~Question~ Does God speak to us today outside His word?

Would God ever speak OUTSIDE His word?
~Hebrews 1:1-2~

Utilizing the power of Sola Scriptura, is there any verses that claim God will speak directly and personally to us today outside of the Bible?

I hear people say, I heard a still small voice(out of context verse), I had an impression, I think God said.
Is any of this found in the Bible?

I've never read anywhere God speaking this way to anyone.

God never spoke in an impression, or a feeling or a nudge in the Bible? Why are so many getting this?

Who is speaking to them if they're hearing these things, or is it just their own selves?

I've prayed and prayed about things, and life decisions but I've never gotten answers or impressions like all these people.

If it were true He spoke outside the Bible why does he only speak to some and not others?

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit, brother?
This is not a doctrinal question, but have you been filled with the Holy Spirit since you believed Acts 19:2? I am asking you, has this really happened to you?

The filling with the Spirit is a transaction, where God fills hungry, thirsty, empty, and cleaned vessels.

If not, then ask, and if nothing happens, keep asking.
I baptized a young lady in water 3 years ago and layed hands on her to be filled with the Spirit. Nothing happened and I knew nothing happened, but she kept asking, seeking and knocking. A couple of weeks ago, she received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

There are several incidents in Acts where believers were not yet filled with the Spirit. Read it in Acts for yourselves.

When you have experience this, you will not only understand his word better, but also hear his voice - for his sheep hear his voice, and this still applies today.

The 5 solas is a clever invention of man. Sounds very biblical, but the concept as such is not in the bible, it is a compilation, a simplification. It is an incomplete concept with faults and ommissions.

God still speaks to us today outside the bible, but will never contradict it.

Every great man of God in history would confirm that God has spoken to them outside of reading verses in the Bible.

"Christian believers make a great mistake when they refer only to the Bible as the Word of God. True, the inspired Bible is the Word of God speaking to our hearts and to our souls. But in referring to the Word of God, we do not mean just the book””printed pages sewed together with nylon thread. Rather, we mean the eternal expression of the mind of God. We mean the world-filling breath of God!

Has the Lord ceased speaking? Or is He still speaking but humankind has closed its heart-ears to His voice? God continues to speak and if we listen His voice penetrates to our heart core.” ~~AW Tozer

Hello👋

Yes, mate I have been.

But my question on this is, where does it say in the Bible that after the baptism you will hear His voice?
Everyone who heard it previously didn't have the baptism.

I believe the reference from John 10 "my sheep hear my voice." Is referring to the salvation call. Jesus was speaking in a parable and the context of it was about salvation.
Jesus calling/drawing his sheep Roman's 8:29-30 John 6:44.

But my questions are:

~How is it that some believers can tell the voice of God and others can't?

~Wouldn't God communicate like He did in the Bible, audibly?
Many claim impressions, nudges or a still small voice(that verse is always used out of context because it was still an audible whisper)
But It doesn't say anywhere that God communicated that way or will communicate that way.

I've had people tell me "God said this."
If I have to question if God really said something was it really from God?

My concerns are:

~If God seems to be speaking to everyone today(outside of the Bible) why didn't He speak as much in times past/old testament?

~If God gave us everything that pertains to life and Godliness(His word) since all is written in there.
~2 Peter 1:2-3
How would he speak directly to us outside of His word?

~If God speaks outside of His word wouldn't it be as authoritative as his word?

~If it's as authoritative we would have an open canon of scripture, but the book says not to add or take away from it.

What's concerning to me is many teaching that you have to "tune" into the right frequencies to hear God. That was never taught. And since some are supposedly "not hearing" they go seeking signs and words and experiences instead of scripture.

As you see where we have a big problem. But if this was such a big problem why didn't Paul address it in his letters, or the other Apostles. They never taught how to hear God or to listen for a voice. Even Jesus when he taught us how we should pray. He never said to tune in and listen for a voice.

I'm really troubled by how many are claiming God communicates in mysterious revelations when in the Bible He communicated audibly and they didn't have to think it was God.

