You’ve probably heard a teacher, pastor or preacher say something to the effect “and then God told me.” What’s up with that? What role does personal experience and/or personal revelation play in Bible study?
For me, the bottom line is: Scripture takes precedence over emotions and experience. Teachers ought to strive for accuracy and precision in their language.
Here are the guidelines I use when teaching:
Certainty
Only say “God told me” if you are SO certain the voice is from the Lord that you would sacrifice your first born if that voice commanded it.
The command to sacrifice Isaac must have struck Abraham as wrong on face value. Everything he knew about the Lord suggested that the Lord abhorred the child sacrifices practiced by the pagan religions of the day. Yet, Abraham was so certain that command to offer Issac came from the Lord, that he obeyed up to the point of the Lord stopping his hand (Genesis 22).
So far, I’ve never “heard” a voice that came with that kind of certainty.
Further, no teacher I’ve met who used the phrase “and then God told me” has claimed the kind of certainty that Abraham had. Instead, they have talked (rightly) about applying some kind of discernment to evaluate whether their personal revelation is actually a word from God.
Scripture
Scripture trumps experience, desires, emotions, the counsel of fellow believers and “voices.”
In 1Samuel 24, David spares Saul’s life because David knows Scripture. David and his men are hiding in a cave when Saul comes in to relieve himself. Temporarily blinded by the contrast between the brilliant sunlight outside and the darkness of the cave, Saul is alone and extremely vulnerable.
How many times have you heard it taught that the way you determine God’s will is a combination of desire, circumstances and the counsel of godly people? We’re told that it must be God’s will if 1) you want to do something, 2) you have the opportunity to do it and 3) godly people tell you to do it.
David faced that exact situation David in the cave. David surely had the desire to kill Saul so he can end this deadly game of cat and mouse. He had a golden opportunity to do so, as he has literally caught Saul with his pants down. And he has the counsel of his trusted men saying, go for it. But instead of striking Saul down, David cuts off the edge of the Saul’s robe.
Why did David refrain from killing Saul? Because David knew God’s word, and God’s word prohibits striking down the Lord’s anointed one.
The Word of God trumps desire, opportunity and godly counsel. You can want sin, have the opportunity to sin and godly people can unwittingly encourage you to chose it, but knowing God’s word will stop you. God’s word trumps everything else.
The same goes for claims of personal revelation. God’s written Word as revealed in the Scriptures trumps everything, including our little voices.
It’s not about you.
Students should leave knowing more about Scripture than the speaker.
As I wrote in a previous post: The goal of bible study and sermons must always be to convey the essential meaning of a set number of verses to the listeners. To convey that meaning, we explain the concepts of Scripture in language modern ears will understand.
All stories, illustrations and explanations ought to serve that goal. Without explaining meaning, no real bible study has taken place — only pious observations, emotional exhortations and some interesting but pointless stories
In my experience, the teachers claiming divine personal revelation have often (consciously or not) made the message about them. “They received a message; God is going to do great things through them.“ The message they hear rarely seems to further an understanding of Scripture or increase our knowledge of the character of God. Rather the message tends to concern a movement, cause or program the particular teacher is spearheading. To me, that’s a red flag.
Precision
Be precise with your language. Avoid phrases like “God told me” unless you encountered a burning bush.
We often resort to the language of “and then God showed me” to describe that “aha!” moment where suddenly a passage becomes clear. ne moment you are confused, the next moment you understand.
Theologically speaking, that “aha” moment is the work of the Spirit opening our eyes and hearts to the truth. We understand because He has given us understanding. In many cases, teachers and preachers use language like “and then God told me” to describe that moment of clarity.
While I would not rebuke a teacher for such a figure of speech, I would recommend against it to avoid confusion.
“Personal revelation” can be an excuse for sloppy exegesis. Sometimes we teachers are tempted to use phrases like “God told me” or “I felt led” to avoid facing challenges or questions. We believe we are in the right, but we cannot back it up from our exegesis. Yet, if we claim “God told me,” how could you possibly question us? You would sound like a skeptic or heretic if you did.
Ideally, I should put the necessary study and time to be sure. If I can’t prove it, then I ought to think twice before saying it and at least admit it is speculation.
Part of the Series: Bible Study 201: Learn to Teach the Bible
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