The End of Prophecy - by David Vaughn Elliott

Found here. Our comments in bold.
-------------------------------

Our desire to find some coherent commentary regarding the cessationist position has moved from idle curiosity to a genuine quest. Did the supernatural gifts of the Spirit really cease with the death of the last apostle? What is the Scriptural basis for this position?

We located the below commentary, and have posted it here in the hope that this author will make a Scriptural case for cessationism.
-----------------------------

Why do all Bibles end with the book of Revelation? Although some sects consider more recent writings to be inspired, yet nobody has dared to add such writings to the Bible. Why not? It must be that deep down, they know that the apostolic writings are in a class by themselves. And they are. The Holy Spirit exhorts us to "contend for the faith which was once delivered" (Jude 3). From the start of the church, they "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42). Why? Because Jesus had promised the apostles that "when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

All truth. Therefore, when all the apostles were dead, there was no more truth to be revealed, no more books worthy of being considered Scripture. (Like every cessationist we have read, the author connects the revelatory to Scripture, as if all revelation must be included in the canon. This of course is without justification. John concludes his Gospel with this: 

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. [Jn. 21:25] 

So it is quite clear that even many miracles of Jesus were not deemed by the Holy Spirit to be worthy of inclusion in the Holy Writ.

Further, the author seems to imply that the "all truth" was for the apostles only. It's a little difficult to tell, because he glosses over the point with little precision. We pause to address the issue, because the implications speak to the cessationist position. 

As we all know, reading in context is important. Sometimes the context is more than a couple of surrounding verses. John 16:13 comes nearly at the end of a long monologue beginning at John 14:1, right after Judas took the bread. As we read from there we discover that Jesus makes several universal promises, that is, promises that are beyond the Apostles. 

For example, Jn. 14:12: 

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Jn. 14:21, 23: 

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

We read further and find some of the greatest and most precious passages of Scripture, culminating in the promise given in John 16:13 that He will send the Holy Spirit. We must conclude that, absent contextual information to the contrary, that these promises and statements and encouragements belong to all of us, not just the Apostles. Otherwise, we would have to explain away words like "anyone" and "whoever."

Let's examine John 16:13 itself. 

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.

Does it really say anywhere that this is promise to the Apostles only, or that when all the apostles were dead, there was no more truth to be revealed? Or does it say that the Holy Spirit will be given, and He will impart truth? Does it speak to cessation of the revelatory God in favor of a silent god? A God that fills the heavens and earth with revelations of Himself, or a god that cuts us loose to fend for ourselves?

One last significant point. The author stopped his quotation half way through verse 13. Here's the rest of it, which drives the final nail into his faulty conclusion:

He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

You see, if "all truth" means no more revelation, then the Holy Spirit would not say what is to come.)

Catholics and Protestants debate about which books should be included in the OT, but all agree upon the 27 books of the NT. John wrote the final five inspired books.

Indeed, the apostle Paul had predicted that finality. In the great love chapter, 1 Cor. 13, the Holy Spirit predicted: "Whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away” (13:8). (The Holy Spirit predicted the finality of the canon here in 1 Corinthians? Really? We need to get context here before making such sweeping and ill-advised assertions. 

Coming out of Chapter 12, Paul is taking great pains to correct the expression of the spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church. He talks about the Body working together, of unity, of the healthy expression and proper context of all that was happening in that church. 

He establishes the things that are more desirable, more beneficial, more edifying for the church. Really, he is intent on making a hierarchy of spiritual expressions. greater to lesser. He concludes with this segue: 

1Co. 12:31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Now he's going to show us the overriding context for the operation of the Body: Love, without which the spiritual gifts are a clanging gong.

Let's quote the relevant passage in its entirety: 

1 Cor 13:8-13 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Note that Paul uses the inclusive "we." "We" know in part. "We" prophesy in part. He includes himself, despite the fact that he supposedly has been led into "all truth." He compares these partial expressions to childishness, that is, a limited understanding and only a partial vision of the purposes and revelation of God. He presses the point by telling us we see just a poor reflection, but there will come a time when we will see face to face, we will know fully.

Paul is assuring us that there will be a time when we will no longer have to struggle under these limitations, we will no longer be encumbered by imperfection. The Perfect is coming, and full revelation of all the glories of God will be ours. Something is going to happen, perhaps subsequent to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit Peter tells us about in Acts 2:17. 

What does this have to do with the canon, you ask? We ask the same thing, because one would have to approach this passage with the preconception that revelation has ceased and the Scripture is all there is in order to reach these conclusions.

