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Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.
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The miracles that Jesus and His apostles performed were signs. They were not meant to be performed indefinitely.

John 20:30 Therefore many other [g]signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is [h]the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Right. Confirming the word with signs following.

"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:20).
 
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Cessationism:
Tongues, Prophecy, and the Gift of Miracles Have Ceased.

(Note: This does not mean miracles have ceased, but it means that the gift of healing or the gift of miraculous gifts and prophecy as seen in the early church has ceased).

Important Note:
Please keep in mind that I am not claiming that all brothers and sisters are automatically liars if they believe they have done genuine miracles or they have seen what they believe to be genuine miracles. I am always open to the possibility that God may operate miraculously today on rare occasions. I am also aware that I am human and fallible and I would not want to speak against the true working of the power of God today. So unless I see or witness a group's miracles and beliefs, I am not claiming all who claim to be working by God's power today are not genuine. In fact, there is a brother I feel close with who believes that he operates by God's power and miracles. I cannot honestly say how God is operating in His life. But yet I know the Bible tells me that miraculous gifts have ceased, though. Perhaps for us, it is a matter of perspective. In either case, here is my Biblical case for Cessationism (The ceasing of miraculous gifts given to the apostles).​

  1. Tongues and prophecy have ceased ~ 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. Verse 8 says, “...whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;” and verse 8 says, “whether there be tongues, they shall cease;” The question is when do tongues and prophecies cease? Verse 10 says “ when that which is perfect is come”; And verse 11 says, “when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Are we going to be children (and not men) upon this Earth until Christ takes us home?

  2. Both 1 Corinthians 13 and James 1 describe something that is “perfect” and “looking into a mirror.” In 1 Corinthians 13, that which is “perfect” (neuter in the Greek) fits the reference to the “Perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25) (Which would also be neuter). The law of the Lord is “perfect” (Psalms 19:7). All Scripture (the Bible) is profitable so that the man of God may be “perfect” unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). James 1:23 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 both describe the Bible as a mirror/glass that we see our reflection in. Some people look into a mirror and forget their physical appearance. Some people look into the Bible mirror and forget their spiritual appearance. Therefore, Glass / Mirror = Perfect = The Word of God. 1 Corinthians 13:12 describes the "perfect" as a glass mirror, just as James 1:23 does. 2 Corinthians 3:18 also shows the glass, and hence the perfect to be the Word of God, which transforms us. It says: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (Also see verse 15 in the same chapter). As we look into God's Word and we see Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the very image of Jesus Christ. "We all" means all believers, seeing in the Bible/glass, the glory of the Lord. "Open face" means that we can hide nothing from God; We must be open and honest with Him.

  3. Tongues were for a sign that the Jews looked for. 1 Corinthians 1:22 says, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:” But Jesus says, “ An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign;” (Matthew 12:39). Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. (1 Corinthians 14:22). "In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that (all the tongues) will they (Jews) not hear me (warning ignored), saith the Lord". 1 Corinthians 14:21. Tongues here clearly are a warning to the Jews that they ignore. 1 Corinthians 14:21 is quoting from Deuteronomy 28:49 where God warns of judgment coming from "a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand."

  4. The three greatest prophets and miracle workers in the Bible are Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. We see that the miracles that they performed were a way to authenticate them as a messenger from GOD and the Word of God that they provided (that would be immortalized into Scripture). We notice that after each of these prophets, there was a time of silence where no miracles were done. Just like with the prophets Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, miracles authenticated the apostles' message as from God. "And they (apostles) went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs (tongues, prophecies, healing, etc.) following. Amen." Mark 16:20. Today the need for tongues and miracles has ceased. God has authenticated the apostles and the New Testament that they penned. This proves the temporary nature of tongues and miracles.

  5. We can see that after the book of Acts, the gifts no longer operated in Paul’s life like they once had. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. But when we turn to the letters written after the Book of Acts—the 4 Prison Epistles, and the 3 Pastoral Epistles, we find that the sign gifts either aren’t mentioned at all or we see—as with the gift of healing—that they were no longer operating in Paul’s life. What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. He could heal all the sick on the island in Acts 28:9, but he couldn’t heal any of his closest co-workers—Timothy, Epaphroditus, Trophimus—after the close of the Book of Acts (See this article here for the full explanation).

