Cessationism - Episode 7: There were only limited periods of miracles

Our next Episode in the cessationism series.

Additional Episodes:

• Episode 1, the Perfect.
• Episode 2, the apostles.
• Episode 3, prophecy.
• Episode 4, the closed canon.
• Episode 5, extra biblical reasons.
• Episode 6, only the apostles had all truth.
• Episode 7, there were only limited periods of miracles.
• Episode 8, tongues.
• Episode 9, the work of the Holy Spirit.
• Episode 10, does God speak only through the Scriptures?
• Episode 11, what about impressions?
• Episode 12, what is discernment? 
• Episode 13, the sufficiency of Scripture.
• Episode 14, Was the purpose of miracles restricted to the authentication of the apostles?
• Episode 15, Is revival excluded because of apostasy?
• Episode 16, is prophecy subjective?
• Episode 17, Could only the apostles confer miraculous powers or gifts?
• Episode 18, are charismatics functional cessationists?

Our criteria for the cessationism debate is that the argument must

1. be from the Bible
2. Not appeal to contemporary expressions of charismata
3. Not appeal to silence
4. Not appeal to events or practices of history

That is, any defense of cessationism must be Sola Scriptura.
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Introduction

A cessationist is a Christian who believes that the "supernatural" gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy, tongues, words of knowledge, as well as signs and wonders, did not continue after the death of the last apostle. This is contrasted with a charismatic, or perhaps, a continuationist, who is a Christian who believes the Bible's descriptions of the "supernatural" gifts of the Spirit apply to today's church and should be embraced.

Cessationists also believe that the supernatural existed largely or solely to validate the apostle's ministries, so that their teaching, eventually contained in the NT, would be attested to. With the completed canon of the Bible, there would be no longer a need for these supernatural validations, and thus these things ceased. The reason, they say, is that since signs and wonders had the sole purpose of validating the ministries of the apostles, they are no longer needed because the apostles are gone and we have the completed Bible.

From this they conclude that the Bible is the complete and final revelation of God, and thus He speaks only through the Scriptures today.

Part of the reason they make this claim is if they can restrict the supernatural only to the apostles' ministry, they can invalidate the idea that the supernatural persists to present day.

This series will examine these and other claims.

The Cessationist Case

The argument is succinctly presented by Tom Pennington:

The first biblical argument for cessationism is the unique role of miracles. Many evangelicals, and I think most Charismatics, think that miracles litter almost every page of biblical history. In reality there were only three primary periods in which God worked miracles through uniquely gifted men. In other words, there were only three primary periods when God gave human beings miracle working power.

The first was that of Moses and Joshua. That period lasted from the Exodus to about 1445 B.C. through the career of Joshua that ended in about 1380 B.C. In other words, that first period of miracles lasted about 65 years.

The second window when miracles were common was during the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, putting again the biblical chronology together, they ministered from about 860 B.C. until 795 B.C. Again a period of only about 65 years.

The third time of miracles was with Christ and His Apostles. Obviously it began with His ministry and lasted at the very longest until the death of the Apostle John, or about 70 years.

Our critique

First, let's note that "the miraculous things written in the Bible" does not equal "everything miraculous that happened." The Bible does not record everything that happened, only what the Holy Spirit wanted us to know. Therefore, many people might have been doing many miracles over the course of many centuries, and we would not know about it, simply because it's not in the Bible.

Thus, to limit miracles into isolated periods is merely an Argument from Silence, a doctrine based on what isn't written in the Bible.

Second, we note that Mr. Pennington artificially restricts his criteria to certain kinds of God-precipitated supernatural activities specifically carried out by humans, to the exclusion of everything else miraculous. He writes, there were only three primary periods when God gave human beings miracle working power. That is, he wants to reduce it down to miracles by human agency only, and at that, only certain kinds of miracles.

However, it would seem to us that every supernatural manifestation should be considered miraculous. Like prophecy, for example. Based on his limited criteria, Mr. Pennington does not want to include the varieties of prophetic manifestations in the OT. For example, King Saul [1 Sam. 10:6, 10:10, 19:20]. Abraham [Ge. 20:7] Deborah [Ju. 4:4] David [Ac. 2:29-30]. And of course, every single O.T. prophet. This great breadth of ongoing and diverse O.T. prophecy is a supernatural manifestation outside the parameters imposed by Mr. Pennington.

Nor does his view accommodate other supernatural manifestations, like Samson's strength [Ju. 14:6], Gideon's military prowess [Ju. 6:12], and Noah's deliverance [Ge. 6:8]. The miraculous is widespread in the OT.

We make the same assertion regarding the NT, which is a front to back miraculous display.

It's the exceptions and provisos that allow Mr. Pennington to make his case. If we do not accept his artificial limitations, his case becomes exceedingly weak.

Third, we also note that the number, type, or distribution of miracles in the Bible does not speak to what should or should not happen today.

Whether or not by human agency, God does all the miracles. Scripture marks this clearly.

Ps. 136:4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures for ever. 

Ps. 77:14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 

God does innumerable and profound miracles:

Job 9:10 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

Ps. 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no-one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

And, this critical verse tells us that God has never stopped performing miracles:

Jer. 32:20 You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, both in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours.

To this day... The book of Jeremiah was written between 630 and 580 B.C., while the book of Exodus was written by Moses about 1450-1410 B.C. Jeremiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is making a claim of an unbroken period of miracles lasting over 800 years. This of course completely counters Mr. Pennington's case.

But we needn't stop there. Peter quotes Joel's prophecy:

Ac. 2:17-21 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. [Joel 2:28-32]

This prophecy, quoted by Peter to authenticate what was happening at Pentecost, describes these things as happening in the last days. And we still live in the last days. Therefore, we should still be seeing the supernatural in the church today.

God has not stopped performing miracles. His miracles were not limited to isolated periods. His church is intended to be a supernatural church.