-------------------------
The author tells us he is here to help those who are leaving the charismatic movement. How he helps is a mystery because he never speaks to the topic at all. Rather, he makes a bunch of doctrinal assertions, uses obtuse terminology, and quotes sympathetic theologians who also make doctrinal assertions. A typical charismatic would find no help from this because a typical charismatic is not acquainted with these things.
So, the author writes to defend his doctrine, not to help charismatics.
But even then, we had hoped he would lay out the Scriptural case for his doctrine, but he doesn't. In his over 2000 words, we find
When I first became a Christian, I found myself caught between two worlds at my workplace. On one side were solid evangelical believers who nurtured my early faith with Scripture and sound doctrine. On the other was a small but vocal group of charismatic Pentecostals who handed me cassette tapes by Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland, insisting that their practice of speaking in tongues was the essential evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work.
What troubled me the most was their warning: if I rejected what these “faith teachers” were doing, I risked committing the unpardonable sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. As a young believer, I faced a question that felt dreadfully urgent: was the gift of speaking in tongues still given to the church today, or had it ceased with the apostles?
This article is especially for those coming out of the charismatic movement and exploring Reformed theology. The answer I found in Scripture transformed not just my theology, but my peace in Christ. (The author sets the stage by putting his finger on the scales: Solid, compassionate evangelical believers vs. kooky cultist charismatics. We are pretty certain, then, that this article will be at least partly informed by his experiences with this small subset of Charismatic Christians.)
Acts records the day of Pentecost like this:
The visitors to Jerusalem each heard the apostles speaking and asked: “How is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” (Acts 2:8). The miracle is called xenoglossy1: real human languages, supernaturally given to Galileans who had never learned them.
The gift of speaking in tongues, as the New Testament describes it, has ceased. (The author starts to explain, but then jumps to a summary conclusion.)
The function of speaking in tongues was redemptive-historical. (??? Unexplained terminology.)
Paul at Corinth: The Gift Tested and Tamed
By the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, the gift had come to a congregation that mishandled it. He ranks tongues at the bottom of the gift list (1 Corinthians 12:28), (Well, no. Let's quote:
A continuationist will reply that “when the perfect comes” (v. 10) is Christ’s return, so tongues continue until then. Reformed exegetes read “the perfect” two ways: some as the Parousia (Second Coming), others as the closing of the canon.4 The cessation case stands either way. (Everyone agrees that this verse teaches these things cease. As the author concedes, it's the "when" that is at issue, which means this verse is a matter of interpretation and thus does not inform the topic.)
Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:19–20 that the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church, with Christ as the cornerstone. (We discuss this Scripture here.)
A continuationist might object that non-apostles also spoke in tongues, at Pentecost, in Cornelius’s household, at Ephesus, and in Corinth. Each instance happens within the apostolic age, under apostolic ministry (Acts 8:17, 19:6) (Um, sir. The Bible does not cover a time period past the "apostolic age.")
The gift here is the Holy Spirit, not tongues. Peter states that what happened in Cornelius' house is the same thing that happened to them at Pentecost. We would assert that the tongues of Acts authenticates the universality of the poured out Holy Spirit. Salvation was no longer just for Israel.
The Cessationist Case in Five Points (This is basically a re-hash of what the author already told us.)
1. A Credentialing Gift, Not an Ordinary One
The gift was a credentialing gift (tongues, prophecy, apostolic miracles), not an ordinary one (teaching, mercy, hospitality). (The author invents categories. However, all spiritual gifts are supernatural empowerments.)
2. The Foundation Has Been Laid
Ephesians 2:20 places the apostles and prophets at the foundation of the church. A foundation is laid once. What rises on it is the building, not another foundation. (The author continues to talk about apostles.)
3. The Canon Is Closed
Jude 3 speaks of “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” Hebrews 1:1–2 contrasts the former prophetic mode of revelation with God’s final speech in his Son.
After the Book of Revelation was complete, any prophecy or speaking in tongues offered as new revelation would, by definition, add to a closed canon (Revelation 22:18). (The author makes a new assertion, yet again without explanation. Why would prophecy or tongues be required to be added to the closed canon? There is no Bible verse that says this.
