Questions tagged [cessationism]

The belief that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased operation since the days of the early church.

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"Truth Matters 2013: Strange fire" conference" - What does the biblical term "strange fire" signify about the Charismatic movement?

To the half-billion plus Charismatic Christians in the world, what message does this “term” send? What is the Biblical basis for the calling of the Charismatic movement as Strange Fire? (Audio/...
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Why was there a decline in the number of reported miracles in the first century?

In a related question, it is stated that the practice of apostolic gifts declined during the lifetimes of the apostles. For example, Norman Geisler in his book Signs & Wonders writes (p. 137): ......
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How do Continuationists rebut Tom Pennington's 7 arguments for Cessationism?

Here is a summarized version of the 7 arguments for Cessationism by Tom Pennington reiterated at the Strange Fire conference (source): The unique role of miracles - For authentication of the ...
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What is the Biblical basis for "7 arguments for Cessationism"?

Here are the 7 arguments for Cessationism by Tom Pennington reiterate at the Strange Fire conference. (posted on www.challies.com) (summarized version) The unique role of miracles - For ...
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What are the effects of the doctrine of Cessationism on the church for carrying out the "great commission" of Jesus? [closed]

Jesus gave the great commission to His disciples (Matt 28:19-20). And Jesus instructed His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until baptized with the Holy Spirit, and received and clothed power from on ...
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Are experiences of revelatory “impressions of the Holy Spirit” reported by Charles Spurgeon common among cessationists?

According to https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/should-you-earnestly-desire-to-prophesy: Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) once described a remarkable experience he had while preaching: He suddenly ...
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How do continuationists view each different type of cessationism?

According to Monergism.com: In Christian theology, cessationism is the view that the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, ceased being practiced early on in ...
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How do continuationists respond to Justin Peters' challenge to modern charismatic prophets?

Who is Justin Peters From https://justinpeters.org/: Justin Peters Ministries is a worldwide expository preaching and teaching ministry. We focus on teaching the sufficiency of God's word and ...
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What is the basis for the claim that "we have the completed revelation from God in the Bible"?

The GotQuestions.org article Are there prophets in the church today? asks the following rhetorical question (in bold): Are there true prophets today? If the purpose of a prophet was to reveal truth ...
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How do cessationists explain 1 Corinthians 1:7?

"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ"- 1 Corinthians 1:7 I'm neutral in the cessationism vs continuationism debate but ...
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How do non-LDS believers in the modern restoration (or continuation) of the offices of apostle and prophet rebut GotQuestions.org's objections?

I'm specifically talking about the GotQuestions.org article Is God restoring the offices of apostle and prophet in the church today? A summary of the main arguments (in my own words) from the article ...
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How do Latter-day Saints rebut Don Stewart's article "Are There Still Apostles Today?"?

Short version How do Latter-day Saints (who believe in modern apostles) rebut Don Stewart's article Are There Still Apostles Today? ? Longer version I'll enumerate key points and include relevant ...
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2 votes
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What is the biblical basis for Concentric Cessationism?

According to Monergism.com: In Christian theology, cessationism is the view that the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, ceased being practiced early on in ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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How do Cessationists react to a world-view-challenging testimony from a fellow Christian?

Note: this question is scoped to Cessationists (see Cessationism vs. Continuationism - Wikipedia). Suppose that a fellow Christian tells a Cessationist that God spoke to them, or that they were ...
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What is the biblical basis for NOT expecting miracles (from God at least) after the apostolic age?

Essentially the opposite of this question: What is the biblical basis for expecting miracles after the apostolic age, including modern times? Some Christians believe that miracles ceased after the ...
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What is the Cessationist view on miracle reports surrounding St. Macarius of Egypt?

Macarius of Egypt: Macarius of Egypt (c. 300 – 391) was a Coptic Christian monk and hermit. He is also known as Macarius the Elder or Macarius the Great. St. Macarius was born in Lower Egypt. A late ...
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How do Cessationists distinguish between miracles and spiritual gifts? What is the biblical basis for such discernment?

I've heard Cessationists say many times that there is a difference between spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12) and healings & miracles from God. I have two questions: On Discernment. How do Cessationists ...
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Does Sola Scriptura entail Cessationism?

As a follow-up to my previous question What is the difference between Sola Scriptura and the belief in a closed canon?, I would like to know now about the implications that the doctrine of Sola ...
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5 answers
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What are the drawbacks of studying/teaching the Bible in an overly erudite (overly academic) manner?

It's good that God has blessed us with towering intellectual pastors/Christian writers like D. A. Carson, John Piper, John F. MacArthur, etc. Many of the aforementioned people belong to Baptist, ...
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Do Cessationists wish that all God's people may prophesy?

Moses said: And Moses saith to him, `Art thou zealous for me? O that all Jehovah's people were prophets! that Jehovah would put His Spirit upon them!' [Numbers 11:29 YLT] Similarly, Paul said: ...
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How do Cessationists view "being led by the Holy Spirit"?

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. [Romans 8:14 KJV] 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh ...
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How do Cessationists who believe in modern-day miracles judge the credibility of modern miracle claims?

Some "hardcore" Cessationists deny all possibility of modern godly miracles. Other Cessationists, who are a bit more open, do believe in the possibility of modern miracles -- it's just that ...
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3 votes
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Was Chrysostom mistaken about the cessation of charismatic gifts in the late 4th century?

John Chrysostom (AD 347-407), while commenting on 2 Thessalonians 2:7, writes about how some in his day thought the prevalence of the full range of charismatic gifts functioned to restrain the coming ...
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Do cessationists perform exorcisms?

Does being a cessationist have any bearing on one's views on spiritual warfare, demon possession and the casting out of demons (a.k.a. exorcisms)? Can a person be a cessationist and still believe in ...
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How do Cessationists interpret 1 Corinthians 14:24-25?