Wouldn't that mean the Bible is insufficient if He spoke outside of it? Today we have a bunch of people running around always looking for a word, whether it be for a life decision, who to marry, where to go to college. Now their faith is based off experience, leading into Pietism.
It does say in days of old he spoke through the prophets, but in these last days have spoken to us through His Son.
So If Jesus ascended into Heaven, how does God talk directly to us when He left us His word?

These are Biblical though there are Biblical references of them.
~Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")
~Sola fide ("by faith alone")
~Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
~Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone")
~Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")

This is a touchy subject but I'm going to ask you as Paul asked some disciples on the way:

19:1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?” They said, "Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

Have you had this experience?

God bless,
Lisa

Hello, mate.

Yes I have had the baptism experience.

The Solas should add

"sola spirtu sanctis"

The spirit filled man does trust God even though he does not know where he leads. In order to hear his voice we must surrender and follow.

John 3:8
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Note it does not say here "understand my word" but "hears my voice"

John 18:37 ... Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Most of the time God speaks is still through his written word though, but he uses many other ways to speak to us, circumstances, friends, enemies, visions, dreams. Often he tries to speak to, but we are "dull of hearing".

He knocks, but not everyone opens
Revelation 3:20

Are there a few names you could name??

There cannot be any buts.
"The Bible is the word of God, but..."
"The Bible is our final authority, but..."
If it's authoritative because God spoke it, then wouldn't God be speaking authoritively OUTSIDE of scripture? Sine God doesn't speak authoritatively in one place but not speak authoritively in another.

The problem this creates is an open canon of scripture.

I'm not saying God doesn't speak at all today, He does. He just doesn't do it in the way all of these hyper charismatic's try to make you believe He does it.

God's word is either living and powerful, or it isn't.
If you have the Holy Ghost, the Bible shouldn't just be a "sewn together book" because the Spirit teaches us(illuminates)what is written in it.

The only one's who have closed their ears to God's voice are those who leave their Bibles on the shelf because they "want more".

Here's what Sarah Young, the author who claims Jesus regularly talks to her, said this:
"I knew that God communicated with me in the Bible, but I yearned for more.”

The end of the quote.
"God continues to speak and if we listen His voice penetrates to our heart core.”
The Bible does exactly that it pierces us as it's sharper than any two edged sword.

I am glad you tell me you are filled with the Holy Spirit.
What happened to you then? I am curious to know because this is a wonderful event.

I do not know where this notion comes that God cannot speak today because the canon of scripture is closed.

Of course it is closed, but if God calls somebody to Mexico or China, where would you find this in the bible? These things are not in disagreement with the bible.

A friend of mine was praying about going to Russia with her husband. One day she sat on a train and a drunkard started a conversation with her and randomly spluttered completely out of context "Why don't you go to Moscow"

Justin- I am with you when it comes to the "hypercharismatic” crowd. I know exactly what you are talking about because I have been in fellowships like that ( didnt hang around very long though).

I do believe some are more in tune to hearing from the Lord than others. My wife is much more in tune than I am, but I have a lot more Bible knowledge than she does. I do long to hear directly from the Lord more than I do and I pray for it but doesn’t seem to happen that often.

The one thing I know about people saying they have a "word from the Lord”- if it’s true you know it when you hear it. So it also a matter of discernment.

God speaks to us in many ways. The Spirit of God is living within us to lead us into all truth. We should be led by the Spirit.

"One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2).

Many other ways God will speak to us. He speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, through the gifts of the Spirit, through dreams and visions.

It is essential that we are rooted and grounded in the Word. It is clear that some voice or leading that is contrary to the scriptures is not the will of God .

The Spirit and the Word agree.

Quote A friend of mine was praying about going to Russia with her husband. One day she sat on a train and a drunkard started a conversation with her and randomly spluttered completely out of context "Why don't you go to Moscow"

Brilliant

I had a friend in church and she had met man called Pete Sealy, on a road trip she was asking God if it was his will if "Pete Sealy" was to be her husband.

Just after finishing praying looking out the car window a Heavy Goods Vehicle passed with the huge letters on it - Sealy the one for you.

Quote: "I knew that God communicated with me in the Bible, but I yearned for more.”

I'm not satisfied with the way things are
I've got a longing down in my heart
I love Jesus and He loves me
I've got to know him more intimately

Don't know the woman but there is nothing wrong with yearning for more deeper relationship with Christ.

