Cessationism - Episode 4: The closed canon vs. contemporary prophecy

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?
• Episode 19 - Hebrews chapter one and the cessation of the sign gifts.

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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Cessationism - Episode 3: Prophecy

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?
• Episode 19 - Hebrews chapter one and the cessation of the sign gifts.

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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Cessationism - Episode 2, The apostles

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?
• Episode 19 - Hebrews chapter one and the cessation of the sign gifts.

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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Cessationism - Episode 1, Introduction and the Perfect

Today we are beginning a cessationism series, topic by topic. We need to say right at the start that we are not theologians, We are simply interested in biblical answers. Unfortunately, the answers we receive from cessationists are extremely unsatisfying from a scriptural and logical standpoint. Thus, this 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?
• Episode 19 - Hebrews chapter one and the cessation of the sign gifts.

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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NEW REVELATION FROM GOD?-BY STEVE FINNELL

Found here. My comments in bold.
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Mr. Finnell is nothing if not doggedly consistent. He will latch onto something and not let go. He takes a topic and hammers it until it is beaten into submission, then writes dozens more posts making the same points over and over. 

So when the situation warrants it, we shall be as tenacious as we can be in response. We will not be able to match Mr. Finnell in sheer volume of repetitious material, nor do we desire to, but we can match and even exceed him in rhetorical prowess.
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Governor’s office shouldn’t be religious pulpit - By Vern Smalley

My comments in bold.
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I comment on Mr. Smalley's letters from time to time in this blog, because he invariably creates a storm of misdirection. Here's the last time he discussed rights.

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Why I Am Not Continuationist - by Tom Challies

Found here. My comments in bold.

We continue my odyssey to locate a coherent, scriptural explanation of cessationism. The author brings up  a couple of things we've not seen before, thus this post.

However, he will never quote or even reference Scripture. It's astonishing that a person can write an article about rejecting a particular doctrine and never quote the Bible.
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20 Diversion Tactics Highly Manipulative Narcissists, Sociopaths And Psychopaths Use To Silence You - by Shahida Arabi

Found here. A very good article.

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Toxic people such as malignant narcissists,psychopaths and those with antisocial traits engage in maladaptive behaviors in relationships that ultimately exploit, demean and hurt their intimate partners, family members and friends. They use a plethora of diversionary tactics that distort the reality of their victims and deflect responsibility. Although those who are not narcissistic can employ these tactics as well, abusive narcissists use these to an excessive extent in an effort to escape accountability for their actions.

Here are the 20 diversionary tactics toxic people use to silence and degrade you.

Capitalism’s Favorite Television Program. Undercover Boss is a mirage that props up capitalism. BY MICHAEL TERRY

Found here. My comments in bold.
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Like all successful reality shows, CBS’s Undercover Boss sticks to a simple formula: The (usually male) CEO of a large American company disguises himself as a bottom-tier worker to get an inside look at his business. He meets workers and management types, sees how hard (or not so hard) they work and comes to appreciate their struggles. Then he reveals his identity. Employees who have proven their worth receive gifts from their now-benevolent overlord. (He's not an overlord, he's a man with authority within the business. He's responsible for it. He makes decisions as he sees fit in order to improve the function of it. 

"Overlord" is a word used for its emotional content, not to illustrate a point being made. It's a word chosen to divert, not illuminate. It suggests an evil that is not present, so as to color one's view about these bosses who in actual fact care enough to get in the trenches and work side by side with their employees.) 

Assault weapons should be restricted to military - By Jerrold E. Johnson

My comments in bold.

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 The second amendment reads: a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be abridged.

This suggests to me that the government (we, the people) has the right to regulate who can own and shoot them. ("Well regulated” does not mean “government regulations on guns.” The militia is to be “well regulated,” that is, organized and orderly.)

This is a partial list of attacks on American citizens on American soil by Jihadists acting in the name of Jihad, or violent Islamicists justifying their act in the name of Islam, since that time.

Found here.

Barack Obama took office as the 44th President of the United States on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. This is a partial list of attacks on American citizens on American soil by Jihadists acting in the name of Jihad, or violent Islamicists justifying their act in the name of Islam, since that time. (Attacks on American citizens overseas are excluded for reasons of space).

Feb. 12, 2009 – Pakistani-American Muzzammil Syed Hassan was the CEO of the first American Muslim TV network broadcast in English, Bridge TV. Hassan beheaded his estranged wife, Aasiya Zubair, after she filed for divorce. Her body was found at the TV station. When he was arrested, he said he “felt an incredible amount of relief” after he killed the woman.

April 12, 2009 – Upon learning that they had patronized a strip club, a Muslim man shoots and kills his brother-in-law and another man in Phoenix, Arizona.

June 1, 2009 – In a drive-by shooting, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad – a convert to Islam who had traveled to Yemen and was deported to the U.S. for overstaying his visa – opened fire on U.S. soldiers standing in front of a Little Rock, Arkansas, recruiting office. Muhammad killed one private and injured another. When he was arrested Muhammad explained that he had planned to kill as many soldiers as possible and was given the assignment by Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula.

