The Necessity of Scripture

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

The ultimate written authority we are subject to is God's inerrant, personal Word to us in the bible. It is God's authoritative interpretation of His own creation (among many other things)...which includes the paranormal. Hence, it is appropriate that we spend some time looking at the nature of scripture. This series will include discussions of: the necessity of scripture, the clarity of scripture, the comprehensiveness of scripture, and the sufficiency of scripture. All of these speak of why scripture is important for us, and the ways it is to have preeminence in our lives. A driving force of the sixteenth century reformation was sola scriptura (scripture alone), and it remains the driving force of any church or Christian who seeks to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Let us first look at the necessity of scripture.

To speak of the bible's necessity is simply to say we need it. We have noted before that when Satan tempted Jesus to turn stone into bread that our Lord replied by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4). Notice that Jesus refers to every word, which implies that every single word is necessary for our spiritual diet...every word is inspired by God the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16). We certainly need food, but our need for God's word is of even greater importance. In practice, which is viewed by you with more importance--eating      breakfast or daily ingesting God's word?

Recently I was communicating with a friend who is a witch. In response to a blog I had posted on Facebook, they commented that it would make them sad if their magical world of spirits was reduced to only demons and angels--implying that the bible impoverished one's view of reality. As is so often the case with occultists (and folks who believe/speak in ghosts are occultists), my friend was of the opinion that she had an objective view of the spirit world, but that I was saddled with an antiquated bible which has antiquated views about the spirit world. Poor me! I replied that nobody is able to be 100% objective (defined as not influenced by anything but the "facts") and we all operate, consciously or unconsciously, with a worldview--a set of presuppositions about reality...an ultimate norm or standard that we appeal to. The ultimate norm may be the bible or it might be one's reason, imagination, intuition, experience and so on. But we must disabuse ourselves of any notion that we view the paranormal objectively...nobody does...nor is it possible or even desirable. As followers of Christ, He must have preeminence in all of our thought--regarding the full circumference of reality--seen and unseen.

However, if our ultimate norm for interpreting reality is anything but the bible, then it has become autonomous (literally, "self-law"). Autonomous reasoning is attempting to reason independent of God. I told my friend that we ALL lean on something to be our ultimate court of appeal...it is not just Christians with their bible. For example, since the paranormal is invisible (usually), it is particularly necessary that we be guided through this treacherous terrain by the compass of the bible--otherwise our autonomous reasoning will steer us wrong....and onto the rocks. We WILL misinterpret real experiences, and Satan WILL deceive us if we attempt to reason autonomously regarding anything--especially regarding the spirit world on earth since that is God's ordained, temporary home for Satan and his infernal army. I refer you to the first sentence in this paragraph--there is no "IF"S" about it...it seems to me that the primary human cause (as opposed to Satanic strategy) of this explosion of necromancy is the ancient disease known as autonomous reasoning....Satan tempted Adam and Eve to first think autonomously, and their sinful eating of forbidden fruit would follow. Instead of bowing before the comprehensive jurisdiction of God's holy and authoritative Word over every area of our lives (including the paranormal), we have used our God-given faculties independently of our Maker.The temptation to think autonomously has its roots in the Garden (Gen.3......and Satan's revolt before that) and we must come to terms with how thoroughly original sin has affected our minds--we instinctively suppress and deny the truth of God and exchange it for a lie (Rom.1). I say all this because it accents just how necessary God's Word is.

Have you ever been to a county fair where one of the games was a duck-shooting gallery? Pling...pling...pling...even I can nail them at such close range. "They are a sitting duck" is a common expression referring to people who are defenseless against a deadly enemy. The tens of millions of Americans who have an active interest in the paranormal are sitting ducks in the worst possible way. Their insistence on autonomy of thought has exposed them to demonic oppression. The friend I mentioned earlier said that the idea that all paranormal activity was demonic was stupid (her word). Not so...what is foolish is playing in Satan's sandbox....what is naive is the notion that we can outwit Satan's deceptions without the Word of God. The carnage is becoming a killing fields--and it is heartbreaking to see. If ever their were in the history of mankind a situation which showed the absolute necessity of the word of God is America in 2013.

