A proposition put forward by Kingdom of God Ministries founder Dr. Stephen E. Jones that a third testament is yet to be written sounds ludicrous, but it is something he very much appears to believe will happen. But "if " this were to be the case....
✦ What Might This "New Testament" Contain?
1. A Restoration of Apostolic Doctrine
Returning to the simplicity and purity of Christ's teachings through the apostles—not the filtered dogmas of later councils—means:
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Re-centering faith, repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands (Hebrews 6:1–2) as foundational.
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Recovering the doctrine of Christ (2 John 1:9) over traditions about Christ.
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Refuting inherited structures like apostolic succession and sacramental hierarchies that replaced Spirit-led gifts and callings.
2. The Exposure and Rejection of the Nicolaitan Spirit
Revelation 2:6,15 highlights the Lord's hatred for the deeds and doctrines of the Nicolaitans—those who conquer the laity, establishing a clergy/laity divide. The institutional Church embraced this through:
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The creation of the “priestly” class who mediate between God and man, contradicting 1 Timothy 2:5.
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Elevating Church authority above the Holy Spirit’s voice in the individual believer.
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Substituting Spirit-led guidance with hierarchical control, tradition, and law.
3. Repudiation of the “Vicar of Christ” Doctrine
The idea that any human being stands in the place of Christ is a theological inversion of Pentecost. Instead of:
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Internal transformation through the indwelling Holy Spirit,
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The Church institutionalized external obedience to a human “head,”
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Replacing Christ’s headship with a human mediator—essentially recreating the Old Covenant priesthood Christ fulfilled and abolished.
4. A Return to the Spirit of Truth
John 16:13 promises the Spirit of Truth will guide into all truth—not ecclesiastical decrees. A new outpouring would:
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Emphasize intimacy with God, not rituals or relics.
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Restore prophetic discernment, not political alliances.
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Awaken believers to their priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) and spiritual gifts, so that the body edifies itself in love (Ephesians 4:16).
✦ A Living Testament, Not a Canonical One?
This third “testament” may be:
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Not a new set of books, but a Spirit-empowered people whose lives are epistles (2 Cor. 3:2–3).
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A corporate revelation—the fullness of Christ expressed in His body (Ephesians 4:13), manifesting in maturity and truth.
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A Tabernacles people who walk in unity, holiness, and divine authority—unbought, unbossed, and unmoved by the Babylonian church system.
✦ Getting Back to Basics
This will feel like a reformation of the Reformation—not in protest, but in Spirit-led reconstruction. Stripping away centuries of additions and assumptions, this “new testament to come” would reaffirm:
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Christ alone as Head.
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The Holy Spirit alone as Guide.
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The Word of God alone as the standard.
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The body of believers as the temple of God.
The time has come to discern what the Spirit is saying to the churches—not by adding to the canon of Scripture, but by embodying the revelation that has already been given in Christ. Just as the New Testament fulfilled the shadows of the Old, so now we await a further unfolding—not in ink, but in life. The new testament to come is not a new Bible, but a people: a body led by the Spirit, washed in the Word, matured into the measure of the stature of Christ.
1. A Restoration of Apostolic Doctrine
This new witness must return to the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. The apostles taught the simplicity of the Gospel: repentance from dead works, faith in God, baptism, the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Heb. 6:1–2). These foundational truths have been eclipsed by centuries of scholasticism, sacerdotalism, and speculation. What is needed now is not another council, but a cry for purity.
We must:
Restore the doctrine of Christ as the center of all theology (2 John 1:9).
Reject doctrines built on philosophical abstraction rather than revealed truth.
Proclaim Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and returning—not institutional dogmas or denominational distinctives.
2. The Rejection of the Nicolaitan Spirit
The Lord Jesus declared twice in Revelation His hatred for the deeds and doctrines of the Nicolaitans—those who conquer the laity by creating a class of spiritual overlords. This spirit has been enshrined in the ecclesiastical systems that dominate today:
Clerical hierarchies that separate the people of God from their High Priest.
Liturgical rituals that obscure rather than reveal the glory of Christ.
Doctrinal tribunals that silence prophetic voices and quench the Spirit.
The "new testament to come" must dismantle this man-made scaffolding and restore the priesthood of all believers.
3. The False Doctrine of the Vicar of Christ
No man stands in the place of Christ. The title "Vicar of Christ" is a theological affront to the finished work of the cross and the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is Christ alone who is Head of the Church. It is the Holy Spirit alone who leads us into truth. And it is the people of God who together form the temple of the living God.
The idea that Christ requires a representative on earth beyond His own Spirit is a return to the Levitical system—one that Christ abolished in His death. It is not reformation that is needed here, but repentance.