  6. Notice that both 1 Corinthians 13:11 and Ephesians 4:13 equate attaining fullness of knowledge with becoming a perfect or mature man. What have childish things got to do with temporary gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge? Answer: Paul is comparing a human advancing from childhood to adulthood, with the church passing from infancy in the first century marked by prophecy, tongues and knowledge gifts to maturity marked by believers depending on the Bible, faith, hope and charity from 96 AD to the rapture. By 96 AD the childish gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge had ceased, and church manhood had been reached. A man comes to fulness of the knowledge of Christ by Scripture; For all Scripture is profitable for doctrine that the man of God may be perfect unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). (Note: Back in the early church, the gift of knowledge was the giving of special revelation of either history, and or doctrine that the apostles did not have on their own; In the OT, Moses received the gift of knowledge to pen the details of history in the Torah; In the NT, Certain men of God (in the early church) had received new knowledge from God to teach new doctrine, like Peter, James, John, and Paul etc. so as to write inspired Scripture).

  7. While God can heal people directly Himself today, the gift of miracles is not given to any one believer that we know today. No Charismatic can always heal. Yet, the Bible says that they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. This means 100% recovery all the time. No one can do this today, as the apostles could in Acts 5:12-16. "By the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people.....they (believers) brought forth the sick into the streets.....and they were healed every one". (Acts 5:16).

  8. New revelation (prophecy) or new words from God are not to be added (Revelation 22:18-19). If a person were to add to God’s Word, the plagues that are within the book known as the Bible (not the plagues in Revelation) would be added to them. We have occurrences of this actually happening. See these two links here: Bible Correctors lose Voice Bible Corrector Loses Voice on Ankerberg Show

  9. The Apostles and Prophets were merely the foundation built upon the foundation of Jesus. “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;” (Ephesians 2:18-20). We are said to have access by one Spirit unto the Father that is build upon the “foundation” of the apostles and prophets. Being an apostle is a gift (See 1 Corinthians 12:28-31). The qualifications of being an apostle was to have seen the risen Lord Jesus Christ (See Acts of the Apostles 1:22-26). Paul said he met the qualifications as being an apostle because he had seen the risen Lord. 1 Corinthians 9:1 “…Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” Paul called himself the “last prophet.” (1 Corinthians 15:8-9). Paul says that God has set forth the apostles last (1 Corinthians 14:9).

10. The context of I Corinthians is rebuking 13 errors, such as tongues, and it is not recommending tongues. The Corinthian church was filled with problems that Paul corrects in this book, such as:​

(a) They were following their favourite human leaders causing divisions. 1:11-14
(b) " " favouring human wisdom. 1:18-2:13
(c) " " carnal, living for self, not controlled by the Spirit. 2:14-3:7
(d) " " forgetting the future Judgment Seat of Christ. 3:8-23
(e) " " proud, thinking of themselves more highly than they ought. 4:1-21
(f) " " failing to discipline, by tolerating a fornicator. 5:1-13
(g) " " taking fellow believers to court. 6:1-20
(h) " " confused about marriage. 7:1-40
(i) " " confused about liberty thinking it meant licence to do as they please, even stumbling others. 8 ,9 ,10.
(j) " " confused about clothing, long hair on men and Lord's Supper. 11
(k). " " confused about spiritual gifts, especially tongues. 12-14
(l) " " confused about the resurrection. 15
(m) " " confused about the collection. 16
As we can see the Corinthian church was deep in error and false doctrine. It was the only church that emphasized tongues as today's Charismatics do. Charismatics therefore place themselves in very bad company. Charismatics fail to understand that Paul is not endorsing tongues, but is rebuking the wrong use of tongues and is strongly regulating tongues contrary to today's Charismatics. Today's emphasis on assemblies with more than on person speaking at the same time is plainly wrong (1 Corinthians 14:27). Paul feared that even one person speaking in tongues without proper interpretation would give the appearance of barbarians or insanity (1 Corinthians 14:11) (1 Corinthians 14:23). What would he think of today's mass hysteria? Today's spontaneous, wild use outside of Scriptural limits is wrong. The gift of prophecy, far superior in every way to tongues, was under the control of the prophets For it is written: “Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns.” (1 Corinthians 14:32) (NLT). So Paul's repeated instructions about the right use of the gift of tongues required it to be a very controllable gift, not a force or power controlling the user. Paul valued 5 words with the understanding rather than 10,000 words without the understanding (i.e. tongues)! So Preaching is far superior in God's purpose and for the churches' profit (1 Corinthians 14:19) (1 Corinthians 14:39). The gifts had a purpose and a place in time. They were to authenticate the church and the New Covenant. But seeing that which is "perfect" has come (the Bible), we do not need any more revelation. The Bible has all the revelation or instruction that we need today.​
Try not to let those who work falsely in the Spirit confuse you. Also, do not be frighten if God works supernaturally. Discern accordingly without prejudice.
Blessings
 