4. The Covenantal Sign-Function Has Been Fulfilled
Tongues were a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel for refusing the prophetic word (1 Corinthians 14:21–22, citing Isaiah 28). With the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), the sign-function exhausted itself. The gospel had irrevocably gone to the Gentiles. (Tongues as a sign was only one purpose. Tongues also self-edifies [1Co. 14:4], and when interpreted, tongues edifies the Body [1Co. 14:12-13]. Tongues must be done for the strengthening of the church [1Co. 14:26].
5. Paul Predicted the Cessation
Calvin, Hodge, and the broader Reformed tradition read 1 Corinthians 13:8 as predictive of the gift’s natural termination once it had served its purpose. (Sigh. Another appeal to the author's tradition. Translation: The reformed tradition and its theologians believe their own doctrines.)
When the Gift Ceased
The Reformed tradition places the cessation of tongues within the close of the apostolic era: with the passing of the apostles and the completion of the canon. (Yes, yes. But what does the Bible say?)
The closing of the canon, with the writing of Revelation, terminated the deposit of inscripturated revelation. (Repeated assertion, still undocumented.)
Augustine raises the question for his readers in the fifth century: (We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
The Confessional Witness
The Reformed confessions teach cessationism without using the modern term. The Westminster Confession of Faith 1.1 (We forgive the reader for not knowing what this is.)
If not even an apostle or an angel may add to God’s revelation, then no modern claimant of tongues-as-revelation may add. (Which we are not in danger of doing.)
The Reformed confessions speak with one voice: Scripture is complete, the former modes of revelation have ceased, and no claim of fresh revelation may be added. (Pretty much every Christian on the planet agrees.)
The Reformed Tradition Speaks (The tradition which teaches cessation happens to agree with cessationism. Who'da thunk.)
The Reformed theological tradition speaks consistently. Calvin calls the Apostles “extraordinary, because [they have] no place in churches duly constituted.”11 The extraordinary office of Apostle has passed. (Oh. We're back to apostles again.)
Richard B. Gaffin Jr. (Another Reformed theologian, still living. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
R. C. Sproul, (Another Reformed theologian, 1929-2017. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
The Reformed witness is unanimous: no major theologian in any century has held that the apostolic gift of tongues continues.(Correction: Every major theologian who does not believe in tongues does not believe in tongues.
And there is no such thing as "the apostolic gift of tongues.")
The Spirit Works Through the Word
Some hear cessationism as a quenching of the Spirit. Far from it. The Reformed answer is the reverse. The Spirit is no less present today, only present differently. At Pentecost he worked extraordinarily, inaugurating the Gentile mission and laying the foundation of the church.
With the foundation laid and the canon complete, he now works through the ordinary means of grace: (Undefined phrase.)
Footnotes
George Thomas Kurian, Nelson’s New Christian Dictionary, “xenoglossy.”
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John Calvin, Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, on Acts 2:4.
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Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, on 1 Corinthians 14.
↩︎
Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, New Testament Commentary, 467–68.
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R. C. Sproul, gen. ed., Reformation Study Bible, note on 1 Corinthians 13:8.
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Calvin, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, on 1 Corinthians 13:8 (Pringle).
↩︎
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, “The Officers of the Church,” 584.
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Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, on 1 Corinthians 14, citing John Chrysostom, 277.
↩︎
Augustine, The City of God XXII.8.1.
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B. B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles, 6.
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Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 4.3.4 (Beveridge).
↩︎
Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 1: Prolegomena, 383 (Bolt, ed.).
↩︎
Richard B. Gaffin Jr., “A Cessationist View,” in Word & Spirit: Selected Writings in Biblical and Systematic Theology, 488.
↩︎
R. C. Sproul, “Zeal without Knowledge,” Tabletalk (April 2002), “Right Now Counts Forever” column.
↩︎
- The number of Bible verses quoted: Six, none of which improve the author's case
- The number of Bible verses cited but not quoted: Twenty three, none of which improve the author's case
- The number of agreeable theologians quoted or referenced: Twelve, none of which improve the author's case
- The number of undocumented assertions: Dozens
- The number of contrary sources quoted in order to evaluate and refute: Zero
We must deem this Bad Bible Teaching, and bad polemics.
