Cessationism vs Continuationism

The Church Statement on Spiritual Gifts and Cessationism

Next part of our doctrinal statement we're going to be looking at is titled the ministry and spiritual gifts from the Morse corner. Church statement of faith says we believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all his gifts and that the gifts of evangelists pastors and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the Saints today and That speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles Gradually ceased as the New Testament scriptures were completed and their authority became Established so that's that's part one and there's a part two.

We'll look at in just a moment. But let's turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 12. So the the teaching that's being proposed here is known as cessation ism. If something has ceased that means it's stopped.

Right. And we're not saying all the spiritual gifts have stopped. But the miraculous gifts performed by men by prophets and apostles. We believe that those things have ceased hence the word cessation ism.

They served a function and they were instrumental in the early church and the writing of Holy Scripture. But now that the canon of Scripture has been completed and that we have as Jude said the faith once for all delivered to the Saints.

There is no longer the need for the sign gifts, there's no longer the need for apostles and New Testament prophets. They laid the foundation which you do at the beginning of the the building project. We're 20 stories high 2 ,000 years later, you don't go and continually relay the foundation.

Ephesians 2 20. Okay. Yes Marcus. All right, good. I like questions.

Well, don't you feel it true that where it says if there be this gift They will cease and the cessation of the miracle or sign gifts. You know, we believe that they have ceased but don't you believe that it also means that Eventually all the spiritual gifts will cease, you know.

Well, there won't be a need for them. In in glory there won't be a need.

Sure.

Modern Prophets, Apostles, and Failed Charismatic Claims

And we're gonna address these things. So now I say that and I understand I think most of us understand that our Pentecostal friends would disagree with this. They believe that there are apostles today our charismatic friends believe that there are new prophecies being given.

I heard a pastor on the radio on the way over a man that I Greatly respect and love but he said that every word God gives me God. He said God speaks to me and gives me a prophetic word for the church and he said nine times out of ten They come to pass.

I'm thinking well if God spoke it and it didn't come to pass and what about that 10 but That's the difference between Us and then we believe that these prophecies have ceased. They believe that they are ongoing and they say Pentecostals and charismatics will claim that miracles are happening in their churches, but if you examine their claims.

First of all, there is no agreement on who these so-called apostles are. Second the prophecies either don't come to pass or they're so vague. You don't really know what What they mean and then number three the miracles they present are nothing like the miracles of Scripture which were Undeniable so that even Jesus's miracles his enemies couldn't deny that he was doing them the miracles.

They talk about her, you know, I have my back hurt now. It feels better praise the Lord. Well. Okay, that's great. But there's no way you know that that's different from what you see in the Bible. Okay one quick example.

Because we're making a truth claim here and and I can prove this I have video to back it up if anyone wants to come and we can look at this later.

One of the most well-known.

Pentecostals or one of the most well-known men in the Pentecostal charismatic movement Kenneth Copeland. He said back in spring of 2020 he said That he was standing in the office of the Prophet of God and He said he declared an end to kovat 19 March.

2020.

Okay, did that prophecy? Standing in the office of profit did that prophecy come to pass? He said it is through or it is over. Well, no, it didn't come to pass. That makes him a verifiable False prophet.

You can watch that video for yourself.

You will destroy through kovat 19 no more no more no more.

Another man Benny Hinn Once claimed that Jesus was going to start appearing in their meetings. Him also claimed and continues to claim that he has an anointing from God. So Jesus is going to start showing up in our church services and I have the anointing of God upon me.

Jesus warned of such men in Matthew chapter 24 when he said if anyone says to you look here is the Christ. He's showing up in Benny Hinn crusades. What did Jesus say if anyone says look there is the Christ.

Do not believe it for false Christ. What is the word Christ mean? Anointed one right must have been. Messiah means anointed one for false anointed ones. And False prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive if possible even the elect see I have told you beforehand.

So by claiming to be an anointed one, he is claiming to be A Christ. He is a false Christ. He is an anti Christ. He is not the Antichrist, but he is an Antichrist. These men are ministers of Satan.

And yet.

They have deceived millions and I say that not as a Opportunity to you know jab at someone else. I say this because I have a genuine concern for these people's souls. You know decent people that we know and care about are just totally I can be totally deceived by these Individuals and it's so obvious.

It is so obvious. And the Lord says if it were possible, they would deceive even the very elect. Add two and two.

Marcus.

Yeah.

Yeah, so we do believe the Holy Spirit is active in the world today. We do believe God can and does still heal and do Mighty works. He can do it and does do it if he's going to do it. It's going to be through answered prayer not at the hands of some modern-day apostle.

I always say if somebody claims to be a prophet or an apostle run for your life and while you're running do what? Yeah, hold on your wallet, that's really what they want. But here's the thing we do don't say well pastor grant doesn't believe in these Apostles.

I Believe the church has Apostles. Their names are Peter James John Paul. I believe in Apostles. All right, you're in 1st Corinthians chapter 12. The first statement that we are going to look at is this.

