Coming Soon: The Twin Poles of Error 2: Cessationist versus Charismaniac

These two named errors are both errors, as I shall demonstrate. And they feed off each other.

Cessationism is the easiest to deal with.

I Cor 13 speaks of when tongues and the like shall cease: they shall cease "when the perfect has come."

What is this perfect thing? Cessationists insist this is the scripture itself, but this I  will demonstrate to be  an out of context reading.

A good look at the passage in question is called for:

1Co 13:8  Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is love
 

The sentence they appeal to is here: "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."  But has it come yet? To answer this one must ask what will happen when it has come.  "For now we see through a glass, darkly."  This turn of phrase is so well known as to have entered the English language as an idiom, so, to continue  "but then face to face ."  But when? When is the "then" spoken of here? Clearly "when the perfect has come." In true Hebrew style Paul then repeats himself in a parallel passage immediately following : "now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

 

And now the clinching question must be raised? Are there any alive who  know God face to face (for it is clearly God Who is being spoken of in the passage), who see unmediated and not as if through a glass darkly and who know as they are known?

 

To know as one is known, that is to say to know as God knows, this is the result of what will be when the perfect has come. Until then it can be seen as a mightily tall order. So I ask again: is there any who know in this fashion (mad boastings of the  super spiritual notwithstanding)?  To any with even an ounce humility and realism the answer is clear. No there is not. We all see through a glass darkly and none has exhaustive knowledge of anything, let alone of God Himself

 

Therefore the perfect as not come, for though the scripture is perfect it is not the perfect that scripture spoke of.

 

Therefore miracles, prophecy, tongues and the like should not have ceased. If they did it is because of our unbelief and backsliding, and we  run the risk of having quenched the Spirit. What is claimed to be a virtue by the Cessationists is in fact a most grievous sin.

 

Whoever put the chapter headings and verse numbering in scripture back in the medieval period or so did this issue a great disservice.

 

Although it may be a grand rhetorical gesture to end the thirteenth chapter of this letter where it is ended  to do so disrupts the logical flow of the letter in its original form. For the very next verse after the passage quoted is

 

 

1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

Not only is Paul completely unaware that his writings will help in bringing and end to prophecy, tongues and miracles, he is commanding his people to seek these things  when surely insofar as his own writings were scripture (and that indeed they are!)  the need for them should be that much diminished  by his letter.

 

Some can argue that miracles can only ceased when the canon is complete, but again that is refuted by  showing what will be the state of the Christian believer when  the perfect has come. One does not and indeed cannot in logic produce writings which are to end, or contribute to the ending of,  a phenomenon then command the readers  in the selfsame letter to seek the very thing that is to be ended.

 

Cessationism is refuted. They do despise prophecy and insofar as the Holy Spirit would speak to them on the matter they have quenched the Spirit, both of which are forbidden in I Thessalonians 5:19-20.  Of course to simply believe error in good faith is not to quench the Spirit, and this situation can be remedied.  If we are commanded to seek the gifts of the Spirit when the idea that they ceased with the Apostles is refuted then at least such are in disobedience. It does depend on the individual relationship with the Spirit, however, whether this leads to sins more dire. Error of itself does not imply being unteachable by the Holy Spirit.

For as always, and I am a living testimony to this, He is merciful, and I know this because of my own extreme legalism which  made me as great a fool as the Galatians

 

To be fair, however, there is indeed madness in the charismatic movements which has risen from time to time over the centuries and although it is not logically valid to react against them as  is all too often done it is understandable.

 

One of the first and indeed still the most infamous schism produced between a charismatic extreme and a panicked church reacting against it was the Montanist schism of the 2nd (3rd) century

 

(mention montanist schism, reaction of charismatics to madness then fdeal with charismania)