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Romans 1:18-25, states that all men can see God's handiwork and further that God reveals Himself through nature and therefore all men are with without excuse as to the knowledge of this existence of God the Creator.
Special revelation is God speaking directly to man, and that revelation being written under the "inspiration" of God, the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Pet. 1:21) Special revelation is God's specific information and instructions to man. The sixty six books that comprise our Bible is special revelation from God. It tells us about God, His working with man throughout history, his past and future plans and, most of all, His plan of redemption which He has unfolded through the centuries in the coming of the Redeemer Jesus Christ. From the Bible we learn how the earth and universe came into being, who were the first man and woman, how sin came into the world, of Satan's destructive work, of what is sin, of God's plan for the Savior, of the history and purpose of God's chosen people, the nation of Israel, of Christ's coming, His life and atoning death, of the being of the institution of the local church, of its history and purpose and of the future events ending in a new heavens and earth.
The question is did God stop giving special revelation and if so when? Biblical Christians believe that God completed the progress of revelation with the writing of the Book of Revelation. They conclude that in the sixty six Books of the Bible, God has said everything to man He desired to say and God's revelation to man was completed by 95 A.D. when the Apostle John finished the Book of Revelation.
Further the Biblical Christian believes that although God is not speaking or giving new revelation today He is illuminating His written and preserved Word for believers. Illuminating means that God is giving understanding of the principles of the Bible and these principles are totally sufficient to guide men in all matters of life and in any decisions that believers need to make. Thus there is no need of further revelation because the Bible as 2 Tim. 3:16 says, is "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." In other words the Bible is complete and adequate and reveals to us all God wants us to know. It is vital to understand that because we have the written revelation of God, the Bible, we do not need current revelation. The revelation God has given is totally adequate to instruct us in the things of God today. Not having God giving modern revelation in no way means we are lacking anything from God. The Bible as will be seen is absolute and complete and covers any subject or circumstance a man might encounter addressing matters directly or through guiding principles.
The Canonization of the Bible Speaks Against God Giving New Revelation.
One of the strongest evidences against God giving new revelation today is that the Bible was canonized by the early churches. The completeness of the Scriptures was recognized by the early Christians in the sixty six Books of the Old and New Testament. All other "supposed" scripture has been universally rejected as being the Word God.
The word "canon" is a derivative of the Greek word, "kanon" and the Hebrew word, "kaneh" and refers to a "reed" or measuring rod or ruler. It is used in Christianity to mean a measuring the authenticity of Word of God, the Bible. The process of determining the "canon" of Scripture was the process of ascertaining which books that men purported to be God's revelation that were indeed God's revelation.
Many books that are not found in the canon of Scripture (the 66 Books of the Old and New Testament) were alleged to have come from God. Of such books were the Apocryphal and pseudepigraphal books and the so-called "lost books." The process of canonization was the procedure by which the churches discovered by examination which books were indeed given by inspiration of God and which were counterfeit. It must be understood that it was not the churches or church councils that by decree declared which books it thought were authentic, but Christians discovered what books God had given by inspiration through the process of careful and scholarly examining of the text of each of these works. For example, books which contained inaccurate historical or cultural statements were rejected as being inspired because if God inspired the writing there would be no such errors. Additionally, doctrinal errors or contradictory statements found in the books precluded its being accepted as inspired of God. The books such as the Apocryphal books were found to have not be written by the authors that bore the books names. These books contained gross doctrinal errors, contradictions, inaccurate historical and culture material and were all written long after the period in which they claimed they were authored and thus were summary rejected as being the Word of God.
There are several standards that a book must have to be concerned as inspired of God and thus included in the canon. These standards are based on the very nature of God Himself in that He could not lie and thus anything written under the inspiration of God would not be contradictory or errors. The rules used to examine a supposed book of the Bible was as follows:
2. It must be authoritative, meaning must claim to be revelation from God such as "thus saith the Lord." The book must show evidence of being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
3. It must be authentic, meaning written by the person who claimed to the author.
4. It must be widely or universally recognized and accepted as the Word of God. The early Christians accepted certain books as Scripture without question. They had first hand knowledge of their authenticity, were often taught by the Apostles and attested to the genuineness of certain books.
