What is a Continuationist?

[Paul.]

Is a Continuationist someone who believes that miraculous gifts and tongues etc happen today or is it someone who believes that the miraculous gifts and tongues etc have never completely disappeared from the Church since the early church until today?

Is it necessary to believe that the miraculous gifts and tongues etc never died out in order to believe that the miraculous gifts and tongues etc are still happening today.

If you want to discuss whether the miraculous gifts and tongues etc that are happening today are real, fake, imagined, demonic or anything else, please do it in a different thread.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

It looks like a "Continuatinist" is someone who is alive in Jesus and Jesus is alive in them and they are in union with Jesus all day and all night long in their lives, all the time.

 

[Albion]

Is a Continuationist someone who believes that miraculous gifts and tongues etc happen today or is it someone who believes that the miraculous gifts and tongues etc have never completely disappeared from the Church since the early church until today?

Is it necessary to believe that the miraculous gifts and tongues etc never died out in order to believe that the miraculous gifts and tongues etc are still happening today.

If you want to discuss whether the miraculous gifts and tongues etc that are happening today are real, fake, imagined, demonic or anything else, please do it in a different thread.

Apparently, it is that they never stopped. Otherwise, the word that these folks chose to use to describe themselves (Continualist or Continuationist), as well as the word they call those who disagree with them (Cessationist), would not make sense. Some other term, like Restorer or Revivalist would have to be used.

In addition, I have never engaged a Pentecostal Christian in discussion about this without him saying that the tongues, etc. cannot have ceased, ever, or else the verse in Scripture that says tongues shall not cease, etc. would be wrong (and the Bible cannot be wrong, so....).

Finally, it would be almost pointless to argue the other view (the gifts exist today) since the so-called Continuationists by and large dont dispute that.

They don't think that they all are on display every Sunday at 11:00 AM in the nearby Pentecostal church, but they certainly do believe that God gifts people as he chooses and when he chooses.

 

[Paul.]

Apparently, it is that they never stopped. Otherwise, the word that these folks chose to use to describe themselves (Continualist or Continuationist), as well as the word they call those who disagree with them (Cessationist), would not make sense. Some other term, like Restorer or Revivalist would have to be used.

That makes sense. I was curious about this as most people on these forums who argue that miraculous gifts and tongues etc occur today, appeared to need to defend the idea that they never stopped occurring throughout history.

In addition, I have never engaged a Pentecostal Christian in discussion about this without him saying that the tongues, etc. cannot have ceased, ever, or else the verse in Scripture that says tongues shall not cease, etc. would be wrong (and the Bible cannot be wrong, so....).

I guess that makes me the first Pentecostal you have spoken to who has no issue with the idea that a period of time in history probably exists where miraculous gifts and tongues etc did not exist in operation. I also believe that there is probably a period of history since the time of the New Testament where there were no born again Christians. I believe both these situations occurred because people turned away from God and did not follow Him. I do not believe that it is proof that He wanted either of those situations to happen.