03.04. Evaluation of the Cessationist Argument
EVALUATION OF THE CESSATIONIST ARGUMENT The argument from Acts 8:1-40 Why did Peter and John come to Samaria to impart the Holy Spirit? We are not told. Therefore, we must look for any patterns or statements that might reveal why they were the ones to participate in the impartation.
First, the statement that only the apostles could impart spiritual gifts is erroneous. Paul wrote to Timothy, Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. (1 Timothy 4:14) The term, the presbytery, (presbute>rion –presbuterion) occurs three times in Scripture. In addition to 1 Timothy 4:14, it is used twice to refer to the council of Jewish elders who lived in Jerusalem (Luke 22:66; Acts 22:5). Thus, the event to which Paul refers in 1 Timothy 4:14 would not be an assembly of prophets, apostles, and other first-generation trans-local leaders.
8 It probably referred to the council of elders in Lystra, Timothy’s home church, men who had been ordained by Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:21-23). No doubt, when Timothy joined Paul (Acts 16:1-3), they followed the custom of laying on of hands when one was released into trans-local ministry.
9 Be that as it may, 1 Timothy 4:14 clearly refers to men other than apostles, imparting a spiritual gift. A much more likely explanation for why Peter and John made the trip to Samaria and imparted the Holy Spirit relates to Peter’s role in exercising the “Keys to the Kingdom.” Jesus told Peter that He had given Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Keys open doors. Peter was the one who opened the doors of heaven to the Jews (Acts 2:1-47) and opened the doors of heaven to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-48). Because of his role, it was important that he credential the opening of the
8 The practice in some churches of having apostles, prophets, etc. gather to have a presbytery, for the purpose of ordaining people to ministry or to impart gifts, etc, may not be wrong but it is not a proper understanding of what Paul describes in 1 Timothy 4:14.
9 In Acts 13:1-52 we see an example of a presbytery’s laying on hands when ministers are sent forth. The prophets and teachers in Antioch comprised the leadership of the local church, which was instructed by the Holy Spirit to release Barnabas and Saul for the work for which I have called them. When they prayed and fasted, they laid hands on them and sent them on their way. Acts 13:4 beautifully describes the origin of their being sent, So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit they went down to Seleucia… 9 doors to the Samaritans (Acts 8:1-40). Great animosity existed between Samaritans and Jews.
Samaritans were neither Jew nor Gentile, they were despised half-breeds. The Jerusalem church sent Peter and John, to look into the Gospel explosion among the despised Samaritans. Unless the Jerusalem Church had put its stamp of approval on the emerging Samaritan Church, it always would have been considered to be spurious. The fact that Peter and John imparted the Holy Spirit, caused the highest imprimatur to be put upon the reception of this hated half-breed race. This is a much more likely explanation than Philip’s inability to execute the impartation. The argument from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 The First Flaw The first thing wrong with the cessationist argument from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 is the allegation made concerning the neuter gender of teleios (te>leiov). Teleios is an adjective. An adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun that it modifies. Teleios occurs nineteen times in the New Testament, describing various things as being perfect or complete, in each instance agreeing in gender and number with the noun that it describes or replaces (when an adjective is used in place of a noun [technically called, “substantive use of the adjective”] it is in the gender of the implied noun).
10 Thus, teleios is found · thirteen times in the masculine gender · twice in the feminine · four times in the neuter Here are the four New Testament instances of teleios in the neuter gender, Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect In this verse, teleios describes will, which in the Greek language is a neuter noun.
Therefore, teleios must appear in the neuter gender.
1 Corinthians 13:10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. This the verse under debate.
James 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Here, teleios describes result (the Greek term, e]rgon ergon - literally, work) a neuter noun.
10 For example, the adjective, good, can be used in place of good things (as in, “let us always seek the good”) or in the place of good men (as in, “the good die young.”).10 James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In this verse, teleios describes gift (the Greek term, dw>rhma dorema), which is a neuter noun.
It is obvious that the cessationist assertion is faulty. Instead of two neuter uses of teleios, in addition to 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, there are three. One of the examples cited by the cessationist (James 1:25), does not contain a neuter, but rather a masculine gender teleios.
11 Looking at the three examples of a neuter teleios, listed above, one would be hard pressed to find any sort of commonality in what the neuter teleios modifies or describes, · In one instance it refers to the will of God which is discerned through a renewed mind · In one instance, the term refers to the result of living through trials, i.e. a mature character · In one instance it refers to any gift that God bestows – all perfect or complete gifts come from Him.