Second, the written Word is necessary because it establishes God's covenant authority over us. People often speak of having a personal relationship with Christ, but they are uncertain about the role of scripture in that relationship. Jesus says that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15, 21, 23, 15:7, 10) To obey His commandments we need to know them--hence, the necessity of having His Word and reading it. His words are absolutely necessary for our lives (John 6:68). If we do not obey His Word, then we may not call Him Lord (Matt.7:21--27). Jesus' words are found only in scripture. By right of creation and re-creation, God (and God alone) has the rightful authority to demand implicit obedience from us...keeping His commandments. We will speak more of this in the weeks to come, but the Lord, and His Word, has jurisdiction over every area of our lives--including full control over our interpretation and behavior regarding the paranormal. The written Word of God is the constitution of God's redeemed community here on earth.

Third, His written, personal Word to us records the key events in Jesus ministry, as well as giving us God's own interpretation of those events The four gospels and epistles are equally important--generally speaking, the gospels record the key redemptive events, and the epistles interpret or explain the meaning and significance of those recorded events. I hasten to add that the gospels certainly contain theological interpretation and commentary, and the epistles have historical elements in them...but we can still say that the gospels are primarily narratives of redemptive historical events, and the epistles elaborate the significance of the: incarnation, life, substitutionary atonement, resurrection, ascension, and second coming of our Lord Jesus. Without the bible, Jesus' death would have no meaning to us. Without the bible we would have no clue as to the Person and Work of Jesus--the incarnate Word. Without the Old and New Testaments, there is no Christ...without Christ there is no gospel....without the gospel there is no salvation. The gospel cannot be grasped by general/natural revelation--it had to be verbally communicated by our Lord to us. Below is the very first statement of the Westminster Confession of Faith regarding this matter--personally subscribing to the substance of the WCF was a prerequisite of my ordination in 1985 in the AR Presbyterian denomination.

Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church; and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scripture to be MOST NECESSARY; those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased. (WCF 1:1...emphasis added)

Fourth, God's written word is necessary, because without it, reality in general would become meaningless and incoherent. Any attempts at autonomous reasoning (thinking independently of God's influence) ultimately becomes self-destructive. For example, Scripture says we are made in God's image (Gen.1).This image-of-Godness is not anan optional extra--it is the essence of our self identity. As His image bearers, we cannot even begin to have accurate knowledge of self if we reason independently (autonomous) from the God we mirror. As John Calvin said in the beginning of the Institutes, knowledge of God and knowledge of ourselves, are inextricably bound together...and it is difficult to know which comes first. Having, cherishing, and reverently reading the Word of God is absolutely necessary for spiritual growth and equipping of the saints for spiritual warfare.

See Part 2 The Clarity of the Word of God

Biblical Authority By Whom?

By Paul D. Joao

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

2 Tim 3:16

In the views of Paranormal and Christianity many people are unaware of the authority that is given that makes the verse above a reminder that people should be a grounded in a foundation of the Gospel but they are on aware of dangers of what is not told, in the world of the paranormal. In truth,  the world of Paranormal is a broad  and very optioned that when people discuses ideas and facts on cases and when it comes to help people, at times questions leaves people asking more questions in the first place. In additions are Christian ministries and groups that help people but at times, what Christian may say is not what the they want to hear. As a result, people debating with any aspects of truth but there is a question that people should ask, Should we have a Biblical Authority like a church father for questions in these modern days?

