Cessationism, in Christian theology, is the view that the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit were for the purpose of founding and strengthening the church as it grew and expanded into the Roman Empire, thus they were in effect only during the time between the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost c. 33 AD (see Acts 2) and the fulfilment of God's purposes in history, usually identified as either the completion of the last book of the New Testament or the death of the last Apostle. This view is usually supported by reference to Ephesians 2:20 which is interpreted to read that Apostles and Prophets were only foundational to the church (and thus not continuing offices), as well as to Hebrews 2:3-4 which says miracles were performed by Apostles. Thus, with the passing of the last Apostle, miracles performed through people ceased. Some cessationists make reference to 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 as their main argument, though the majority of cessationists today do not feel that it can be used as an argument for cessationism. Cessationists also argue from the fact that since the closing of the Canon of scripture, the gifts of Prophecy and Knowledge have been rendered useless. Also supporting this view is the disputed argument that there has been no solid objective scientific reference of the working of miracles manifested within the mainstream church for the last nineteen centuries.

Cessationists are divided into four main groups:

• Concentric Cessationists believe that the miraculous gifts have indeed ceased in the mainstream church and evangelized areas, but appear in unreached areas as an aid to spreading the Gospel (Luther and Calvin, though they were somewhat inconsistent in this position. Daniel Wallace is now the most prominent scholar to hold this view).

• Classical (or "Weak") cessationists assert that the miraculous gifts such as prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues ceased with the apostles and only served as launching pads for the spreading of the Gospel. However, these cessationists do believe that God still occasionally does miracle-like activities today, such as healings or divine
  
  
  
  guidance, so long as these "miracles" do not accredit new doctrine or add to the New Testament canon (Warfield, Gaffin). Articles on this view can be found here:

• Full Cessationists argue that along with no miraculous gifts, there are also no miracles performed by God today. This argument, of course, turns on one's understanding of the term, "miracle."

• Consistent Cessationists believe that not only were the miraculous gifts only for the establishment of the first-century church, but the so-called five-fold ministry found in Eph 4 was also a transitional institution (i.e., There are no more apostles, prophets, but also no more pastors, teachers, or evangelists). Advocates for this form of cessationism are mainly located at this link .

Cessationism, however, is a doctrine that is generally perceived to be in retreat even among conservative and Evangelical Christians. Among theologians more to the left, cessationism is a non-issue. According to a Gallup poll, 89% of Americans affirm that "Even today God performs miracles by his power." The explosive growth of charismatic Pentecostalism (those who believe and practice the so-called "extra-ordinary" or "miraculous" spiritual gifts), approaching one billion adherents world-wide, has largely undercut the appeal of cessationism.

The modern critique of cessationism centers around: 1) its rationalistic, Enlightenment-era, unbiblical notion of "miracle," 2) its denial of the overwhelming evidence of "miraculous" spiritual gifts appearing in church history (Ron Kydd, Charismatic Gifts in the Early Church, 1984), and 3) its denial of the clear teaching of scripture, e.g., "The charismata (gifts) and calling of God are not withdrawn" (Rom 11:29). "The eye cannot say to the hand 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'" (1 Cor 12:21). Cessationism claims exactly that. Numerous other passages clearly teach that all spiritual gifts will continue to the Second Coming of Christ (See Ruthven, Cessation, below)

In response to (1), most classical cessationists would say that they do not deny that God performs miracles, only that they believe that a miracle worker is not meant for this time. For (2), most cessationists have contended that the evidence is hazy at best, and can be interpreted in other ways. For (3), cessationists would contend that 1 Corinthians 12:21 applied only for the time when the miraculous

The consensus understanding of the Early Church Fathers on 1 Cor 13:8-12 was that "prophecy will continue in all the Church until the end" (Gary Shogren, "How Did They Suppose "The Perfect" Would Come? 1 Corinthians 13.8-12 in Patristic Exegesis. Journal of Pentecostal Theology (15:1999), 99-121 and Christian Prophecy and Canon in the Second Century: A Response to B B Warfield. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (40:D 1997), 609-626. However, figures like John Crysostom and St. Augustine have testified that the miraculous gifts were nowhere to be found during their day. (See ) Both writers, however, reverse themselves, citing numerous miracles (See, e.g.,).

Bibliography

Cessationist scholars: The classic work is Benjamin B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles (New York: Charles Scribners, 1918, answered by Ruthven, below). Thomas R. Edgar, Miraculous Gifts:Are They for Today? (Neptune, N.J.: Loizeaux Brothers, 1983). F. David Farnell, "The New Testament Prophetic Gift: Its Nature and Duration." ThD Dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1990. Richard M. Gaffin, Jr. Perspectives on Pentecost: Studies in New Testament Teaching on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979). Charles W. Colson and Michael Scott Horton, (eds.), Power religion: The Selling out of the Evangelical Church? (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), answered by Wayne Grudem in Power & Truth: A Response to the Critiques of Vineyard Teaching and Practice by D.A.Carson, James Montgomery Boice, and John H. Armstrong in Power Religion (Anaheim, CA: The Association of Vineyard Churches, 1993).

An interactive survey of positions today: Wayne Grudem (ed.) Are Miraculous Gifts for Today: Four Views. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996 (Richard M.Gaffin, Jr. R.L.Saucy, C.Samuel Storms, Douglas A.Oss).

Perhaps the most comprehensive critics of cessationism are: Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic on Post-Biblical Miracles 1989/1993 (Often identified as the definitive study, it examines the historical, philosophical and exegetical issues. The book is available at this link: ), Gary Greig and Kevin Springer (eds.) The Kingdom and the Power: Are Healing and the Spiritual Gifts Used By Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today? 1993 (thorough and practical) and Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, 1993, and Surprised by the Voice of God, 1996.

Quotations

On cessationism and Ephesians 2:20 see: On Consistent Cessationism (non-necessity of pastors) see: