Why I Believe in the Continuation of Miraculous Gifts

This a huge subject for such a small entry, so please forgive me at the outset of this in my failing to mention every aspect that could be pertinent to this. I am continuing to study this, so I am certain there will need to be more said about this. I am going to just highlight what I consider to be the most compelling reasons for miraculous gifts continuing today, and I will try to anticipate the MAIN objections or thoughts to what is put forth here. So, here it goes:

(1) There is no text or Scripture that says that they stopped.
I know that for some, this is the equivalent of committing argument suicide, because this statement makes such an easy target, and I concede that. It is true, as the brilliant objection to this thunders forth, that there is no explicit Scripture that says that the canon of Scripture stopped, but the early church was still able to figure it out. This is not the only reason, but to be fair, has to at least be considered in this, and to me at least a reasonable starting point.

There are those, of course, who still cite 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 as Paul saying that gifts will cease with the writing of Scripture. Every Christian is certainly entitled to having his opinion of what Scripture actually means, but this is too much for me. We all agree that the “imperfect” things that are listed in v. 8 have to be prophecy, tongues, AND knowledge. If the time of “when perfection comes” has to do with the writing of Scripture, then there would be no knowledge, as well. Surely no Christian will suggest that knowledge has died since the canon of Scripture closed. If there is one who does suggest that, then perhaps knowledge has died within them, but not for the rest of Christianity. Furthermore, the point is that these imperfect gifts will no longer be needed when Jesus Christ returns (“when perfection comes”, “face to face”, “then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”). Ironically, the passage does give the time for when these gifts (prophecy, tongues, knowledge, and all other spiritual gifts) will cease- the time of Christ’s coming! Assuming that this is the case, it would not be difficult to infer from 1 Corinthians 1:7 that Paul has this same time frame in mind for all the spiritual gifts: “Therefore you do not lack ANY spiritual gift AS you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.”

This would also be consistent with Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost that announces Joel’s prophetic fulfillment (Acts 2:17): “In the LAST DAYS, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Yours sons and daughters will prophesy, your young women will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Most conservative scholars agree that there is a two-part fulfillment in this with vs. 19 being this age and the first part of v. 20 as being the signs of Jesus’ coming at the end of this age, and the last part of v. 20 as related to both parts of the fulfillment: “…before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.”) But enough about that.

(2) There is a tremendous amount of information given in Scripture about their regulation.
Again, this may seem like small potatoes to those who oppose this, but this is at least an issue to be addressed. The fact is that Paul gives a lot of detail with respect to how tongues are to be used, how tongues are to be interpreted, and how prophecy is to be conducted. All of these are miraculous gifts, and despite the Corinthian church being richly blessed by possessing all of these gifts (including the gifts of healings and miracles and distinguishing between spirits), they needed direction for how they were to be used. If the gifts were to stop, then a lot of what we read in reference to the spiritual gifts is unnecessary. Of course, one could easily argue that there is a lot in Scripture that was necessary for specific periods or cultures, such as the sacrificial system set forth in Leviticus, and the cultural commandments about veils being worn over women’s head in the Church at Corinth. These commandments that Paul gave had some relevance to the audience to which it was spoken, but that does not negate its use for the church beyond that period, either.

(3) There is a tremendous amount of examples of miraculous happenings given throughout biblical history.
John MacArthur has chaotically stated in his book Charismatic Chaos that signs, miracles, and wonders were basically “concentrated” during three periods of biblical history: the time of Moses, the time of Elijah and Elisha, and the time of Jesus and the Apostles. What is really neat about this is that he does use the word “concentrated” and he indicates that there were other signs, miracles, and wonders, but they were “isolated”. Therefore, what MacArthur has actually done is prove that miraculous gifts have always existed in the Bible, but have been more prevalent at certain times of history. I don’t know of any Charismatic that would disagree with this fact. Furthermore, it must be considered why the signs and wonders were not done. One reason that is given explicitly in Scripture is when Jesus went to the town of Nazareth and it says that he did not do many miracles, “except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them… because of their unbelief.” It is possible that God did not do many signs and wonders at certain times because of the rebellion of his people, but that does not mean that miracles at any point stopped. On the contrary, there have always been miracles in the Bible, and there has never been a known cessationist during that time saying that since miracles were done in clusters they were now obsolete. A final point must be said about this, as well. There is no evidence that miracles were isolated or little in quantity in the Biblical record. Certainly there were many that were not recorded, especially since Jeremiah says this very thing in chapter thirty-two, verse twenty: “You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, both in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours.” Even in John’s gospel, John mentions at the end that there were many more signs that Jesus performed that he had not written down. Could this be the case in other periods, as well?

(4) Miracles were not only for the authentication of the apostolic message.
I do not have time to develop this fully, but this is a major point. It is a major crux of the cessationist argument, because they maintain that miracles were only signs to demonstrate the divinity of the apostles’ message, just like the miracles that Jesus performed were signs to demonstrate the deity of his person. What is just described is right. Miraculous gifts were used for that purpose, and frankly can be used for that now. Cessationists assume, though, that because of this being the case in some instances it is the case in every instance, and since the Apostles are no longer in existence (which I agree with, by the way), miraculous gifts therefore are no longer active. There are two problems, however, in assuming that this is the only purpose for miraculous gifts: (a) Apostles were not the only ones using the miraculous gifts, and (b) Scripture gives other reasons for the miraculous gifts. I can develop this all night, but since I am getting tired, I will let you check this out for yourself, but it should be seen without a lot of effort. If this is seen from Luke’s account in Acts and from Paul’s purposes listed in First Corinthians, then we are in a very good position to conclude that Christians (not apostles) are still able to have or seek those gifts today.

(5) Church history does not contradict the continuation of the miraculous.
What is always fascinating to me now are the historical accounts that I remember reading as a cessationist student at a cessationist college that told me of the continuing miracles of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t put much stock or credibility in them at that time, but the fact is they were there. In fact, there have been “isolated” reports of miracles throughout the course of history, including quite a few that comprised such prominent men as St. Augustine and Charles Spurgeon prophesying (although Spurgeon explained it away). Moreover, no less a scholar than D.A. Carson has said that “there is enough evidence that some form of ‘charismatic’ gifts continued sporadically across the centuries of church history that it is futile to insist on doctrinaire grounds that every report is spurious or the fruit of demonic activity or psychological aberration.” There is also the fact that prior to the Sixteenth Century, the only ones who had the written word were the rich or affluent. Their ignorance of the Scriptures certainly could have played a part in the absence of the miraculous. Finally, it must be said that the absence (if that is thought to be the case) or infrequency of the miraculous gifts throughout church history does not prove that God is opposed to their use. Again, there could be a number of factors that play into this that must be considered.

(6) Every gift that is given by the Holy Spirit is given to build up the body of Christ.
This is a simple way to conclude, but it is the most direct way, also. Paul instructs the Corinthians repeatedly that the gifts are given to edify, and for the common good. What about the miraculous gifts would preclude their being edifying to the church today? Nothing. In fact, Paul includes the miraculous in his discussion of edification. If these gifts were edifying to the church then, why would they not be edifying to the church now?

Okay, that is it for now. As wordy as I have been with this, I am sure that I left many questions in your mind, and I need to hear what those questions are, so that I can become sharper in my understanding of the Scipture. Remember, “iron sharpens iron,” so share with me your thoughts about this, and let me know whether you agree with me or not. If you don’t, tell me why, or ask me a question or even call me a name…just give me feedback. Thanks.