Best books arguing for Cessationism?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Qoheleth

Puritan Board Freshman
(Not sure if this was the right forum)

A continuationist friend and I are thinking about studying theology books together. Our first book will be Authentic Fire by Michael Brown, presenting my friend's position, of course. I have three books on cessationism: Warfield's Counterfeit Miracles, Gaffin's Perspectives on Pentecost, and Chantry's Signs of the Apostles. Which do you think is best, or is there another you would recommend? Since this will be my best chance to present my case, I'd like something that makes a strong exegetical argument and also goes for the jugular (Bahnsen-esque argumentation.)
 
(Not sure if this was the right forum)

A continuationist friend and I are thinking about studying theology books together. Our first book will be Authentic Fire by Michael Brown, presenting my friend's position, of course. I have three books on cessationism: Warfield's Counterfeit Miracles, Gaffin's Perspectives on Pentecost, and Chantry's Signs of the Apostles. Which do you think is best, or is there another you would recommend? Since this will be my best chance to present my case, I'd like something that makes a strong exegetical argument and also goes for the jugular (Bahnsen-esque argumentation.)

Gaffin. Many of the stronger continuationist claims today have dealt with Warfield. Perhaps they didn't refute him, but they are familiar with his arguments and have responses. That's not so much the case as with Gaffin.
 
Gaffin. Many of the stronger continuationist claims today have dealt with Warfield. Perhaps they didn't refute him, but they are familiar with his arguments and have responses. That's not so much the case as with Gaffin.

I second Gaffin. I appreciate his redemptive historical approach to the subject, and even if you're friend is not convinced at least there is a lot of positive teaching on Pentecost and its redemptive historical implications in the book as well.

I also believe the 12 part series here (https://students.wts.edu/resources/...ScrVerse=&ScrVerseEnd=&year=1970s&srch=search) is what Gaffin ultimately turned into his book. So that might be worth a listen as well.
 
Out of curiosity, do any of the above mentioned works deal with the revival of extraordinary gifts during extraordinary times?
 
Out of curiosity, do any of the above mentioned works deal with the revival of extraordinary gifts during extraordinary times?
One book also to consider, as it gives what thoe holding to it being for today and why, is Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, by believe Dr Jack Deare, a professor at DTS who now holds to modern day charismatic chos.
The rebuttal to that view by Dr John Macarthur in his Charismatic Chaos worthwhile also to read.
 
If you read Gaffin, Warfield, Robertson, and Macarthur, you will get an excellent grounding in the issue. Also, I might recommend the title Are Miraculous Gifts For Today? 4 Views, edited by Gundry and Grudem. There you can see the various positions interacting with each other. It is an excellent supplement to Gaffin's Perspectives, since it shows Gaffin more directly engaging the other viewpoints.
 
I second Gaffin. I appreciate his redemptive historical approach to the subject, and even if you're friend is not convinced at least there is a lot of positive teaching on Pentecost and its redemptive historical implications in the book as well.

I also believe the 12 part series here (https://students.wts.edu/resources/...ScrVerse=&ScrVerseEnd=&year=1970s&srch=search) is what Gaffin ultimately turned into his book. So that might be worth a listen as well.

One more Gaffin Perspectives On Pentecost audio resource: https://reformedforum.org/ctc113/
 
If you read Gaffin, Warfield, Robertson, and Macarthur, you will get an excellent grounding in the issue. Also, I might recommend the title Are Miraculous Gifts For Today? 4 Views, edited by Gundry and Grudem. There you can see the various positions interacting with each other. It is an excellent supplement to Gaffin's Perspectives, since it shows Gaffin more directly engaging the other viewpoints.

Avoid Macarthur. He is one of the best arguments for continuationism, if only as a foil. He rarely engages the best arguments and mostly relies on horror stories.
 
Last edited:
Avoid Macarthur. He is one of the best arguments for continuationism, if only as a foil. He rarely engages the best arguments and mostly relies on horror stories.
Yes, I think the best Reformed works are better than MacArthur.

  1. "Charismatics and the Word of God" (Budgen) is an excellent work. Budgens exegesis of 1 Cor 13 is similar to Jonathan Edwards.
  2. "To be cotinued" (Waldron)
  3. "The Final Word" (O Palmer Robertson)
 
There are some great resources here:

1) https://reformedbooksonline.com/cessationism/

2) https://reformedbooksonline.com/prophecy-infallible-and-ceased/

I have heard great things about this book and have peeked at it myself:
The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Cessation of Special Revelation: The Majority Puritan Viewpoint

One reviewer writes: "...they contended that another form of "mediate" revelation continues, i.e. revelation mediated by the Scriptures, not merely for a greater grammatical of contextual understanding of the Word, but as an application of the already revealed Word of God to the life of an individual, church, or nation. Thus dreams, visions, and spiritual gifts analogous to the miraculous gifts of the Spirit originally displayed by the apostles did not cease but continued as modalities as long as they did not contradict the Unity of the Word and the Spirit."
 
There are some great resources here:

1) https://reformedbooksonline.com/cessationism/

2) https://reformedbooksonline.com/prophecy-infallible-and-ceased/

I have heard great things about this book and have peeked at it myself:
The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Cessation of Special Revelation: The Majority Puritan Viewpoint

One reviewer writes: "...they contended that another form of "mediate" revelation continues, i.e. revelation mediated by the Scriptures, not merely for a greater grammatical of contextual understanding of the Word, but as an application of the already revealed Word of God to the life of an individual, church, or nation. Thus dreams, visions, and spiritual gifts analogous to the miraculous gifts of the Spirit originally displayed by the apostles did not cease but continued as modalities as long as they did not contradict the Unity of the Word and the Spirit."
So they would hold that the Spirit might bring to mind through the scriptures an application to a situation, or to a church, such as what others call a word of wisdom?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top