# texts supporting the cessationist position re the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit



## Eoghan (Jul 27, 2011)

I am struck by the fact that commentators do not cite 1 Cor 13 as teaching the cessation of the extraordinary gifts. Hodge and Gill both see this as refering to "the age to come".

Aside from Heb 1:1 which texts support the cessationist position


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## jogri17 (Jul 27, 2011)

hmm... I think it is best to argue from deduction. You do not need a verse to defend every belief. Prooftexting is generally an unwise thing to do. For me, the question comes down to the reasons for the miracles and their close (though not isolated) association with the office of Apostle. There is no NT evidence for replacing Apostles except for Judas (and given his betrayl and suicide the early church deemed it appropiate) and I believe no one today can qualify to be an apostle, we should expect a general cessation of miracles. That being said, the cessationist doctrine doesn't say that God doesn't heall, but that it is no longer associated with the apostalic office and thus God decides when to do it. Just my 2 cents.


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## Peairtach (Jul 27, 2011)

> I am struck by the fact that commentators do not cite 1 Cor 13 as teaching the cessation of the extraordinary gifts. Hodge and Gill both see this as refering to "the age to come".



Palmer Robertson said that Hodge said that it referred to the completion of the Scriptures. How can it refer to the age to come? That would be an extremely weak argument by the Apostle, that gifts like languages, prophecy and supernatural knowledge were going to pass away at the end of the world, therefore the Corinthians shouldn't focus on them?

Some other passages:


> "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness,* to seal both vision and prophet,* and to anoint a most holy place. (Dan 9:24, ESV)





> "And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. *And also I will remove from the land the prophets *and the spirit of uncleanness. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. "On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, but he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.' And if one asks him, 'What are these wounds on your back?' he will say, 'The wounds I received in the house of my friends.' (Zech 13:2-6)



All God's true people as prophets:


> But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. *And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, *declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jer 31:33-34)





> For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. *And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. *(Heb 8:10-11)



Spirit of prophecy poured out on all God's true people of all types, no class of mediator called "prophet"any more than kingly or priestly mediator classes:


> "And it shall come to pass afterward, that *I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; *your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.(Joel 2:28-29)





> "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, *and they shall prophesy.* (Acts 2:17-18)



Moses anticipated and hoped for the better New Covenant system that we enjoy:


> Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, "My lord Moses, stop them." But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? *Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!"*



The testimony of Jesus is the same as the spirit of prophecy but without the new revelations: 


> Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." *For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.* (Rev 19:10)



Do not pretend to add to the divine revelation:


> I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Rev 22:18-19)



All God's true people are spiritually anointed as prophets under Christ as Prophet and His Word, therefore we have no need of mediatorial prophets:


> But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, *and you have no need that anyone should teach you.* But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him.(I John 2:27)



I highly recommend this book by Lutheran scholar Douglas Judisch, if you can get it:
Amazon.com: An evaluation of claims to the charismatic gifts (Baker Biblical monograph) (9780801050824): Douglas Judisch: Books

Cessationism - Cessationist - Spiritual Gifts - The Ultimate Cessationism Resource


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## Scott1 (Jul 27, 2011)

It's helpful to understand what this term, as commonly used, means.

What has ceased is new (special) revelation, extra biblical revelation, at least in any ordinary sense, because the foundation of our faith has been once laid by the prophets and apostles and is settled until the end of the world.

Scripture, not extra biblical revelation is the ordinary means of grace for the believer.

This relates to _sola scriptura,_though that is not commonly understood.

Don't get sidetracked on discussions about whether miracles can still occur, as so often is done by those proposing "moderate" or some other form of "continuationism."



> Westminster Confession
> 
> Chapter I
> Of the Holy Scripture
> ...



The basis of Scripture (not extra biblical revelation through spiritual gifts) is both explicitly and implicitly stated above. It is fundamental to a right understanding of the Christian life. The Scripture proofs (not cited here due to length) will prove useful both putting this in context and proving your point against what is, in our generation, called charismatic/pentecostal practice.


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## Contra_Mundum (Jul 27, 2011)

2Cor.12:12, "Truly the *signs of an apostle* were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds."

cf.
Act.2:43, "And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and *signs were done by the apostles*."
Act.5:12, "And *by the hands of the apostles were many signs* and wonders wrought among the people."

good book on the subject: Amazon.com: Signs of the Apostles (9780851511757): Walter Chantry: Books


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