User:Markbarnes/Cessationism

In Christian theology, cessationism is the view that (some) of the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, have ceased.

Cessationists usually believe the miraculous gifts were given only for the foundation of the Church, during the time between the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, c. AD 33 (see Acts 2) and the fulfillment of God's purposes in history, usually identified as either the completion of the last book of the New Testament or the death of the last Apostle. Its counterpart is continuationism.

There are many spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. Typically, cessationists look to Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 & 28-31a, Ephesians 4:11-13, and 1 Peter 4:10-11, to provide examples of spiritual gifts.

Forms of cessationism
Cessationism can take different forms. Classical cessationism is the most widely-accepted form of cessationism. It asserts that the "sign gifts" such as prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues ceased with the apostles and the closing of the canon of Scripture. These gifts are sometimes referred to as "miraculous" or "revelatory" gifts. Classical cessationists argue that the purpose of spiritual gifts was to serve as authenticating signs for the apostles, as suggested by 2 Corinthians 12:12 and Hebrews 2:4. With the passing of the apostles around the end of the first-century, revelatory spiritual gifts likewise ceased. Classical cessationists affirm that some spiritual gifts (i.e. those that are not sign gifts, such as the gifts of teaching, administration, leadership, etc.) do continue. They also strongly affirm that God does work miracles today (including miracles of healing), though they do not believe that God gives individuals the power to perform miracles. Richard Gaffin, John F. MacArthur and Daniel B. Wallace are among the best-known classical cessationists.

Other cessationists take a "softer" approach, and whilst they believe that the miraculous gifts have indeed ceased in the mainstream church and evangelized areas, they accept they could appear in unreached areas as an aid to spreading the Gospel. Daniel Wallace has termed this concentric cessationism, explaining that "this kind of cessationism affirms that as the gospel moves, like the rippling effect of a stone dropping into a pond, in a space-time expanding circle away from first century Jerusalem, the sign gifts will still exist on the cutting edge of that circle. Thus, for example, in third world countries at the time when the gospel is first proclaimed, the sign gifts would be present."

Two other cessationist views can also be occasionally found. Full Cessationists argue that along with no miraculous gifts, there are also no miracles performed by God today. So-called Consistent Cessationists believe that not only have all spiritual gifts ceased, but the office described in the New Testament such as apostle, prophet, evangelist, and even pastor-teacher has also ceased.

Biblical evidence
This view is usually supported by reference to Ephesians 2:20 which is interpreted to read that Apostles and Prophets were only foundational to the church (and thus not continuing offices) link, as well as to Hebrews 2:3-4

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?"

However, Ephesians 2:20 seems to be the strongest verse with the inclusion of 1 Cor. 13. The verses say that miracle signs were performed by "them" i.e. the Apostles and not "us". The writer of Hebrews being slightly later than the age of the Apostles, is witness to the events, but not participating in them any longer. Thus, with the passing of the last Apostle, miracles performed through people ceased. Some cessationists make reference to 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 as their main argument, though the majority of cessationists today do not feel that it can be used as an argument for cessationism. Cessationists also argue from the fact that since the closing of the Canon of scripture, the gifts of Prophecy and Knowledge have been rendered useless since no new knowledge from God needs to be given. Sola Scriptura (scripture alone) is a foundational part of Protestant theology, meaning that all truth from God is contained within His scriptures (John 16:13) making further revelations unnecessary and even something to be forbidden (Galatians 1:8; Revelation 22:19).

Cessationist Response To Contemporary Evidence
Many streams of the church today, notably from the Pentecostal and charismatic streams, still point to examples of the manifestation of the charismatic gifts. Since these modern-day manifestations contradict the theory of Cessationism, the adherents of Cessationism take the approach of dismissing such examples as being exaggerated, misrepresented, fraudulent, or as originating from the devil or, at least, not instigated by the God of the Bible.

Practical Consequences Of Cessationist Theory
An important part of assessing the Cessationist Theory is to ask: what are the practical consequences for a Church that either does, or does not subscribe to Cessationist Theory.

1 Corinthians 12:7 indicates that the use of supernatural manifestations are for helping the fellow believers. Therefore, one must ask, aside from theoretical considerations, what consequences are the result of a theory that seeks to deny or refute the existence of spiritual gifts in the Church? One could argue that, if the gifts are to help the common people, then the denying of those gifts in the church would remove something that could have otherwise helped or made the Church stronger and better.

Although the promise of a spiritual Gift that does not exist can exhibit a flaw in a entire relgious system. The Person hoping for a healing miracle could be let down, providing the Cessationism is correct, and therefore lose faith. Which is true with all the gifts, one may ask Why can I not speak in Tounges? Or an effect common is many Pentencostal churches is that a person will adopt an "ficticious tounge" to fit it with the UPC's erroneous legalistic dogmatic teaching of tounges as a sign of salvation.

Quotations
Seeing therefore miracles now cease, we have no sign left whereby to acknowledge the pretended revelations or inspirations of any private man; nor obligation to give ear to any doctrine, farther than it is conformable to the Holy Scriptures, which since the time of our Saviour supply the place and sufficiently recompense the want of all other prophecy; and from which, by wise and learned interpretation, and careful ratiocination, all rules and precepts necessary to the knowledge of our duty both to God and man, without enthusiasm, or supernatural inspiration, may easily be deduced. And this Scripture is it out of which I am to take the principles of my discourse concerning the rights of those that are the supreme governors on earth of Christian Commonwealths, and of the duty of Christian subjects towards their sovereigns. &mdash;Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan (III, xxxii) Since the canon of the Scripture has been completed, and the Christian Church fully founded and established, these extraordinary gifts have ceased. &mdash;Jonathan Edwards, ''Charity & Its Fruits, 29