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This is a particularly disappointing presentation. The author did absolutely no work to establish his thesis.
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The Reformers placed tremendous stress on the gifts of the Spirit to the whole body of Christ. John Calvin himself has rightly been described as “the theologian of the Holy Spirit” (B.B. Warfield). Yet Reformed Christians always have been given a “bad press” for their views on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Our conviction is that God purposefully gave some gifts (specifically the ability to work miracles, the gift of revelatory prophecy, and speaking in tongues) only for a limited period. We have solid biblical reasons (Emphasis added.) for believing this:
- A temporary manifestation of these gifts is characteristic of God’s pattern of working. Contrary to popular opinion, such gifts as these were given spasmodically in biblical history. Their occurrence is generally contained within a handful of time periods lasting around a generation each. (This is not a biblical argument.)
- The function of these gifts, namely to convey and to confirm revelation (now ceased until Christ’s return), is underlined in the New Testament itself (Acts 2:22, 14:3; cf. 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3–4). (Let's quote the provided Scriptures, since the author seems reluctant to do so.
Ac. 2:22: Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
Ac. 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
2Co. 12:12 The things that mark an apostle — signs, wonders and miracles — were done among you with great perseverance.
He. 2:3-4 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Let's recall the author's statement: "The function of these gifts, namely to convey and to confirm revelation (now ceased until Christ’s return), is underlined in the New Testament itself..." Oh really? The first three, Ac. 2:22, ac. 14:3, and 2Co. 12:12, do not speak to the gifts at all.
He. 2:3-4 actually argues against the author's premise. Notice that signs, wonders, and various miracles are grouped together, and gifts of the Holy Spirit are mentioned apart. This is interesting in that it implies that the distinction is intentional. The word distributed [μερισμός,] is defined (a) a distributing, a distribution, (b) a parting, dividing, severance, separation. The gifts of the Holy Spirit spread wide, not only throughout the first century church, but through the ages as well.
Further, signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will do not attest to the apostles [who aren't mentioned], they operate to testify to this salvation.
Lastly, there is no indication of cessation in any of the cited Scriptures.)
- The history of the New Testament suggests that by the close of the apostolic age the role of these gifts was being superseded by the completion of the New Testament. (No Scripture references supplied.) Thus, there is no reference to their presence—or, more significantly, their future regulation—in the Pastoral Letters. (Argument from silence.)
Although all these gifts and operations ceased in some respect, some of them absolutely, and some of them as to the immediate manner of communication and degree of excellency; yet so far as the edification of the church was concerned in them, something that is analogous unto them was and is continued.What does this mean? Simply this: It is the same Spirit who gives both temporary and continuing gifts to the church. We should not be surprised, therefore, to discover common threads in both.
Perhaps the most important common thread is the Spirit’s ministry in illumination—He enlightens our minds to enable us to know, see, grasp, and apply the will and purposes of God. There was an immediacy to illumination in the temporary gifts. The Spirit taught the apostles “all things” (John 14:26) and led them into “all truth” (John 16:13). (No, the Holy Spirit teaches all of us "all truth."
1Jn. 2:20, 27: But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know all things. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit — just as it has taught you, remain in him.)Now, however, He continues this work in us through the Scriptures He enabled the apostles to write for us. Indeed, during the Farewell Discourse (John 14–16), our Lord made it clear to the apostles that this would be one of the central ministries of the Spirit in their lives: He would remind them of what Jesus had said (the gospels), lead them into the truth (the epistles), and show them the things to come (e.g. Revelation). (Speculative. Any Scriptural references at all, sir?)
Why, then, are Christians today—in contrast to their fathers—so thirsty to experience immediate revelation from God, (Unsupported assertion.)
when His desire for us is the ongoing work of the Spirit opening up our understanding through the mediated revelation of the New Testament? (Unsupported assertion.)
There seem to be three reasons: ("Seem?" Wouldn't it be better to ask them rather than guess?)
- It is more exciting to have direct revelation rather than Bible revelation. It seems more “spiritual,” more “divine.” (Unsupported assertion.)
- For many people, it feels much more authoritative to be able to say, “God has revealed this to me” than to say, “The Bible tells me so.” (Unsupported assertion.)
- Direct revelation relieves us of the need for painstaking Bible study and careful consideration of Christian doctrine in order to know the will of God. (False binary choice. One does not exclude the other.) In comparison to immediate revelation, Bible study seems—to be frank—boring.
