Less-Than-Holy-Writ Prophecy?

One of the shibboleths of modern Reformed theology is a denial of special revelation as a continuing part of post-apostolic Christian life. Enter a PCA ordination exam professing belief in the continuation of the inspired prophetic office and you will likely not pass.

Often, even internal dreams and external words of wisdom as means of Divine communication are denied. The desire, of course, is to protect Christians from babbling fools who claim the authority of the Word for their banal, self-inspired utterances. And a true concern it is. The Church has always suffered the Gospels of Thomas, whether written by "Thomas" or Mary Baker Eddy or Joseph Smith or shouted in the midst of worship by ecstatic Bob.

Yet this understandable caution also tends to create an almost unbridgeable gap between Reformed believers and many charismatics who practice what they believe is a less-than-holy-writ-but-still-from-the-Spirit form of prophetic utterance.

Are there messages from God in Scripture which, though inspired, fall short of the authority of the written Word?

I am struck as I read Acts by three passages. First, by the words of certain spiritual people of Tyre to Paul on the homeward leg of his final missionary journey:

Acts 21:4-5

After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.

They tell Paul "through the Spirit" not to set foot in Jerusalem.

Yet Paul goes to Jerusalem. There, in the face of the prophesied opposition of the Jews and subsequent imprisonment, Christ appears to Paul:

Acts 23:11

But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, "Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also."

Clearly, the first prophecy was true. The warning was of the Spirit. Yet Christ commends Paul for his faithful witness in Jerusalem.

Finally, as Paul is being taken prisoner to Rome, his ship harbors briefly in Fair Havens off the shore of Crete. Paul says to the centurion guarding the prisoners, as well as the boat owner and pilot:

Acts 27:10-11

"Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul.

Paul does not expressly claim spiritual insight, yet it seems implicit in his statement. Later in the voyage he gives further such advice and on that occasion he does claim Divine insight. Yet, in the end, despite his perception and warning that there will be loss of cargo, ship and lives, no one dies. The ship is ruined, but God delivers all 276 human beings on the ship safely to shore.

Calvin says of the warning that Paul not go to Jerusalem,

Notwithstanding, here ariseth a question, how the brethren can dissuade him by the Spirit from doing that which Paul did testify he doth by the secret motion of the same Spirit? Is the Spirit contrary to himself, that he doth now loose Paul whom he held bound inwardly? I answer, that there be diverse gifts of the Spirit; so that it is no marvel if those who excel in the gift of prophecy be sometimes destitute of judgment or strength. The Lord showed to these brethren, of whom Luke maketh mention, what should come to pass; yet, nevertheless, they know not what is expedient, and what Paul's calling doth require, because the measure of their gift doth not reach so far. And the Lord would have his servant admonished of purpose, partly, that through long meditation, he might be better furnished and prepared to suffer whatsoever should come, partly that his constancy might more plainly appear, when as being certified by prophecies of the doleful event, he doth, notwithstanding, wittingly and willingly, make haste to endure whatsoever things shall befall him.

Is it possible for prophecy to be both true and yet less-than-Scripture in authority? Calvin apparently believes so--though he does create a distinction not implicit in the Scripture between the factual events prophesied and the warning implicit in the prophecy. Calvin affirms the truth of the prophecy, and even affirms--though somewhat guardedly--that God might actually warn Paul against going to Jerusalem through the Spirit while still desiring him to go there.

I wonder whether we, in our fear of the excesses of extra-Biblical revelation, may be in danger of being wiser than God Himself. Do we need to protect the Word by denying the existence of inspired communication independent of Scripture? I'm not certain, based on the testimony of Scripture, that we do.