Misunderstanding Cessationism - by Josh Buice

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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This is nearly 2100 words (minus quoted material) and the author quotes not a single Bible verse. Not one.

There is and should be a robust (and respectful) debate about doctrine and matters of faith. But the author isn't interested in that. He goes on and on about his justifiable skepticism about the miraculous, and then spend an inordinate amount of time being offended at the possibility he might be a "hyper-cessationist."

This article is not only bad teaching, it is also bad writing.

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According to cessationism, the gifts typically classified as miraculous (healing, revelatory, and the gift of an apostle) (All spiritual gifts are supernatural by definition.)

served a very unique purpose within the history of God’s church and that purpose has now been fulfilled. (Where in the Bible do we find this information? If cessationism is being misunderstood, maybe a biblical explanation might be in order.)

Since that purpose has been fulfilled, those gifts that served such a purpose are no longer given to local churches.

There is obviously another position known as continuationism which embraces the opposing view. According to continuationists, the Holy Spirit continues to gift local churches with apostles and the miraculous gifts that are typically associated with the apostles in the New Testament (healing, tongues, prophecy). While there are certainly variations to each position, these two opposing camps have serious disagreements on important theological and practical matters that impact God’s church. (Will the author explore these important matters? Nope.)

With that said, there are a few ways in which the cessationist position is commonly misunderstood and misrepresented. It’s important to represent opposing positions properly in order for the sake of clarity and to avoid caricatures. In this brief article, it’s my goal to point out a couple of common misrepresentations that malign the cessationist position.

The Gifts Continue

Today’s church continues to be gifted by the Holy Spirit. While our time within church history differs from the days of the apostles, what we must openly acknowledge is that God’s people are gifted for unique service within the body of Christ. It is a misrepresentation and false caricature to suggest that cessationists reject the ongoing gifts of the Holy Spirit in our day.

Our God has always designed his church to be orderly. When disorder occurs, it’s the product of sin and immaturity. As we look back to the early church period, there was an explosion of satanic opposition to the work of Christ and his apostles. As the church expanded, the devilish attacks by unclean spirits and persecution sought to push back against Christ’s church. Therefore, it was God’s design to accompany the work of Christ in his earthly ministry and his chosen apostles with miracles, wonders, and signs to validate the work of God among his people. (This is incorrect. It's true Jesus made claim that His miracles validated His identity and ministry: 

Jn. 14:11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

But the apostles were never validated by their miracles, rather, the gospel message was: 

He. 2:3-4 ...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.

It's important to understand this because cessationists like the author try to use this misrepresentation to isolate the apostles' ministry as unique and separate from run-of-the mill Christians.)

The apostles and prophets served as the foundation of God’s Church (Eph 2:20).

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Apart from ongoing gifts of the Holy Spirit, the church of Jesus Christ would shrivel up and die. Therefore, as Christ promised that the gates of hell would never prevail against his church (Matt 16:18), it must be clearly established that it remains God’s design to continue to gift his people in our present day with unique gifts for each local church to function in a biblical and orderly manner.

 
Miracles Continue

One thing that must be firmly established is the fact that cessationists believe that God can perform miracles at any time or place in human history. Our God is sovereign and he always does what he pleases. The cessationist position affirms the position that the Holy Spirit no longer gifts individuals with the ability to perform miracles. Consider the definition of a miracle as a starting point. If the Holy Spirit intended to provide every local church with miraculous gifts in our day, would we view their healings and ongoing revelations from God as miraculous in nature or more normative? (How we might view things is not the measure of what is miraculous. And, this is not a biblical argument, it's more like a speculation. 

Further, the author just stated that "the Holy Spirit no longer gifts individuals with the ability to perform miracles." So apparently he has the ability to ascertain what is miraculous and what is not.)

It was Martin Luther who said the following:

In the early Church the Holy Spirit was sent forth in visible form. He descended upon Christ in the form of a dove (Matt. 3:16), and in the likeness of fire upon the apostles and other believers. (Acts 2:3) This visible outpouring of the Holy Spirit was necessary to the establishment of the early Church, as were also the miracles that accompanied the gift of the Holy Ghost. Paul explained the purpose of these miraculous gifts of the Spirit in I Corinthians 14:22, “Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” Once the Church had been established and properly advertised by these miracles, the visible appearance of the Holy Ghost ceased.2 (Well, what Martin Luther believed is also not the biblical case.)

While there were definitive eras throughout history that mark seasons of divine miracles such as Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Christ and his apostles (The author surreptitiously slips in these little assertions as if they were accepted truth. However, we take issue with the idea that there were isolated periods of miracles.

