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Here is an interesting article .......
THE CESSATION OF "..PROPHECIES, TONGUES AND KNOWLEDGE."
Victor Budgen in his book "The Charismatics and the word of God" mentions in one paragraph on p.84, almost in passing, that if faith and hope are not needed in Heaven, then prophecies, tongues and knowledge would have ceased before then. This analysis of the sequence of events as set out in the Bible is so important that it is well worthy of amplifying and investigating in some depth. If the point can be proven, this would put a large question mark against these three practices that are such important features in many churches today.
The accepted sequence by many evangelical Christians and expositors is that none of the gifts have actually ceased, and are still available today. The three specially mentioned that will cease in I Cor. 13:8 are of course "..prophecies, tongues and knowledge..."
Before we go any further we should determine precisely what each of these three words actually refer to, as this important to see if these words in this passage have the same meaning as they are usually understood today.
Most people assume that "prophesies" are statements that foretell the future, as described in Acts 11:28 where Agabus predicted a famine. However, this is not the only meaning of the word, for in 1 Cor. 14:3-5 immediately following we read "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God...But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort...He who prophesies edifies the church...He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified."
Here we have not simply predicting the future, for this can hardly be considered as providing "strengthening, encouragement and comfort". Such descriptions concern aspects of teaching and instruction about the faith - most necessary before the canon of the Bible was available. There was seemingly more than just the predictive aspect involved in "prophecy", for it included a teaching aspect also. These two features may have been quite distinct, although the same word may have been used for them. If this were so, then it is most likely that the teaching part of "prophecy" is the one that Paul is referring to which was to cease. The predictive aspect could still remain for the occasional example as has been recorded in the lives of such men as Spurgeon and Alexander Peden.
Some may think that as we have to exercise "knowledge" still today, that therefore these three gifts are still being used and have not ceased. However, the "knowledge" Paul was referring to was quite definitely a special gift and not ordinary "knowledge" as we would think of it today. This is clearly stated in 1 Cor. 12:8 just before, which says "To one there is given through the Spirit the message of of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit." Almost certainly, this special knowledge was again a temporary means by which the emerging church received deeper understanding of the Christian faith by direct revelation from God before the Bible was available.
"Tongues" similarly had a purpose in edifying the church, provided it was translated, as Paul constantly urges. This can be seen in the verses of 1 Cor.14 set out above referring to prophecy.
That these three special gifts were for the edifying and building up of the church is further shown in one passage where they are all put together within the same context. In 1 Cor.14:6 it says "Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?" Thus these three gifts were for the prime purpose of teaching the early church - special and unique gifts that were to be withdrawn once the bible became the sole source of instruction for all future ages.
These very special gifts were vital for the emerging church. Several times in Acts, Paul made a few converts and then had to rapidly leave the area. Where were they to get their instruction from about their new Christian faith? God provided this by these temporary miraculous gifts to each small congregation, and they would be still operating when Acts and the Epistles were being written. When they were completed and available for instruction to the church for all future generations, these three special gifts were then withdrawn. Having shown that these special revelatory gifts were given only temporarily and would be withdrawn at some future date, the next question to be asked is "When will they cease ?" Most would assume that it is when the "perfect thing is come", which is taken to be the Second Coming of Christ or Heaven, whilst faith, hope and love will continue to be required in Heaven. The picture would be like that in Fig. 1.
Some however do not accept this picture. As Budgen notes, foremost amongst them is Jonathan Edwards, recognised by many as an intellectual giant amongst Christian theologians. As an indication of Edwards's theological insight, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones said he was "amazing" and "He is one of the most honest expositors that I know. He never evades a problem. He faces them all." (This does not mean that MLJ endorsed Edwards's views on cessation). Others also have contended that the special gifts ceased on the completion of Scripture, including Jamieson Fausset and Brown and A.W. Pink, and Budgen lists them on page 89. One of the main points proposed by Budgen in his book is that "the perfect thing" is the Bible. However, it must be emphasised that the following examination is quite independent of whether this is a correct interpretation or not. The Bible seems to show quite clearly that these gifts have ceased quite independently of other issues that may be closely connected. The first statement that should be generally accepted is that these three gifts will cease at some time, whilst faith hope and love will continue to be exercised. This is obvious from the verses, but is important in what follows.
etc etc ........
http://www.mbowden.surf3.net/cesstong.htm
THE CESSATION OF "..PROPHECIES, TONGUES AND KNOWLEDGE."
