- Jul 2, 2018
- 18,580
- 11,385
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
Here is the sixth and final point the Cessationists claim prove that
the gift of tongues have already ceased. The whole list is found on post 2.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6) Current observation confirms that the miracle of tongues has ceased. If the gift were still available today, there would be no need for missionaries to attend language school. Missionaries would be able to travel to any country and speak any language fluently, just as the apostles were able to speak in Acts 2. As for the miracle gift of healing, we see in Scripture that healing was associated with the ministry of Jesus and the apostles (Luke 9:1-2). And we see that as the era of the apostles drew to a close, healing, like tongues, became less frequent. The Apostle Paul, who raised Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:9-12), did not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27), Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20), Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23), or even himself (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). The reasons for Paul’s “failures to heal” are 1) the gift was never intended to make every Christian well, but to authenticate apostleship; and 2) the authority of the apostles had been sufficiently proved, making further miracles unnecessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How would you answer the Cessationists?
It will require more than one post to address this mess. Let's work through it one point at a time.
Here's the first one.
"Current observation confirms that the miracle of tongues has ceased."
This looks like ostrich syndrome to me. They stuck their head in the sand
and now inform us that the sun is not shining.
They have created an environment that does not ALLOW tongues and then they declare
the their current observation confirms that tongues has ceased.
They only have themselves to blame for their current observation.
And apparently their observation was limited to Evangelical churches
where they banned the use of tongues. I call foul.
Obviously, even they could not be that naïve. So what are they claiming
about tongues in the church today? Based on their statement, they must believe that
it is not a genuine manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
If they believe that the manifestation of tongues today is not genuine, then what is it?
The only options would be fakery or a demonic manifestation.
This is tragic.
Consider what has happened here and where the blame is directed.
Those in the church have asked the legitimate question:
Why aren't we operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Rather than turn to God in repentance and seek the gifts, they opted to explain them away.
The resulting unbiblical doctrine was Cessationism.
1 Corinthians 14:1
Follow the way of love and
eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit,
especially prophecy.
1 Corinthians 12:29-31
Are all apostles? Are all prophets?
Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
30 Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. ...
We've been robbed.
Those who rejected the pathetic answer of Cessationism
have left the Evangelical churches in droves.
We are currently rebuilding a kingdom of God
that operates in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It begins here, with the confession of John the Baptist.
Matthew 3:11
“I baptize you with water for repentance.
But after me comes one who is more powerful than I,
whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Have you received the baptism with the Holy Spirit?
What are you waiting for?
Luke 11:13
If you then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Acts 2:39
The promise is for you and your children and for
all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
the gift of tongues have already ceased. The whole list is found on post 2.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6) Current observation confirms that the miracle of tongues has ceased. If the gift were still available today, there would be no need for missionaries to attend language school. Missionaries would be able to travel to any country and speak any language fluently, just as the apostles were able to speak in Acts 2. As for the miracle gift of healing, we see in Scripture that healing was associated with the ministry of Jesus and the apostles (Luke 9:1-2). And we see that as the era of the apostles drew to a close, healing, like tongues, became less frequent. The Apostle Paul, who raised Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:9-12), did not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27), Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20), Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23), or even himself (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). The reasons for Paul’s “failures to heal” are 1) the gift was never intended to make every Christian well, but to authenticate apostleship; and 2) the authority of the apostles had been sufficiently proved, making further miracles unnecessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How would you answer the Cessationists?
It will require more than one post to address this mess. Let's work through it one point at a time.
Here's the first one.
"Current observation confirms that the miracle of tongues has ceased."
This looks like ostrich syndrome to me. They stuck their head in the sand
and now inform us that the sun is not shining.
They have created an environment that does not ALLOW tongues and then they declare
the their current observation confirms that tongues has ceased.
They only have themselves to blame for their current observation.
And apparently their observation was limited to Evangelical churches
where they banned the use of tongues. I call foul.
Obviously, even they could not be that naïve. So what are they claiming
about tongues in the church today? Based on their statement, they must believe that
it is not a genuine manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
If they believe that the manifestation of tongues today is not genuine, then what is it?
The only options would be fakery or a demonic manifestation.
This is tragic.
Consider what has happened here and where the blame is directed.
Those in the church have asked the legitimate question:
Why aren't we operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Rather than turn to God in repentance and seek the gifts, they opted to explain them away.
The resulting unbiblical doctrine was Cessationism.
1 Corinthians 14:1
Follow the way of love and
eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit,
especially prophecy.
1 Corinthians 12:29-31
Are all apostles? Are all prophets?
Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
30 Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. ...
We've been robbed.
Those who rejected the pathetic answer of Cessationism
have left the Evangelical churches in droves.
We are currently rebuilding a kingdom of God
that operates in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It begins here, with the confession of John the Baptist.
Matthew 3:11
“I baptize you with water for repentance.
But after me comes one who is more powerful than I,
whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Have you received the baptism with the Holy Spirit?
What are you waiting for?
Luke 11:13
If you then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Acts 2:39
The promise is for you and your children and for
all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
