Bible Options
One of the most significant divisions in the modern day church is on
the use or the cessation of spiritual gifts. Christians
have taken up swords against each other battling or verifying the use and
practice of spiritual gifts. It is interesting that those who practice
the gifts are not demanding that those who do not practice the gifts conform
to their view but the ones who do not practice the gifts often wage open
warfare against their brothers.
The beginning of the idea of cessation of gifts is rooted in early
church history. “As part of the emphasis on the ministry of the Holy Spirit
to the church, Montanists proclaimed a new era of prophecy and the
continuation of revelation, including direct ecstatic revelations from God.
…Though generally orthodox, the group’s emphasis on such spiritual gifts as
continuance of prophetic revelation and its requirement of ascetic practices
as if they were truths of revelation caused it to be condemned by a series
of church synods in Asia Minor and by the bishop of Rome. The church
declared that biblical revelation had come to an end and that special
spiritual gifts were no longer operative” (Vos, 1996). This took place in
the second century. Vos noted that you have to be careful when considering
information such as this because it is often compiled by enemies of the
position. Another factor that is involved is that there was a false
god who caused similar actions: “In ancient times, the region (Colosse,
Phrygia) had given birth to the worship of the goddess Cybele, whose
cult (renewed during the Roman era) was characterized by ritual cleansing in
the blood of a bull, ecstatic states, prophetic rapture, and inspired
dancing” (Whitlock and others, 1995). It is interesting that the Roman
Empire dubbed her “Magna Mater” or great mother. The early church
recognized this threat as a very significant one involving dabbling in
paganism and idolatry.
This was a time of conflict in the church as it developed the canon of
the New Testament. It stands to reason that the church fathers would
not accept new revelation since they clearly saw and understood that God had
completed the canon of the Bible. The possible corruption of apostolic
teaching may have been viewed as being in danger as well. Therefore
general practice dictated that new revelation must have reached a cessation
point. The canon of the New Testament was compiled at about 250, and
was made official at the Sixth Council of Carthage at A.D. 419. The
negative implications of the sign gifts may have caused a knee-jerk reaction
that has been a plague to the Christian church as a whole by curtailing a
very intimate working of the Holy Spirit.
The Acts of the Apostles demonstrates through its pages that the Holy
Spirit drove the early church through the use of spiritual gifts and through
manipulating circumstances to cause the early church to branch out and
expand. One reason for the cessation of the spiritual gifts could be
that as the church developed effective administration. The Holy Spirit was
did not need to work because men chose to do that work through their own
human ability. Trends in modern Christianity demonstrate that the Holy
Spirit is once again manifesting Himself in unique ways through Spiritual
gifts. Church administration did not change, the hearts and attitudes
of people did. We are returning to a state of depravity that matches
the late Roman Empire. It could be that since churches are not
standing in the gap, God is manifesting Himself again. The point that can be
argued is the source of the gifts. Spiritual gifts can only come from
three sources; they are inspired of God, powered by Satan or counterfeited
by man. Starting from that premise let’s consider some of the
ramifications of Spiritual gifts. Often when Christians think of
charismatic they focus on tongues, ignoring all other spiritual gifts.
There is a tendency to separate the gifts into different categories,
with acceptable gifts such as helps and administration contrasted with the
so called “sign gifts” such as tongues and prophecy. The cessationist
view holds that the gifts have been eliminated, but are inconsistent by
stipulating that only the sign gifts have ceased. The Bible does not
indicate anywhere that the gifts of the Spirit will stop being used in the
church.
The Gifts of the Spirit are listed in several places, first prophecy,
service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy (Ro 12:6-8).
It is interesting in the same passage the thought does not stop, it
continues to include Agape love, righteousness, devotion in brotherly love,
honoring others, diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, hope,
perseverance in tribulation, prayer, giving to saints, hospitality, blessing
those who persecute you, empathy, and common unity among believers (Ro
12:9-16). According to the context of Romans 12, the gifts that people
argue over is not the complete list of gifts or manifestations of the
Spirit. It is doubtful that any Christian would argue with the current
list of any of these gifts with the exception of prophecy. A hierarchy
of gifts demonstrates that there is a pecking order in the use of and
prominence of gifts, “first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of
tongues” (1 Cor 12:28). Apostles, miracles, healings and tongues are
disagreed with in this list but teachers, helps, and administrations are
not. This is inconsistent thinking because if the list is valid then
it is valid in its entirety. Paul instructs us to desire the greater
gifts, which indicates the first ones listed (1 Cor 12:31). If the
gifts are not in existence today then this is a foolish statement by Paul.
In Ephesians, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are
listed, with apostles and prophets in conflict with many today (Eph
4:11-12).
It is also interesting that the gifts of the Spirit are not just of
the Spirit but a working of the entire Trinity (1 Cor 12:4-6). Paul
notes that tongues is a sign to unbelievers and prophecy is directed to
those who believe (1 Cor 14:22). He does not stop there, the
instruction following these two gifts is very detailed, if there is a tongue
then there must be an interpretation of tongues so that the unbeliever can
know what is being said (1 Cor 14:22-28). It was pointed out in a
lecture by Dr. Freerksen that tongues only actually used three times in Acts
and in each situation the unbelievers are believers. The power of the holy
Spirit was shown to direct believers toward witnessing and God’s plan for
the early church (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6). If the unbelievers are
believers who do not understand the working of the Holy Spirit, then what
Paul says regarding prophecy is even more revealing. If a prophet
speaks, (which is not a “fore-teller” in the New Testament, but a “truth
teller”), there must be validation and verification of his message. It
must be verified and consistent with the wisdom of the people in the church
(1 Cor 14:26, 29-33). This is a fail-safe built to restrict the
prophet from bringing in new revelation that is inconsistent with biblical
teaching. The key to understanding this text is that it is that
prophecy is to be desired earnestly and tongues are not to be forbidden in
other words Paul was not discouraging their use (1 Cor 14:1, 39-40).
In conclusion spiritual gifts are for today. Christians are commanded
to seek out the spiritual gifts, first desire prophecy, teaching, or any
other gift, tongues is the least gift. Finally, Spiritual gifts are
dictated and distributed by the Holy Spirit, they are not generated through
human ability therefore it is the churches responsibility to validate and
test the gifted to see if what he has is genuine, inspired by the flesh or
powered by the devil (1 Cor 12:3-11). No cessation point is ever
listed in scripture to terminate the gifts
Howard Frederic Vos and Thomas Nelson Publishers, Exploring Church
History, Originally Published in 1994 Under Title: Introduction to
Church History; and in Series: Nelson's Quick Reference., Nelson's Christian
cornerstone series (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996).
Luder G. Whitlock, R. C. Sproul, Bruce K. Waltke and Moisš Silva, Reformation Study Bible, the : Bringing the Light of the Reformation to Scripture : New King James Version, Includes Index. (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1995), Col 1:1.
