Overcoming Objections: Cessationism

In our modern culture though, anything supernatural is shunned. We don’t believe it. If you can’t explain it, it must not be true. The modern mind says that only facts and figures matter. We must rid ourselves of the silly superstitions and ancient vestiges of the past and replace those thoughts with data. This is one of the primary reasons why we worship technology. Computers, A.I., iPhones and the like are our new gods. We have banished the old one with his claims of supernatural superiority. 

This is most certainly true in the world, but it’s also descriptive of the modern church as well. One of the more deceptive doctrines to infiltrate the church over the past few hundred years is called cessationism. There’s many variations to this belief, but the end result is the neutering of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers today. Most proponents of this teaching believe that the gifts of the Spirit, such as prophecy and tongues, have ceased and are no longer active. The line at which they stopped is often disputed. Some say when the apostles died off, others say when the New Testament was canonized. 

“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.” - 1 Corinthians 13:8  

Cessationists have many objections to the supernatural gifts, but most of them are not rooted in Scripture. They tend to appeal to history or creeds or experience rather than Scripture. One of the most abused verses they will use is found in Paul’s treatise on spiritual gifts, encouraging people to earnestly desire them, especially prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1).

The confusing part for most new believers who are exposed to this type of teaching is that it flies in the face of the entire Bible. The Bible is filled with supernatural events from beginning to end. A talking snake, the parting of the Red Sea, slaying giants, supernatural provision, prophets, surviving fiery furnaces, are but a small taste of the amazing events that take place in the Bible and that’s just the Old Testament. 

In the New Testament, God fulfills a promise he makes to the prophet Joel that in the latter days, he would pour out his Spirit on all flesh and the result would be that all people would be able to prophesy (Read Joel 2 and Acts 2). And this wasn’t given for just one lucky group of men, but it was a promise for generations. 

God’s promise of salvation and the Holy Spirit is for everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself! Wow! What a promise! This wasn’t something that was meant to cease but is a promise for everyone who is saved! Rather than a philosophy of good living to be passed down from generations, we actually inherit a personal God who walks with us in the here and now!

Paul says that “when the perfect comes” those things like tongues and prophecy will cease. Now, what is the perfect? That seems to be the key. Some cessationists argue that Paul is referring to The Bible. This obviously cannot be true because Paul had a Bible, it was what we call the Old Testament. He had no idea that what we called the New Testament was going to be canonized. That doesn’t make sense in context. Let’s read on. 

Paul compares this perfect coming to our current age by talking about a dim mirror. He says essentially that currently that its hard to see, but when the perfect comes, we will see face to face. He also says that we will “fully know.” Now, this can only really refer to one thing…the coming of our Lord Jesus. When Jesus comes and we see Him face-to-face, we won’t need prophecy or tongues anymore. Why? Because Jesus is here! 

This is clearly not talking about the Bible. The Bible is an amazing book, it’s the word of God, but it’s not “the perfect” that Paul is referring to. The perfect is Jesus. When Jesus comes again we won’t need tongues or prophecy because we will have Him with us forever. There will be no need for prophetic encouragement when we have the Great Encourager with us.