In addition, too many cessationists are reluctant to quote Scripture in their defenses. Thus it is frequently difficult to ascertain the biblical basis for cessationist arguments when they fail to quote it.
And the reason for this? We would speculate that it is because of an accidental or intentional tendency to misrepresent Scripture. Or, it is because those cessationists simply have not read those Scriptures closely enough. Or, they think their case is so self-evident that they don't need to quote Scripture.
But cessationists will sometimes appeal to a central core of Scriptures in their defense of their position. Today's post will review the most commonly misrepresented/misinterpreted Scriptures used to defend cessationism. As an aside, it is interesting that the entire case for cessationism relies on just a handful of misinterpreted Scriptures. Those Scriptures are:
- Hebrews 1:2
- 2 Peter 1:19
- 2 Peter 1:3
- 1 Corinthians 13:8-10
- Acts 1:21
- 2 Co. 12:12
- Hebrews 2:4
- Ep. 2:20
- Jude 3
- Re. 22:18-19
- 2 Tim. 3:16 - 17
- 1Co. 4:6
He. 1:1-4 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
...the Bible says that God has spoken through His Son, who is the Word... And what is the Word? The Bible.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.The Greek word is rhéma, which means a spoken word, made "by the living voice"... This cannot be the Scriptures, it's the voice of Jesus. He is speaking right now to sustain creation. The word "sustains" is pheró, to bear up, i. e. uphold (keep from falling). He continues to speak, or the universe would fall apart. So Jesus upholds all things by His spoken living voice, which resounds through the universe. "All things" includes His Church. We are also sustained by His speaking.
In addition, we must consider the context of the passage, including how a reader in the early church would understand what was written. This letter was written to Christian Jews (i.e., Hebrews). Would such a reader conclude that this the verse is telling him about the final culmination of God's revelation, the Bible? Of course not. There was no Bible back then.
No, first century Jewish readers would understand these plain, direct statements as presented:
In the past age, God spoke to their ancestors ("forefathers," that is, the Patriarchs and prophets) via the OT prophecy.
Ac. 2:17 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...
2 Peter 1:19
And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Peter said personal experience is never a proper validation of God's authority, because the word is more sure. That's why a good teacher also points to the Word, which is more sure.
At this point we need to quote more of the passage:
2Pe. 1:16-19 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
It's not a fable; we witnessed these things. We heard God's voice telling us Jesus was His son. We were there. The things we saw and heard make the words of the prophets more solid and believable. We are now more convinced than ever that those prophecies are real, because what we experienced confirms without a doubt that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah. This is the reason you should pay attention to these prophecies about Jesus.So, these events he eye witnessed confirmed and added veracity to the prophecies spoken hundreds of years before Jesus. The OT messianic prophecies are made more certain because of Peter's experience.
This passage says nothing about not relying on personal experiences. And, the Bible are not being discussed here. This passage has been totally misrepresented by cessationists.
2 Peter 1:3
...[The Bible] has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.The typical cessationist perspective is,
The Bible is God’s Word, everything we need to know in order to be saved and live the Christian life. [Second Peter 1:3]So, this verse is used as a proof text that God has given us everything we need in the Bible. By extension, if the Bible is everything we need, then we don't need prophecies or miracles. The Bible is sufficient. We discuss the sufficiency of the Bible here.
But let's look at a slight bit more of the verse:
2Pe. 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Hmmm. We find that this verse is not discussing the Bible at all. Cessationists change the wording. We aren't quite sure if there is deception involved, or if it's simply an unconscious bias. But any honest reader of the verse can plainly see that this is not about the Bible. The Bible does not give us everything we need for life and godliness. It's right there in black and white. His divine power does this.
Even if we concede for a moment that this verse is about the Bible giving us everything we need, that still does not exclude the supernatural expressions, like prophecy. One can have everything one needs, yet there still can be more. "Everything we need" is not synonymous with "everything there is."
Again, we do not intend to minimize Bible study. But this verse tells us nothing about the Bible and should not be used to that end.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
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.Many cessationists appeal to this verse as evidence that certain gifts of the Spirit have passed away. They do this by deeming "perfection" (or "the perfect") to be the completed Bible.