4. The Return of the Spirit of Truth
The Church must be awakened again by the Spirit of Truth, not the traditions of men. We need a re-baptism of reality:
A revival of the inward witness over the outward show.
A rejection of emotional manipulation and marketing tactics masquerading as ministry.
A hunger for holiness, discernment, and love of the truth, no matter the cost.
The "new testament to come" is already being written—on the hearts of men and women who tremble at His Word and walk by the Spirit.
5. Toward the Tabernacles People
What began at Pentecost must move toward Tabernacles. Just as Israel journeyed from Passover to Sinai to the Feast of Booths, the Church must mature:
From justification to sanctification to glorification.
From infancy in Christ to maturity in sonship.
From the Church age to the Kingdom age.
These are not mere doctrines—they are lived realities for those who will walk in them. God is preparing a people who will manifest the life of His Son, not merely in creeds but in character, in power, and in purity.
Conclusion
This "new testament" is not a book to be canonized, but a people to be consecrated. A body raised in resurrection life. A remnant bearing the mark of obedience, truth, and love. It is not a reinvention of Christianity—but its restoration.
Let him who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Indeed, and to encourage the fainthearted all the more....
In every age of transition, God calls His people back to the foundations. In our time, we stand at the precipice of another divine unveiling—not a rewriting of Scripture, but a rediscovery of its spirit, and a fuller manifestation of its power. This "New Testament to Come" is not a new book, but a new people: a generation led not by institutions, but by the indwelling Spirit of the living God.
Let's review what has just been stated.
1. A Restoration of Apostolic Doctrine
The apostles preached Christ crucified, risen, and reigning—not church polity, tradition, or denominational creeds. This new era demands:
A return to the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3), rooted in repentance, faith, baptism, and Spirit-empowered discipleship.
A rejection of the historical suppression of apostolic teachings that emphasized relational obedience to Christ over sacramental ritualism.
An awakening to the original call to make disciples, not just converts, and to cultivate maturity through the fivefold ministry and the gifts of the Spirit.
2. The Rejection of the Nicolaitan Spirit
The deeds and doctrines of the Nicolaitans—those who established a power divide between clergy and laity—were hated by the Lord (Revelation 2:6,15). Yet the institutional church codified them:
By elevating hierarchical titles and control mechanisms over the organic, Spirit-led priesthood of all believers.
By quenching the Spirit in favor of manmade order.
By substituting divine guidance with ecclesiastical tradition.
This "new testament" movement will break this yoke, equipping every believer to hear from God, minister in power, and walk in freedom.
3. Dismantling the Vicar of Christ Doctrine
The most egregious example of spiritual usurpation lies in the doctrine of the “Vicar of Christ”—a title implying a man may stand in Christ’s place. In truth:
Christ alone is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22).
The Holy Spirit was sent to dwell within, not to be replaced by an external mediator.
The new covenant abolished the need for priestly intermediaries. Every believer now has access to the Father through the Son, by the Spirit.
To worship the Spirit as a separate person rather than receive Him as the extension of God’s own being is to confuse the intimacy of Pentecost with institutional dogma.
4. The Rise of the Living Epistle
What is coming is not a canon, but a community:
"You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men... not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:2–3).
This movement will:
See believers live as epistles of Christ, reflecting His nature.
Be guided by the Spirit of truth into all truth (John 16:13), with no need for Rome, synod, or seminary to ratify their experience.
Produce a bride who makes herself ready—cleansed, clothed in righteous acts, walking in resurrection power.
5. The Tabernacles Age and the Final Revelation
Just as Passover marked salvation and Pentecost signaled empowerment, Tabernacles points to indwelling fullness. This is the age:
Of the Father's house being made manifest in His people (John 14:23).
Of sons and daughters being revealed (Romans 8:19).
Of the kingdom not being preached only in word, but in demonstration of power.
6. Returning to the Basics That Were Cast Aside
This era will confront and reverse the theological betrayals that:
Institutionalized the Spirit.
Politicalized the Church.
Replaced transformation with tradition.
The simplicity and purity of Christ’s Gospel will again take center stage, without embellishment or bureaucratic trappings. We will once again hear:
"Thus says the Lord"—not from the pulpit alone, but from sanctified lives, Spirit-filled homes, and bold witnesses in every nation.
This is the New Testament to Come: not new ink on parchment, but the living testimony of a people conformed to the image of the Son, filled with His Spirit, and proclaiming His kingdom—not as scribes, but as sons.
Come out of Babylon. Return to the simplicity of Christ. Receive the Spirit of truth. And become what was always intended:
The fullness of Him who fills all in all.
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