First, "the miraculous things written in the Bible" does not equal "everything miraculous that happened." The Bible records 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.

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

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

Fourth, the Bible tells us that there were not isolated periods of 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, made a claim of an unbroken period of miracles lasting over 800 years. 

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.)

—it’s a misrepresentation to suggest that cessationists reject divine miracles in our present day. Visit a cessationist church and listen to the pastors pray. Attend a prayer meeting and listen to the cessationists pray prayers of supplication as they request for divine healing and restoration of specific church members, friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who are suffering illness and disease. The prayers of a cessationist are often indicative of the fact that they believe miracles continue in our present hour. (Hmmm. If The Holy Spirit does do miracles in answer to prayer, that means this is no longer a debate about whether or not He gives "supernatural" gifts like healing. If a person who prays resulting in a healing, it means that person was gifted by the Holy Spirit, if only temporarily. The issue is now, how long do these gifts last in a Christian? 

The author has ceded his whole case.)

The problem with the continuationist position regarding miracles is that there seems to be a clear distinction between the modern gift of healing and the gift that was visible in Christ’s earthly ministry and his apostles. John MacArthur explains:

Continuationists are quick to differentiate this modern gift from the healing ministries of Christ and the apostles (as recorded in the book of Acts). Whereas those healings were clearly miraculous, immediate, public, and undeniable, the continuationist understanding of healing essentially reduces the gift of healing to a prayer for someone to get well that might be answered over an extended period of time. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of prayer. All cessationists do. But special acts of divine providence in answer to prayer are not equivalent to the miraculous gift of healing described in the New Testament. To reduce the gift in that way is to belittle what was happening in the first century of church history.3 (An undocumented opinion. Dr. MacArthur does not explain why miracles must look exactly like the first century miracles. Where in the Bible does it say this?)

Although the three eras mentioned above (Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Christ and his apostles) mark unmistakable spikes in miraculous activity, cessationists do not suggest that supernatural miracles didn’t occur outside of those eras nor do cessationists believe that miracles cannot happen in our present hour. (??? The author, having made a careful distinction between the periodic miracles of past times and what happens today, essentially reverses himself and concedes that miracles do happen outside his previous boundaries.)

The cessationist is clearly suggesting that some of the gifts, such as the gift of healing and the revelatory gifts, have certainly ceased to be given to individuals within the body of Christ today, (But, but... A person who prays for someone to be healed and that person gets healed means a spiritual gift has been given!)

but the cessation of such gifts doesn’t prevent supernatural acts of God from taking place according to God’s sovereign will. (A distinction without a difference. All miracles take place according to "God's sovereign will.")

The cessation of miraculous and revelatory gifts to the church, (There is no such biblical distinction as "miraculous and revelatory gifts." In fact, all spiritual gifts are miraculous by definition.) 

including the gift of apostle, should never be taken as anti-supernaturalism.

Avoiding False Caricatures

It is true that cessationists embrace the idea that some (not all) of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are no longer necessary and no longer given by the Holy Spirit to his people in our day. (Why do cessationists believe this? What is their biblical case for this belief? Will the author ever explain?)

For a cessationist to make the claim that the unique gift of an apostle has ceased or that ongoing divine revelation (the “God told me to tell you” language) is no longer given to God’s people does not mean that the cessationist rejects the ongoing active ministry of the Holy Spirit within today’s church.

Ryan Denton has published an article at Reformation21 on the subject of hyper-cessationism. (The author will now devote a large section to refuting Mr. Denton.)

In his attempt to define the term, he suggests the following:

We could define it as the following: a person who is not just a cessationist, but who also aggressively tries to undermine or disprove anything abnormal in the Christian life; who is automatically skeptical of the miraculous, including but not limited to revival, healing, dreams, and visions; and whose worldview is closer to functional deism or rationalism despite theoretically denying such.4

The problem with that definition is that I would fall within the category of being immediately skeptical of people who are claiming to receive dreams and visions as direct revelation from God. (This skepticism has nothing to do with cessationism, either hyper or non-hyper.)

I would never classify myself as a hyper-cessationist, but I do think it would be wise and prudent to be immediately skeptical of anyone claiming to receive direct revelation from God. (Waaait. A cessationist does not believe in contemporary prophecy. Why be just skeptical? The author as a cessationist should summarily reject this.)

Claims of direct revelation from God through visions and dreams serve as an assault upon the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word. ("Assault?" We recently commented on another of the author's articles here, where he made this very claim three separate times, but never explained it. How does prophecy assault sufficiency? And by the way, why didn't the prophecy occurring in the first century "assault" the sufficiency of the Scriptures of that day?)