We can only conclude that the neuter use of teleios in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 is of no help in determining the identity of the perfect. The Second Flaw The second thing that is wrong with the cessationist argument from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 is a diminishing of Paul’s statement concerning our total knowledge, when the perfect comes. When that happens we will know everything clearly, rather than having to be content with our present state in which all that we see is but a reflection of heavenly truth. When the perfect comes, we will know all things fully, even as God now knows us fully.
Today we have the Bible, the canon is complete. Untold hours are spent in meditating on Scripture as well as detailed and reverent study of the Word. Yet, can anyone honestly say that he has no questions, that we know all things clearly, that we know everything as fully as God knows us? Certainly, not. The perfect must refer to something other than the completed canon. When will this perfect, complete knowledge come? We can reach but one conclusion. It will come when we die and face Our Lord, or when Jesus comes for His Church. In either of these cases, we no longer will need spiritual gifts because we will be experiencing full knowledge. No other option can measure up to Paul’s statement concerning full clarity of knowledge and understanding.
11 The form of teleios found in James 1:25 is, the form of teleios is teleion (te>leion). This is the spelling of the adjective in both the neuter and masculine, singular, accusative, the forms. The reason that teleion in this verse must be understood as masculine, is because it modifies nomon (no>mon), the accusative singular form of the masculine noun nomos (no>mov).11 The argument from Church History The argument from Church History is the cessationist’s strongest argument. Mention of the charismata, as well as the miraculous, is very scanty in the records of the early Church. The fact that Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius of Antioch, Barnabas, Hermas, the writers to Diognetus, and the Didache, make no mention of the phenomena, is considerable evidence in favor of the cessationist view. The strongest evidence for the cessationist argument is the writing of Justin Martyr (c.140 AD). Justin penned a detailed description of a Second Century church service and he makes no mention of Charismata.
Even so, the argument from Church History is not as consistent as the cessationists claim. There is evidence of miraculous activity in the post-New Testament era. First is the evidence of the longer ending of Mark 16:1-20 (verse 9 and following). If this ending were written by Mark as a part of his Gospel, then clearly the early believers did experience the phenomena described. On the other hand, if these verses were not in the original, as evidence seems to indicate, and were added a century later (c. 185 AD they were alluded to by Irenaeus in, Adversus Haeresus, Book 3, Chapter 10, section 6), then those who added them considered tongues to be a part of the missionary movement of the Church.
There is even more conclusive evidence in Irenaeus’ writing against the heresies of his day.
Sometime around 185 AD, Irenaeus wrote, Adversus Haeresus. In Book 2, he contrasts the magicians that were rampant in his day, with those who by the power of God perform true miracles.
…For they can neither confer sight on the blind, nor hearing on the deaf, nor chase away all sorts of demons — [none, indeed,] except those that are sent into others by themselves, if they can even do so much as this. Nor can they cure the weak, or the lame, or the paralytic, or those who are distressed in any other part of the body, as has often been done in regard to bodily infirmity. Nor can they furnish effective remedies for those external accidents which may occur. And so far are they from being able to raise the dead, as the Lord raised them, and the apostles did by means of prayer, and as has been frequently done in the brotherhood on account of some necessity — the entire Church in that particular locality entreating [the boon] with much fasting and prayer, the spirit of the dead man has returned, and he has been bestowed in answer to the prayers of the saints…and inasmuch as those who are cured very frequently [i.e. cured by the miraculous ministry of the Church] do not possess the things which they require, they receive them from us 12 …Wherefore, also, those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from Him. For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the
12 Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapter 31, excerpts from sections 2 &3 (\The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1, The Master Christian Library, Albany, OR, AGES Software, 1997)12 Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the Church, [scattered], throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ… directing her prayers to the Lord, who made all things, in a pure, sincere, and straightforward spirit, and calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, she has been accustomed to work miracles for the advantage of mankind…the name of our Lord Jesus Christ even now confers benefits [upon men], and cures thoroughly and effectively all who anywhere believe on Him.
13 Without any ambiguity, Irenaeus stated that in 185 AD, miraculous activity continued to the degree that the Church has been accustomed to work miracles for the advantage of mankind. In addition to raising the dead and casting out demons, gifts of miracles, gifts of healings, and prophecy are mentioned. Noticeably absent from this record is mention of tongues. In Book 5, Chapter 6, section 1, of Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus does mention tongues as phenomena heard in his day, For this reason does the apostle declare, “We speak wisdom among them that are perfect,” terming those persons “perfect” who have received the Spirit of God, and who through the Spirit of God do speak in all languages, as he used Himself also to speak. In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare… The statement that Tertullian’s evidence is not valid because he was a Montanist, is inaccurate.