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Bible Highlighter

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Try not to let those who work falsely in the Spirit confuse you. Also, do not be frighten if God works supernaturally. Discern accordingly without prejudice. Blessings

Oh yes. I am not frightened by such things. More like disturbed and dismayed. As for the genuine and real miracles of today; I believe God works in my life the miracle to overcome grevious sin and to keep me protected in Him. My strength is only in HIm. Being born again and living one's life for Jesus with them completely selling out is the greatest miracle of all in my opinion. Sure, I am thankful the Lord can and does miracles today. I have no doubt He works wonders that I do not know about. But they are very selective and not public and I do not feel at this time these miracles are a part of somebody having the gift of miracles (like with the early church).

I mean, we as believers have to be crazy wildly careful to not be deceived by the enemy. The devil will deceive people in the end times by false miracles by the false prophet in the future.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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That could be said to you as well. It could be said to us all i suppose.
Oh yes. I am not frightened by such things. More like disturbed and dismayed. As for the genuine and real miracles of today; I believe God works in my life the miracle to overcome grevious sin and to keep me protected in Him. My strength is only in HIm. Being born again and living one's life for Jesus with them completely selling out is the greatest miracle of all in my opinion. Sure, I am thankful the Lord can and does miracles today. I have no doubt He works wonders that I do not know about. But they are very selective and not public and I do not feel at this time these miracles are a part of somebody have the gift of miracles.

I mean, we as believers have to be crazy wildly careful to not be deceived by the enemy. The devil will deceive people in the end times by false miracles by the false prophet in the future.
True for sure. But leave some room for something unexpected.
Blessings
 
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W2L

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True for sure. But leave some room for something unexpected.
Blessings
I have something unexpected in my heart. I have endured years of stress, fear, worry, anxiety, and depression. Even though i still have battles, its like i am spiritually bullet proof. My joy and peace, given by God, came unexpectedly and seems to be very secure in my heart and mind. Its my strength. God is my refuge. Praise the Lord. :) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen.
 
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Markie Boy

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To me, tongues are totally different as to how people claim they are these days compared to the days of the Apostles. Today they are just 'sounds' where as in the Apostles days they were 'languages'.

I agree. The Catholic Charismatic movement to me is almost an oxymoron.

My old Baptist pastor put it in a way I still agree with. I believe there is faith healing - but not faith "healers".
 
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It's not a matter of doubting God can do miracles. I certainly believe God can heal today and do miracles. But I do not think He operates in the way of miracles by gifting certian individuals to heal, etc.
The gifting to heal has never been given to individuals. It is a gift given to the church, and that those who are called to the ministry have the use of the gift when it is needed.

If a person professed to have a gift of healing, it is either a pretence or the gift comes from somewhere other than the Holy Spirit. No one has a special power to heal or to do miracles. Jesus is the only healer and worker of miracles.

In the church, the elders are to pray the prayer of faith, and it is the Lord who raises the sick person up. The laying on of believers' hands is an act of faith, but the power to heal comes from the Lord and not from the person laying on his or her hands.

Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that a particular individual has a gift of healing. When 1 Corinthians 12 speaks of the gifts of healing, it says they are gifts given for the building up and strengthening of the church.

When Jesus healed people it was in the context of Him having compassion on sick folk. It was not to prove anything nor was it meant as a sign for anything. It was just because the heart of Jesus went out to sick people and He used the power of the Holy Spirit to heal them. Jesus was just being the Person He is, and He is just the same today, and He will always heal the sick through the faith of compassionate gospel workers.
 
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The miracles that Jesus and His apostles performed were signs. They were not meant to be performed indefinitely.

John 20:30 Therefore many other [g]signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is [h]the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Rubbish. Jesus healed people because He is good, loved people and had compassion for them.

What you are saying is that Jesus doesn't have compassion on sick people today? It is not because Jesus has ceased having compassion on sick folk, it because the chair that I am sitting has much more grace and compassion that large section of today's church - who deny healing to sick people because of their non-compassionate, loveless religiosity.
 
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I agree. The Catholic Charismatic movement to me is almost an oxymoron.

