Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

There's a few folks over the years that I've encountered who have testified to experiences that they hold much faith in. And I do believe experience is big in our walk with God. However, when asked for Scriptures to back up the experience, many times they can come back with something to the effect of, "I know what I experienced, and that's all I need.." or "I depend on the Holy Ghost and that's enough."

So some questions here.....

1 - Does Experience have equal or even greater authority in your life than Scripture?

2 - Do you ever think the Holy Ghost would direct/lead in a way that you couldn't provide Scripture to back it up?

3 - If the experience isn't able to backed up by Scripture, shouldn't it be lowered in it's value?

4 - Is there any higher authority in your life than the Word of God? Is that not the ruler by which all other things in our walk with God are to be measured for authenticity, truth, and dependance?

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Experience never trumps scriptures

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Galatians 1:8-9 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

If it is a new gospel, a new idea, a new doctrine that has come about because of your "experience" or emotional high such as a dream, vision, angel visitation... etc.... you will be accursed if you preach it as part of the gospel.

That would be the ruler I would hold any "experience" up to. The WORD stands as our ruler, our foundation, and no true experience that we have from God will contradict His own Word.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Great stuff there....

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Does experience trump scripture? No.

Does experience trump a particular interpretation of scripture someone may hold to? Probably happens all the time.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Sorry, my question may not have been clear... we're not talking about in other people's eyes... only in the person of the experience.

So, in that light, could someone's experience trump their own interpretation of Scripture???????

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Do you have a hypothetical example or description of such an experience that you are questioning?

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

I do, and could post... but that really wouldn't follow the proper rules of such a discussion here... we then would begin to disucuss the situation on it's own merits, situation, etc... and not the higher concept. I'd much rather stay more general, if possible, so that the higher concept is what is discussed, if that's okay.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

My answers, or opinions.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

LOL... covering all your bases huh ;)

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

1. If experience doesn't line up with the Word then either there is something wrong with the experience, or there is something wrong with our interpretation or understanding of the experience, or there is something wrong with our understanding of the Word.

2. The Spirit will lead into all truth. 'Thy Word is truth'. Sometimes the Spirit may lead us into a more correct understanding of truth, which others who do not have that understanding will not, well, understand.

3. It means our understanding of the experience needs to be re-evaluated in light of the Word. Experiences are often not fully understood by those who experience them.

4. One might suggest that for EVERYONE, the 'highest authority' is our own understanding, reason, or belief system. In other words, we may claim the word is our highest authority, but that really just means 'the Word AS I UNDERSTAND IT or BELIEVE IT TO MEAN.'

The Jews had the Word of God and completely missed it when it was made flesh and dwelt among them. Being natural and carnally minded, they searched the scriptures daily thinking they had life, but did not. There was a veil over their eyes. The Spirit's mission is (among other things) to lead us into a correct understanding of the Word, to make the Word more than just words on paper... to make the Word LIFE, LIGHT, and FOOD for our souls.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Perhaps a related question might be, could someone's interpretation of Scripture trump their experience?

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

:popcorn2

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Experience will Validate (Confirm) Scripture. Without Experience, a person is worthless; a Brain Surgeon w/o Experience is not a Brain Surgeon. A Race Car driver will never win without Experience. The lack of Experience destroyed my first Pastor. False Religion is based and built upon Inexperience. Inexperience+Bible=Disaster!

A few years ago, I started a Thread about this very subject called, “Validate by Experience”. (The link is below)

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...ad.php?t=27049

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Bro. Robbins, I think your premise could just as well ask "does Oneness Pentecostal traditions trump scripture".

I say that because not only do traditional Pentecostals value "experience" as you have noted but they highly value Pentecostal traditions such as "shouting". There is not one single New Testament example of what goes on in many Pentecostal churches as far as the screaming, wailing, twirling, (helicopter), jerking, twitching, running the aisles, etc. Those forms of expression are solely Pentecostal tradition.

I am not saying it is wrong to do them but I am saying that to suggest one MUST do them is wrong.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

I'll try to answer your questions one by one. I may not always be able to answer a simple "yes" or 'no"

1. no. in my opinion the written Word should be supreme

2. we may be led in a way that is not mentioned in scripture. for example on the subject of smoking. there is no scripture that mentions tobacco or smoking but we can find things that could be applied to the use of tobacco such as defiling the temple of God. I could not tell someone that it is wrong for him to use tobacco but I can choose to not use tobacco because it would be harmful to me physically and thereby defiling God's temple and it would be a waste of money which God has entrusted to me to be a steward of. Also, I live in Ohio. I might feel led to go to some place in a neighboring state like Kentucky or Indiana. Neither of those states are mentioned in Scripture but I believe God could direct me to go there.

3. not sure where you are going with this. If you mean "oil on the hands" or "gold dust" I find nothing in the Scriptures about them, I am cautious even leery of them but I cannot condemn them and say they are not of God. I have never experienced either of them. I have been anointed by a woman whom I highly respect with oil that was supposedly from someone's hands. I received it because of my respect for her and because she really believed in it. Another person whom I respect highly had a piece of gold dust or something like that appear. In both cases I cannot refute them nor condemn them. My attitude toward such stuff is "why would God do it?" or "So what

4. In my opinion, everything should be judged by the Word of God. However, that judgment is based on our understanding of the Word and our understanding could be faulty.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Oh, no doubt. Popcorn as a food is extremely high GI; popcorn as an icon should be an alert that others are listening, and one should take care to answer from Spirit. Imo.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Amen. This guy calls it "experiential...sanctification," I believe:
http://www.biblenews1.com/marriage/marriagi.htm
it's in there somewhere, a couple pages back. He's hard to read at first. Sorry I'm not able to provide the opening link, bad internet.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

You would only believe an interpretation if you have experience about it. So it's best to ask God for that experience.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Yikes. I've heard of charismatic churches who just go on the holy ghost, reading or obeying the scripture is not encouraged, they just pray and speak in tongues the whole service. They don't rely on scripture for guidance, I guess whatever is prayed or prophesied is why you should do at the time.

All I know is...... people have told me they sensed *ahem*, 'spirits' on members from these types of churches. These are not my words, but the words of friends who've encountered people from these groups.

One of our ministers told me one of his bible study student left one of these charismatic churches where they would have prophecies which instructed them to divorce their spouse and marry someone else.

.......I don't know, Bro. R. Personally, I would never join a church nor trust a person who relied 100% on experience. Too much craziness.

Just my two cents.

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

Re: Does Experience Trump Scripture in Authority?
 

I think you outline the bad side of experience over Scripture, quite well; I might call this "Experience sans discernment."
I noted in my Charismatic days a distinct emphasis on emotion, and an absence of discernment there.

However, we all know the sense in which many actions might be justified in light of some individual Scripture, also, and I see a sense in which the experience that is happening in the moment, discerned correctly, and leading to a choice that is Spirit-led, might technically "trump" Scripture.

Now, I don't mean "invalidate," but "build on;" or even "emanate from"
ones understanding of Scripture. I see where a witness or witnesses might
be helpful here, if ones discernment is not 100%...and who's is.