- Jesus experienced it. Yes, our Lord prophesied; yes, He worked miracles. But we would be guilty of Docetism (the view that Jesus’ humanity only seemed to be like ours) and untrue to Scripture if we failed to recognize that Jesus Himself grew in wisdom and favor with God (Luke 2:52) by patiently meditating on the Old Testament Scriptures. (The author deceives us by presenting an incomplete picture of Jesus in order to serve his doctrinal agenda, thereby diminishing the deity of Christ. Here's what Jesus actually said.
Mt. 11:27: All things have been committed to me by my Father. No-one knows the Son except the Father, and no-one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Jn. 5:19-20: Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
Jn. 8:28: ...I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
Jn. 8:38: I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence...
Jn. 12:49-50: For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.
(I suspect He probably knew them by heart.) The third Servant Song of Isaiah (Isa. 50:4–11) gives us an extraordinarily moving picture of the Lord Jesus waking up each day, dependent on His Father to illumine His understanding of His Word that He might think, feel, act, and live as the Man full of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding (Isa. 11:2ff).
- This is the divine method that produces authentic Christian growth, because it involves the renewal (not the abeyance) (Another false choice.) of the mind (Rom. 12:2) and it is progressive (it takes time and demands the obedience of our wills). Sometimes God does things quickly. But His ordinary way is to work slowly and surely to make us progressively more like our Lord Jesus.
- The result of the Spirit working with the Word of God to illumine and transform our thinking is the development of a godly instinct that operates in sometimes surprising ways. The revelation of Scripture becomes, in a well-taught, Spirit-illumined believer, so much a part of his or her mindset that the will of God frequently seems to become instinctively and even immediately clear—just as whether a piece of music is well or badly played is immediately obvious to a well-disciplined musician. It is this kind of spiritual exercise that creates discernment (see Heb. 5:11–14).
Well-meaning Christians sometimes mistake the Spirit’s work of illumination for revelation, (A distinction without a difference. And it sure would be nice if the author would document these assertions.)
which, unhappily, can lead to serious theological confusion and potentially unhappy practical consequences. But the doctrine of illumination also helps us explain some of the more mysterious elements in our experience without having to resort to the claim that we have the gift of revelation and prophecy. Here the late John Murray spoke with great wisdom: “As we are the subjects of this illumination and are responsive to it, and as the Holy Spirit is operative in us to the doing of God’s will, we shall have feelings, impressions, convictions, urges, inhibitions, impulses, burdens, resolutions. Illumination and direction by the Spirit through the Word of God will focus themselves in our consciousness in these ways. We are not automata.… We must not think [these things] are … necessarily irrational or fanatically mystical.”
God’s Word, illumined by God’s Spirit, is, as Psalm 119 so magnificently shows, the pathway to spiritual stability and liberty. It leads us unwaveringly to knowing, loving, and doing God’s will on a daily basis. It brings joy through light.
(Remember the author was going to tell us the solid biblical reasons regarding the ability to work miracles, the gift of revelatory prophecy, and speaking in tongues was only for a limited period. He didn't even quote a single Scripture.
I'll leave it to the reader to judge whether the author even began the process.)
which, unhappily, can lead to serious theological confusion and potentially unhappy practical consequences. But the doctrine of illumination also helps us explain some of the more mysterious elements in our experience without having to resort to the claim that we have the gift of revelation and prophecy. Here the late John Murray spoke with great wisdom: “As we are the subjects of this illumination and are responsive to it, and as the Holy Spirit is operative in us to the doing of God’s will, we shall have feelings, impressions, convictions, urges, inhibitions, impulses, burdens, resolutions. Illumination and direction by the Spirit through the Word of God will focus themselves in our consciousness in these ways. We are not automata.… We must not think [these things] are … necessarily irrational or fanatically mystical.”
God’s Word, illumined by God’s Spirit, is, as Psalm 119 so magnificently shows, the pathway to spiritual stability and liberty. It leads us unwaveringly to knowing, loving, and doing God’s will on a daily basis. It brings joy through light.
(Remember the author was going to tell us the solid biblical reasons regarding the ability to work miracles, the gift of revelatory prophecy, and speaking in tongues was only for a limited period. He didn't even quote a single Scripture.
I'll leave it to the reader to judge whether the author even began the process.)
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