My old Baptist pastor put it in a way I still agree with. I believe there is faith healing - but not faith "healers".
"Faith" healing is not mentioned in the New Testament, nor are "faith healers". Faith does not have a power in itself. This who say that it is faith that heals people are using faith as a sorcery device. And we all know where sorcery comes from!

Jesus is the only Healer. Prayer for healing is made out of obedience, but the results comes through the direct application of His power which comes from Him through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
 
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SaintCody777

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I really think that tongues and miracles are still abound today but it is not as prevalent as in the Early Church. What I really think is that God chooses only a certian number of believers to be prophets. He makes some believers good at speaking and/or interpreting tongues (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
Though it was granted by God to the Apostles and a lot of other believers in the Early Church, it is not as needed today as it was then. This is because the Scripture, that is, the divine revelation of God was not yet completed. There also needed to be signs so that others might believe, like the speaking of tongues on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and what Paul did to the native tribe at Malta (Acts 28). The book of Acts was filled with many more such examples. Afterwards, not as much. The Corinthian Church had a lot of issues and one of the big problems they faced was the imbalance and pride about tongues and the church was basically misusing these gifts.
As for my position in terms of whether or not tongues has ceased today, I hold to what I call, "moderate continuationalist." In other words, tongues, visions, and prophecies can still be done by some believers today. But, as I said, God gives the gifts of tongues and prophecies only to some believers that He chooses.
 
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SinoBen

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It is plain to me that the gifts will cease. It is also plain that the reason those gifts ceasing is:

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

ESV Rev 21:3–4.

Therefore ---
No more prophecies, what use is the gift of prophecy?
We will speak with God face to face, what use the gift of knowledge?
Signs are redundant, what use speaking in tongues?
No more tears, what use the gift of healing?
 
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It is plain to me that the gifts will cease. It is also plain that the reason those gifts ceasing is:

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

ESV Rev 21:3–4.

Therefore ---
No more prophecies, what use is the gift of prophecy?
We will speak with God face to face, what use the gift of knowledge?
Signs are redundant, what use speaking in tongues?
No more tears, what use the gift of healing?
Another Scripture misquoted! That Scripture is talking about what is going to happen after Jesus comes again! Good grief! Talking about scraping the bottom of the barrel to prove a point!

If Jesus healed people out of compassion for the sick, are you now believing in another modern-day Jesus who has no compassion? If so, I don't like your Jesus. But I love the Jesus of the Gospels whose heart went out to sick people, had compassion on them and healed them.

Not like the religious, hard-hearted, non-compassionate Jesus you seem to be preaching!
 
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SinoBen

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Oscarr, Good grief indeed. How am I misquoting? Your reply makes no sense. Let me add that I use bold for the word "will". And that word "will" is way to talk about a future time in English and I mean future to us now i.e. the quote... when the new heaven and the new earth arrives.
 
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Oscarr, Good grief indeed. How am I misquoting? Your reply makes no sense.
You are using a Scripture that talks about something that is happening after Jesus comes again and not before - unless you believe that the Second Coming has happened already.

It is quite true that spiritual gifts will be a thing of the past when we are all in glory after the Second Coming, but the reference you have quote does not prove that they are not existence in our day before the Second Coming.

Maybe I misunderstood your post, because this is a thread to try and prove that the gifts have ceased already. If I have misunderstand and you are in fact referring to the cessation of the gifts after the Second Coming, then I apologise.
 
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Thanks Oscarr. I did read the OP and the OP is entitled to the belief. In my opinion erroneous. I am trying to show when that perfection comes. That is when the Kingdom of God, the here and the not yet actually becomes the here and now, which is "not yet" currently :)
 
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Thanks Oscarr. I did read the OP and the OP is entitled to the belief. In my opinion erroneous. I am trying to show when that perfection comes. That when, is when the Kingdom of God, the here and the not yet actually becomes the here and now, which is "not yet" currently :)
Absolutely! We're both on the same page there!
 
