A Break To Discuss Cessationism and Charismatics

There were a few reasons why I started my blog, glorifying God is, and will always be chief among them. There were other practical reasons, like developing my writing and communication skills. Which I knew would carry lessons, some harder to swallow than others, lessons I would be thankful for nonetheless. I don't get comments often, to be honest, which would be discouraging, if I was doing this for popularity sake. One comment I did get, was in response to "Part 1" of this series, from a (I hope he doesn't mind) father in the faith. The comment was short, gracious and provoking. And I was struck with the value of blogging; done right, it can be a great forum for iron sharpening. Thanks brother Mark!

Writing about "baptism in the Holy Spirit" was one of those topics I had in my back pocket for a while. I hard the phrase thrown around a few times, while visiting a church on island and immediately saw the biblical incompatibility, and decided I needed to write about it one day. This series was supposed to be centred around this one doctrine "baptism in the Holy Spirit." That being said, I was unaware of the conference John MacArthur was hosting concerning the Charismatic movement, around the same time (The Strange Fire) conference which caused quite a hullabaloo around the blogosphere. I inadvertently stumbled into a "brawl" concerning the continuation or discontinuation of the miraculous spiritual gifts. I was forced to consider where I stood for the first time in my Christian walk. So I read; I asked around and I feel I'm still pondering all my findings. So I thought I'd share some findings and thoughts. Starting with defining our terms:

Cesstionism

I think the first thing to note is what Cesstionism isn't. Cessationism is often caricatured as a position that Holy Spirit has ceased His work (altogether) at the end of the apostolic age. This is incorrect. Rather cessationist maintain that:

• their belief is that the Holy Spirit has ceased in one function: that being the miraculous gifts, tongues/interpretation of tongues, prophecy and healing etc.   
• cessationism does not mean God is no longer in the business of performing the miraculous. Conversion: a spiritually dead person being brought to life through the preaching of the gospel, is miraculous. Healing: as an answer to faithful prayer against scientific explanation, is miraculous, one cessationist maintains.

A much broader yet succinct definition of cessationism would be: the position in Christianity that the miraculous spiritual gifts, given to believers as normative Christian experience as it was for the apostles, has discontinued.

Here are seven reasons provided by Tom Pennington at the Strange Fire conference, on why he (and others) believe the miraculous gits have ceased. You can read a summary of his sermon here.

1. The unique role of miracles. There were only 3 primary periods in which God worked miracles through unique men. The first was with Moses; the second was during the ministries of Elijah and Elisha; the third was with Christ and his apostles.
2. The end of the gift of apostleship. In two places in the New Testament Paul refers to the apostles as one of the gifts Christ gave his church (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4). Although not all spiritual gifts are offices, all offices are gifts to the church.
3. The foundational nature of the New Testament apostles and prophets. The New Testament identifies the apostles and prophets as the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20-22). In the context, it is clear that Paul is referring here not to Old Testament prophets but to New Testament prophets. Once the apostles and prophets finished their role in laying the foundation of the church, their gifts were completed.
4. The nature of the New Testament miraculous gifts. If the Spirit was still moving as he was in the first century, then you would expect that the gifts would be of the same type.
5. The testimony of church history. The practice of apostolic gifts declines even during the lifetimes of the apostles. Even in the written books of the New Testament, the miraculous gifts are mentioned less as the date of their writing gets later.
6. The sufficiency of Scripture. The Spirit speaks only in and through the inspired Word. He doesn’t call and direct his people through subjective messages and modern day bestsellers. His word is external to us and objective.
7. The New Testament governed the miraculous gifts. Whenever the New Testament gifts of tongues was to be practiced, there were specific rules that were to be followed. There was to be order and structure, as well as an interpreter. Paul also lays down rules for prophets and prophecy. Tragically most charismatic practice today clearly disregards these commands. The result is not a work of the spirit but of the flesh.

Charismatics

Concerning the miraculous gifts Charismatics argue that:

1. No where in the The New Testament does it say the gifts have ceased. This being their chief argument; and a valid one.
2. The New Testament speaks of the church-age which we are currently in. And so because of this present continuous tense, to say the gifts continue today is apropos.
3. In 1 Corinthians 13:10 it says that the gifts of prophecy and tongues will continue until Christs return. This verse does present some interpretation issues.
4. The overwhelming number of professing Christians who have claimed charismatic experiences, around 500 million. The argument is that 500 million people can't be wrong. With billions of people who belong to other religions, one has to be sober in thinking that 500 million people can be wrong!

Whatever side you find yourself on, there are a few things that should be kept in mind:

Cessationist

• Know that within Charismatics there are camps. It isn't only the obvious charlatans, seeking only to manufacture these experiences, bottle them up and pass them out for consumption. There are those looking at the scriptures and siding with what Spirit is revealing in the text at that time.
• Be gracious and loving in communicating your position (with bible open), because there are those who have been caught up with the charlatans, but who are Gods people in need of hearing the gospel.
• Do not allow intellectualism to vail your eyes to the supernatural.

Charismatics

• Return the same patience and love when discussing your position.
• Make your reasons for, biblical ones.
• Do not neglect the lest flamboyant ways in which the Spirit works. Place more emphasis on the miracle of conversion through the preaching of the gospel 1 Cor. 15:1-5. And the fruits that are the result of being Spirit filled Gal. 5:22.

I hope this was helpful. Soli deo Gloria!