# Writing a paper on Cessationism. What is orthodoxy?



## sgemmen9 (Feb 16, 2012)

I am writing a paper on Reformed Orthodoxy and the "proper" way of understanding Cessationism in light of the Westminster Confessions. I believe this idea of Cessationism comes from the Westminster Confession, chapter 1, articles 1 and 6. I want to hear what the orthodox position is from YOU and if I am on target by beginning with these articles in my research. I am in very, very early stages of my research process. So to start the discussion....

-Is my focus on chapter 1, articles 1 and 6 on target?
-Have tongues ceased? If so, on what basis?
-If gifts have ceased, what about revelation like Muslims seeing Christ? Or revelation points others towards Jesus and His Word? (e.g. an audible voice in a persons' head and so forth).

I'd love to hear some thoughts on this....


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## Andres (Feb 16, 2012)

1. Yes. 
2. Yes. They were a specific gift for a specific time. 
3. What about them? You already referenced WCF 1.1 "those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased."

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I know I gave very succint answers, but I don't want to do all your work for you.  In all seriousness, the subject of cessationism is one very close to my heart. As a former Pentecostal, I still have many friends caught up in the non-cessationist errors. I too hope to one day put together some thoughts on paper and maybe pen a short book that could help Pentecostals/Charismatics understand why I find cessationism to be biblical.


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 16, 2012)

Hi; welcome to the board; please fix your signature; see directions by clicking on the link in mine.


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## Dearly Bought (Feb 16, 2012)

1. Yes.
2. Yes. The foundation is laid, the enscripturated Word is sufficient, the impending judgment of Jerusalem by men of strange tongues has come to pass.
3. Scripture interprets experience. Of course, I would be already predisposed even apart from cessationism to reject stories of visions with a Jesus who looks like the Second Commandment violation in a prominent evangelistic film.

You might check out the following article: Where Have All the Spiritual Gifts Gone? A Defense of Cessationism by Richard Gaffin, Jr.


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## lynnie (Feb 16, 2012)

You really ought to read the historical section of this paper by Vern Poythress ( Prof at Westminster TS)...scroll down to #12 on historical accounts. "_First, the words of Samuel Rutherford are of special interest, because he was one of the people involved in drawing up the Westminster Standards_." Flavel, Covenanters, Mather, etc.

Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts

It is hard to make a case that what the writers of the confession were trying to convey is the same thing as what some cessationists claim they were saying. This fits into what you mentioned about what is happening in the Muslim world today with visions of Jesus bringing people to the Lord. 

The problem is that what the average Pentecostal says about non cessationism is so off that anybody who understands the sufficiency of scripture would reject it. 

I like terminology in between strict cessationism and crazy charismatic......"extraordinary providence" is a nice way to put it. Or "continuationist". Being devoted to the normal ordinary things while not limiting God's power to do those more extraordinary things today if He chooses.

Hey, seriously, I am not making this up...I know a lady who got a word from God in a fortune cookine last fall. I know another one who is friendly with a prophet who was caught up to the third heaven like Paul and came back down with new end time revelation. ( she donates money to him). I know another one that God talks to all the time and His will changes every day, so she does not have to keep promises she made the day before. Its so hard to try and walk in that middle ground of the sufficiency of scripture while still affirming extraordinary providences when I get in conversations. So much deception out there.


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## CalvinandHodges (Feb 17, 2012)

Hi:

Welcome to the Board. You asked for our take on the matter, so, here it goes:

First, you are correct in citing the WCF as the orthodox understanding of Cessationism.

Second, tongues have ceased. The simple reason for this is that a "tongue" - whether it is angelic or human - is a language, and language conveys thoughts and ideas. The gift of tongues is a person speaking a language that he/she does not know as he/she is inspired by the Holy Spirit. A person speaking words that are inspired by the Spirit of God are speaking the words of Revelation. Such words are equivalent to Holy Scripture. They are as binding on the Christian as the Ten Commandments. The Bible teaches that all Revelation has now ceased after the writing of the final book (appropriately called Revelation), Revelation 22:18,19. Consequently, a person speaking in tongues today is contradicting the very words which he claims to be speaking.

The Orthodox, however, divide the gifts into two parts: Ordinary and Extraordinary. The Extraordinary gifts are those given by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit and are infallible. One does not need to study or do anything in order for these gifts to operate. These gifts include prophecy, tongues and healing. They are extraordinary because they are infallible and they always work. A man with the gift of healing, for example, could heal every single person who came to him without exception.

The Ordinary gifts are those gifts that need to be learned and studied before they are used. Mozart, for example, was a "gifted" musician and composer, and though his work seemed effortless, he still had to study, practice, and work at it in order to use it. The same today with "gifted" doctors, surgeons, and nurses who are very capable at their professions, but needed to study and work at it before they could accomplish their different callings. Such gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, and they are called "ordinary" because we all are given such gifts, and we acquire them in an ordinary fashion.

Now, this view does not exclude the miraculous in everyday life. There are documented cases where people had terminal cancer one day, and the next day it was completely gone and/or in remission. Every instance of healing, whether it is a paper cut or leukemia, is accomplished by the Spirit of God. And God will answer the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man. The difference is that the gift of healing always heals, but praying for the healing of oneself or others does not always work, and sometimes works miraculously.

Thirdly, visions and audible voices can possibly come as a work of the Spirit of God (See: Bunyan's Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners), but they are not Extraordinary gifts as outlined above. For a really good book on the cessation of gits read, B.B. Warfield's, Counterfeit Miracles.

Some Charismatics argue that their gift of tongues is simply a prayer language between their spirit and God, 1 Cor 14:13-15. Even given the possibility that they are not misinterpreting the passages; the working of this gift is the same as infallible prophetic utterances given above. They have ceased and are no more.

