Here is why African Christians must search scripture even more..

Mysticsm and many unbiblical methods alleged to discern the voice of God are fuelling many African churches. Many Christians have dusty bibles or at least they selectively read into it and make passages say what they want.

So we always get cases of plenty clergymen who claim to hear God and see God more clearly, harrasing God’s people into giving them all they have. Lets not even talk about Gumbura, Masocha and those men who are known to have abused women, simply by claiming they had an edge in as far as communicating with God is concerned.

Everything we attribute or allude to as a “move” of God must find strong basis in scripture. The study of scripture essentially is theology(Τheos (God) logia(utterances). Theology and Theologians who have a high view of scripture must not be condemned but must be commended.

In fact Protestantism as we know it today was because of very scholarly men like Luther, Calvin and Zwingli who chose to put scripture above traditions, mysticism e.t.c

A high view of scripture, the only word of God to the exclusion of other things is necessary for it helps us understand that the word of God is sufficient, complete and whole and as such must be interpreted as a whole. Verses, chapters… are not to be interpreted in a vacuum but are to be interpreted in relation to the whole bible. Lets delve into issue of tongues for instance, we are to look at the whole counsel of the bible, to understand tongues, their role… e.t.c

So when we go into the book of Acts where we first encounter this phenomenon ( Acts 2:3-6) we realize that the tongues where not just syllables but actual human languages previously unknown to the speaker. We also see that these tongues where primarily sign gifts meant to unbelievers. Paul also in the 14^th chapter in the first epistle to the Corinthians makes it clear that the tongues ought to be interpreted if ever spoken.

Its important to have the word as a standard for everything otherwise if we where to allow everything to be alluded to as revelation from God then even the Mormons ( who believe that Jesus is a brother to Lucifer e.t.c) will justly defended their beliefs as being revelation from God even though they are contrary to the bible.