The Jigsaw

Makestraightpaths.com examines the teachings of the religious group variously known as “the Family,” “The Family International,” the “Children of God,” or the “Family of Love,” and evaluates these teachings from a Christian perspective.

This page is one in a series analysing the place of the Bible in Family theology.

The Jigsaw

Introduction

The Family places a great deal of importance on the use of prophecy as a means of communication between God and His people. In particular, the Family teaches that Jesus has continued to reveal many ‘new truths’ since the conclusion of the Bible. Consequently, the Family has published thousands of pages of ‘prophecies’ purporting to explain many different spiritual and practical things. Some Family ‘prophecies’ appear to agree with biblical teaching, others do not. Controversially, there are many prophecies with teaching that actually contradicts the Bible, apparently leaving Family ‘prophets’ open for the charge of spiritual deception.

The Family, however, teaches that the prophecies they publish do not really contradict the Bible at all, rather they fill in the ‘gaps’ that are in the Bible. In other words, the Bible is said to be like a jigsaw puzzle with some of the pieces missing, and prophecy has the role of supplying those missing pieces. Therefore, when the Family publishes a prophecy promoting communication with the dead or encouraging its members to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage, Family members do not worry that these actions are forbidden by the Bible. Instead, they believe that God actually approves of these things, although this is not mentioned in the Bible for a variety of reasons. Perhaps there was not enough time or space to write about them – after all, the people who wrote the books of the Bible couldn’t be expected to write about everything, could they?

Further, the Family teaches that the prophecies they publish actually contain new elements, new teaching that people did not know about in Bible times. That is, they believe that God has chosen to reveal these things to the Family, supposedly in recognition of their total dedication to Him.

There are two major flaws in this reasoning. First, the Family’s prophetic role is self-declared. That is, they are self-proclaimed prophets with no external verification whatsoever. There are no authoritative church leaders outside the Family who confirm that the Family’s prophecies are true. In other words, the Family says that their prophecies are true because they say so. Such cyclical reasoning is invalid. A true prophecy originating from God will be known to be true by other true believers. The universal church will recognise the voice of God. In the case of the Family, Christians outside of the Family do not acknowledge that their prophecies are true. To the contrary, the fact that much of the content actually contradicts the Bible acts as proof that these ‘prophecies’ are not true.

Second, there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that it is incomplete. To the contrary, the Bible actually proclaims that in its pages may be found all that is needed for salvation, and provides enough that Christians “may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:17 NIV). The apostle Peter declared that God’s “divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3 NASU). Therefore, the Family is incorrect when they say that the Bible is somehow incomplete.

Further, the Bible actually does speak very clearly on the topics of contacting the dead and extra-marital sex: both are expressly forbidden. There are numerous pages on this website expounding on these topics.

More things to say

However, there are several Bible verses which the Family uses to support their claim that God is giving them new revelations, not contained in the Bible, and their claim that some of these controversial issues were unintentionally omitted from the Bible. The first passage contains a promise from Jesus that He would be revealing more things to his disciples. Jesus said this immediately before his arrest and crucifixion, so he must have been referring to something that was going to happen later. The Family suggests that Jesus meant that ‘new truths’ would be revealed to his followers through prophecy at some later time.

John 16:12-15

12 I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

NASU

Then, towards the end of the book of John, there are two verses that say that Jesus did things that were not recorded in the Bible. The Family claims that this means Jesus could have been teaching doctrines or acting in a way that supports Family beliefs. The founder of the Family, Berg/ Dad went so far as to suggest that Jesus had sex while he was on earth. This suggestion, of course, is totally unsupported by the New Testament and therefore deserves no serious consideration.

John 20:30-31Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

NASU

This web page examines these passages in light of the Family teaching that the Bible is somehow incomplete.

The Last Supper Discourse

The last supper discourse (John ch.13-17) contains Jesus’ final words to his disciples before his arrest. It is not Jesus’ final message to them before his ascension to heaven, because he appeared to them and taught them for about forty days after the resurrection and before the ascension (Acts 1:3), but this is his last message before his death.