Prior to his becoming a follower of Montanus, when he was a staunch defender of Orthodoxy, Tertullian used the contemporary existence of tongues as evidence in his argument against the heretic, Marcion.
Let Marcion then exhibit, as gifts of his God, some prophets, such as have not spoken by human sense, but with the Spirit of God, such as have both predicted things to come, and have made manifest the secrets of the heart; let him produce a psalm, a vision, a prayer — only let it be by the Spirit, in an ecstasy, that is, in a rapture, whenever an interpretation of tongues has occurred to him; let him show to me also, that any woman of boastful tongue in his community has ever
13 Irenaeus, Adversus Haeresus, Book 2 Chapter 32, excerpts from sections 4 &5. (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1, The Master Christian Library, Albany, OR, AGES Software, 1997). Irenaeus also commented on the phenomena in Book 5, Chapter 6, section 1: For this reason does the apostle declare, “We speak wisdom among them that are perfect,” terming those persons “perfect” who have received the Spirit of God, and who through the Spirit of God do speak in all languages, as he used Himself also to speak. In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare…13 prophesied from amongst those specially holy sisters of his. Now all these signs (of spiritual gifts) are forthcoming from my side without any difficulty…14 To quote Christopher Forbes, Clearly “all these signs” which Tertullian claims he can produce with ease from the assemblies of “his side” include the “interpretation of tongues”; it is hard to see how this could be the case if glossolalia itself were not also present 15.
Forbes also notes the geographical distribution of the evidence just noted. The longer ending of Mark is testimony from the region of Jerusalem; the statements of Irenaeus are evidence from western Europe (Lyons); Tertullian’s work is evidence from North Africa.
16 In 257 AD, Novatian, a Roman elder, wrote a treatise on the Trinity. In Book 29, he speaks of the Holy Spirit and the charismata. And because the Lord was about to depart to the heavens, He gave the Paraclete out of necessity to the disciples; so as not to leave them in any degree orphans, which was little desirable, and forsake them without an advocate and some kind of protector. For this is He who strengthened their hearts and minds, who marked out the Gospel sacraments, who was in them the enlightener of divine things; and they being strengthened, feared, for the sake of the Lord’s name, neither dungeons nor chains, nay, even trod under foot the very powers of the world and its tortures, since they were henceforth armed and strengthened by the same Spirit, having in themselves the gifts which this same Spirit distributes, and appropriates to the Church, the spouse of Christ, as her ornaments. This is He who places prophets in the Church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, often discrimination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggests counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts…17 Several other early writers refer to the experience of Pentecost and the cloven tongues of fire, but describe the phenomena as something that occurred on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47), rather than something that they were experiencing in their own era. In an allegorical and poetic description of the creation, Augustine, writing near 400 AD, implied that tongues did exist in his day (born c354, died 430). Yet his statements are so veiled that not much can be made of it.
18 Elsewhere, Augustine declared in unmistakable terms that Pentecostal phenomena did not exist in his day.
14 Tertullian, Contra Marcionem, Book 5, Chapter 8 15 Christopher Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech in Early Christianity and its Hellenistic Environment (Peabody, Mass, Hendrickson Publishers, 1997) page 80 16 Forbes, page 80 17 Novatian, deTrinitate, Chapter 29 (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Volume 5, The Master Christian Library, Albany, OR, AGES Software, 1997) 18 “For indeed, to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, as if the greater light, on account of those who are delighted with the light of manifest truth, as in the beginning of the day; but to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, as if the lesser light; to another faith; to another the gift of healing; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues. And all these as stars. For all these worketh the one and self-same Spirit, dividing to every man his own as He willeth; and 14 In the earliest times, “the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues,” which they had not learned, “as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
These were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit in all tongues, to shew that the Gospel of God was to run through all tongues over the whole earth. That thing was done for a betokening, and it passed away.
19 Since, therefore, the Holy Ghost is even now received by men, some one may say, Why is it that no man speaks in the tongues of all nations? Because the Church itself now speaks in the tongues of all nations. Before, the Church was in one nation, where it spoke in the tongues of all. By speaking then in the tongues of all, it signified what was to come to pass; that by growing among the nations, it would speak in the tongues of all 20 Augustine was a bishop in the Western Church. He knew the condition of the church worldwide, both in its Western and Eastern branches. We must accept as authoritative his statements that in his lifetime Pentecostal manifestations were unknown Chrysostom, one of the greatest expositors in all of Church History, was a contemporary of Augustine (born 347, died 407). He was a prelate in the Eastern Church. He wrote a series of homilies on I Corinthians. In his introduction to 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, he wrote, This whole place (1 Corinthians 12:1-31) is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer take place. And why do they not happen now?