Victor Budgen in his book "The Charismatics and the word of God" mentions in one paragraph on p.84, almost in passing, that if faith and hope are not needed in Heaven, then prophecies, tongues and knowledge would have ceased before then. This analysis of the sequence of events as set out in the Bible is so important that it is well worthy of amplifying and investigating in some depth. If the point can be proven, this would put a large question mark against these three practices that are such important features in many churches today.
The accepted sequence by many evangelical Christians and expositors is that none of the gifts have actually ceased, and are still available today. The three specially mentioned that will cease in I Cor. 13:8 are of course "..prophecies, tongues and knowledge..."
Before we go any further we should determine precisely what each of these three words actually refer to, as this important to see if these words in this passage have the same meaning as they are usually understood today.
Most people assume that "prophesies" are statements that foretell the future, as described in Acts 11:28 where Agabus predicted a famine. However, this is not the only meaning of the word, for in 1 Cor. 14:3-5 immediately following we read "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God...But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort...He who prophesies edifies the church...He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified."
Here we have not simply predicting the future, for this can hardly be considered as providing "strengthening, encouragement and comfort". Such descriptions concern aspects of teaching and instruction about the faith - most necessary before the canon of the Bible was available. There was seemingly more than just the predictive aspect involved in "prophecy", for it included a teaching aspect also. These two features may have been quite distinct, although the same word may have been used for them. If this were so, then it is most likely that the teaching part of "prophecy" is the one that Paul is referring to which was to cease. The predictive aspect could still remain for the occasional example as has been recorded in the lives of such men as Spurgeon and Alexander Peden.
Some may think that as we have to exercise "knowledge" still today, that therefore these three gifts are still being used and have not ceased. However, the "knowledge" Paul was referring to was quite definitely a special gift and not ordinary "knowledge" as we would think of it today. This is clearly stated in 1 Cor. 12:8 just before, which says "To one there is given through the Spirit the message of of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit." Almost certainly, this special knowledge was again a temporary means by which the emerging church received deeper understanding of the Christian faith by direct revelation from God before the Bible was available.
"Tongues" similarly had a purpose in edifying the church, provided it was translated, as Paul constantly urges. This can be seen in the verses of 1 Cor.14 set out above referring to prophecy.
That these three special gifts were for the edifying and building up of the church is further shown in one passage where they are all put together within the same context. In 1 Cor.14:6 it says "Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?" Thus these three gifts were for the prime purpose of teaching the early church - special and unique gifts that were to be withdrawn once the bible became the sole source of instruction for all future ages.
These very special gifts were vital for the emerging church. Several times in Acts, Paul made a few converts and then had to rapidly leave the area. Where were they to get their instruction from about their new Christian faith? God provided this by these temporary miraculous gifts to each small congregation, and they would be still operating when Acts and the Epistles were being written. When they were completed and available for instruction to the church for all future generations, these three special gifts were then withdrawn. Having shown that these special revelatory gifts were given only temporarily and would be withdrawn at some future date, the next question to be asked is "When will they cease ?" Most would assume that it is when the "perfect thing is come", which is taken to be the Second Coming of Christ or Heaven, whilst faith, hope and love will continue to be required in Heaven. The picture would be like that in Fig. 1.
Some however do not accept this picture. As Budgen notes, foremost amongst them is Jonathan Edwards, recognised by many as an intellectual giant amongst Christian theologians. As an indication of Edwards's theological insight, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones said he was "amazing" and "He is one of the most honest expositors that I know. He never evades a problem. He faces them all." (This does not mean that MLJ endorsed Edwards's views on cessation). Others also have contended that the special gifts ceased on the completion of Scripture, including Jamieson Fausset and Brown and A.W. Pink, and Budgen lists them on page 89. One of the main points proposed by Budgen in his book is that "the perfect thing" is the Bible. However, it must be emphasised that the following examination is quite independent of whether this is a correct interpretation or not. The Bible seems to show quite clearly that these gifts have ceased quite independently of other issues that may be closely connected. The first statement that should be generally accepted is that these three gifts will cease at some time, whilst faith hope and love will continue to be exercised. This is obvious from the verses, but is important in what follows.
etc etc ........
http://www.mbowden.surf3.net/cesstong.htm