November 2009 – Iraq-born Muslim man Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, intentionally hit his daughter with his car and killed her because she had become “too Westernized.” He also attacked the mother of the girl’s boyfriend. Police said, “It occurred because [of] her not following traditional family values. He felt she was becoming too westernized, and he didn’t like that.” His daughter had backed out of an arranged marriage.

Nov. 5, 2009 – Muslim gunman Nidal Malik Hassan, an Army psychiatrist, fatally shoots 13 people and wounds 30 others at Fort Hood, Texas.

Dec. 4, 2009 – A Muslim graduate student from Saudi Arabia, Abdulsalam S. al-Zahrani, stabbed his non-Muslim Islamic studies professor, Richard T. Antoun, to death to avenge “persecuted” Muslims. One of his roommates said, “He was all the time shouting in Arabic, shouting threats, insulting his country for no reason.”

Apostles Among Us - by Rob Mazza

Friends,

I have always been a person burdened with questions about fathering and mothering. Whether this was from my own growing up experiences or of God’s design I cannot tell nor need to, knowing God works in myriad ways to weave together sometimes incongruent rag tag events of our lives into a cape draped over our shoulders called Design. This is a story about those elemental figures in our lives that shaped our beginning knowledge of God - piecemeal or whole and hearty. It’s also a story about apostles. Paul called himself the least of these. He left big footprints. He fathered on a view of God as mother and father. He became what he saw.

When a Million Gather on The Mall Next Month - Tim Hall's "Together 2016" - by Tim Challies

Found here. My comments in bold.

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I have previously commented on Mr. Challies here. 

Generally I find the author to be a thoughtful guy, with some good insight into the faith. However, It seems in this instance Mr. Challies is on the on the hunt for heresy, real or imagined, under every rock. He doesn't think the "Together 2016" gathering to be a good thing, and I think for some rather thin reasons.

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The Blood of Orlando is on John Roberts’ Hands - BY WILLIAM GREIDER

Found here. My comments in bold.
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The Leftist penchant for dissembling is always on display. Here's another one.
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Why It's Time to Repeal the Second Amendment - BY DAVID S. COHEN

Found here. My comments in bold.
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The most astonishing thing about this article is that the author teaches constitutional law, but apparently has no clue as to the nature of the Constitution.
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Public Schools Across The Country Are Violating The Separation Of Church And State - BY ZACK KOPPLIN

Found here. My comments in bold.

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Part of the job of a public school is to provide life tools and advice for students and their families –- on everything from cyberbullying to parenting to general health. (That is, things valued by Leftists. However, there is no desire on our part to accept the author's premise, especially as it serves to provide an excuse for every sort of harebrained leftist "education" program.

If we review the history of public schools we find it yields no principle that schools ought to be a resource for life tools for the families of students. The author wants to position the school as the cultural police, not only for the students in its care, but also to extend its influence, dare we say control, over parents.)

A review of nonearegood.com memes

Found here. Our comments in bold.

***Update***

Apparently the website no longer exists.
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While we certainly appreciate those who defend the Gospel, we think that such efforts ought to be unimpeachable, both Scripturally and intellectually. Christians too often have a reputation for low intellect and gullibility. So we need to do our homework and make sure our defenses pass scrutiny.

So here are four examples of FB memes from nonearegood.com that leave something to be desired in terms of expositional rigor. We should note that we are in no way defending those who are cited here.

Nobody's born racist. Society teaches it.

This meme was posted by a FB friend.

My friend probably doesn't appreciate the ignorance of the statement. a few points:

Spirit-Leaning Worship Leading - Jamie Brown

Found here. Avery good article.
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Early on in my experience as a worship leader, I heard someone paraphrase Jack Hayford who said something along the lines of: “My greatest fear as a pastor/worship leader is that our church services could become such a well-oiled machine that the Holy Spirit could leave altogether and we wouldn’t notice for six months“.

It’s a bit dramatic and intentionally hyperbolic, but he gets his point across. And the possibility of that scenario playing itself out is something that rattles me to this day.

Could I let something like that happen? Could I (and my worship team, or choir), and could my church, become so good at “doing church” or making good music, or sticking to our liturgy, to the point that we’re no longer asking for, expecting, and depending on the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in our midst? Yes, I could.

Hearing the Voice of the Lord in Your Pastor's Sermon - by Danny Hyde

Found here via here. Our comments in bold.
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We have been diligently searching for a coherent Scripture-based explanation of cessationism, but have been frustrated at every turn. Now we have the below article from a Mr. Danny Hyde, which adds no light whatsoever to our quest. We include it here because of its astounding lack of insight.
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"And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers" (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Reformed churches believe God still speaks. While we do not believe he speaks via the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, (We're not even past the first sentence before we are confronted with our first whopper. How is it possible that God the Father speaks and God the Spirit does not? Upon which Scripture is such an astounding assertion based?)