2021-04-26 17:05:06
Cessationism Vs Continuationism(Excerpts taken from the Christian Aryan Catechism)Spiritual Gifts:
- abilities from the Holy Spirit such as: speaking in tongues, prophecy, revelation and healing.Cessationism:
- Spiritual Gifts ended with the end of the Apostolic Age.Continuationism:
- Spiritual Gifts never ended.------------------
Full Cessationism:
- Spiritual Gifts have ceased with the Apostles.Classical Cessationism:
- Spiritual Gifts ceased with the Apostles; however occasionally God works in preternatural ways today.Consistent Cessationism:
- not only Spirituals Gifts, but the need for Apostles and Prophets ceased with the Apostles; and were only for the establishment of the First Century Church.Concentric Cessationism:
- Spiritual Gifts ceased with the Apostles; however will still occur in unreached (non-Christian) regions in the aid of spreading the Gospel.Empirical Cessationism:
- Spiritual Gifts were lost due to the Church's deviation from sound doctrine and not that they actually ended.Radical Continuationism:
- Spiritual Gifts never ceased and are freely available to any Christian individual. This often takes place in Charismatic Churches as a mockery of Christianity in phony public performances of exorcisms and healings.Dispensational Continuationism:
- Spiritual Gifts are still available to the Church, though lessor to the Apostolic Age and can not provide new revelation; only serving as continued guidance.------------------
Cessationism arose as a response to "Counterfeit Miracles" by the Catholic Church who used staged or fabricated claims of miracles as a polemic against Reformed Churches during the Protestant Reformation; to assert that Catholic views and doctrines in opposition of Protestantism, were confirmed by God as correct.
The purpose of only the Apostles being able to use Spiritual Gifts was to prove Christian authenticity in evangelization, confirm divine revelation and affirm the Church's doctrine for the initial establishment and foundation of the Christian faith; this reaching finalisation and ending with the death of the last Apostle, Saint John who authored the last book of the bible, Revelation.
This is important, as if Continuationism were correct and the possibility of new prophecy or revelation (Spiritual Gifts) were still available, then new prophets could arise to rewrite the Christian faith; adding to, or modifying existing Canon.
As the Reformation reaffirmed the original Apostolic teachings, no additional miracles were required by Protestants; as opposed to the Catholic Church which depended on new miracles to affirm their doctrines, which were contrary to Apostolic tradition and contrary to scripture.
The Christian foundation was already laid and divine revelation had already been confirmed, sealing Canon. Any new claims of Spiritual Gifts should be met with skepticism as it would only serve to contradict and corrupt already established Christian faith.
Scripture itself confirms the ending of Spiritual Gifts when
"that which is τέλειον(matured/ full-grown/ complete) comes" [
1 Corinthians 13:8-12], this clearly in reference to the maturity and completion of the Early Church; which ended with the death of the last Apostle and closure of Canon (scripture).
For these reasons the true position is Consistent Cessationism, as the need for Spiritual Gifts, Apostles and Prophets were only for the establishment of the First Century Church and scripture.Tell your thoughts and position in the comments and on the poll!
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