ON CESSATIONISM - (Continued)
Finally, Warfield the exegete, beyond his failure to engage the theological issues above,
failed even to acquaint himself with the brief, but significant passages of Scripture which
in and of themselves taught the continuation of the charismata. It is because Warfield is
first and foremost the biblicist, and because he claims to have structured his whole
polemic on “two legs,” an investigation into history and scripture, that his omission is so
glaring and so disappointing.
D. New Testament Passages Reiterating the Pattern of Continuing
Charismata during the Time of Christ’s Present Exaltation until the
End of the Age
The following are a series of paraphrases of Scriptures which restate the role of the
charismata in the eschatological framework outlined above: the charismata continue
during this age to minister toward the (as yet unrealized) goal of complete maturity of
the church. Again, expressed biblically, the divine “Spirit” is presented in Scripture as
associated primarily and essentially performing charismatic operations. The exegetical
support for these interpretive paraphrases have been worked out in the dissertation.
1. I Corinthians 1:4-8 “I always thank God for you because of God’s grace (including the
whole range of charismata) because in every way you have been enriched in him–in
every kind of speech (including prophecy) and in every kind of knowledge (including the
gift of revealed knowledge). You are doing this now exactly as (kathos) the testimony of
Christ was confirmed in you (that is, charismatically, by the apostles and or evangelists
who first demonstrated articulated the gospel to you)–with the result that you do not
now lack an,; spiritual gift during the time you are awaiting the revelation of our Lord
Jesus Christ. (The Lord) will also (not merely when the gospel first came to you, or even
only now, but will) continue to confirm/ strengthen you (in the same way as you are now
experiencing the charismata until the time you are ‘awaiting’ the end) until the end, so
that (via the strengthening and purifying charismata which generates growth and
progressive maturity) you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 “Love never ends: it continues on into the age to come. But
wherever the charismatic operations of prophecies, tongues speaking or revealed
knowledge occur, they will be ended. Like childhood, they all represent an incomplete, yet
necessary stage of God’s eternal plan.
But when will these three (representative) gifts, i.e., the charismata generally, cease? The
eschatological principle is this: when the complete (end) arrives, at that precise point, the
incomplete will be ended. Specifically, when Christ returns at the end of this present age,
then, and not a moment before, the charismata–gifts of prophecy, tongues and revealed
knowledge here offered as examples–which are incomplete compared to the ultimate
heavenly realities they only now indicate, will all come to an end, having served their
temporary purpose.
Let us note three or four illustrations of this point.
First, when I was a baby (representing our present existence) I babbled, thought and
reasoned (i.e., the present charismata of speech and knowledge) like a baby–a necessary
and positive development to be sure–all of which would be related to what was to come.
But at adulthood (our existence in heaven), this stage is superseded by vastly greater
powers of communication, thinking and reasoning.
Second, in the present age, the charismata only serve as indirect or indistinct perceptions
of God or his will, like looking into a mirror or a photograph. But in heaven, the mirror or
photograph (the charismata) are unnecessary if we can see God ‘face to face.’ At that
point these items, which had helped preserve the somewhat distant relationship, will
have served their purpose and will be discarded, since we will have the real person before
us.
Third, in this present age, I know God, but the charismata reveal Him to me only in
glimpses and hints. But then, in heaven, I will know God (kathos) exactly as, and to the
same degree God knows me now. Of what use will be those tentative and imprecise gifts
of revealed knowledge under those conditions?
(Fourth), in this present age, faith, hope and love, all three function, but like the other
charismata, faith (which is a charism of revelation, which, if acted upon, can produce
miracles or any other aspect of God’s salvation), and hope (another gift of God which is
superseded if it results in the presence and reality of its object), will both be unnecessary
because of their ‘waiting characteristic; in heaven, the waiting win be over. By contrast,
love is greater, because, unlike faith, hope and the other charismata, love never ends.”
3. Ephesians 4:11-13 “[The ascended Christ] gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists,
and pastor/teachers (not to accredit the gospel or its bearers, but) for the perfecting of
the saints toward the work of ministry, toward the building up of the body of Christ. [But
for how long?] These gifts are distributed, in principle (vs. 7) ‘to each’ until (mechri)–an
ongoing process of distribution–the following state is attained, i.e., that we all arrive: at
the unity of the faith, at the full knowledge of the Son of God, into full, mature adulthood,
that is, to the level of stature (maturity) of the fullness of Christ.” (Note: even Paul has
not “attained” to this state [Phil 3:12]).
4. Ephesians 1:13-23 In the context of believers’ receiving “all wisdom and
understanding” (1:8) and Paul’s continued prayer for the same (1:17) and to experience
(“know”) [Christ's] incomparably great power–like that of the resurrection], Paul
describes the time frame: “In him, when you believed, you were marked with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit [or first installment--the first payment of the same
to follow] guaranteeing our inheritance (described, inter alia as “incomparably great,”
etc., like resurrection power in 1:19), until (eis) the redemption of those who are God’s
possession–to the praise of his glory.” This state of affairs is active in believers and is
paralleled to the exaltation of Christ which occurs “not only in the present age, but also in
the one to come” (1:21-23, cf 2:6).
5. Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul’s prayer is that the readers may “have power through the
Spirit” that in love they “may have power together with all the saints [an explicit
universal application]… to the goal that you may be filled to the measure of the
fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or
imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be glory, in the church
and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations for ever and ever. Amen.” Cf. Isa 59:21.
6. Ephesians 4:30 With Eph 1:13-23 above, the time period of the Spirit’s prophetic
presence in the believer is restated: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [an allusion to
ignoring prophetic warning, e.g., Isa 63:10? cf. Eph 4:29] with whom you were sealed [an
ongoing mark of ownership and protection] until (eis) the day of redemption.”
7. Ephesians 5:15-19 In the present e,%il days (characteristic of the time of the
Messianic woes [Mt 24:9-12; 1 Tim 31 preceding the parousia, don't be drunk on wine, but
continue to "be filled with the Spirit (cf Jer 23:9; Amos 2:12; Acts 2:13,15; Lk 1:15). Speak
to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (i.e., glossolalic singing? 1 Cor
14:13-17)--perhaps representative of the whole range of charismatic prophetic
operations to continue during these "present evil days."
8. Ephesians 6:10-20 "Be empowered (closely assoc. with "miracle/mighty work" in the
NT) in the Lord and in his mighty power... struggling against demonic forces... with sword
of Spirit--the word of God (prophecy)--and constant prayer. [Since we are in the time of
the Messianic woes that Jesus predicted about standing before magistrates, etc. I pray
that words will be given me"[divine passive] (Mtl0:19b-20 Mkl3:11–”it is not you speaking
but the Holy Spirit”).
9. Philippians 1:5-10 “Christ who has begun a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus. What work? sharing in God’s grace (and imitating
Paul, 3:17; 4:9–necessarily including the charismata (cf. Mt 28:20 “teaching them all that I
have commanded you”) in defending and confirming–a word in this context speaking of
charismata, signs and wonders). And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more
and more in knowledge and perception (charismata of revelation), so that y u may be
able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until (eis) the day of Christ.”
10. Colossians 1:9-12 “We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you
with the knowledge of his will through all Spiritual wisdom and understanding (revelatory
gifts)… being strengthened with all po-er… to build spiritual maturity, looking toward
(though already provisionally experiencing) the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom
of light. Indeed we have already been brought into that kingdom.”
11. 1 Thessalonians 1:5-8 In view of the rabbi-disciple model in # 10, above, the
normative transmission of the gospel in “word and deed” in this passage. “our gospel
came to you not simply with words, but also with power (en dunamei), with the Holy Spirit
and with deep conviction…. You became imitators of us and of the Lord . . . . And so (it
follows) you yourselves became models to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” The
pattern of the gospel’s normative pattern of transmission in the miraculous power of the
Spirit was carried over into a third generation–two away from Paul, i.e., those upon whom
apostolic hands would not be laid! All with the goal of building Christian maturity until the
end of this age.
12. 1 Thessalonians 5:11-23 In a strong eschatological context of the parousia Paul
encourages believers to continue edifying each other in love: “Do not put out the Spirit’s
fire [paralleled with]; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test them and heed the
good ones, in view of the goal of being blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The One who calls you will be faithful to preserve you (using these charismata, cf. 1 Cor
1:4-81 etc.).”
13. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 “For which–in an ongoing process toward the goal [that You
win be counted worthy at the coming of Christ] we constantly pray for you that our God
will count you worthy and may fulfill your every good purpose and every work of faith in
power (en dunamei), so that the name of our Lord Jesus might be glorified in you and you
in him.”
14. 1 Peter 1:5 “Through faith you are being shielded by God’s power (en dunamei), until
(eis) a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.”
15. 1 Peter 4:7-12 “The end of all things [the goal and context of this warning] is near….
Each one should use whatever spiritual gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks–as the oracles of God.”
Most commentators see this as a reference to NT prophecy. The parenesis is given
against the approaching end, with the understanding that prophecy is to be operative up
until that point.
16. 1 John 2:26-28 As an antidote to false prophets, John encourages the gift of
prophecy: “Dear children, this is the last hour … But all of you have an anointing from the
Holy One, and all of you know the truth . As for you, the anointing you received from him
remains in you, and you do not need any one to teach you. But as his anointing teaches
you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-just as it has taught you,
remain in him . . . . continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and
unashamed before him at his coming.” This passage is strikingly parallel to the promise of
the Paraclete to the apostles (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13f). Here the promise is to the
general readers!
17. Jude 18-21 [As Jesus prophesied] “In the last times… there will be those who follow
their own human desires, and who do not have the Spirit. By contrast, you, beloved,
during these same “last times,” edify yourselves in your most holy faith by praying in the
Spirit.” “Praying in the Spirit” = praying in response to the direct leading of the Spirit–a
revelatory process, or, as in 1, Cor 14:4,14,15, in glossolalic prayer (“one who “prays in the
Spirit” edifies himself).
Each of these passages, then, continues the pattern of Jesus’ commissions to his disciples
to demonstrate articulate the Kingdom in the power of the Spirit–to the 12, the 70 (72),
the 120–as archetypes of “all of the Lord’s people” (including the readers of these verses)
whom Moses wished would all be filled with the Spirit of prophecy (Num 11:29; cf., Isa
59:21; Joel 2:28-30; 1 Cor 14:1,5,39).