I've heard the Lord calling me when going through depression. He called my name out. In a loving tender way.. it's always a surprise. As He cuts through the middle of your thinking to speak.

My concerns are:

~If God seems to be speaking to everyone today(outside of the Bible) why didn't He speak as much in times past/old testament?

~If God gave us everything that pertains to life and Godliness(His word) since all is written in there.
~2 Peter 1:2-3
How would he speak directly to us outside of His word?

~If God speaks outside of His word wouldn't it be as authoritative as his word?

~If it's as authoritative we would have an open canon of scripture, but the book says not to add or take away from it.

What's concerning to me is many teaching that you have to "tune" into the right frequencies to hear God. That was never taught. And since some are supposedly "not hearing" they go seeking signs and words and experiences instead of scripture.

As you see where we have a big problem. But if this was such a big problem why didn't Paul address it in his letters, or the other Apostles. They never taught how to hear God or to listen for a voice. Even Jesus when he taught us how we should pray. He never said to tune in and listen for a voice.

I'm really troubled by how many are claiming God communicates in mysterious revelations when in the Bible He communicated audibly and they didn't have to think it was God.

Wouldn't that mean the Bible is insufficient if He spoke outside of it? Today we have a bunch of people running around always looking for a word, whether it be for a life decision, who to marry, where to go to college. Now their faith is based off experience, leading into Pietism.
It does say in days of old he spoke through the prophets, but in these last days have spoken to us through His Son.
So If Jesus ascended into Heaven, how does God talk directly to us when He left us His word?

Justin: You asked a very good question, and I can tell by your tone that you are not a person bent on argument, but a man who wants genuine truth. I would like to take a stab at addressing the question and some of your concerns from my own perspective.

You asked, "If God seems to be speaking to everyone today(outside of the Bible) why didn't He speak as much in times past/old testament?"

Someone asked whether you had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus referred to in John 14 when He spoke of the other comforter, the Holy Spirit, that He would send. He said that the Holy Spirit had been with them (in Jesus) but would be in all of them. This baptism was initiated in Acts 2, and continues to this day. God speaks to us through the person of the Holy Spirit. Paul talks extensively about the Holy Spirit speaking directly to Him and those ministering with Him in 1 Corinthians 2. So, the reason we don't see as many people hearing God speak them in the Old Testament is that it was reserved if you will to those who God chose to speak to. But now any believer can hear God speak through the Holy Spirit that dwells in that believer. In fact, if I could sit down with you and ask you about your walk with God to this point, I will be you also have had God speak to you. I think all of us have felt that we should do one thing and not do another, and recognized it was the Holy Spirit directing us.

You asked, "If God gave us everything that pertains to life and Godliness(His word) since all is written in there.
~2 Peter 1:2-3
How would he speak directly to us outside of His word?"

This verse actually says that God has given us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness through knowing Him, and that by knowing Him we can access the great and precious promises that allow us to actually partake of His divine nature in our own lives. It is the restoration of the Zoe life of God that was lost when Adam sinned. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 that in having the vail removed from our hearts so we can interact with God face to face, we are transformed into His image from one level of glory to the next. His written word is the bedrock foundation, the inviolable standard by which all other things are judged in our lives. But He desires to interact with us personally to transform us into His image, and this happens both through the written word and through His speaking directly to us. In fact, it is impossible to rightly divide the written word apart from the Holy Spirit speaking to us as we study the word. Our own intellect, fallen with Adam and needing renewed, cannot understand it. This is also what Paul says in 1 Cor. 2 when He says that the natural man (the part of us that is the human intellect or soul) cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, because they can only be discerned by the spirit.

God speaks to us in a variety of ways. I can only speak to the way He speaks to me. He is pretty plain with me. In a church service Sunday, I heard these words in my head about a couple that were there. "Tell them I am not ashamed of them.", and then a few minutes later, "They have had a conversation about Me that was filled with regret." So I obeyed. Come to find out, they had just been talking at home about how they had walked away from God and had not been seeking Him diligently. I was able to encourage them and pray for them. Sometimes I have what I can only say is an impression in my heart about something. I have never heard an audile voice. I have had a few dreams that were very vivid and a woke with a start only to immediately hear God telling me the interpretation in my heart. Both times this happened it turned out to be totally accurate.