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DamianWarS

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Both 1 Corinthians 13 and James 1 describe something that is “perfect” and “looking into a mirror.” In 1 Corinthians 13, that which is “perfect” (neuter in the Greek) fits the reference to the “Perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25) (Which would also be neuter). The law of the Lord is “perfect” (Psalms 19:7). All Scripture (the Bible) is profitable so that the man of God may be “perfect” unto every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). James 1:23 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 both describe the Bible as a mirror/glass that we see our reflection in. Some people look into a mirror and forget their physical appearance. Some people look into the Bible mirror and forget their spiritual appearance. Therefore, Glass / Mirror = Perfect = The Word of God. 1 Corinthians 13:12 describes the "perfect" as a glass mirror, just as James 1:23 does. 2 Corinthians 3:18 also shows the glass, and hence the perfect to be the Word of God, which transforms us. It says: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (Also see verse 15 in the same chapter). As we look into God's Word and we see Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the very image of Jesus Christ. "We all" means all believers, seeing in the Bible/glass, the glory of the Lord. "Open face" means that we can hide nothing from God; We must be open and honest with Him.

the word in context in 1 Cor 13:10 is teleion (τέλειον) it is a neuter adjective and the word in context in James 1:25 also is teleion (τέλειον) which appears exactly the same however it is a masculine adjective. Greek adjectives agree with their head noun and as you have determined "law" is the head noun in James 1:25. Law (nomon) is masculine thus all adjectives that describe it is also masculine.

So 1 Cor 13:10 must point to a neuter noun then right? not quite it is acting in the substantive function meaning it is nominal adjective and is functioning as a noun itself, we know this because 1) there is no head noun, 2) it is in the nominative case (James 1:25 is in the Accusative case) and 3) it is a neuter gender and in greek these 3 combinations overwhelming suggests it is functioning in the substantive function or as a nominatie adjective and this is further confirmed by the context, but it must be these 3 and if it wasn't neuter, or wasn't nominative then it would not function as a substantive (James 1:25 has none of the 3 as it is in the Accusative case, it has a head noun, and it is masculine).

So what does this mean? it means it is an abstract and it stands alone. This doesn't disqualify that it points to "the law" or completion of the canon but it also doesn't disqualify an eschatological event, that latter being an event confirmed through scripture but the former absent in scripture.
 
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the word in context in 1 Cor 13:10 is teleion (τέλειον) it is a neuter adjective and the word in context in James 1:25 also is teleion (τέλειον) which appears exactly the same however it is a masculine adjective. Greek adjectives agree with their head noun and as you have determined "law" is the head noun in James 1:25. Law (nomon) is masculine thus all adjectives that describe it is also masculine.

So 1 Cor 13:10 must point to a neuter noun then right? not quite it is acting in the substantive function meaning it is nominal adjective and is functioning as a noun itself, we know this because 1) there is no head noun, 2) it is in the nominative case (James 1:25 is in the Accusative case) and 3) it is a neuter gender and in greek these 3 combinations overwhelming suggests it is functioning in the substantive function or as a nominatie adjective and this is further confirmed by the context, but it must be these 3 and if it wasn't neuter, or wasn't nominative then it would not function as a substantive (James 1:25 has none of the 3 as it is in the Accusative case, it has a head noun, and it is masculine).

So what does this mean? it means it is an abstract and it stands alone. This doesn't disqualify that it points to "the law" or completion of the canon but it also doesn't disqualify an eschatological event, that latter being an event confirmed through scripture but the former absent in scripture.
So, is that betting a dollar each way?
 
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And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. - Numbers 11:23
The thing that cessationists forget is that Jesus is the same compassionate Person that He has always been. The supernatural declined by around the 4th Century because the church forgot that God is love. It stopped showing the love and compassion of God and replaced it with ceremony and ritual.

Cessationists try to tell us that Jesus meant for the supernatural gifts to cease. But this means that He meant for His love and compassion for the church and the sick and suffering in to cease and to be replaced by religious "Scriptural" words. Yes, even our precious Bible, the Word of God, can be turned into just a set of religious principles and ideals instead of the living Word that shows how good God is, how much He loves us, and passionately desires to show His compassion on all those who are sick and suffering.

The trouble is that it is the church itself that has blocked His love and compassion and has frustrated the grace of God for so many people. It it has used the words judgment and condemnation instead of grace and power. If the church concentrated on grace and power as its guiding principles, we would see a lot more people saved and healed.

Yet there are millions of believers who are building their churches and ministries on grace and power instead of judgment and condemnation, and they are the churches that are saving souls and healing the sick, while the others that are built on judgment and condemnation are declining and dying.

All cessationists can offer is religiousity and churchianity, because they have lost the sense of grace, love and compassion which comes from the heart of God. They can cobble together Scriptures until the cows come home, but there is no grace, compassion or love for needy souls in what they try to promulgate.
 
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