In this discourse, Jesus focuses on his followers. His public teaching is completed, and now He teaches His disciples what they need to know as His farewell message. In John chapter 13, He washes the disciples’ feet, identifies Judas as His betrayer, announces His own forthcoming departure and predicts Peter’s denial. The communion ceremony also occurred during this time, although it is not mentioned in the book of John.

John 14 is the chapter of comfort: Jesus comforts his disciples with the promise of his return and of the soon-coming Holy Spirit.

John 15 has the extended metaphor of the vine and the branches, which teaches about the proper relationship between Christ and His followers, and the results such a relationship will inevitably produce. Jesus then teaches about the relationship of believers to the world, and again promises the Holy Spirit.

In John 16, Jesus continues his discussion of the believers’ relationship to the world, in particular, the severe persecution his disciples can expect (John 16:1-4), the role of the Holy Spirit in comforting the disciples in Jesus’ physical absence (16:5-7), the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting people (16:8-11), and the Holy Spirit’s ministry in guiding believers into truth (16:12-15). After that, Jesus predicts his own death and resurrection and reassures his disciples that they will find true peace in Him, in spite of the troubles they will have to endure.

John 17 is Jesus’ prayer for Himself, for his disciples, and for the believers who are to come through their ministry.

John 16:12-15

The passage containing Jesus’ promise of “more things to say” is in John 16. Importantly, this chapter is addressed specifically to Jesus’ remaining disciples, Judas having left the group in chapter 13. There are, of course, wider applications of the things Jesus said, but first it is crucial to understand what He said to his disciples.

That is, while persecution of Christians has been widespread and recurring throughout history, in John 16:1-4, Jesus is not promising excommunication from synagogues and martyrdom to every Christian. He is certainly predicting that these things will happen to the disciples who were sitting there listening to Him, and the book of Acts records some of the events as they happened. The wider application is that Christians should not expect their lives to be without difficulty, and in fact all should be prepared to follow Jesus, even if the cost is social ostracism or death.

Then in vs.5-7, it is the disciples who had been following Jesus who were sad at the news of His imminent departure. Most modern Christians are not filled with grief at the thought of Jesus’ physical absence from the world, but the disciples did not understand the tremendous “advantage” there would be with the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). Christians today realise and accept that the indwelling Holy Spirit is God’s means of providing all that is necessary to live as a true believer.

Verses 8-11describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but it is important to note that even in this passage, Jesus was talking specifically to his remaining disciples: “you will see me no longer” (John 16:10 NET).

Verses 12-15 are also spoken directly to the remaining disciples, with the primary meaning for them, and a wider, more general application for other believers. In fact, the remainder of the chapter is very clear that it is spoken directly to the disciples sitting in front of Jesus listening to His final words. This is not a public message with general application for all; it is a private message for the remaining disciples, of which certain aspects apply to all Christians.

Therefore, when Jesus says, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12 NASU), He is primarily talking to his remaining disciples. Jesus said there were “many more things” He wanted to tell them, but that they weren’t ready yet. He then told them exactly when they would find out what He still had to say: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13 NASU). The disciples would learn what Jesus still wanted to tell them after they had received the Holy Spirit. Jesus then explained that the Holy Spirit was going to act as a direct conduit of the message of truth from Jesus to the disciples (vs.13-15).

Most commentators see this verse as an explicit prediction of the writings of the New Testament.

Deffinbaugh

We should take note of the important fact that Jesus is speaking to His disciples here. He promises to reveal truth to them through the Spirit. He does not make a general statement, that new truth will be revealed to an indefinite number of people, over an indefinite period of time. He informs them that He will reveal His truth to them. I believe that this promise of future revelation through the Holy Spirit is a promise that pertains to the New Testament apostles and is not a promise which can be claimed by men today. By future revelation, I mean revelation which claims to be Scripture and which has authority as Scripture (i.e., the Bible). It seems clear to me that the apostles, through whom the New Testament Scriptures were given, were viewed as a distinct group, confined to New Testament times. Those who were to be regarded as true apostles were accredited by the “signs of a true apostle.”

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit by Bob Deffinbaugh

Stedman

What a tender word this is in Verse 12. Right on the very threshold of the cross, facing the most terrible session of pain, personal hurt, and abandonment in his own life, Jesus sees the confusion, blindness and limited views of these men. He says to them, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them yet.” That is one of the most encouraging words of Scripture.