Then, after that key passage, we find this: 

1 Co. 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 

The rest of chapter 14 is spent further explaining the proper operation of these gifts in the Body. So, rather than tell the Corinthians not to bother so much with the gifts since they were going to become irrelevant soon, Paul encourages them to "eagerly desire" the gifts Paul deems more beneficial! There is no hint whatsoever that these things ought to be scaled back or minimized in any way.)

Some sincerely ask, “Has knowledge passed away?” No, of course not. However, 1 Cor. 12, 13, and 14 are discussing the nine inspired spiritual gifts (charisma) in the infant church. Prophecies, tongues, and knowledge are three of the nine listed in 12:8-10. Inspired knowledge, (The author dishonestly inserts "inspired," which is not found in the text.)

as one of the nine spiritual gifts, was to vanish away. The same is true of prophecy. Prophecies exist today -- the written prophecies made in the first century (and before). We have no new inspired knowledge today, no new prophecies. Our 27 NT books contain it all. (Notice how the author makes a leap to a conclusion unjustified by the facts at hand? He simply states his conclusion without establishing its propriety.)

Some of the language in 1 Cor. 13 can give the impression that these three gifts, representing the nine, would be done away at the Second Coming. A major reason why that interpretation is difficult for me to accept is what the text says about faith and hope: “And now abide faith, hope, love." We can all agree that love is not only the greatest, as Paul also says, but that it is also eternal. Not so with faith and hope. Consider:

FAIL, CEASE, VANISH (being in part) -- Prophecies, Tongues, Knowledge.
NOW ABIDE (until Jesus comes) -- Faith, Hope.
ETERNAL (and greatest) -- Love.

Three things fail, cease, vanish. Three things now abide. How long do faith and hope abide? Until the end of the world. Heb. 11:1 says that faith is "the evidence of things not seen." 2 Cor. 5:7 says, "We walk by faith, not by sight." 1 John 3:2 says, "When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." In glory we will see Him! No more faith. It will be sight! And what of hope? Rom. 8:24 clarifies: "Hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopes for that which he sees?" Paul is saying that in this world, prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are temporary, faith and hope are permanent, and love trumps them all. (This is all pretty thin, isn't it? Faith and hope don't actually abide, apparently. From one or two verses the author constructs a scenario where his premise is also his conclusion. The 1 John 3:2 passage he quotes actually argues against his case, for "we shall be like him" means we have been transformed and no longer are in this world system. Indeed, this is borne out in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, where Paul discusses the spiritual body. Does not the author see that he is arguing against the narrative of Scripture in order to suit is preconceived doctrine?)

Since faith and hope "abide" until Jesus comes, (Lacking an actual verse that teaches this, the author runs with his faulty deduction.)

the ceasing of prophecies, tongues, and knowledge must take place before that. (Does it? Why? On what basis does the author assert this?) 

When? Paul did not specify a date. Rather, he indicated a condition. "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away" (13:9-10). The Greek for "perfect" here (teleios) may be translated "finished, complete, or perfect." Since "in part" is contrasted to "teleios," it would seem that "complete" or "finished" would be a better translation than "perfect." (In order to conform to his preconceptions, of course. However, there is no example in the NT where teleios refers to Scripture.) 

Knowledge and prophecy were complete with the final writings of John; (The author restates his premise as a conclusion without establishing it.) 

thus the temporary "in part" gifts of knowledge and prophecy were done away, no longer needed.

Does "face to face" in verse 12 refer to seeing God in heaven after the Second Coming? Aside from this verse, "face to face" in the NT is only used of human relationships. In the OT, "face to face" seven times describes relations between God and man. Since Jesus said "No man has seen God at any time" (John1:18), the term "face to face" could not mean to actually see God. (Wait. No one has seen Jesus face to face?) 

These OT texts all tell of some intimate relationship with God in the here and now, not in eternity. Thus, "face to face" in 1 Cor. 13 would seem to mean an intimate relationship with God through His completed Word. (Once again leaping to a conclusion absent the issue being established.)

1 Cor. 13:11 contrasts a child with a man. Does not Scripture frequently teach us to grow beyond childhood toward maturity in this life? Notice one such contrast in 14:20: "in malice be children, but in understanding be men (teleios)." Other versions render "teleios" here as "mature." This is the same Greek word as "perfect" in 13:10. In 13:9-11 we can see the young church with its partial temporary gifts contrasted with a mature church having the finalized Holy Scriptures, which offer God's completed message to us. The gift of prophecy came to an end in the first century. The Bible contains all there is of God's inspired prophecy for us today. (Whew. An incredible leap. We do have to give the author credit, however, for actually discussing the Scripture. It is unfortunate, however, that he wants to establish a doctrine based on a single passage, and a shaky one at that. He has to do a lot of gymnastics to make it work, and that is entirely unsatisfying for those of us who want a straightforward presentation absent bias and preconceptions.)