According to the 1689 London Baptist Confession, in Chapter one and paragraph one devoted to the holy Scripture, we find the following statement: (Oh, so he can quote a statement of faith, but not the Bible.)

The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in diversified manners to reveal Himself, and to declare (that) His will unto His church; and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now completed.

In like manner, the Westminster Confession of Faith concludes the first paragraph of chapter one which is likewise devoted to the holy Scriptures with this statement, “those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.” (Hmm. Another statement of faith, but no Bible.)

To suggest that people who are immediately skeptical of dreams and visions as direct revelation from God should be classified as hyper-cessationists is a bit of a stretch at the least. (The author quoted Mr. Denton's definition but bristles at the fact that he might fit the definition.)

That broad brushing definition would include a large group of reformed evangelicals across denominational lines. (Yes, general definitions by nature do this.)

The issue I have with Denton’s definition is that it uses an old tactic that falsely labels an opponent as “hyper” in order to discredit them. (Wow, the author is really offended. 

We read the article, and Mr. Denton has a lot more to say about his definition than the isolated quote found above. There is some nuance to his thinking, much more than is represented by the quote.)

That has been the play of many anti-calvinists (Mr. Denton calls himself "reformed." Therefore, Calvinism is a related, but separate issue.)

who have sought to falsely label calvinists as hyper-calvinists which typically means they’re simply five-point calvinists. We have to be cautious of falsely branding opponents. (Mr. Denton didn't brand anyone. He wrote an article about a doctrinal stance and what he considered to be the issues surrounding that.)

Furthermore, if the gift of healing was clearly operative in God’s church today, there would be no need to be skeptical of the gift. (Oh. Back to the topic. Skeptical again.

In actual fact, no matter what sort of manifestation, people would be skeptical. The Pharisees didn't believe:

Mt. 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

Even His disciples didn't believe that Jesus rose from the dead:

Mk. 16:11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.

So it is quite false that there would be no need to be skeptical. The author is either ignorant or deceptive.)

It would be obvious to everyone and it would result in praise to our sovereign God. (If it wasn't obvious in the first century, why would it be now?)

However, that’s simply not what we clearly see in our day, especially within this information era with smart phones and video cameras on every corner. (This is just dumb. Sorry for our direct language, but that's what it is, dumb. One can search YouTube and find hundreds, if not thousands of videos of healings. Some might be fake, and others unverified, but the fact that they exist is apparently a mystery to the author.)

It’s important that we do not falsely brand people as hyper-cessationists ( Swerving back to Mr. Denton.

No one has been branded. The author just won't let go of his offense. In fact, it seems that the article the author really wanted to write is a refutation of Mr. Denton.)

or suggest that an immediate skeptical posture toward people claiming direct revelation from God or miraculous gifting is improper. ("Skeptical." Yeah, you already wrote this five previous times in this article. Move on.)

I would argue that we should be more skeptical when such claims are made rather than less. ("Skeptical." Sigh.)

Furthermore, when real genuine miracles take place, there is no hiding the light. It’s obvious to everyone. (No, it's not. That's our response now, because summary assertions only require summary denials.)

We see this happening in the ministry of Christ which angered the Pharisees and legalists who rejected him as their Messiah. (Wow, the first mention of the Bible, but he doesn't tell us where this is found, how it's relevant, or what it means.)

Miracles also served as a validation to the apostolic ministry of Jesus’ official representatives. (Absolutely false, as we noted at the beginning.)

There are real serious theological issues that must be addressed by cessationists and continuationists alike, but it’s important to properly represent each opposing position. (We would agree, but...)

It’s not true that cessationists put God is in a box where he is unable to perform miracles today. (...the author misrepresents charismatics.)

Who can shut God in a box? He will do with his world (and act within it) as he so desires (Psalm 113; Psalm 115). (Bible references! Finally. But no Bible quotes yet.)

We must never forget the fact that our God is absolutely sovereign and he acts according to his plan and purpose to glorify himself. It could be said that throughout history God withholds a miracle to accomplish his purposes. At rare times and for mysterious purposes that remain veiled to us, God does perform miracles. Cessationists are not anti-supernatural. That’s simply a false caricature. 

This is our Father’s World. (Oh. He's done. He didn't explain a thing.) 

References

1 Sinclair B. Ferguson, The Holy Spirit, ed. Gerald Bray, Contours of Christian Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 208–209.
2 Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians 4, Trans. by Theodore Graebner [Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1949], pp. 150-172.
3 John MacArthur, Strange Fire, Kindle Version, 245.
4 Ryan Denton, What Is Hyper-Cessationism, published by Reformation21 on 8-21-24