1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (ESV): 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, ...
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2 votes
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How do Cessasionists interpret 1 Thessalonians 5:20?

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold ...
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How do Cessationists interpret Matthew 7:21-23?

Matthew 7:21-23 (NASB): 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me ...
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Do Cessationists reject Lee Strobel and Craig S. Keener's books collating modern-day miracle reports?

By books collating modern-day miracle reports I concretely mean Lee Strobel's book The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural (amazon link) and Craig S. Keener's ...
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When was it claimed for the first time in Church history that the offices of apostle and prophet have ceased?

First, some context ... Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV): 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the ...
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What is the basis for the different epistemologies of continuationists, cessationists and atheists regarding eyewitness testimonies of miracles?

Preliminaries From the Wikipedia article on Epistemology: Epistemology [...] is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemologists study the nature, origin, and scope of knowledge, ...
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2 votes
3 answers
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What is the biblical basis for the belief that Paul was the last to be called to be an apostle?

Many Christians believe that the office of apostleship ended in the first century with the apostle Paul, and that after Paul there have not been any more people called by God/Jesus Himself (through ...
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3 votes
1 answer
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What is an overview of Christian beliefs regarding which spiritual gifts are still available to the body of Christ and which ones have ceased?

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 we find the following gifts: utterance of wisdom utterance of knowledge faith gifts of healing working of miracles prophecy the ability to distinguish between spirits various ...
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5 votes
2 answers
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How do continuationists respond to the 'closed canon' argument against the continuation of special revelations and sign gifts?

In my experience chatting with cessationists, I've noticed that a very recurrent cessationist argument against the continuation of special revelations and sign gifts is what I would call the 'closed ...
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4 votes
8 answers
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Do/which Christians believe they hear from God?

Note: I truly do not mean to reopen debate about cessationism or ask about the basis of it or contrary views. I'm just asking about terms and how this one would be classified. The Question Is hearing ...
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How do Cessationists reconcile the doctrine of Cessationism with Paul's exhortation to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 14:1?

1 Corinthians 14:1 (ESV) Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy What would be the point of earnestly desiring the spiritual gifts if they have ceased?...
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Can the doctrine of Cessationism be logically deduced from Scripture via deductive reasoning?

According to Cessationists, is it possible to make a case for the doctrine of Cessationism through logical argumentation based on deductive reasoning and Scripture alone (i.e. without appealing to ...
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7 votes
4 answers
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How do Cessationists respond to "the counterfeit proves the real" argument?

I don't have an explicit source at hand to cite, but sometimes I've heard Continuationists put forth the argument that "the counterfeit proves the real", "the counterfeit proves the ...
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Do Full Preterists believe that the perfect came and the gifts of the Spirit ceased in A.D. 70, as per 1 Corinthians 13:8-12?

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 (ESV): 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in ...
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Are there published testimonies from ex cessationists who became continuationists after personally witnessing or experiencing a sign gift?

Has ever a cessationist Christian become a continuationist for first-hand experiential reasons? Are there published testimonies from ex cessationists who became continuationists after they had a first-...
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1 vote
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Why do Cessationists consider recent testimonial evidence for the gifts of the Spirit less reliable than 2000-year-old evidence for the resurrection?

Arguments for the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus strongly rely on testimonial evidence. Defenders of Jesus' resurrection as a historical fact typically argue that the writings of the New ...
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6 votes
3 answers
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Do Cessationists believe that the Holy Spirit still speaks specific messages or instructions to Christians today?

The book of Acts includes several examples: Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Acts 8:29 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three ...
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3 votes
5 answers
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Are there any Christians who are partially cessationist with regard to the gifts of the Spirit?

I'm aware of the existence of both cessationism and continuationism as extreme positions regarding the gifts of the Spirit. One affirms that all the gifts of the Spirit have ceased, whereas the other ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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How do Cessationists explain Spirit-inspired prophecies whose contents were not recorded in the final canon of scripture?

It's my understanding that Cessationists usually adhere to the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 as meaning that prophecy and other spiritual gifts have ceased because "completeness" ...
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3 votes
2 answers
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How do Cessationists interpret John 14:8-14, especially verses 11 and 12?

John 14:8-14 (NIV): 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone ...
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1 vote
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How do Cessationists explain extreme manifestations of shaking and trembling observed in religious settings?

In some religious settings, e.g. Pentecostal and Charismatic gatherings, there are people who experience extreme cases of body shaking and trembling. There are many illustrative live recordings of ...
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According to "continuationists" what explains the 1900 year hiatus?

Do "continuationists" (who believe that the signs and wonders of Acts 2 never ceased) explain the apparent 1900 year hiatus as divine sovereignty dispensing early rain then and latter rain now or as ...
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Did any early Church Fathers record the event of the ceasing of spiritual gifts?

A central belief held by an overwhelming majority of Cessationists is that the "supernatural spiritual gifts" (e.g., tongues, prophecy, healing, miracles, etc.) ceased with the end of the ...
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3 answers
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What is the biblical basis to say that prophetic words spoken today are equivalent in authority to scripture?

Continuationists, in general believe that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still active and available today, including prophecy. So far as I am aware, prophecy in this context refers to (or in ...
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7 votes
1 answer
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Did Pentecostalism lead to Cessationism in the modern Reformed churches?

I understand that several theologians throughout church history believed that the gifts of the Spirit had ceased or mostly ceased. It didn't seem like a huge point of contention for them as it is ...
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How do cessationists interpret James 5:13-18?

Is the practice of confession, prayer, and anointing oil for healing with the elders of the church meant to be an ongoing practice of the church, or was that something left to the apostolic age where ...
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