The Intuitive vs. the Intellectual - Part 2

The Scriptures clearly include both the intuitive and the intellectual. We read of people being led by God through dreams, visions, and words from God. However "words" from God were received, they were generally only heard by the recipient. When it really comes down to it, the receiving of such direction is always subjective, since they are not external to the person. I am aware that there are many people, while claiming to believe the whole Bible, reject that these sorts of communications from God occur today. I don't think that this position has any biblical foundation, since the New Testament includes such things as well and gives no impression that God ever planned to change his methods of communication with us.

If we accept that God does speak to us in these ways today, we need to understand how this kind of communication is to work together with the more objective revelation of God, which is the Scriptures. Most who claim to believe the Bible accept it as authoritative in what it affirms. While we might disagree on matters of interpretation, we accept that the Bible is our authority.

While those who believe in God's speaking to us today would never claim that these things are equal to the Bible, once a "word" becomes accepted, it tends to take on some sense of authority. This is dangerous. If someone receives something they claim is a revelation from God, then it will be in line with what the Bible teaches. From my experience, there are genuine "words" given that come with added information that God never intended or meant to imply. But because of this extra material is associated with something genuine, the extra material becomes just as influential as the genuine part.

In order to preserve what God is really saying to us in our day, we need to submit what we think we receive from God to the Bible. Nothing is lost when we allow whatever we are sensing from God to come under the Scriptures' scrutiny.

Because God has given different gifts to different people, we should not be surprised is some tend to be more intuitive, while other more intellectual. But these differences were meant to complement each other, not compete with one another.

The intuitive person needs to accept that the leadings they believe they receive from God are not authoritative. They may be important; they may be urgent, but they are not equal in weight to the Scriptures. The intellectual needs to see the Scriptures do not provide us with the kind of direction that God desires to give us in our day. This is not so different from our need of the Spirit's illumination of the Scriptures, especially as we need God to show us how to apply his Word to today's world.

Our communities would be so enriched if there would be humble communication between the more intuitive and the more intellectual among us. By learning to submit to one another as we also submit ourselves to the Lord, we would hear what he is seeking to say to us so much more clearly.