We discuss tongues in detail here.
When I first became a Christian, I found myself caught between two worlds at my workplace. On one side were solid evangelical believers who nurtured my early faith with Scripture and sound doctrine. On the other was a small but vocal group of charismatic Pentecostals who handed me cassette tapes by Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland, insisting that their practice of speaking in tongues was the essential evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work.
What troubled me the most was their warning: if I rejected what these “faith teachers” were doing, I risked committing the unpardonable sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. As a young believer, I faced a question that felt dreadfully urgent: was the gift of speaking in tongues still given to the church today, or had it ceased with the apostles?
This article is especially for those coming out of the charismatic movement and exploring Reformed theology. The answer I found in Scripture transformed not just my theology, but my peace in Christ. (The author sets the stage by putting his finger on the scales: Solid, compassionate evangelical believers vs. kooky cultist charismatics. We are pretty certain, then, that this article will be at least partly informed by his experiences with this small subset of Charismatic Christians.)
Acts records the day of Pentecost like this:
“Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:2–4).
The visitors to Jerusalem each heard the apostles speaking and asked: “How is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” (Acts 2:8). The miracle is called xenoglossy1: real human languages, supernaturally given to Galileans who had never learned them.
The gift of speaking in tongues, as the New Testament describes it, has ceased. (The author starts to explain, but then jumps to a summary conclusion.)
That isn’t a novel claim. It belongs to the Westminster Standards and the Three Forms of Unity, to John Calvin, Francis Turretin, Herman Bavinck, Louis Berkhof, and R. C. Sproul, and to the major cessationist works: B. B. Warfield’s Counterfeit Miracles, John Owen’s Pneumatologia, and Richard B. Gaffin Jr.’s Perspectives on Pentecost. The Reformed witness on this point is consistent across the tradition. (Yes, yes. Tradition the author likes and theologians he agrees with. But what does the Bible say?)
“The disciples spoke indeed with strange tongues; otherwise the miracle had not been wrought in them, but in the hearers.”2 (Yes, yes. Calvin. But what does the Bible say?)
The function of speaking in tongues was redemptive-historical. (??? Unexplained terminology.)
Pentecost reversed Babel. At Babel, God scattered languages to restrain human sin (Genesis 11:7–9). At Pentecost, God redeemed tongues to deliver the gospel to every nation under heaven. The same Spirit who baffled the builders now brings Jews and Gentiles together by the gospel. (A vaguely interesting theory. But what does the Bible say?)
With that founding complete, the need for the gift of tongues ended. (Yet again the author starts to explain something and then repeats his summary conclusion.)
Paul at Corinth: The Gift Tested and Tamed
By the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, the gift had come to a congregation that mishandled it. He ranks tongues at the bottom of the gift list (1 Corinthians 12:28), (Well, no. Let's quote:
1Co. 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
We find a 1, 2, 3, and an implied 4, then the remainder are treated similarly.)
requires interpretation for public use on pain of silence (1 Corinthians 14:27–28). Paul even framed the gift’s covenantal function as a sign of judgment on unbelieving Israel, citing Isaiah 28:11–12 (1 Corinthians 14:21–22). (The author later claims that the sign of judgment is the only purpose of tongues.)
Charles Hodge (A Reformed author. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
Charles Hodge (A Reformed author. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
identifies four marks of the biblical gift:
“It is clear, 1. That the word tongues in this connection means languages. 2. That the speaker with tongues was in a state of calm self-control. 3. That what he said was intelligible to himself, and could be interpreted to others. 4. That the unintelligibleness of what was said, arose not from the sounds uttered being inarticulate, but from the ignorance of the hearer.”3 (Yes, yes. But these are undocumented statements. What does the Bible say?)
“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away” (We discuss this verse in detail here.)
