Errors of Adding to God’s Word – Rev.J.Laning

The latest issue of The Standard Bearer is out (February 15, 2015), and in this issue one of the articles to be read for good instruction is the second installment of “Foundational Principles” written by Rev.James Laning (Hull, IA PRC) under the rubric “God’s Wonderful Works.”

In this article titled “Forbidden to Add to God’s Word”,  Rev.Laning addresses seven errors involving adding to God’s Word in Scripture. As he shows, some of these errors are old and some are new, but they all have this in common that they claim to be equal words from God that have authority for the believer. In fact, however, they undermine and contradict the sole authority of holy Scripture.

Here are two popular ones that Rev.Laning lists:

3. Claiming to receive new revelations from God today

Many in our own day claim that God has spoken to them just as He did to the prophets in the days in which the Scriptures were written. Such individuals are false prophets, since the Bible was completed in the days in which the apostles lived. All that we need to know about the great salvation we have in Christ is found in the Scriptures as we have them today:

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)

The great salvation was proclaimed by Christ and then confirmed unto us by them that heard him. The Old Testament had been completed before Christ came, and the New Testament had been completed when Christ and “them that heard him” were no longer on earth. It is also worthy of note that the warning in the book of Revelation about adding to or subtracting from the Scriptures is found at the very end of the Bible.

4. Claiming that there have been infallible statements since the Scriptures were finished

The Roman Catholic Church has claimed for many years that there are times in which the pope is guided by God to speak infallibly. According to the Romish church, the pope speaks infallibly:

When, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.2

They claim that an example of such an infallible utterance took place in 1950, when Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary as an article of faith. Any infallibly inspired utterance would have the same authority as Scripture itself. To claim that infallibly inspired statements have been made after the time that Scripture was finished is to be guilty of adding to God’s word.

But Laning ends on this positive note for the believer with his Bible:

One of the passages that warn against adding to God’s word says that the word of God is pure, and that those who receive God’s word as it is will experience God to be their shield.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

Here we have not only another warning about adding to God’s word, but also a comforting statement about the protection experienced by all who receive what God says. Every addition to God’s word will be found to be false. But every word that God has spoken is pure. The true believer comes to know this quite well. He has experienced in his own life that our Lord always does what He says He will do. Every one of His promises are certainly fulfilled. A shield He is for those who walk in His ways, fully protected from every foe. It is those who trust in the Lord, believing all that He says without additions or subtractions, that walk without fear, perfectly shielded by their God and Father.

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