Here is the typical position:
1 Corinthians 13:10 is referring to the completed canon of Scripture of the first century A.D. There are no spiritual gifts operating today because we have the completed 66-book Holy Bible.We should note that there are also a lot of cessationists who don't consider this passage a cessationist proof text. We discuss the perfect in great detail here, so we shall not repeat ourselves, except to say that the Greek word for "perfect" never refers to the status of the Scriptures, it almost always refers to spiritual maturity and completeness. "Perfect" is teleios. Strong's tells us that teleios is (a) complete in all its parts, (b) full grown, of full age, (c) specially of the completeness of Christian character.
Tongues, knowledge, and prophecy will cease at some point, when the teleios has come.
- Premise: When the Perfect comes, language, knowledge, and prophecy will all cease.
- Observation: Language and knowledge have not ceased.
- Extension: Therefore, prophecy also has not ceased.
- Conclusion: The Perfect has not come.
Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.The cessationist wants to use this verse to prove that apostleship ceased after the first century. Here's their case:
[An] insurmountable problem for those who believe in modern day apostles is the fact that the Biblical requirements for one to hold the Office of Apostle as laid out in Acts 1:21-22; namely that the man must have been a part of the group of Jesus’ disciples from the time of His baptism, until His death and be an eye-witness of His resurrection and then be chosen and sent by Him (Acts 1:26).The problem is not insurmountable at all. It's not even a problem. The 11 apostles wanted a replacement apostle for Judas Iscariot. In this passage we are told what they decided was needed, and the careful reader will note there is only a single qualification. The replacement needed to be someone who had been a part of their company from the very beginning. In other words, they wanted someone they knew and trusted, someone who had served as a faithful part of their group.
The second part of the verse says, ...must become a witness with us...Becoming an eyewitness is not a qualification, it is a duty. The apostles were describing something the replacement apostle must join with them to do. This apostle must become someone who joins with them to testify of the resurrection!
We would suggest that the apostles were not providing a template for any other apostle except for the replacement they were seeking. There is nothing in this passage that says that this is how every apostle must be chosen. Indeed, Paul had not been with us from the beginning, so he would not even qualify. Yet is is clear he was an apostle.
A more detailed discussion of this is found here under the sub-heading What are the qualifications of an apostle?
2 Co. 12:12
The things that mark an apostle — signs, wonders and miracles — were done among you with great perseverance.This verse is another that cessationists use to try to prove that apostles were unique to the early church. Here's a typical example of their reasoning:
Paul defended his apostleship in 2 Corinthians 12:11-12, using examples of signs and wonders. If these miracles and signs were common for everyone, how then could Paul use these as proof of his authority? Even when the apostles were alive, all Christians could not do signs and wonders so they certainly cannot do them today.
Some of these were unusual miracle uncommon occurrences such as healing from his handkerchiefs Acts 19:12. Again, God used these miracles as witnesses to confirm His gospel as truth, and to identify His new leadership it was these men who penned down the words of the Holy Spirit that has become our New Testament. Once the scripture was completed we find no more apostles.We would simply note that Paul is quite obviously not making a claim that signs and wonders were exclusive to the apostles. The text simply does not say that. Indeed, Paul would not make such a claim, since non-apostles like Stephen (Acts 6:8) and Ananias (Acts 9:17) performed miracles.
Nor is Paul engaged in listing general apostolic qualifications. In fact, he was not being accused of failing to be an apostle, he was accused of being an inadequate or substandard apostle. His response was to say he's just a good as the "super-apostles," and appealed to the signs and wonders he performed. This does not establish anything other than Paul's desire to refute the accusation.
Note also that this Scripture
- does not describe spiritual gifts.
- does not establish the idea that authenticating apostleship is the only purpose.
- does not imply that they would cease at some point.
He. 2:1-4 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 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.
Miracles were never an end in themselves but authenticated the apostolic message in the first century church...
The author of Hebrews asks, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb. 2:3-4). The passage refers to those who heard Christ—the apostles.It seems rather obvious, but this passage is not speaking to the authentication of the apostles at all, but rather, it tells that signs and wonders authenticate salvation, i.e., the Gospel. Salvation is the "it" in this passage (God also testified to it...).
- first spoken of by Jesus
- heard by first hand witnesses
- confirmed to the writer of Hebrews though those witnesses, and in addition was
- attested to by miracles, and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit
sunepimartureó, to attest together with; to join in bearing witness, to unite in adding testimony...
...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.This is another verse used by cessationists to try to prove that there are no more apostles. Here's the typical assertion:
Those who claim apostolic authority today are attempting to rebuild the church whose foundation was already laid and built.This position makes unwarranted assumptions. Here's the train of logic:
- All apostles are foundational apostles.