A continuationist will reply that “when the perfect comes” (v. 10) is Christ’s return, so tongues continue until then. Reformed exegetes read “the perfect” two ways: some as the Parousia (Second Coming), others as the closing of the canon.4 The cessation case stands either way. (Everyone agrees that this verse teaches these things cease. As the author concedes, it's the "when" that is at issue, which means this verse is a matter of interpretation and thus does not inform the topic.)
Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:19–20 that the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church, with Christ as the cornerstone. (We discuss this Scripture here.)
A foundation is laid only once. The revelatory and credentialing gifts (gifts that authenticated the apostles as God’s messengers) were given to lay that foundation. These included prophecy, tongues, and knowledge in the apostolic sense. (The author again speculates, this time using biased language. He has not established, or even discussed, that there are gifts that are "revelatory and credentialing."
Nor has he established, or even discussed, the idea that these gifts were given to lay the foundation. Nor has he established, or even discussed, what the foundation is as Paul described it. Nor has he established, or even discussed, how the foundation connects to tongues.)
A continuationist might object that non-apostles also spoke in tongues, at Pentecost, in Cornelius’s household, at Ephesus, and in Corinth. Each instance happens within the apostolic age, under apostolic ministry (Acts 8:17, 19:6) (Um, sir. The Bible does not cover a time period past the "apostolic age.")
or at a redemptive-historical milestone authenticating the apostolic mission (Acts 2, 10). (??? What does this obtuse phrase mean?
The author supplies two Bible references, chapters only, as if these document his point. So when we read the chapters looking for the concept of "authenticating the apostolic mission" somewhere in these chapters, we do not find it.
So, what was the real purpose of the tongues of Acts? It wasn't to authenticate "the apostolic mission." Luke actually told us, right there in the Bible. The tongues of Acts showed the Jews, particularly the apostles, that the Holy Spirit [and salvation of course] was for not only for Israel, but the gentiles as well:
Acts 11:15-18 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?” 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
The gift here is the Holy Spirit, not tongues. Peter states that what happened in Cornelius' house is the same thing that happened to them at Pentecost. We would assert that the tongues of Acts authenticates the universality of the poured out Holy Spirit. Salvation was no longer just for Israel.
This authenticates the Gospel, not the apostles. There is no place in the NT that talks about tongues or any other supernatural manifestation authenticating the apostles. We discuss authentication here.
We are surprised that a so-called Bible teacher would not understand the plain statements of the Bible.)
Once the foundation was laid and the canon closed, the gifts had served their purpose. (The author seems to enjoy making undocumented claims. But what does the Bible say? We discuss the closed canon here.)
Once the foundation was laid and the canon closed, the gifts had served their purpose. (The author seems to enjoy making undocumented claims. But what does the Bible say? We discuss the closed canon here.)
“The revelatory function of the apostles and prophets…was a foundation-laying activity like Christ’s ministry, death, and resurrection. Thus, as with Christ, when the foundation-laying activity is accomplished, the activity is so unique that it ceases.”5 (??? This is the matter to be proved, not simply reasserted.
And a commentary note from a Bible based on the author's preferred tradition adds no light to the topic at hand.)
Calvin agrees:
“Hence love must be preferred before temporary and perishable gifts. Prophesyings have an end, tongues fail, knowledge ceases.”6 (Yes, yes. Calvin. But what does the Bible say?)
The Cessationist Case in Five Points (This is basically a re-hash of what the author already told us.)
1. A Credentialing Gift, Not an Ordinary One
The gift was a credentialing gift (tongues, prophecy, apostolic miracles), not an ordinary one (teaching, mercy, hospitality). (The author invents categories. However, all spiritual gifts are supernatural empowerments.)
Hebrews 2:3–4 frames the apostolic miracles as God’s witness to “such a great salvation,” (Let's actually quote it:
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.
Does the reader see any mention of "apostolic?" Neither do we.
The author uses the phrase "apostolic miracles" to imply that miracles are isolated to the apostles. However, there are the miracles done by the apostles and there are miracles done by non-apostles, like Stephen [Acts 6:8], Ananias [Acts 9:17], this unknown man [Mark 9:38], and of course, those who have the spiritual gift [1 Cor. 12:28].