When did he say these things? He is about to die. During the resurrection appearances he did not teach them for any length of time. Clearly he is looking on to the coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and then the production of what we call the New Testament. In fact, it has been pointed out that, in Verse 13, the book of Acts is referred to. “When the Spirit of truth comes” -- that is the whole story of Acts, the Spirit moving out through the church into the world. Then beyond that is the writing of all the epistles: “He will guide you into all the truth.” Not “all truth.” There is no mathematical truth here, no truth about the cosmos or geography, but all “the” truth, the truth of redemption, the truth men need to know to fulfill their humanity. Here we can include all the epistles of the New Testament, the marvelous letters of Peter, James, John, Paul, the writer of Hebrews and others.

Further, Jesus says, “He will declare to you the things that are to come.” That is the book of Revelation. So here is a preview of the New Testament from the lips of Jesus himself. Notice the character of it. It will be authoritative. The Spirit will not speak out of his own invention. Whatever the Father, the ultimate Voice in all the universe says is what you find in the pages of the New Testament. What an encouragement to believe what you find in this amazing book that gives the deep things of God, the thoughts of God and not of man! And it will be predictive. It will show the trend of the events of our day, the reason why they come into being and where it is all going to culminate.

Finally, it will be Christ-centered. Jesus will be glorified in it. As you study and read this guide book, you discover that Jesus is on every page of the Bible, Old and New Testament alike. He is the center of the universe and when you are in touch with him you are at the heart of everything. “In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” (Colossians 2:3). That is why it is so important for all of us to study this book, because it is the God-given process by which our knowledge of reality is increased.

The New Strategy by Ray Stedman

Jesus had many more things to tell His disciples, and He indeed did tell them. The disciples wrote down what Jesus told them via the Holy Spirit, and we can now read what He said in the pages of the New Testament.

There is, of course, a wider, more general application for Christians, but it is not that Christians may write new books of the Bible. Christians should certainly listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He leads and directs them, but this does not mean that they thereby gain Apostolic authority.

The promise of “many more things to say” in John 16:12 refers specifically to the writings of the New Testament, and cannot be taken to mean that future Christians would receive new truths that contradict other Bible passages.

Not written in this book

The two verses that say that Jesus did other things which were not recorded in the Gospel of John both function as conclusions.

John 20:30-31 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

NASU

Deffinbaugh comments:

I am interested by the struggle evidenced in the commentaries over the fact that John seems to have two conclusions. Some have questioned the authenticity and value of the last chapter. To my mind, the answer is all too obvious. John closed his book the same way many preachers (hopefully, I am included here) conclude their sermons—one aimed at the unbeliever, the other at the Christian. John 20:30-31 is the conclusion of the apostle for the one who has not yet reached a decision of faith in Christ as his Savior… Chapter 21 confronts the disciple of our Lord with the duties of discipleship: seeking and shepherding. For these readers, John concludes with an emphasis on the reliability of these accounts, and of the vast number of incidents which could have been included in such an account.

The Duties of Discipleship by Bob Deffinbaugh

Actually, John 20:30-31 details the precise purpose for the Gospel of John. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle John carefully selected those incidents and narratives that would clearly show his readers that “Jesus is the Christ,” that He is the “son of God,” and that through this faith in Him, eternal life may be realised (John 20:31).

Jesus “performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples” (John 20:30 NET), but only those incidents that supported John’s specific purpose were chosen for inclusion.

Two important points are necessary to make here: first, there is nothing in the verse to indicate that the omitted incidents contain any significant teaching, and certainly nothing that might contradict the teaching that was recorded in the Gospels. It is doing violence to the text to imply otherwise.

Second, this verse actually specifies that the disciples saw Jesus doing other miracles. It does not say that Jesus taught any other doctrines than those that are actually recorded. It simply says that the Gospel of John does not contain an exhaustive list of all Jesus’ miracles.

Likewise, the final verse in the Gospel explains that John has been selective rather than exhaustive in his choice of content. Again, this statement does not indicate that one may search for new truths from Jesus’ life, rather that all that is necessary has been included.