When we think of Church Fathers, what make them the authority figure in the first place, if we asked was it a combo of the Holy Spirit and people approved the person. Than we need to add that, that person would have understanding of the Bible in the original language, philosophy of Jesus Christ, and a person that loves the truth of the gospel. If we view that person as a Preacher that can get people to think of the topic and make a person to think of the topic among others, or the ideas of the topic that would make sense when people understand it. Does that person exit in these modern times, the answer is no. We spend time reading and hearing from so many people within the Paranormal and Christianity, more too often we hear the about the drama and how people who are helping others and what they are teaching goes against known real theology. Therefore, we must ask what is Real theology, it comes when a Church Father comes in handedly; think of the Reformation age when people had Martin Luther and John Calvin. Could we look at Walter Martin, Derek Prince, and Kurt E. Koch as a church father for the Demonology, or the preternatural aspect? In today’s Society people who want answers to the many questions that interring them to enter the fields of the paranormal as Christianity stands it’s an undeveloped level for a Church father stands, in regarding to what the level of a Church Father once stood for. For clarify on a matter, let us take a situation that may or not may have happen in real life?

As a precaution, this event did happen and names of people are not mention for their personal identification would not know for this paper. In addition, the story is not discussed the full details to protect the client’s claims of what happen.

As the story goes, a “Credited” demonologist male was helping several cases mostly woman and what the ladies said is “he” has helped  them on a phone or have visited their homes. Meanwhile, these women begin to talk to each other and form a friendship and they were trying to get help from this man, what they did not know is that the “man” has a history of problems with the paranormal creating a issue that where did he get his “credit” at. Due to the women who were trying to get help and often Paranormal teams have came to investigate the problem but it is a common problem is in each case a children has been injured, smells of odors be noticed. People behaviors been effected plus it appears that the demon has been traveling from each home to the next one. For a while, it would be quiet until someone mentions the demonologist's name it makes the matter worse for the family. If this is not common when a person who been helping would see that they the clients have a relief from what they been though. As for the demonologist, a reporter discovered that the man in questioned was a self-trained, and his “credit” that he received was a onetime fee and here you go type of fraud, leaving the women helpless.  If a person was wondering did  any one reported to a commission of a leadership sadly there is no police and “his” practice is still going on possibly more woman are being deceived by this man. Someone would think that people would stop him, but word is out there. What about the women, as a suggestion was made that several teams would investigate the locations and come together with the results and if necessity a priest would come to the locations for a house cleaning of some kind. Now let us say if the person is a demonologist is at fault what then, do people discredit to a point that people like clients want to harm that person/demonologist. Here is a story that happens to a man in real life and his “credits.”

In case with Mark Warnke story author of Satan Seller, it was his created Biography of his life, which he did not have. The created version was a great story as many people were following him for a number of years. The story goes he was intrigued with the Occult and learned from a man that taught him the secrets of a dark magic, as he raises from a member to leading a group to a higher levels then he seen God and learned about Jesus and traded all of his occult things for a bible. When he was in the Vietnam War, on one day thinking of all of the people being killing, for what? In his mind, he and Jesus was far away, Jesus never left him and he left to come back so he left the army and headed back to the States and formed his ministry. It was going great until the news brought out that he was lying and his ministry that was helping people did not trust him, with anything and he’s “credited” person was no more,  today he is known as a comedy preacher.    

How does these ties with a Church Father, it does because it’s a person who many can consider it as a judge as a person that oversees the ministries and helps people just like a bishop is a number of a churches. Someone that a person to watch the paranormal communities and its people from being deceive away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the misunderstood teachings of these people. The thing is what is “credit” means did not Apostles Paul went back to the Apostles in order to have the authority for his ministry. In the end, when it comes to the Christian Paranormal communities who watches “us” in reality because of the nature people are often to come up with their options and conclusions of what know and often using the Bible for guidance. If that is the case then people should have method or cannon of some sort to how to help the people from their Christianity Paranormal cases studies. Where people can format a plan on how they would achieve a great success in their “work” with helping people and create a similar style as a Church Father. Would that make a person a church father or a person that can teach people the Truths in the Christian Paranormal communities in the modern times?