Notice also that the apostles are not being "credentialed" in this passage, the Gospel is.)
and 2 Corinthians 12:12 names “the signs of an apostle” as a distinct mark of a definite class. (Let's actually quote it:
2 Cor. 12:12 The things that mark an apostle — signs, wonders and miracles — were done among you with great perseverance.
Notice that this "definite class" does not indicate exclusivity. We discuss this Scripture in detail here.)
With the apostolic deposit completed and inscripturated, that function is fulfilled. No one today can claim the office of apostle. (It seems the author has stopped discussing tongues and is now refuting the idea of contemporary apostles. We discuss the apostles in detail here.)
2. The Foundation Has Been Laid
Ephesians 2:20 places the apostles and prophets at the foundation of the church. A foundation is laid once. What rises on it is the building, not another foundation. (The author continues to talk about apostles.)
3. The Canon Is Closed
Jude 3 speaks of “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” Hebrews 1:1–2 contrasts the former prophetic mode of revelation with God’s final speech in his Son.
After the Book of Revelation was complete, any prophecy or speaking in tongues offered as new revelation would, by definition, add to a closed canon (Revelation 22:18). (The author makes a new assertion, yet again without explanation. Why would prophecy or tongues be required to be added to the closed canon? There is no Bible verse that says this.
Well, we shall explain, since the author seems to recoil from explanation. Cessationists believe that all revelation from God is "authoritative," that is, on the level of Scripture. Thus, all revelation from God needs to be Scripture.
But this is obviously false, since there are many prophecies and tongues that are mentioned in the Bible but the contents are not included [Ac. 10:46, Ac. 11:27, Ac. 13:1, Ac. 15:32, Ac. 19:6, Ac. 21:9, for example]. Those prophecies and tongues are authoritative according to the author's standard, but we do not find them recorded in the Bible. If there are many unrecorded prophecies and tongues in the Bible, why would contemporary prophecies and tongues need to be added to the Bible?
Therefore, prophecy and tongues is irrelevant to the closed canon.)
The Westminster divines stated this directly: “those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased” (WCF 1.1). (Another assertion, again simply a repeat of what the author has already said, and of course an undocumented statement.)
4. The Covenantal Sign-Function Has Been Fulfilled
Tongues were a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel for refusing the prophetic word (1 Corinthians 14:21–22, citing Isaiah 28). With the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), the sign-function exhausted itself. The gospel had irrevocably gone to the Gentiles. (Tongues as a sign was only one purpose. Tongues also self-edifies [1Co. 14:4], and when interpreted, tongues edifies the Body [1Co. 14:12-13]. Tongues must be done for the strengthening of the church [1Co. 14:26].
Again, this supposed Bible teacher doesn't understand these things.)
5. Paul Predicted the Cessation
Calvin, Hodge, and the broader Reformed tradition read 1 Corinthians 13:8 as predictive of the gift’s natural termination once it had served its purpose. (Sigh. Another appeal to the author's tradition. Translation: The reformed tradition and its theologians believe their own doctrines.)
When the Gift Ceased
The Reformed tradition places the cessation of tongues within the close of the apostolic era: with the passing of the apostles and the completion of the canon. (Yes, yes. But what does the Bible say?)
Berkhof identifies apostles, prophets, and evangelists as “extraordinary officers” given for a finite, foundational task.7 (Berkhof? A Dutch reformed theologian [1873–1957]. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is. We're sure he's an important man, but again, what does the Bible say?)
The closing of the canon, with the writing of Revelation, terminated the deposit of inscripturated revelation. (Repeated assertion, still undocumented.)
The destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 closed the covenantal sign-economy. (??? unexplained terminology. And the statement is extra-biblical.)
Patristic testimony (Unexplained terminology.)
Patristic testimony (Unexplained terminology.)
also confirms this timeline. Hodge cites Chrysostom on 1 Corinthians 14 (late fourth century): (We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
“This whole passage is very obscure; but the obscurity arises from our ignorance of the facts described, which, though familiar to those to whom the apostle wrote, have ceased to occur.”8
Augustine raises the question for his readers in the fifth century: (We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
“Why, they say, are those miracles, which you affirm were wrought formerly, wrought no longer? I might, indeed, reply that miracles were necessary before the world believed, in order that it might believe.”9
(Yes, yes. More non-biblical assertions. At the risk of being accused of relying on non-biblical sources ourselves, we present some counter claims for the reader's edification. These quotes demonstrate the author is carefully selecting his references to bolster his case:
- Justin Martyr (100-165): “For the prophetical gifts remain with us even to the present time. Now it is possible to see among us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God.”