The NET Bible comments:

The author concludes the Gospel with a note concerning his selectivity of material. He makes it plain that he has not attempted to write an exhaustive account of the words and works of Jesus, for if one attempted to do so, “the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” This is clearly hyperbole, and as such bears some similarity to the conclusion of the Book of Ecclesiastes (12:9-12). As it turns out, the statement seems more true of the Fourth Gospel itself, which is the subject of an ever-lengthening bibliography. The statement in v. 25 serves as a final reminder that knowledge of Jesus, no matter how well-attested it may be, is still partial. Everything that Jesus did during his three and one-half years of earthly ministry is not known. This supports the major theme of the Fourth Gospel: Jesus is repeatedly identified as God, and although he may be truly known on the basis of his self-disclosure, he can never be known exhaustively. There is far more to know about Jesus than could ever be written down, or even known. On this appropriate note the Gospel of John ends.

The NET Bible

The Bible is complete

MacArthur:

There are many extraneous books. There is the gospel of Peter, there are all kinds of books written under false names to try to get into the Bible but God kept this thing pure so that everything that is in it is the Word of God and there’s nothing left out and there’s nothing to be added to it. So when somebody comes along and says, “Well, I have a new book it’s been revealed to me by God,” I say baloney. There’s no such thing. When somebody comes along and says, “Well, the Bible is one thing but you’ve got to add to it the writings of So‑and‑so,” that isn’t true at all. You don’t have to add to the Bible anything, it’s plenary, it’s full, it’s complete. All truth is there necessary for salvation and for Christ’s likeness that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished, perfect...all Scripture is given by inspiration of God to make that man perfect and there’s not one thing God left out. You don’t need to add anything to it.

The Spirit of Truth by John MacArthur

Deffinbaugh:

Jesus must therefore mean that all the truth which is necessary for the church will be revealed through the apostles, and that there will be no lack to be made up later on. The words of Paul seem to support this conclusion as well… Believers should be very careful here, for from time to time through the history of the Christian church, people have arisen who have said that they had new revelations and they have led people astray. It is important for us to keep a firm hold on the truth that the definitive revelation has been given in Scripture. Christian teaching is the teaching God gave through Christ and Christ’s apostles. Nothing can claim to be authentic Christian teaching that does not agree with this.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit by Bob Deffinbaugh

Calvin:

That same Spirit led them [the Apostles] into all truth when they committed to writing the substance of their teaching. Whoever thinks that anything ought to be added to their doctrine, as if it were imperfect and incomplete, not only accuses the apostles of dishonesty, but blasphemes against the Spirit. If the doctrine which they committed to writing had proceeded from mere learners or novices it would have needed supplementing, But, since their writings may be regarded as perpetual records (tabulae) of the revelation promised and given to them, nothing can be added to them without terrible injustice to the Spirit.

Gospel According to St. John 11-21: The First Epistle of John, p.119 by John Calvin

Stedman:

The second aspect, Jesus says, is that “he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak.” What does he mean there? He means that the Spirit of God is never going to give you isolated truth. He will not come out with some startling, brand new, absolutely different revelation which nobody has ever heard of before! He will never do that. Every now and then we hear of some preacher who says, “God has spoken to me and has revealed to me this brilliant new idea. Nobody has ever taught it before. If you want to know the secret you’ve got to come to me!” That is exactly what Jesus says will not happen. The Spirit of God will never speak that way. He will speak only what he hears. The Spirit, as God, is always hearing what God forever is saying to men. Therefore, what he says is always integrated truth, always in line with what God has already said. It is in line with what he has already spoken. It will never differ from what he has said in the past, but will fit into the context of life as God has revealed it.

The Message of the Spirit by Ray Stedman

Conclusion

There is nothing in the Bible to support the Family’s teaching that their own prophecies fill in ‘gaps’ in Bible teaching. The Bible is complete, and any teaching which contradicts it is wrong. Jesus did not promise that new, contradictory truths would be available to believers through prophecy. He did, however, predict the writing of the New Testament.

Therefore, as the Bible contains the complete revelation of God to humankind, it is the absolute standard by which other writings are to be judged. ‘Prophecies’ published by the Family can in no way add to Bible teaching. They must instead be judged by the Bible and discarded if found to be in error.