We.

Believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all his gifts. 1st Corinthians 12 starting in verse 4. There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

There are Diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is Given to each one for the profit of all. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit and another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit.

To another faith by the same Spirit. To another gifts of healing. By the same Spirit to another the working of miracles. To another prophecy to another Discerning of spirits. To another different kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues.

But one in the same spirit works all these things. Distributing. Here's the thing to pay attention to distributing to each one individually as He wills, right? So the Lord through his spirit he gives the gifts as he sees fit.

It doesn't matter how much a person wants to have the spiritual gift of healing or Somebody really wishes they have the gift of tongues or somebody really wishes. They had the gift of administration. That is not the issue.

The Spirit himself gives the gifts as.

He.

Wills.

So someone can want to be an apostle all they want. That's not the way it worked In in the pages of the New Testament could somebody apply? to be an apostle. No, Jesus had to choose them, right? 2nd Corinthians 12 12 truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you in all perseverance in signs and wonders and in mighty deeds.

So you knew they were apostles because well Paul on one occasion raised the dead Peter. Remember his shadow fell on a man and he was healed. So these are the true apostles. Now the last Apostle John he died when.

You don't know for certain the exact year, but it was about when? 90 95 AD something something like that. So at the death of the Apostle John the final Apostle. By then the gifts the sign miraculous gifts had ceased.

I don't want to say the office of Apostle became vacant as if it could be filled at any time. But it was fulfilled their roles were Fulfilled just as Moses who was the lawgiver. There's not going to be another Moses, right?

There's only one Moses. There's only one group of Apostles so now that the New Testament Church had been has been established. There's no longer no longer a need any questions or comments on that.

Marcus.

Okay.

That the church is built on the cornerstone Christ being the cornerstone and then the Foundation are the Apostles and then we are living stones. Being placed on this.

Okay, Ephesians 2 20 is the first one. Ephesians 2 20 is the first thing you mentioned and then first Peter 2 I think is the second, right? Okay. And first Peter 2 first Peter, all right, let's turn to 1st Corinthians 13.

Why the Gifts of Tongues and Prophecy Ceased

I Can make this argument? That the gifts have ceased. I think it's evident that they have. And let me just say this I'm willing to accept the possibility them that I'm wrong in some ways I would actually like to be wrong.

I would love the idea that there's somebody you could go to that could heal somebody of their. I have a few ailments. I'm getting older. I'd love to be able to go and get that healed. So I'm actually open-minded about this.

But you know, I don't see it happening. But is there a text of Scripture that says that the gifts have ceased. I contend that there is.

I'm not.

Gonna say that this is dogmatic proof 100 But this is what I believe. 1st Corinthians 13 8 through 10 Paul says love never fails, but whether there are prophecies They will fail. Whether there are tongues.

They will cease. Remember the word cessation ism. Tongues will cease whether there is knowledge. It will vanish away. There's the gift of knowledge. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. So these things will Pass away.

They will cease. The question is when verse 10 But when that which is perfect has come and that which is in part will be done away. So the question is has this already happened in the first century or is this something we're waiting for and the miraculous gifts?

Will continue until then the Pentecostals charismatic say that the perfect is what? What did they say?

What?

When Jesus comes right when Jesus returns. That's the perfect or Jesus is the perfect when he comes. Then the gifts will cease. Well, right. He came the first time they're saying when he came when he comes the second time they will cease.

It's interesting. If you research this you'll see that the Pentecostal care and again, there's some good people. We know.

I.

Want to be on record I am NOT saying that all Pentecostals and charismatics are Unsaved. I'm not saying that some of them are but there's Baptists who are unsaved. There's there's all sorts of people.

So I'm not making a blanket statement against them. So you heard me say that okay? But if you research it the Pentecostal charismatic movement did not begin until the 20th century and the early Pentecostals claimed that the gifts Had been restored because they claimed that Christ was about to come in this his return was near.

So at first they claimed that the gifts had ceased for 1 ,800 years and now they were restored. Well, it was over a hundred years ago. Jesus still hasn't come back now. There's been some revisionist history and now they call it continuationism.

They say no it never sees they've they've all Always been going on the whole time. That's not what they were saying at first. They've had to change that because it's it's obvious Christ did not come any time around 1901 or 19 1905 so they say that yes, the gifts will cease but it's when Jesus returns at the second coming.

I Believe the perfect is the completion of the New Testament revelation. What does the word perfect mean.

Complete.

Once the New Testament revelation was completed and again We have the faith once for all delivered to the Saints and the New Testament canon was Completed at the end of the first century. The gifts have ceased and if you actually read through the New Testament.

Books.

In chronological order of when they were written. That's exactly what you see. The gifts start to Peter out. So that at the end of the Apostle Paul's ministry in 2nd Timothy He left trophimus in Miletus sick.

Why. Because he couldn't heal him anymore because the gifts had.

Ceased.