You asked, "If God speaks outside of His word wouldn't it be as authoritative as his word? If it's as authoritative we would have an open canon of scripture, but the book says not to add or take away from it."

Yes, it would be as authoritative as scripture. It would be God speaking, right? But don't get me wrong. God is not leading men to continue to write scripture today. God most often speaks personally, and next most often to a corporate body. And He will NEVER speak in contradiction to the already established written word. That written word is the more sure word of prophecy. So a person can judge a spoken word by comparing it to the written word, and that is important.

To a believer, hearing God's voice should be natural. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice." The only "frequency" we tune into is our natural relationship with God through Christ by which we have the ability to hear Him speak to us through the Holy Spirit. In other words, there is no "frequency" to tune into.

John 14:26 and 16:3 speak to the role of the Holy Spirit in speaking to us. John tells us that the Holy Spirit will declare unto us things to come. It reminds me of a time I was praying about a new vehicle for my wife and I. Ours was on its last leg and we needed one. I felt the Lord ask me, "What do you want?" I replied, "Lord, my wife wants a van." I heard, "What color?" I did not care, so I randomly said, "Lord, blue would be nice." Then I heard a number, "11,000 dollars." I prayed off and on about this for two years. Then my wife and I went to look for a car. The first thing we drove was a blue van. I did not, at that time, remember my conversation with the Lord. When I asked how much we could make a deal for if some things were repaired, the salesman said, "11,000 dollars". I knew immediately this was God's will. He literally showed me a thing to come. I was so excited.

None of this makes the Bible insufficient. Like someone else said here, sola scriptura is a man made construct. The written word is given to us. It is inerrant. It is God's word. But it is not the only way God communicates.

Are there people who are, frankly, just off in lala land? Sure. Can we find abuses if we start looking at man? Yes. But that cannot be the lense through which we interpret scripture.

Paul saw things in the church at Corinth that needed correction, and He was bold about it. Yet He called them saints. He gave them instruction about how to steward the gifts of the Spirit that were operating among them. Yet he told them they should covet to prophesy. He told them how to steward tongues and interpretation, but he told them not to forbid speaking in tongues.

I hope the spirit I am writing this in is coming through. God speaking to me is such a strength in my life and ministry, and I would love to see you writing soon that you are hearing God and are excited about it. But I really believe that you probably hear from God and don't recognize it. God wants to speak to you. Think about it this way. Would God want close, personal, intimate relationship with us and NOT want to speak to us?

Hope this perspective helps. Bless you brother.

I would add something else. Just a question. How do we know that the writer of Hebrews was referring to the written scripture when He wrote that the word of God was quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword?

I am not asking that to start anything. I believe that the written word IS all that this verse says that it is. But how do we know that this is only speaking of the written word? Just a question to make the brain turn a bit. Maybe that turning had great bearing on the discussion in this thread.

Todd: There are some crazy charismatics. There are some pretty sane ones as well. I have encountered both. And, I might be considered both, depending on who is making the judgement. Actually, I was raised in very traditional pentacostal circles. We believed people who clapped in church were wild and fleshly. So the charismatic movement was considered intensely crazy by our group. Honestly, it was a little legalistic if you ask me. But still GREAT people who loved God. They just did not get it right all the time, and I fully understand I don't either.

Guess that is part of the discernment you spoke of. We need to hear from the Holy Spirit to discern properly.

Hearing the voice of God is a very important subject, and one that is vital to our spiritual growth and walk with the Lord. I have never heard the audible voice of the Lord, but because I have allowed the Word of the Lord to dwell in me richly, I have been led by the Holy Spirit, and He speaks to me mainly through His Word. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit.

There are many situations that we deal with in life where we are not sure what the will of God is, but we can be assured that the Holy Spirit has been sent to lead us into all truth, and to bring the Word to our remembrance. When I am walking in the will of God and being led by the Holy Spirit, there is a peace in my heart. There is a knowing that the Holy Spirit gives that I am following the Lord and walking in His will. When I move in an area that is not the will of God, there is what I would call a check in my spirit.