- Irenaeus (125-200): “In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the church who possess prophetic gifts and through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages. ... Yes, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years.”
- Tertullian (150-240): “For seeing that we too acknowledge the spiritual charismata, or gifts, we too have merited the attainment of the prophetic gift ... and heaven knows how many distinguished men, to say nothing of the common people, have been cured either of devils or of their sicknesses.”
- Novation (210-280): “This is he [the Holy Spirit] who places prophets in the church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works ... and arranges whatever gifts there are of the charismata; and thus making the Lord’s church everywhere, and in all, perfected and completed."
- Origen (185-284): “Some give evidence of their having received through this faith a marvelous power by the cures which they perform, invoking no other name over those who need their help than that of the God of all things, along with Jesus and a mention of his history.”
- Augustine (354-430): In his work The City of God, Augustine tells of healings and miracles that he has observed firsthand and then says, “I am so pressed by the promise of finishing this work that I cannot record all the miracles I know.”
What we have here is dueling historians. We would prefer we, and the author, might be restricted to the biblical case.)
Subsequent claimants to the gift of tongues have been rejected by the historic catholic Church: Montanism by the early synods, medieval enthusiasts by Rome before the Reformation, and modern Pentecostalism by the Reformed tradition. B. B. Warfield (We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
in Counterfeit Miracles ties the gifts to the apostolic office itself:
“They were part of the credentials of the Apostles as the authoritative agents of God in founding the church. Their function thus confined them to distinctively the Apostolic Church, and they necessarily passed away with it.”10 (The author keeps spouting the opinions of others as if they document his case. But they don't. They are just restatements of a someone's doctrinal preferences.
We want the Bible verses that explain each of the author's assertions.)
The Confessional Witness
The Reformed confessions teach cessationism without using the modern term. The Westminster Confession of Faith 1.1 (We forgive the reader for not knowing what this is.)
states that God’s special revelation, “committed wholly unto writing,” is now contained entirely in Scripture: “those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.” WCF 1.6 shuts the door on any addition to Scripture: nothing may be added “whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.”
The Belgic Confession, Article 7, (We forgive the reader for not knowing what this is.)
The Belgic Confession, Article 7, (We forgive the reader for not knowing what this is.)
“We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it…no one, even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says, ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us” (Belgic Confession, Article 7). (We discuss the sufficiency of Scripture here.)
If not even an apostle or an angel may add to God’s revelation, then no modern claimant of tongues-as-revelation may add. (Which we are not in danger of doing.)
The Reformed confessions speak with one voice: Scripture is complete, the former modes of revelation have ceased, and no claim of fresh revelation may be added. (Pretty much every Christian on the planet agrees.)
The Reformed Tradition Speaks (The tradition which teaches cessation happens to agree with cessationism. Who'da thunk.)
The Reformed theological tradition speaks consistently. Calvin calls the Apostles “extraordinary, because [they have] no place in churches duly constituted.”11 The extraordinary office of Apostle has passed. (Oh. We're back to apostles again.)
The ordinary office of pastor and teacher remains. (This is a reference to Ep. 4:11-12:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up...
So Calvin thinks there are extraordinary and ordinary offices. Upon what basis we don't know, because neither he nor the author explain anything. Calvin is just another sympathetic source.)
Herman Bavinck (Another Dutch Reformed theologian [1854-1921]. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
Herman Bavinck (Another Dutch Reformed theologian [1854-1921]. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
frames the principle from the side of revelation itself:
“In Christ God both fully revealed and fully gave himself. Consequently also Scripture is complete; it is the perfected Word of God.”12 (No one disagrees with this.)
