Continuationism

Continuationism is a Christian theological belief that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have continued to the present age, specifically those sometimes called "sign gifts", such as tongues and prophecy. Continuationism as a distinct theological position arose in opposition to cessationism.

Historically, it was in Calvin's reformed protestantism that modern doctrines of cessationism were first formulated. The Roman Catholic Church and other wings of protestantism were never cessationist by doctrine. However it would take the emergence of Pentecostalism and a new Pentecostal theology to crystalise a theological position of continuationism as it would be understood today.

History of the doctrine

Inasmuch as the doctrine of continuationism is understood to mean that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including miracles and healing, did not cease in the Apostolic Age, then continuationism was the settled view of the whole Christian church until the time of the reformation. Nevertheless, even though there was no doctrine of cessationism made prior to this time, such gifts were not expected as a norm. For instance, Augustine, writing in the early fifth century, commented that speaking in tongues was a miracle that was no longer evident in his own time. He spoke of miracles still occurring at the time but noted in the City of God that they were not as spectacular or noteworthy as those in the Apostolic Age, but that they continued to take place.

The Protestant Reformation saw the birth of a doctrine of radical cessationism within Calvinism that sought to deny that the gifts of the Holy Spirit persisted beyond the Apostolic Age. This position was motivated by the polemical use of Catholic miracle stories in opposition to Protestantism. However continuationism remained the position, not just in the Roman Catholic church, but also in Anglican churches, initially in Lutheran churches, the Moravian Church, and in later movements such as Methodism.

Accounts of spiritual gifts can be found throughout history, but it was not until the advent of Pentecostalism and the later Charismatic movement that large numbers of Christians began to adhere to a radical continuationism, that argued that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are meant to be experienced by all Christians in every age. Focus moved from Catholic accounts of miracles to other gifts such as speaking in tongues. Continuationists argue that there is no reason to hold that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased, regardless of whether they believe that they should be expected in the modern church or not.

Spiritual gifts

Main article: Spiritual gift

A spiritual gift is an endowment or extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit. Several passages in the Bible list gifts, with the most frequently cited being 1 Corinthians 12:4-11:

• 1 Corinthians 12:4–11: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, ability to distinguish spirits, various tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

The doctrine of continuationism

The word Paul used referring to the supernatural gifts of the Spirit is χαρίσματα (charismata), conceived to be "detached entities or abilities distinct from Christ and distributed by the Spirit" (Fowler). For Paul, all Christians are charismatic; endowed with special gifts to build up others. "Paul regarded all the communities of believers in Christ as charismatic communities, and did not give the slightest indication that he knew of charismatic and non-charismatic churches", according to C. Keener in his book Three Crucial Questions about the Holy Spirit. Theologian Dr. John Piper says in his message titled Signs and Wonders Then and Now: "On the one hand, we ought to honor the uniqueness of Jesus and the apostles. On the other-hand we ought to be open to the real possibility that this too might be a unique moment in history, and in this moment it may well be God's purpose to pour out his Spirit in unprecedented revival—revival of love to Christ and zeal for worship and compassion for lost people and a missionary thrust with signs and wonders".

The Holy Spirit does not weaken or redefine his self over time. God has demonstrated the opposite by increasing his presence. The way people have been allowed to experience and access him has increased since Old Testament times. It is people that can cause the decrease (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The essence of the God of the Bible has always been portrayed as a multi-faceted entity causing growth and progression. He is God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He sends angels and His Word, the Bible. They all work together and in different ways. Through them God moves, speaks, prays, feels and thinks. "The Spirit of the living Lord Jesus is desirous of expressing Himself in diverse functional ministry within His Body, the Church, expressing therein His character of love and drawing His people together in cooperative unity" (Fowler). He also created human beings to be multi-expressive in all things, especially think with free will. But in order for Christians to accomplish what He wants them to do, they need power. Christians need the kind of power and supernatural abilities that only the Spirit gives. Paul laid hands on people, imparting the gifts of the Spirit; though cessationists believe that the: "laying on of hands no longer imparts gifts since the gifts ceased with the apostles" (Cottrell). Paul laid hands on Timothy and imparted a gift that would not disappear after Paul died. Timothy was already a believer (2 Timothy 1:5) and did not need proof that the message was from God but needed a powerful gift in order to accomplish what the Lord wanted him to do.

Continuationism asserts that the Spirit still gives gifts so that the church may be strengthened and accomplish what God wants it to do today. Salvation, however, is not contingent upon the issue of the continuation or the cessation of the miraculous gifts. But this issue divides the church today as interpretations of the scriptures will continue to differ.

But even if signs and wonders can't save the soul, they can, if God pleases, shatter the shell of disinterest; they can shatter the shell of cynicism; they can shatter the shell of false religion. Like every other good witness to the word of grace, they can help the fallen heart to fix its gaze on the gospel where the soul-saving, self-authenticating glory of the Lord shines. (Piper)

Cessationism versus continuationism

Main article: Cessationism versus continuationism

There are two main views regarding each of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: cessationism and continuationism. In his book, Are Miraculous Gifts for Today, W. Grudem explains that the cessation view is: "based upon the idea that the first-century church and only the first-century church experienced the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of confirming the message of the Gospel in absence of the completed New Testament". According to this view, when the New Testament was completed, the supernatural, or miraculous gifts, had no more use in the church; so they ceased. The other gifts, such as, administration, teaching, acts of service, and exhortation, are among the gifts that are still distributed.

Much dispute focuses on the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:8–12, which refers to specific spiritual gifts and later says "when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears". The cessationist perspective interprets "perfection" as the completion of the New Testament (McRay). Conversely, others interpret it as a reference to sinless life in heaven (MacArthur John).

See also

• Cessationism versus continuationism
• Cessationism
• Glossolalia
• Preterism

Further reading

• Bouyer, Louis. "Some Charismatic Manifestations in the History of the Church". Perspectives on Charismatic Renewal. Edited by Edward O'Connor. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1975
• Grudem, Wayne, 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)
• Walker, D. P. "The Cessation of Miracles". In Hermeticism and the Renaissance: Intellectual History and the Occult in Early Modern Europe. Edited by Ingrid Merkel and Allen G. Debus. Washington, DC: Folger Books, 1988. pp. 111–124
• Williams, George and Waldvogel, Edith. "A History of Speaking in Tongues and Related Gifts".“” The Charismatic Movement. Edited by Michael P. Hamilton. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975.

External links

• Tim Challies interview with Wayne Grudem: Continuationism and Cessationism part 1, part 2
• Field Guide to the Wide World of Religion
• Miracles Are for Today! A Refutation of B. B. Warfield's Cessationism by John Boruff
• On the Cessation of the Charismata by Jon Ruthven