What Do We Do With Those Who Claim to Have Heard God Speaking (Outside of the Bible)?

If the Bible is complete, then we should feel uneasy if someone says that they have heard God speaking to them. And yet what we can say is this: we also should not assume that God could not speak to individuals in extraordinary ways, in extraordinary circumstances.

So, how should we respond to those who claim that God has spoken to them extraordinarily, or how should we engage with events from history where this seems to take place?

Well there are two things (at least) we can do…

First, we can remember that if scripture is complete, then God would never contradict scripture. So anyone who claims to have heard from God and claims that God is saying something that contradicts scripture, then we know it’s not God.

And secondly, we should say, you cannot use any words that you claim are from God with authority. You cannot say, “God said this to me, and therefore you must listen to me.” No, I have Scripture, and that is what has authority. Your word that you claim is from God has no authority.

Given those two rules that we must obey, then we will not necessarily ostracise people who say that they have heard a word from God, as long as they are not contradicting scripture, and as long as they are not claiming their word from God has authority over others.