Miraculous Gifts and All That
Ok so here's my two cents worth on the topic. I've been thinking about it all week (well for some of it at least) and this is my definitive stance. Broadly speaking I am a cessassionist. I believe that the 'miraculous gifts' seen in the New Testement and proclaimed as still in evidence today by Charasmatics/Pentecostals are, in fact, no longer needed and not in use...
Blunt, I know.
First things first. We have to ask ourselves 'what are miracles?' 'what is the biblical position of miracles?' it seems abundantley clear to me from scripture that miraculous acts in both the OT & NT were ALWAYS used as proof of either the prophets ministry i.e Elijah, Moses or concerning the validity of Jesus i.e Christ himself and the apostles. As far as I am concerned the biblical pattern of miracles can be best summed up like this "where miracles are performed we should expect to hear the inspired Word of God spoken. When there is no prophet there is no signs." Walter J. Chantry Signs of the Apostles (Banner of Truth).
Well, we have the Word of God. It is complete. The canon of Scripture is closed.
Therefore anyone who proclaims that they are bringing some sort of special revelation from God is clearly not. If someone speaks in tongues 'from God' they are not. If someone prophecies a word 'from God' they are not. If anyone claims to heal a person 'from God' they are not. God has spoken, he has fully revealed himself in his Word and in his Son. In sending us Jesus God has granted us the greatest 'miraculous gift' that of salvation and faith.
And if someone were to say 'well I know thay my gifts are not a revelation from God but I still miraculously speak in tongues...' So what? It's not God's word, so who cares what they say?
Scripture promises that the 'miraculous gifts' will depart in 1 Cor 12 & 13 but what will remain? Love. 1 Corinthians 13 8-12 is fairly conclusive on the matter.
My dad reckons that 'spiritual gifts' is a topic that can never be fully resolved and defeated from scripture either way. I'm not so sure. But my mind is made up. This topic pales in comparison to other theological battle grounds and whilst I am always prepared to stand my ground, my mind is made up and so I will not worry.
I too found Ferguson's 'The Holy Spirit' extremely tough, his scholarly writing head is a tough one to crack! But I would reccomend Walter J Chantry's far more slender pastoral book which has been a real help for me this week.
Thoughts anyone?
5 comments:
What about all the miraculous happenings which occured during the biblical period which weren't included in the Bible? Surely if the canon of Scripture is complete then it should include all miracles?
Just to clarify; I have no doubt that my cessassionist position can be supported by scripture. The point I hoped to make was that I did not feel there are “proof” texts that “defeat” the opposing view. In the many years since I adopted that position, a position contrary to that into which I was born and grew up, I have never looked back. I have never seen or read anything that has caused me to doubt that position. Do I deny miracles? Not at all! The greatest healing is a dead soul brought miraculously back to life by God’s gracious Holy Spirit. It is, I suppose, the only miracle/healing that matters!
As for “scriptural gifts” I would prefer that we seek the fruit of the spirit -“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal 5: 22).
Jon- why? The bible doesn't reveal everything about God to us does it? Enough that is sufficient for salvation.
I agree with you to a point, but I don't think it's as clear cut or as absolute as that.
You said:
Well, we have the Word of God. It is complete. The canon of Scripture is closed.
We do, but the Gospel is going in some parts of the world to people who don't have the complete Word of God. Would you agree that it's consistent with your general position to conclude that where the Bible is not yet freely available in a language that people can understand, God may well work through miraculous gifts such as tongues and prophecy in the same way as he did for the early church? Or to put it another way, there's a geographical as well as an historical aspect to when miraculous gifts cease?
More questions to come!
A few more questions...
If all miracles were to validate prophetic ministries, is it wrong for us to pray for healing today?
Although the canon of Scripture is complete, why God shouldn't go on testifying to its truth with signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will?
Hebrews 2:4, which I alluded to above, says that gifts of the Holy Spirit were also distributed by God as testimony to the salvation he has provided. Does that mean that all spiritual gifts have ceased, which would include hospitality and administration, for example? If not, how do we know which gifts have ceased and which haven't?
What basis is there for thinking that 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 is talking about the closing of the canon of Scripture? Verse 12 says: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." That sounds like a description of seeing God face to face in heaven or at his return to me.
Don't you think it's better to have an attitude of Biblically discerning open-mindedness? God can act however he wants, including working through tongues, healing, miracles etc., and may surprise us. It seems to me to be as much a mistake to uncritically reject all miraculous gifts as bogus, as it is to uncritically accept them all without weighing them against the Bible. Part of humility is being open to the possibility of being mistaken, and being willing to revise our opinions if God shows us that we're mistaken.
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