I have never seen Cessationism as anything but a human construction. Will the Two Witnesses be ungifted? I think not... No doubt however there will be a cleaver argument that accounts for their abilities without opening the box of Continuationism...
I can tell you the argument already. I have one Cessationist friend who argued that Joel 2:28 will be fulfilled only by Messianic Jews during the end-times, in advance of the Antichrist's arrival and Christ's return, and that until then all such manifestations are false.
Still haven't figured out how to counter it, despite knowing it is false, but the answer is likely in exacting analysis of the Book of Joel, and the context in which 2:28 is written.
I might add that I can see the 'Fellowship of the Prophets' being 'Pan-Church' - one group in an area serving all churches that want to participate.
This is very likely to happen. I remember reading Joyner say that a time is coming when there will be councils of leaders that will come together over each city, regardless of church affiliation and background, and that councils of apostles will have the Lord Jesus Christ manifest Himself physically among them to guide the church in person.
It would follow that such councils among the prophets would therefore likely exist. If there were communities of the sons of the prophets in OT times, why would there not be even more of them in the times, when the final fulfillment of all things is approaching?
But going back to the basics - the gifts need a foundation on love and unity to operate in.
His word can be carried by 'the least' sometimes quite new believers.
The present structures have created a mutually loyal spiritual elite that reinforce their own outlook.
Often members of the congregation see issues way before the leadership, but the structure often will not cater for them being heard.
Somehow human control through fear, presents barriers for communication and the leaders are too busy doing 'God's work' to listen.
Absolutely. Paul's entire teaching on the body of Christ having many members in 1 Corinthians 12 was in the context of operating in
the spiritual gifts, and he laid stress on the fact that God was adorning even those "least presentable" i.e. having the least respect in congregations, with even greater honor, meaning that the Spirit of God could use ANYONE, from the greatest to the least, so that respect and care for every member of a congregation was encouraged and reinforced.
, but initially God said He would bring them all out of Egypt and into the promised land... then after their complaining and bad report (minus Joshua & Caleb) He basically said because you did this I'm amending my previous word. I've preached on it before, so I know it's there.
