We may now ask: When these books were written, were they intended to
contain all that would ever be necessary for men to know concerning
God's plans and purposes, thus making all further revelation
superfluous? What do the gospels teach concerning this question?
The first pages of the gospel confirm the lesson we have drawn from
the Old Testament, that revelation is necessary for the establishment
of a new dispensation. For the gospel dispensation is ushered in and
established through revelation. Zacharias is visited by an angel (Luke
i, 11-20). Gabriel appears to Mary (Luke i, 26-38). John the Baptist is
commissioned by God to preach and baptize (John i, 6, 33). That Jesus
was Messiah is manifest to John through revelation. The Spirit descends
and a voice from heaven is heard (John i, 32, 34; Matt. iii, 16, 17).
And this point is particularly noteworthy. All the ancient prophets had
predicted the coming of the Messiah. Some of them had given details
about where He would be born, His parentage, and the precise time
of His coming, and yet it was necessary, when He came, to give new
revelations, pointing Him out to the most devout servant of God then
living. Previous revelations are here clearly seen _not_ to render new
revelations useless. And as the gospels thus begin with revelations, so
they close with declarations that revelation should continue. For in
His farewell address to His disciples, Christ says: "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 show you things to come"_ (John xvi, 12, 13).
Christ here expressly states that {375} His ministry did not complete
God's revelations. There were _many_ other things to learn than those
which he had communicated, and among these were also "things to come,"
all of which the Spirit should communicate to the Twelve. Revelation,
then, was not to be done away with at the departure of our Lord. The
last verse of the fourth gospel, the last verse ever written in our New
Testament states, moreover, that the things recorded in the gospels are
only a small fragment of all that could be written concerning the works
of Christ. These works and the lessons to be conveyed were no doubt
necessary, and yet we have no record of them. The gospels, therefore,
openly admit that they are not intended to be a complete record of all
that is necessary for man to know. They claim to be written for the
purpose of directing men's hearts to Jesus (John xx, 31), and point out
His promise to continue the revelation of truth through the Spirit.
This is the important testimony of the gospels. All the works and the
teachings of Christ were not enough for the guidance of the first
Christians. They needed and were promised further revelation. To us
has come a record not of all of Christ's teachings, but only of a very
few, merely a fragment. If all the teachings of Christ given during His
ministry upon the earth were not sufficient for the guidance of the
apostles, how much less can the gospels, which contain only a small
part of these teachings, be sufficient for other men? The thought is as
irrational as it is without foundation in the Word of God.