Derek Prince - What Is The Authority Behind The New Testament?
Now let’s turn to the New Testament. What is the authority behind the New Testament? You’ll be surprised to learn it’s the same that’s behind the Old Testament. Let’s look at two passages in which Jesus spoke to His disciples. In John chapter 14, verses 25-26. Jesus is taking leave of His disciples, He’s preparing them for the fact that He’s going to leave. And He says: "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the helper", the Holy Spirit, that's the title of the Holy Spirit. The Helper. Sometimes He’s called the comforter. "The Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you".
So the authority behind the writings of the apostles is the authority of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus said He’ll do two things: Whatever I didn’t teach you, He will teach you, and whatever I said that you might have forgotten, He will bring to your remembrance. So the record of the gospels does not depend on human memory it depends on the truth of the Holy Spirit. And then again in John 16, verses 12-14, the same thing is brought out. Jesus says to His disciples I still have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them now.
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come... and let me point out that Jesus breaks the laws of grammar to emphasize that the Holy Spirit is not an it but a He. I can’t go into that because it’s too complicated, but according to Greek grammar He should have said it. And He didn’t, He said he. In other words, please understand, the Holy Spirit is not just an it. He’s a he. He’s a person. You need to relate to Him as a person. When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come He will guide you into all truth for He will not speak from Himself but whatever He hears He will speak. And He will tell you things to come.
So again Jesus says, whatever teaching you need that you have not yet received it will come to you by the Holy Spirit. Then He says: "He will not speak of Himself", or from Himself, "but whatever He hears He will speak And He will tell you things to come". And then the next verse: "He will glorify me for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you". And let me point out to you that’s another extremely important mark of the Holy Spirit. He always glorifies Jesus. And if you ever are confronted by spiritual manifestations that do not glorify Jesus but give glory to a man or in some other direction, you can be sure that it’s not the Holy Spirit. Because the supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal and to glorify Jesus. That’s one good way of testing the spirits.
The Bible says we are to test the spirits. And you can test if a thing is from the Holy Spirit. One sure test is: it will glorify Jesus. If it doesn’t it may sound very good, it may sound very spiritual, it may be uttered in a loud, resounding voice, but it isn’t from the Holy Spirit. because He will not glorify anyone but Jesus. And the moment human personalities begin to take glory to themselves the Holy Spirit says, Sorry, but I have to leave. You can carry on but I won’t be here.
And that’s how many, many ministries have gone astray in living memory. My living memory, which extends a lot further than some of yours. I could not count the number of ministries that have ended in ruin because men took the glory, which the Holy Spirit will only give to Jesus. And I want to tell you I’m very, very conscious of that myself. I’m continually examining myself Am I giving the glory to Jesus? Or am I trying to persuade people that Derek Prince is someone important? Derek Prince is a sinner saved by the grace of God.