Some people see the Bible to be the only words of God ever written by man. These people think the Bible to be a myth and those that accept what is stated within its pages as deluded.
Many accept the Bible to be inspired by God with the Ten Commandments being the only words written by God. These people are numbered among the Jews and Christians. Even Muslims accept that the Bible is inspired by God but has been superseded by the Koran and is therefore of no account. Although Muslims will say that there is much error in the Bible as well, this is why Mohammed was chosen to rectify matters. While the Koran accepts that Jesus was born of a virgin (the only person in recorded history), it denies the resurrection of Jesus and that He is the Son of God.
Whether God’s words are found outside of the Bible or not, depends upon what is meant. Does the person posing the question want to know whether there are sacred texts outside of the Bible that are the words of God? Or does the person want to know whether there have been inspired authors who have written works outside of what are contained in the Bible?
Jesus said that the Scriptures refer to Him (John 4:39). The revelation of the Bible is that all Scripture that bears witness to Lord Jesus Christ is inspired of God. For the Evil One does not want to bear witness to Lord Jesus Christ. From a biblical perspective then, inspired authors could write about Lord Jesus Christ and these could be considered to be the words of God. However, there is a caveat that qualifies anything written by any author who claims to be inspired by God or is considered by people to be inspired by God. This is what the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians.
- I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. (1 Corinthians 4:6)
There are three points worth noting in respect to what is stated by the Apostle Paul.
- Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles chosen by Jesus Himself and therefore what he writes carries authority for all people today.
- Paul is referring to the Old Testament when he says “not to go beyond what is written”.
- Paul is implying that whatever cannot be supported by Old Testament is to be discarded.
However, since Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles and what he says carries authority, we do well to consider the following:
- When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:4-6)
- So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21)
From the Scripture quotations above, we can conclude from a biblical perspective that any person who is inspired by God to write anything, what that person writes would have to concur with what is already revealed through the apostles, prophets and Lord Jesus Christ. Anything that goes beyond that is to be considered of no account. Therefore, all interpretation of Scripture has to be in accord with what is written and all writings about what is required for people to do within various cultures has to be in accord with what is already written. Anything outside of this, regardless of whom the writer may be, comes from deception.
Anybody who makes an assumption or develops doctrines that are contradictory to what is written in the Bible is doing the work of Satan and leading people astray from knowing Lord Jesus Christ. This is common among so many people claiming to be Christians. They make an assumption, and then when it comes to interpreting the Scriptures, they are proven wrong. This is because they have gone beyond what is written in the Bible.
The reason a person like myself writes concerning what the Bible states is because there are so many people who write things that are not found in its pages and have erroneous doctrines that are clearly contradicted by what has already been written by the apostles and prophets. Essentially, anything that does not fit within the guidelines of the true Ten Commandments is erroneous as these are the only words ever testified to have been written by God Himself.
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