panta dokimazete
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
Pastor Mark, I must first profess the high esteem that I have for you, your teaching and your mission. I frequently utilize your videos and books in my classes/courses and feel you are the right man "for such a time as this". A light in the darkness. I praise God for you, your family and your ministry. Christ is honored and God glorified through you and Mars Hill.
I have read some of your responses to the recent Time article, (10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now - #3 The New Calvinism) particularly how you draw distinctions between the "old" and "new" Calvinism. I tend to agree with the high level summaries you utilized, however I do have some "heartburn" with how you characterized the "new" Calvinist as seemingly 100% continuationist. From the exposure I have had to your theological positions, I believe that you are probably at least partially cessationistic. The reason I believe this is because I, until very recently, would have also characterized myself as a continuationist until I was exposed to a couple of paradigms that made me re-think my alignment to this position. I'd like to present these paradigms, challenge you to consider the implications and present a framework that I pray may be helpful.
First, my understanding of the initiation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was the occurance in the 1st century we Christians refer to as Pentecost. This historic event was captured in Scripture through the guidance of the Holy Spirit by the physician and Christian historian Luke in his 2nd letter to Theophilus that has been named the Acts of the Apostles - commonly called Acts.
This event was specifically prophesied by Jesus several times in Scripture, but particularly relevant to the subject at hand in Acts and John:
1 - If you believe any of the miraculous spiritual gifts were operative in the apostolic era only, and that some or all of those gifts gradually ceased before the end of the first century, you are a cessationist.
2 - If you believe all the spiritual gifts described in the New Testament have continued unabated, unchanged, and unaltered since the initial outpouring of tongues at Pentecost, you are a continuationist.
Now, I am fairly certain that you would agree that at least one activity associated with the initial gifting of the Holy Spirit has ceased - that is - the ability to prophesy Scripture. I also think you'll agree that this gift was only valid during the formation of the New Testament canon, otherwise, the Lord is still delivering Scripture through the Holy Spirit to His people today and the Reformed principle of Sola Scriptura is rendered invalid...
see the rest of the article over at ChristianSkepticism.org
I have read some of your responses to the recent Time article, (10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now - #3 The New Calvinism) particularly how you draw distinctions between the "old" and "new" Calvinism. I tend to agree with the high level summaries you utilized, however I do have some "heartburn" with how you characterized the "new" Calvinist as seemingly 100% continuationist. From the exposure I have had to your theological positions, I believe that you are probably at least partially cessationistic. The reason I believe this is because I, until very recently, would have also characterized myself as a continuationist until I was exposed to a couple of paradigms that made me re-think my alignment to this position. I'd like to present these paradigms, challenge you to consider the implications and present a framework that I pray may be helpful.
First, my understanding of the initiation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was the occurance in the 1st century we Christians refer to as Pentecost. This historic event was captured in Scripture through the guidance of the Holy Spirit by the physician and Christian historian Luke in his 2nd letter to Theophilus that has been named the Acts of the Apostles - commonly called Acts.
This event was specifically prophesied by Jesus several times in Scripture, but particularly relevant to the subject at hand in Acts and John:
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
I took careful note of the last part I bolded in John 14:26 as I studied this subject. It was a particularly important statement as I was considering the 2 doctrinal positions, particularly in light of the framework of cessationism and continuationism presented in this article by Phil Johnson over at Pyromaniacs:John 14
16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
...
26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
1 - If you believe any of the miraculous spiritual gifts were operative in the apostolic era only, and that some or all of those gifts gradually ceased before the end of the first century, you are a cessationist.
2 - If you believe all the spiritual gifts described in the New Testament have continued unabated, unchanged, and unaltered since the initial outpouring of tongues at Pentecost, you are a continuationist.
Now, I am fairly certain that you would agree that at least one activity associated with the initial gifting of the Holy Spirit has ceased - that is - the ability to prophesy Scripture. I also think you'll agree that this gift was only valid during the formation of the New Testament canon, otherwise, the Lord is still delivering Scripture through the Holy Spirit to His people today and the Reformed principle of Sola Scriptura is rendered invalid...
see the rest of the article over at ChristianSkepticism.org