There are several Christians who insist that certain miraculous Spiritual gifts: speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, word of knowledge, prophecy, and healing are no longer valid gifts for the Church today. They believe that those gifts ceased to function when the Bible was completed, or when the last apostle died. People who believe this theology are called cessationists.
They base their conclusions on 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. It reads, "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears" (NIV). They argue that those prophetic words of the apostle Paul are now fulfilled. They believe the words "but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears" foretell the cessation of miraculous Spiritual gifts at the completion of the Bible. I disagree, because such an interpretation implies the miraculous Spiritual gifts are imperfect. That is at best disingenuous or worse, dishonest (1 Cor. 12:7-11; Jam. 1:17).
I believe it is much more reasonable to suggest the term "perfection" (1 Cor. 13:10) is a reference to the new Heaven and new Earth (Rev. 21:1), and the term "imperfect" is a reference to this present world (tainted with sin). Think about it: 1 Corinthians 13:12b reads, "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (Italics added). We have the complete Bible today, but do we "know fully" now? Certainly we don't. We will not know fully until we see Jesus face to face. That's when there will be no need for prophecy or word of knowledge; all prophecies will be fulfilled, and all relevant truth will be unveiled. That's when there will be no need for speaking in other tongues; it will no longer be a "sign" or "wonder" to anyone. Naturally there will be no need for interpretation of tongues. That's when miraculous healing will neither be necessary; there will be no physical sickness or pain!
Cessationists contend that the apostles did not have the language scholars and interpreters that the Church has today. They say that the apostles needed a special revelation from the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel in different tongues. They may have a point, but nowhere does Scripture record anybody using tongues to communicate the gospel, or to prophesy. In fact, 1 Corinthians 14:2 reads, "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit" (Italics added).
As controversial as this issue is, I still consider it a peripheral Christian debate over which Christians can disagree without being disagreeable. Who can deny that God is using both Pentecostals/charismatics and their cessationist counterparts for His glorious work?
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