talks about knowing the things of God, it's referring not to what it says, but what it means.  An atheist can know what the Bible says, but it's actually all foolishness to him because he doesn't have the revelation of the meaning, or understanding that it is light and truth.

 

I Cor. 2:11-14  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

Now, even in the body of Christ, everyone isn't spiritual.  Being saved doesn't automatically make you spiritual because there were many carnal Christians at Corinth, just as there are in the church today.

 

I Cor. 3:1-3  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

 

If anyone prides himself in knowing the scriptures, then he is probably carnal, because we know nothing as we aught to know it. 

 

I Cor. 8:1-2  Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.    And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

If all a person does, is memorize proof texts to support their church doctrine, then they have a degree of knowledge, but probably very little revelation.  Revelation comes by recognizing that no verse stands alone.  First it must be taken in context of the immediate passage and the audience.  Then it must be taken in the context of the book, the writer the Holy Ghost used to pen the words, the covenant and dispensation, and the nature and character of God.  God purposefully wrote "here a little and there a little" and in parables that knowledge alone would not be sufficient to understand his word.  The Holy Spirit must illuminate it and piece it all together for you, and that only comes by revelation, no matter how much you learn or study.  Sure, there are some things that he wants the lost person and the child to understand so they are plainly written.  But other things are "meat for the mature" and the child can choke on meat or throw it up because he is not capable of digesting it.

 

Those that "hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled", (Mat. 5:6), and if you want revelation of the scripture then that must be your ultimate desire.  If you hunger to know the word of God to become more like him, then it pleases him to give you a double portion.  Some 25 years ago, as my heart turned toward wanting to truly know him, I was amazed at how he opened up the scriptures to me.  The Holy Spirit began to illuminate the word in such a precious way that I didn't want to put it down to go to bed at night.  As I continued to feed on the word, God began to promote me to a teacher, then a preacher, then a pastor.  Then he began to show me things in the word that didn't line up with my church doctrine, and I was faced with the choice of holding the doctrinal line, or continuing to receive revelation from the Holy Spirit.

 

That wasn't a difficult choice for me because I was a bi-vocational pastor and didn't depend on the church for my income and I had always wondered if there weren't more to the gospel than my church preached.  Anyway, God led me into receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit which my church told me that I received when I got saved.  However that wasn't what the Apostle Paul told certain disciples at Ephesus in Acts 19.  Sure I was saved, called to preach, receiving revelation of word by the Holy Spirit, and being led by the Holy Spirit, but he had not taken up his abode in me.  After receiving the Holy Spirit, he took me to a greater level of revelation both personally and of the Word of God. 

 

The point that I want to make here is that you can't argue with someone that has actually received revelation from the Spirit of God.  The Spirit always shows you how the revelation is in line with the scripture so no matter how others try to persuade you otherwise, you know that it is scriptural and you don't try to argue with God.  Likewise, until God grants you the same revelation as another, you can't be fully persuaded of it, even though others explain it and try to get you to see it.  Therefore, we must recognize that if revelation doesn't clearly contradict the scriptures (taken in context and comparing scripture with scripture) then we must not try to refute it, but desire that if it be true that God would grant us that same understanding.  Even if it does contradict our doctrine or apparent understanding of the scripture, we must be careful not to let our pride rob us of being freed from our blinders and misunderstandings. 

 

Now, just as with knowledge, a person should never be prideful of the revelation that God has given him.  It is actually somewhat humbling that the God of this universe would show us something personally, as a lowly individual, that others may have never seen.  However, the Apostle recognized the danger and consequences of the pride that can come through the abundance of revelations:  II Cor 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

 

I will close by giving you a couple of examples of the difference in knowledge and revelation in my own life and maybe write more on this subject later.  The denomination in which I was ordained a pastor taught that God didn't call women to preach and I recognized the scriptures that seemed to justify that doctrine and fully believed that the doctrine was correct.  I had a degree of knowledge concerning what the scriptures said on that subject, but didn't have revelation of what they meant.  Not long before the night that I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, my aunt had invited me to her church during a revival meeting and I said that I would go.  However, once I found out that the evangelist was a woman, I had to tell her that I couldn't go because I didn't believe in women preachers. 

 

God, knowing that I was sincere in what I believed in this area, spoke to me when I received the Holy Spirit and said, "David, your Baptist doctrine concerning women in the church is all messed up!"  He immediately dropped revelation into my spirit showing me clearly how that in Christ there is neither male nor female and how that it is the "Call and Anointing of God" that mattered and not whether the clay vessel was male or female.  The excellency is of God and not of man and if God can speak through a donkey, surely, well maybe, he could speak through a woman.  (That last bit of humor is mine and not the Spirit.)  Clearly, we are placed into the body of Christ as God chooses, both male and female, and we are fighting against God when we refuse to allow the parts of the body to stand in their God appointed office.  Needless to say, you don't argue with God when he speaks, and in an instant he can grant you more revelation than you ever could have imagined. 

 

As another example of knowledge versus revelation, in studying Steve Berryman's post, http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/apr2007/steveb49.htm on "Four Biblical Signs of the Rapture in the Spring of 2007, NLT the Spring of 2008", I have knowledge of what the scripture says concerning the burning bush, tares, and the bramble, but I do not have the revelation that Steve does that these things are prophetic of our president during his remaining term in office.  Just because I don't currently have that same revelation doesn't mean Steve is wrong.  I don't see that Steve is contradicting any scripture, so it may be a valid revelation from God.  It may also become revelation to me at some point and it may not.   However, since his other three points seem to be very significant, and love "believeth all things, hopeth all things", I am going to hope that it is indeed revelation from God whether it ever becomes revelation to me personally or not.  Even if we are here two years from now, could we persuade Steve that it wasn't revelation from God?  Probably no more than we could persuade Jonah that he didn't hear from God either, but hopefully we will be able to pat him on the back in heaven and say, "You sure got that one right!"

 

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 

 

Your Brother,

David Robinson