Why look now, the cause too of the obscurity hath produced us again another question: namely, why did they then happen, and now do so no more? This however let us defer to another time, but for the present let us state what things were occurring then.
21 Augustine and Chrysostom, representing both the Western and Eastern Churches, make clear statements that the charismata no longer were functioning in the Church It would be a great help to us if Chrysostom had pursued the answer to the question he raised, i.e, as to why the charismata were absent. Augustine argued the tongues of apostolic times were a sign that the making stars appear manifestly, to profit withal. But the word of knowledge, wherein are contained all sacraments, which are varied in their periods like the moon and the other conceptions of gifts, which are successively reckoned up as stars, in as much as they come short of that splendor of wisdom in which the fore-mentioned day rejoices, are only for the beginning of the night.” Augustine, The Thirteen Books of Confession of St. Augustine, Book 13, Chapter 18, section 23 (The Master Christian Library, Albany, Oregon, AGES Software, 1997) 19 Augustine, Ten Homilies on I John, Homily 6, Part 10, (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series One, as contained in Master Christian Library, Albany, OR, AGES Software, 1997) 20 Augustine, Tractates on St. John, Tractate 32, Part 7 (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Master Christian Library) 21 Chrysostom, First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians Homily 29, 1 Corinthians 12:1-2 (The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series One, Master Christian Library)15 Gospel would be preached in every language. He declared that since the Church in his day existed in many nations, and that in each of those nations a different language was spoken, that the Gift of Tongues no longer was needed as a sign that the Gospel would reach all nations. It already had done so.
There are many reports of the charisma in the Middle Ages, even though one might debate the reliability of the data. Several were canonized as saints, on the basis of their speaking in tongues. However, the Roman Catholic Church during this era generally regarded speaking in tongues and interpretation as a mark of demon possession. The difference between demonization and sainthood-qualifying charismata seemed to turn on the reputation of the individual involved.
22 There are general reports of tongues among the medieval mendicants, the Waldensians, and Albigensians, but when one seeks to identify the specific individuals among these groups about whom these claims are made, no information can be found. As Stanley Burgess has written concerning his pursuit of this information, “…we are frustrated time and again by teasing generalities, inadequate information, and unanswered questions.”
23 A popular report repeated in some Charismatic writings states that Luther spoke in tongues.
However, a study of the primary Luther documents proves this to be untrue. As a matter of record, Luther seemed to be confused by the Pentecostal phenomena.
24 In his Commentary on Galatians, he made clear that he considered all physical manifestations of the Holy Spirit to be obsolete. In the early Church the Holy Spirit was sent forth in visible form. He descended upon Christ in the form of a dove (Matthew 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 miracles that accompanied the gift of the Holy Ghost. Paul explained the purpose of these miraculous gifts of the Spirit in 1 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.
25 How do the declarations of Augustine, Chrysostom, and Luther relate to our question concerning the permanence or non-permanence of the charismata? All that they tell us is that in 400 AD (Augustine and Chrysostom) and in the Fifteenth Century (Luther) the Church did not experience this manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Prior to the 20 th Century, most American Church leaders
22 Stanley M. Burgess, Medieval Examples of Charismatic Piety in the Roman Catholic Church, in Perspectives on the New Pentecostal(born 347, died 407)ism Russell P. Spittler, Editor (Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1976) pages 14-26 23 Stanley M. Burgess, Medieval Examples of Charismatic Piety, Part One, Chapter One, Perspectives on the New Pentecostalism, ed. Russell P. Spittler, (Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1976) page 17 24 Martin Luther, Works, ed. Jaroslav J. Pelikan and Helmut T. Lehman (St. Louis: Concordia 1955) XL, 142 25 Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians, comments on Chapter 4, Verse 6, translated by Theodore Graebner (Concordance of Great Books; http://www.concordance.com/cgi-bin/1wdr.pl)16 would have said the same thing and would have found virtually no one to disagree with them.
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If such a statement were made today, however, the disagreement would be huge. Since we do not know why the charismata were absent from the Fifth Century Church and the Fifteenth Century Church, we cannot draw any conclusion other than that they were absent. So, in order to determine if the charismata were only for the era of the apostles, we must look back to the data that we examined earlier and come to the only conclusion possible, Scripture declares that the charismata will be obsolete when · the perfect comes.
· we see all things clearly · we know God as we now are known by Him The only condition that meets these criteria of the perfect is when we meet Christ face to face, either in death or at His appearing.
It therefore is valid to conclude that we should anticipate supernatural activity in the present day Church.