5. It had life-transforming power. The Word of God when believed will without exception transform the life of the believer. That transformation will be super natural in nature and be directed toward living by the principles found in the God's Word.
6. The book must give evidence of inspiration. In simple terms is what it says in agreement with the other books of the Bible. In other words is the book written in the analogy of the faith. If within the book where are found contradictions or inconsistencies with other parts of God's Word then it was rejected because God is the God of order and truth and cannot contradict Himself. The book must be accurate.
Can modern "scriptures" compare with the Bible? The Koran, the Book of Mormon, and a host of other so called "scriptures" have been presented as being later revelation from God. However, when these books are subjected to the even the simplest of tests they are found to be instead the product of man's imaginations, philosophy and false wisdom. None of the other false scriptures even come close to presenting God as does God Himself in His inspired Word. It is the text of each of these false "scriptures" that show them to be erroneous and this was the basis by with they were rejected.
For example, Joseph Smith, the founder and author of the Mormon scriptures (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price), presents God as being an exalted man, who lived on some planet out in the universe, who earned the right to godhood by being faithful and doing good works. This is completely counter to everything that the Bible says about the person, nature and character of God. Further, there are irreconcilable contradictions between Mormon scriptures, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price which clearly establishes its human authorship. God does not contradict Himself as the LDS Standard Works do. For example the Book of Mormon states that God created the heavens and the earth, yet they teach that he was born a man on some planet out in the universe that already existed and that he has a mother and father who had a mother and father and so on back in time. Yet, how then could their god be the creator of the universe in which he was born into and only after a human life was exalted to becoming a god? The contradiction in their Scriptures shows its blatant error which give proof of its human authorship. The LDS Scriptures do not compare to the Bible on any level and are proven to be historically, culturally and doctrinally to be in gross error with known history, archaeology, and science, therefore it is shown not be from God. In contrast the Bible is proven to be historically, culturally and doctrinally accurate in its statements proving it to be the Word of God.
None of the "later" so-called scriptures can meet even one of the standards on which the canon of the Bible was established. This is an extremely powerful argument that God is not giving new revelation today.
The Statements Against Adding or Taking Away from the Bible Speaks Against God Giving New Revelation.
Note the following Bible passages that warn about adding or taking away from the Scriptures:
Deut. 12:32, "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."
Prov. 30:6, " Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
When the canon of Scripture from God was complete God had said all He needed to say to man. This was true throughout the process of revelation. When Moses finished the Pentateuch under the inspiration of God there was no need of further revelation at that time. They had the Law and God's instruction to live their lives by. As time went on God through the other prophets revealed more and more truth about Himself and His plan for the World.
This process of revelation continued until the whole of God's plan was completely revealed with the completion of the Book of Revelation. Some would try to limit the warning of not adding or taking away from the Scriptures to just that of the Book of Revelation. However, its place as the last Book of the Bible and its revealing of what was past, present and future makes this limitation implausible (Rev. 1:19). God not only revealed the truth of John's day in the Book of Revelation, but in 18 of its 22 Chapters reveals what the future will hold until the end of this age and to eternity future.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 emphatically attest to the completeness and all sufficiency the scriptures. There is not one situation where man needs direction from God that cannot be found in the revealed principles of the Bible. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
If new revelation is not from God then where does it come from? Clearly it comes from delusions of deceived men and false prophets, but ultimately and clearly modern revelation does have a supernatural origin. However, the subtle and gross doctrinal errors of modern revelation is proof positive that its origin is the father of lies, Lucifer himself. Those who follow and purport modern revelation all claim they speak for God, but in truth will not be following God, but serving the Devil all the while claiming to lead me to God. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus warned for these false teachers saying "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Deuteronomy 32:16-17, records how Israel rebelled against God and worshiped false gods. Verse 17, God says their offerings were sacrificed to devils and not to God. False revelation is false religion and false religion is of the Devil. Paul in the New Testament also plainly states this truth in 1 Corinthians 10:20-21, says, "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils."
Thus for these reasons all true Bible believing individuals and churches unequivocally reject that God is giving to men new revelation today.