Richard B. Gaffin Jr. (Another Reformed theologian, still living. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
makes the redemptive-historical case directly:
“Noncessationists are caught in a redemptive-historical anachronism. They are seeking within the superstructure-building phase of the church’s history that which belonged to its foundation-laying phase…But God’s Word lifts us out of this dilemma. It shows us that by God’s wise and gracious design, prophecy and tongues have completed their task and have ceased.”13 (Merely a restatement of the author's assertions. But we reject the abiblical idea that contemporary tongues or prophecy rebuilds the Ephesians 2:20 foundation.)
R. C. Sproul, (Another Reformed theologian, 1929-2017. We forgive the reader for not knowing who this is.)
reflecting on his brief contact with the movement, gives the pastoral verdict:
“I began to see that anyone who is uninhibited enough can utter unintelligible sounds while in a posture of prayer…My final departure from the movement came when I realized that I must live by the Word, as the Spirit never works against the Word but always with it and through it.”14 (This is true about the Spirit, but again this is just another man's opinion. We still await the Bible exposition of the author's doctrines. Oh, wait. He's almost done.)
The Reformed witness is unanimous: no major theologian in any century has held that the apostolic gift of tongues continues.(Correction: Every major theologian who does not believe in tongues does not believe in tongues.
What constitutes a "major theologian" is a matter of preference we think, because there are numerous charismatic theologians. Wikipedia even provides a list. Now, we do not claim biblical rigor, or even agreement with these people, but they do exist.
And there is no such thing as "the apostolic gift of tongues.")
The Spirit Works Through the Word
Some hear cessationism as a quenching of the Spirit. Far from it. The Reformed answer is the reverse. The Spirit is no less present today, only present differently. At Pentecost he worked extraordinarily, inaugurating the Gentile mission and laying the foundation of the church.
With the foundation laid and the canon complete, he now works through the ordinary means of grace: (Undefined phrase.)
the Word read and preached, the sacraments rightly administered, and prayer offered in Christ’s name. ("The ordinary means of grace" is not found in the Bible. These three elements are certainly biblical, but there is no statement in the Bible that tells us the Holy Spirit is restricted to, or even operates in, these three "means of grace.")
What modern charismatics long for in the miraculous gifts (All spiritual gifts are supernatural empowerments.)
What modern charismatics long for in the miraculous gifts (All spiritual gifts are supernatural empowerments.)
is already given in the spiritual miracle of the new birth, in progressive sanctification, and in the Spirit’s witness with our spirits that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
We don’t look back at Pentecost wishing for its tongues of fire; we stand on the foundation it laid. Reformed Christians seek to hear Christ in his Word, feed at his table, and rest in the seal of his Spirit. Today, if we long to hear the Spirit’s voice, we can open our Bible: there he speaks to us, and what he speaks is Christ in the Scripture he himself inspired.
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We don’t look back at Pentecost wishing for its tongues of fire; we stand on the foundation it laid. Reformed Christians seek to hear Christ in his Word, feed at his table, and rest in the seal of his Spirit. Today, if we long to hear the Spirit’s voice, we can open our Bible: there he speaks to us, and what he speaks is Christ in the Scripture he himself inspired.
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Footnotes
George Thomas Kurian, Nelson’s New Christian Dictionary, “xenoglossy.”
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John Calvin, Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, on Acts 2:4.
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Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, on 1 Corinthians 14.
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Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, New Testament Commentary, 467–68.
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R. C. Sproul, gen. ed., Reformation Study Bible, note on 1 Corinthians 13:8.
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Calvin, Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, on 1 Corinthians 13:8 (Pringle).
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Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, “The Officers of the Church,” 584.
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Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, on 1 Corinthians 14, citing John Chrysostom, 277.
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Augustine, The City of God XXII.8.1.
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B. B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles, 6.
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Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 4.3.4 (Beveridge).
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Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 1: Prolegomena, 383 (Bolt, ed.).
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Richard B. Gaffin Jr., “A Cessationist View,” in Word & Spirit: Selected Writings in Biblical and Systematic Theology, 488.
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R. C. Sproul, “Zeal without Knowledge,” Tabletalk (April 2002), “Right Now Counts Forever” column.
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