- The foundation is the apostolic teachings.
- The foundation is built only once.
- Since the foundation is already built, there are no more apostles
The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
It is curious that the ministries of the apostles and prophets were spectacularly supernatural, but what is to be built on that foundation cannot be for some reason. Also curious is the marked tendency for cessationists to quote only a part of a passage. Here is the broader context:
Ep. 2:18-22 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
1Co. 3:10-11 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Ro. 15:20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
Others were building foundations, i.e., communities of living stones, in other places. Paul wanted to lay foundations in places where the Gospel was unknown.
We also are to build a foundation for ourselves:
1Ti. 6:18-19 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
In summary, the idea that additional apostles violate the construction of the foundation is not found in the Bible.
Jude 3
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.This verse is used to try to prove that once for all refers to the Bible, that because we have the completed Bible the prophetic gift ceased. Here's an example:
But the Scripture is the final yardstick for everything, being complete and perfect, sufficient and trustworthy.
Jude was able to speak about the faith which was 'once delivered unto the saints'. His epistle was written possibly 25 years before the final book of the Bible, but late enough for all the main doctrines and church instructions to have been revealed. At this late stage of revelation he speaks of the faith once delivered, or better, once for all delivered. It is virtually complete; soon (from Jude’s standpoint) there will be no more revelation.
- "The faith" not the Scriptures.
- "The faith" is not the Bible.
- "The faith" is not revelation.
- "The faith" is not the canon.
Jude was probably written around A.D. 60, along with Luke, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, John, and Philemon. Books written after Jude include Acts, Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Revelation. In other words, large portions of the NT had not even been composed at the time Jude wrote. It is ridiculous to claim that Jude was talking about Scripture at all, but rather he was telling his readers that the Gospel, the way of salvation, was fully told to them.
Jude was not writing about the Bible. Nor does the verse have anything to do with prophecy, the canon, the spiritual gifts, or the cessation of them.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.This passage is used to attempt to refute those who believe in the prophetic. Here's a typical expression of this viewpoint:
If one is hearing from God outside of scripture it means the canon is not closed, and it means the scripture we have is not enough, or, isn't sufficient.
- Prophecy is information from God
- All information from God is authoritative
- Authoritative information is on par with Scripture
- Authoritative information must be added to the Bible
- Re. 22:18-19 forbids adding to the Bible
- Therefore, prophecy violates the canon
- Therefore, contemporary prophecy is false
Second, NT prophecy is not automatically authoritative. The reader can review our extensive treatment of this concept here, where we make the observation that there is much prophecy mentioned in the Bible but not included in it. We Also want to note that NT prophecy is weighed, and Paul notes that we see prophesy in part [1Cor. 13:9].
Third, there is no biblical requirement that NT prophecy is or should be authoritative. The Bible does not tell us this at all. In fact, we find many NT prophets mentioned in the Bible, but none of their prophecies are recorded, except two by Agabus [Ac. 11:28, Ac. 21:10].
Fourth, and most crucially, there is no Bible verse that says or even hints that prophecy must be added to the Bible.
Therefore, contemporary prophecy is not authoritative, it doesn't not need to be added to the Bible, and does not violate the canon.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.The typical cessationist view of this is presented here:
There is no fresher or more intimate revelation than Scripture. God doesn't need to give us private revelation to help us in our walk with Him. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16 - 17). Scripture is sufficient. It offers all we need for every good work.We happily acknowledge that Scripture is authoritative for faith and practice. We recognize the wonderful utility, trustworthiness, and full inspiration of the Bible, and thus agree wholeheartedly with Paul's exhortation to Timothy.
We can therefore be certain that 2 Timothy 3:16 does not have anything to do with the Bible being the sole source for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
We discuss the sufficiency of the Bible here.
We discuss other ways God speaks here.
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.
Greetings Rich.
ReplyDeleteProving that something can happen does not mean that it has happened.
You have amply proven that it is Biblically possible that the era of physical supernatural manifestations was not meant to end. But the lack of prima facie needed to take the non-cessationists arguement serious is beyond the pale of reason.
But I do wish to be wrong on this matter.
Indeed, you are correct. There is a paucity of examples of legitimate supernatural manifestations, not only throughout history, but also in contemporary times.
ReplyDeleteI believe it to be an aberration, a result of long-term apostasy. I'm praying for revival.