Over at Millennial Star, where I have been guest blogging a bit, I was pleased to read an essay on Revelation 22:18,19 – you know, the famous passage that is the #1 evangelical weapon against new scripture like the Book of Mormon. He does a great job in summarizing key points and adding some new insight on the issue of curses.
A quick and easy but compelling argument, in my opinion, is based on Deuteronomy 4:2, where Moses also forbids adding to or subtracting from the inspired words that he had given. He then went on and added many more chapters, and numerous prophets, apostles, and others added new books of scripture for centuries afterwards. Clearly Moses, like John, was telling people not to alter his words. Neither meant that God could not continue speaking and revealing truth and having it be recorded as scripture. To think that the heavens have been forever closed based on Rev. 22:18-19 (or Deut. 4:2) requires massive blinders indeed.
Hey, I sent you an email. Perhaps it was an old address?
Ben S.
Got in, Ben. Thanks!
Yes, I’ve tried this answer many times, usually with success. Yet one time I recieved the following response: “But God knew the Bible would exist from the beginning. Moses and John were both inspired to write what they did in reference to the future complete Bible. You have to quit putting God in a box.” I was completely baffled by this logic coupled with the famous God-in-a-box accusation.
John, that argument (“God knew the Bible would exist”) would hold no sway against the fuller context of curse-as-text-protection.
Just to clarify, I was baffled by the lengths this person had gone to to hold to this belief, not confounded by the argument, which I consider poor at best.
John,
It seems to me that the person you are talking about hasn’t thought out their argument very well. Isn’t saying that the canon is closed and cannot be added to a case of “putting God in a box”?
Dear Jeff,
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Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Paul M. Kingery, PhD, MPH
My response: “I agree that God knew the Bible would exist. That’s why I don’t believe he pronounced curses on the men who compiled it.”
“John’s gospel and his epistle to his brethren were written after his revelation on the Isle of Patmos, consequently he would destroy his own system; but it sets forth the ignorance and shortsightedness of those who have not the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy.”
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 1:243