We can know the will of God through the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

If it were so important why didn't the Apostles especially Paul address it?

Nowhere is it recorded that we should be "listening" for some voice to guide us.
Or "tuning in" to hear God talk to us.
Not even Jesus taught it when he taught us to pray.

My argument is not about God speaking or not speaking today, He does(Through His word), and he directs us if we have the Spirit.

But when you have all these people claiming God giving them mysterious revelations. Everyone having a word from God today. And people claiming God talking to them through secret messages. Something is wrong.

God never communicated "secretly" as in strange hidden messages to anyone in the Bible. This is not in reference to the Parables of Jesus, but a whole different subject.

Which brings me to this next point where in one of his books Bill Hybels while fishing in his boat one day, claims God gave him a message from a beer can floating along. Or at least he says he thought it was God.

Do you see the problem here?
All these people who claim that God speaks to them or they "think" they're hearing from God, always seem to end up with more questions.

This all leads to confusion, and we know God is not the author of confusion.

The will of God is simple to know, if we don't already know it we don't know our Bibles. ~1 Thessalonians 4:3 1 ~Thessalonians 5:18 ~John 6:40
It's not some mystery that we have to guess, figure out or hope we get right. This too leads to confusion.
God gives us wisdom and will direct our steps for any decisions we decide to make if we ask.
As long as we're within the moral will of God and Godly wisdom revealed in scripture.
As Paul, who said he "decided" to spend winter in Nicopolis.
~Titus 3:12

That wasn't God talking in a direct quotable sense though. That does sound however like He was USING that situation to perhaps open a door.

God's word already tells us though if we decide to marry, to marry a believer. Simple. It's not some game of roulette, who do i marry? Who do I not marry? That's confusion. And there's no hermeneutical grid for interpreting such signs to draw out some meaning that's divinely authoritative enough to make a decision. Nothing warranted in scripture that says we make our decisions based of of some sign or experience we've had.

I believe it was just a coincidence.
I say this because from my experiences, that is NOT God's way of speaking.

I used to believe God spoke that way until I started actually reading my Bible myself.

My own experience:

I prayed for my sick mother to be healed while she was on her death bed. I prayed and prayed, and started seeing "mysterious signs" like on TV commercials which mentioned the SAME stuff I've heard from my sister. Referring to the number 3. And about it being a number of perfection. The first time my mother was in the OR 3 times, her cancer came back 3 weeks later, and we were in a room called Baird 3. Strange right? So I "thought" somehow it was a message from God! THEN my mothers old friend from church visits and brings along someone else who claimed "God told her" my mother was going to be healed. And I told her about my eerie experience and she shared how she SAID God woke her up at 3:33 am to pray. So I thought God has to be speaking through these "signs" which there was no way to exegete them. Conclusion, she wasn't healed and none of these "signs" had any meaning, nor were they divinely authoritative because God doesn't speak that way. As I said above there is no warrant for that in scripture at all.

I liked somebody alot, I thought I was going to be with them because I saw all these "signs". Their name started showing up alot on TV, in my Email messages. Then a ring commercial would come on saying "you have found the one." And another on the News mentioning South Africa, which is funny because this person wants to be a missionary to South Africa.
However they didn't feel the same way so we stayed good friends. That was not God speaking. God doesn't speak that way and He never has.

If you're within God's moral will, and Godly wisdom revealed in scripture the Bible tells you who to marry, a believer.
~2 Corinthians 6:14.

See what I'm getting at? God doesn't speak in these "mysterious signs" which have no exegetical grid to be interpreted as divinely authoritative to guide you in decision making.

[As Paul, who said he "decided" to spend winter in Nicopolis.
~Titus 3:12]

and he also heeded the vision of the Macedonian man and knew what was going to happen to the ship and gave instructions. They also collected alms in response to Agabus prophecy. That was a spiritual guidance followed by a moral decison and an action - to send relief to saints in Judea.

Here we have a good example how it works hand in hand: The ability to make sensible, moral decisions and to follow the spirit.

GS-

Just curious how you think the Father communicated with the Son.