Do Charismatic Gifts Exist in the Modern Days - Report Example

Do Charismatic Gifts Exist in the Modern Days? An Analysis Charismatic Gifts in the Modern Days- An Analysis Charismatic gifts liketongue-speaking and prophesying have become a matter of dispute in Christianity. There are different viewpoints on the purpose and existence of charismatic gifts. While cessationism claims that such gifts have ceased, continuationists argue that they will continue till the fulfillment of the great commission. This work aims to analyse the main arguments on both the sides before reaching a conclusion. The purpose of sign gifts The term ‘sign gifts’ usually indicates miracles like speaking different languages, visions, healing, raising the dead, and prophesying1. No one disputes the fact that they existed because the Holy Bible is full of sign gifts. However, there is intense hostile debate as to what is the purpose of these charismatic gifts. According to some people, these gifts indicate the baptism of the Holy Spirit2 while according to some others; they are a sign of salvation3. One of the very first instances of sign gifts appears when God gives directions to Moses about the deliverance. Moses feared that the people would not believe him. A sign appears as the rod becomes snake and his hand became leprous. God declared at that point “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you”4. In addition, Moses was instructed to pour water from Nile on the ground where it would become blood. Admittedly, the purpose of these signs was to make the people believe in God’s messenger. Similarly, one can see God sending fire from heaven when Elijah requested on Mount Carmel5. When it comes to Joel, one can see that God decides to pour His Sprit on his people so that His “people shall never again be put to shame”6. With this understanding, Peter says, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” 7when the disciples started speaking in tongues on the Pentecost Day. Here again, one can see that the purpose is to make people believe that Peter and others are spreading God’s message. One can see Jesus asking the Jews to believe the works or signs, if they are not able to believe Jesus. The purpose there was “you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father”8. Again, the basic purpose of signs remains the same; to make people acknowledge God’s message and respond in an appropriate way9. Again, Jesus tells the noblemen that “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe”10. In total, the cessationists say that the purpose of signs throughout Bible is to confirm God’s message and messengers. Once the end was achieved, the miracle faded away11. Are sign gifts for today? The cessationist point of view According to the cessationism, charismatic gifts are not required today and have ceased. To illustrate, they claim that the first proof lies in the fact that only apostles were able to do healings and wonders. In other words, charismatic gifts were the special authenticating signs of the apostles12. Supporting this view, Paul says “truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds” 13. Similarly, when Paul’s apostleship was questioned by some in the Corinth church, he used his gift of healing and other miraculous signs to claim authenticity. According to him, only apostles could do such things. In addition, there is Acts 2:43, which claim that miracles are only performed by the hands of the apostles. Another cessationist claim is that the purpose of speaking tongues was temporary and it does not exist anymore14. To illustrate, there is 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 which proves that speaking tongues was used as a sign for Jews who were reluctant to believe that the new era of Jesus has come. In other words, the purpose of speaking tongues was not talking to Gentiles but warning the Jews. Now, this announcing of the church has been completed and the signs have been withdrawn. This is evident from the fact that this speaking of languages is not mentioned outside the Acts. Yet another point, as put forward by cessationists, is that while the languages spoken in Acts were real ones, the new tongue-speaking uses no known human language. In fact, According to Acts, the Jews who lived in foreign regions heard their own languages spoken and admitted their genuineness. However, today, the people who advocate tongue-speaking are using non-linguistic tongues. In plain words, one can argue that by clearly mentioning the fact that the languages spoken were real, the Bible is giving the message that the real gift is speaking real languages-not ecstatic sounds, and that such gifts have ceased15. In the opinion of Storms, the fact that there are no new instructions in the New Testament to appoint apostles, prophets and healers is sufficient proof that charismatic gifts have ceased. As already found, only such people were capable of performing miracles. Though it is seen that Paul provides very precise ideas on how to function in church and how to select ruling and preaching elders, there is no instruction on how to appoint new apostles. Moreover, one can find no criteria to recognize and accredit prophets and healers16. Moreover, there comes the argument that if charismatic gifts were intended to reveal and warn, their role is over as revelation is complete17. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth18. As He has sent Holy Spirit to all those who believe, there is no more revelation to come, and sign gifts are no more required. Finally, Fowler says that one can witness the end of gifts in Scripture itself. To illustrate, Paul could not heal Timothy, Trophimus and Epaphroditus in the course of time though he possessed apostolic power19. Similarly, a reading of James 5 will prove that James instructs people to pray for the sick. Evidently, there was no healer available at that time but only people who could pray. Moreover, there is the claim based on 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 that since there is Bible, there is no need of spiritual gifts anymore because Bible gives all the answers. The continuationist arguments Continuationists argue that the Gifts of the Spirit still exist and will continue to exist. They start with the claim that in order to understand how these gifts thrive, one should have knowledge about the various gifts. A list of these gifts is prepared by Storms. They are prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, liberty, giving aid, acts of mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, ability to distinguish spirits, various tongues, interpretation of tongues, speaking and service20. Evidently, the list is really long. In his work, Saucy points out that celibacy and hospitality can be included in the list of gifts21. Admittedly, it is 1 Corinthians 13 that enables cessationists to claim that gifts ceased as “perfection came”. According to them, this “perfection” came with Bible and there are no more gifts. According to some continuationists like Storms, this “perfection” refers to the second coming of Jesus and hence, gifts have not ceased. Yet another category claims that “perfection” refers to the spiritual maturity of Christians. According to this class of thought, the gifts will continue until Christians become perfect or reach complete glorification22. Both of these claims are sustainable as far as gifts are considered because neither Jesus came again nor Christians became perfect. Admittedly, this claim holds water because as McRay points out, the word for “perfect” in Greek is “teleio” which means “complete” or “mature”. These two words are not used to name Jesus or Bible in Old or New Testament. In addition, this word “perfect” has been used in the Scripture in order to indicate the spiritual maturity or maturity of a person. Thus, McRay admits that Paul has not used the term “perfection” to refer to Jesus or Bible23. That means the possibility is a reference to spiritual perfection or the achievement of the great commission. Sanders writes in his book that “Only supernatural gifts would suffice for warfare against a supernatural foe”24. So, until Christians reach perfection, they are supposed to follow the guidelines of Paul. According to him, it is not possible to believe that Bible contains something that is not relevant for today’s church. To illustrate, the Old Testament contains guidelines on animal sacrifice, which does not seem relevant in the modern days at the first glance. However, a closer analysis will reveal that this provides valuable lessons on the holy standard of God. In the opinion of Sanders, it is irrational to think that Holy Spirit will redefine Himself at times25. In fact, it has been seen throughout the Testaments that God has increased the presence of Holy Spirit. So, there is no point in the argument that the gifts ceased with the apostles. Yet another point is that the purpose of sign gifts is not just to give a message or to make someone believe in God. If this is so, there was no need of a gift in the case of Timothy because Timothy was already a believer in God26. Here, a better explanation is that God used the sign gift in order to achieve what God wanted from Timothy. Moreover, the people whom Jesus addressed in John 20:22 were already blessed with the Holy Spirit. Still He says, “when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” to the people. Admittedly, Jesus was not referring to the coming of Holy Spirit as it was already there. Here, a better explanation comes from McRay who says it means an additional downpour of the power of Holy Spirit on the whole church27. As both continuationists and cessationists agree, not all people in the early church were blessed with sign gifts and the power was usually seen in prophets and apostles. However, one can see that the most important aspect of the contuationist standpoint is in Acts 2:14-21. Through Joel, God says, “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my spirit, and they shall prophesy…before the day of the Lord comes.28” The promise is still relevant as the day of the Lord has not come. Thus, when one reads Mathew 24:14, one gets the idea that the sign gifts will continue till Jesus’ return and the completion of the great commission. In other words, the purpose of the charismatic gifts is not just to give a warning or to give authenticity to a messenger but they are really meant to facilitate the achievement of the great commission. Romans 12:46 reads, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” A reading of this part reveals many things. First of all, a change in the number of prophets does not mean the end of charismatic gifts. It does not mean a change in the nature of the Holy Spirit either. Instead, it can be read only as a decision by God to facilitate the accomplishment of the great commission. In Mark 9:38-40, Jesus says that one who does a mighty work in His name will not speak evil of Him. Here, Jesus rejects John’s claim that he should be stopped from healing people, as he was not following them. In addition, 1 Corinthians 12:3 claims that only in the Holy Spirit that one can say Jesus is Lord. It is almost clear from the readings that the arguments around charismatic gifts are unfounded. A better explanation of the claim by Paul is that sign gifts will continue till “perfection”; either a state where all Christians are perfect or till the second coming of Jesus. The conclusion Admittedly, sign gifts like tongue-speaking are still seen among Christians, though amidst a lot of controversy. While some people say it is demonic, some others say it is a psychomotor malfunction. For some others, it is the continuation of the tongue-speaking gift seen in the church for long. The mere fact is that simple tongue-speaking or any other miracle does not mean someone has spiritual gift. In fact, even non-Christians speak in tongues and they possess spiritual gifts like compassion, leadership and teaching. Thus, one can wind up with the finding that there is lack of sufficient proof to claim that sign gifts ceased and they are not for today. In fact, sign gifts continue in one form or another but the mere fact is that they cannot be distinguished from demonic or other psychomotor malfunctions. In order to understand what is good and what is bad, the only solution is the guideline that only in the Holy Spirit that one can say Jesus is Lord. Evidently there are fake prophets too as God says, “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die”29. So, in total, the cessationist view is rejected as it does not get adequate Biblical support. Bibliography Campbell, Theodore C. “Charisma in the Christian Communities of the Second Century.” Wesleyan Theological Journal 17 (Fall 1982): 7-25. Carroll, Leonard R. The Glossolalia Phenomenon. Cleaveland, TN: Pathway, 1966. Elbert, Paul. “Calvin and Spiritual Gifts.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 22 (Spring 1979): 235-256. Fowler, James, “Charisma: Rethinking the So-Called Spiritual Gifts” Christ in You Ministries. http://www.christinyou.net/pages/chrsmata.html (accessed Feb. 16 2014). Keener, Craig. Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. London: Baker Academic, 2011. Masters, Dr Peter, “Cessationism-Proving That Charismatic Gifts Have Ceased.” Metropolitan Tabernacle. http://www.metropolitantabernacle.org/Sword-And-Trowel/Evangelical-Magazine-Sword-and-Trowel-Articles/Cessationism-Proving-Charismatic-Gifts-have-Ceased (accessed Feb. 16 2014). McRay, John. Paul: His Life and Teachings. London: Baker Academic, 2003. Sanders, Oswald J. The Holy Spirit and His Gifts. New York: Zondervan Publishing, 1970. Saucy, Robert L. Are Miraculous Gifts for Today: Four Views. Washington, DC: Zondervan, 2011. Storms, Samuel C. Are Miraculous Gifts for Today: Four Views. Washington, DC: Zondervan, 2011. Walker, D. P. Hermeticism and the Renaissance: Intellectual History and the Occult in Early Modern Europe. Washington, DC: Folger Books, 1988. Warfield, B. Counterfeit Miracles. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1918. Read More