[Siobhan]

But how can you claim this is Jesus. There is no textual identification. I can understand your wanting this to be Jesus. I can understand your wanting Jesus to be the messenger. But the messenger in the New Testament in Luke's account of the Gospel is clearly the angel named Gabriel. So these then could be the appearances of the angel of the Lord named Gabriel. Or from other accounts, the angel of the Lord Michael.

Apart from your wishing it to be Jesus, and your belief in Jesus as the most excellent messenger (and don't get me wrong -- I agree with the belief) -- but I still don't see how you get that from Scripture alone. I see how your desires, your longing, your hopes, your faith, all enter into that opinion. But not the Bible alone.

Now if you are Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic your position makes perfect sense since theophany is an essential category for understanding these Scriptural events. But how do you come by the use of the term "theophany"? Have I missed something here and you are a denominational Christian that isn't a BIble alone Christian? If so, please excuse my prattling on. But if you are a Bible only Christian, I am at a loss to understand how you have come to these things and who has taught you.

[narses]

More, if the Lord commanded JOHN and ONLY John to write, why is John's Gospel not the ONLY book in the canon?

[PetroniusMaximus]

***But if you are a Bible only Christian,..***

This thread isn't about being a "Bible-Only Christian" (whatever that is - have you ever heard of one?) but a discussion as to whether the Bible alone in enough to save you. It sounds to me like the "Bible-Only" moniker is a caricature of the belief that one can come to saving faith through the scripture without recourse to the so-called sacred tradition.

***I am at a loss to understand how you have come to these things and who has taught you.***

Paul describes it this way...

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

***But how do you come by the use of the term "theophany"? Have I missed something here...?***

Theology, original languages, pseudopigraphical literature, extrabiblical source material are tools, like one would use glasses to see more clearly.

But theology is human process, and as such is prone to error, unlike the scripture.

Either way, the context on Rev. 1 is clear - Jesus is the First and Last - Jesus is speaking.