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"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My
Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance
whatsoever I have said unto you."
Here you see my warrant for believing that, although the record may have been made
by Matthew or Luke, yet the record is inspired, and in these Gospels I have the words of
Christ which are enough for me.
B.--I am glad that we both agree on this next point, namely, the full inspiration of the
four Gospels, but do you not see that if Matthew could be inspired to write the Gospel
that bears his name, Peter, John, James, Jude and Paul could equally have been inspired
to record the words of Christ spoken since His resurrection?
Your reference to John 14: 26 was most apt and it reminds me of another statement
in chapter 16: Let us turn to verses 12-14:--
"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He
shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He
will shew you things to come.
He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you."
Now notice one or two important features of this passage.
1. There is a contrast here with your passage of John 14: In John 14: the subject of
inspiration is a question of bringing to remembrance things which Christ had said. In
John 16: the same Spirit shews them things which He hears, which suggests that
there will be further revelations than the four Gospels.
2. This is still more clearly taught by the words, "I have many things to say unto you, but
you cannot bear them now".
3. If we are to have "All truth" we must have this later witness, which supplements and
goes beyond the teaching of the four Gospels.
These words of Christ make some further revelation, such as contained in the epistles,
a necessity. Do you not see that by limiting yourself to the four Gospels you have not all
the words of Christ that you might have, and therefore cannot truly be satisfied?
A.--This passage in John 16: does certainly seem to speak of a revelation subsequent
and equally inspired to the four Gospels, and I must look into the matter afresh, lest a
mistaken zeal for the supremacy of Christ should rob me of that truth which after all He
Himself says "Shall glorify Me".
At this point the two friends parted, promising to resume the consideration of the
subject at some future time.
If you, dear reader, should be interested to follow the subject further, you will find it
in our February number.