I hope this helps,

-Rob


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## Scott1 (Feb 17, 2012)

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



The Westminster Standards are clear on the doctrinal matters to which they speak.

All of Chapter I. is relevant (not only paragraphs 1-6) because making the special revelation of God known (through Scripture) is the point.

Remember, the Standards were not written in response to what is termed “charismatic/Pentecostal theology,” in our generation. That’s because the presuppositions of that were not at issue in their generation.

The authority of Scripture was. As it is in our generation.

The central principle is really _sola scriptura_, and that’s the focus. The term “cessationism” is a made-up term that tends to pigeon hole a doctrine as if it were merely an alternative view. Yet, it really is implicit doctrine of _sola scriptura_.

The key point is that special revelation is complete in the Scriptures, and that is God's plan. That's how highly He views His Word. 

Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the foundation of our faith is built upon special revelation of God given through the prophets (Old Testament) and apostles (New Testament), and that is was once delivered” to the church (Jude 1:3).

So, in any ordinary sense at least, special revelation comes through Scripture, which is complete, as Scripture testifies of itself.

“Ordinary” because that allows for miracles, which the Westminster Confession recognizes



> Chapter V
> Of Providence
> 
> III. God, in His ordinary providence, makes use of means,[10] yet is free to work without,[11] above,[12] and against them,[13] at His pleasure.



This takes off the table the distraction of the implication that God can’t do miracles, or about someone’s “experience” of what they believe was a miracle, etc.

“Miracles,” as we use that term can happen and many believers have experienced things they can only call that, even if their limited perception is wrong- God still can do miracles anytime, anywhere, any place.

My understanding is that the I Corinthians 12 gifts could occur in extraordinary circumstances, or even that they could continue in a non special revelation manner perhaps for personal edification of faith building.

But the main point remains that, tongues and interpretation of tongues are not an “ordinary means of grace” for the church in light of the completed cannon of Scripture.

They are not the focus of corporate worship, Scripture is.

They are not to be sought as an alternative to Scripture, built upon the revelation of the prophets and apostles that was once laid for our faith.

Standard charismatic/Pentecostal practice is based on a presupposition that special revelation ordinarily comes through tongues and interpretation, even though the Scripture is complete.

And in this, charismatic/Pentecostal theology does greatly err.

It is one reason there is such disorder in their communions.


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## J. Dean (Feb 17, 2012)

One of the things I noted when I was in the Assemblies of God was that people would blurt out in tongues during the prayer part of the service. When I asked them about why they did this when Paul made it clear that tongues had to be accompanied by an interpreter, they responded with "Oh, there are two kinds of tongues in Scripture."

I'm still looking for that second kind. Havent' found it


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## NaphtaliPress (Feb 17, 2012)

See this earlier thread and an old post of mine here. The book linked below may be a useful resource for your paper.

Amazon.com: The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Cessation of Special Revelation: The Majority Puritan Viewpoint on Whether Extra-Biblical Prophecy Is Stil (Studies in Christian History and Thought) (9781556358050): Garnet Howard Milne, Joel B

View attachment 2659


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## sgemmen9 (Feb 17, 2012)

Thanks for the posts everyone. This should be a solid start to my research.


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## Bill The Baptist (Feb 17, 2012)

I thought Paul made this pretty clear in 1 Corinthians 13; " Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."


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## Zork (Feb 17, 2012)

*Cessation*



sgemmen9 said:


> I am writing a paper on Reformed Orthodoxy and the "proper" way of understanding Cessationism in light of the Westminster Confessions. I believe this idea of Cessationism comes from the Westminster Confession, chapter 1, articles 1 and 6. I want to hear what the orthodox position is from YOU and if I am on target by beginning with these articles in my research. I am in very, very early stages of my research process. So to start the discussion....
> 
> -Is my focus on chapter 1, articles 1 and 6 on target?
> -Have tongues ceased? If so, on what basis?
> ...




I know you said from the Westminster Confession, These are also very insightful.

I loved this site when I Converted from Pentecostalism. 
This website is a collection of resources critical of the charismatic movement and in defence of cessationism. Counterfeit Miracles

You can also check this out. -B.B. Warfield's("The Cessation of the Charismata" by Benjamin B. Warfield)

Author

Fifty years after his death B.B. Warfield's witness remains a powerful influence in mainstream Christianity simply because no successor has attained to his eminence as a biblical theologian. In his years at Princeton, 1886-1921, he was unquestionably the best-known opponent of the rationalism and anti-supernaturalism which threatened the life of the Church in the 20th Century; for him a non-miraculous Christianity was no Christianity at all. But with his breadth of vision, Warfield also saw the danger of false claims to the possession of miraculous gifts — claims which have repeatedly been made both by the Church of Rome and by groups within Protestantism. That the apostles possessed special divine gifts, and that they could be conferred by their hands, is plain; so also is it plain, argued Warfield, that the claimants to the same charismata since the apostolic age have never been genuine.

This article is taken from Warfield's book, Counterfeit Miracles, first published in 1918.

No new Revelation.-John Calvin
No New Revelation!

Something nice on Tongues(Anyone please correct me if I'm Wrong with this view.

View attachment 2660


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## Zork (Feb 17, 2012)

Zork said:


> sgemmen9 said:
> 
> 
> > I am writing a paper on Reformed Orthodoxy and the "proper" way of understanding Cessationism in light of the Westminster Confessions. I believe this idea of Cessationism comes from the Westminster Confession, chapter 1, articles 1 and 6. I want to hear what the orthodox position is from YOU and if I am on target by beginning with these articles in my research. I am in very, very early stages of my research process. So to start the discussion....
> ...



OOPS This one. LOL.

View attachment 2661


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## sgemmen9 (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks Zork. That is great info.


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