A Nobody Responds to Tom Pennington's Case for Cessationism, Part 3

In this edition, I would like to respond to points 4-7 from Tom Pennington's case for cessationism at the recently concluded "Strange Fire" Conference. 

Rebuttal to Argument #4:  The Nature of Miraculous Gifts

Pastor Pennington attempts here to demonstrate that the contemporary phenomena associated with miraculous gifts bear no resemblance to what we read about in the New Testament.  He cites the common cessationist belief that tongues were always known human languages and not the gibberish of many charismatic expressions for example and that charismatics (even reformed ones) always wrongly differentiate Old Testament prophecy from New Testament prophecy.

In response I will say several things.  Firstly it appears to me (though I may be wrong) that this assumption betrays certain Western biases.  Now I have always believed that this kind of accusation is somewhat overstated, but in this case the shoe fits.  That miraculous events are, in fact, often occurring on many foreign mission fields is well attested (for example, I own a first-hand account of miraculous events that occurred in Indonesia during a revival in the last century).

Secondly, this is an argument from experience (or lack of it).  The double standard is astonishing.  If I were to claim a miraculous healing as verification that healing is for today, I would be rebuked strongly by cessationists for basing my theology on experience.  Yet this is exactly what Tom Pennington would ask us to do - base a theology of cessation, at least partially, on lack of experience.

Thirdly, Pennington's thesis is easily falsifiable.  In addition to the account I own of events in Indonesia, I also own first-hand experience myself, as well as the first-hand accounts of others, of miracles in here in the United States.  To give one very personal example, I nearly died nine years ago when visiting South Dakota.  At some point during the trip, in the middle of the night, my windpipe closed up almost entirely and I literally could not breathe.  Yet it was through the immediate prayers of a Nazarene pastor (an Arminian!) that led to my windpipe opening back up immediately. 

Fourthly, let's consider the gift of tongues.  Space prevents me from going too deeply into it, but I will state that I believe that while the gift of tongues can be real human languages, they may not always be.  A good example of contemporary tongues as real languages is found in the late Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel (another Arminian!), who tells of a story in his book Charisma Vs. Charismania (pages 107-109) of a Jewish girl saved during the early days of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa through the use of tongues and interpretation which were spoken in a very rare dialect of French.  The girl had recently lived in France and knew this dialect, but also that very few outside of France could use it.  She became a Christian that day.

However, that tongues must always be human languages is debatable.  Sam Storms puts forth some very good arguments that tongues can also, in addition to real human languages, be angelic or heavenly languages (see, The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts, pages 141-144).

Fifthly, Pennington wrongly equates OT prophets with NT prophets.  Yet Hebrews 1:1 explicitly tells us that the OT Prophetic ministry was only for the OT period and finds its fulfillment in God's Son Jesus Christ.  Yet, some kind of prophetic ministry exists during the NT period.  So if OT prophets are obsolete with the coming of the Messiah, yet there exists NT prophets, it is reasonable to conclude that there is a distinction between OT prophets and NT prophets.

Rebuttal to Argument #5:The Testimony of Church History

At this point, Tom Pennington marshals several quotations from church history to show that the miraculous gifts, did in fact, cease.  However, this is a knife that cuts both ways.  There are also accounts of miracles throughout church history as well as respected theologians who explicitly affirm their continuation.  Rather than produce them myself, here is a link to Sam Storms' article on miraculous gifts in church history.

See also chapter 5 in Jack Deere's Surprised by the Voice of God titled "Presbyterian Prophets?".

Pennington also attempts to show that because miraculous gifts are mentioned early in the New Testament (1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians), but then are scarcely mentioned in the later New Testament (the Pastoral Epistles for example), it shows that miraculous gifts were already on their way out, so to speak.  In response, this is a classic example of both a non sequitur and an argument from silence.  The conclusion does not follow from the premise.  Simply because tongues, for example, are taught on early, but not later does not prove that tongues were already ceasing.  There is no mention of the Lord's Supper after 1 Corinthians.  Should we then conclude that the early Church stopped taking communion later in the NT era?  Of course not!  Likewise, we should not conclude that miraculous gifts were already ceasing by the time of the later New Testament books.  Besides, the New Testament is not written to be redundant!  If God the Holy Spirit only inspires the New Testament authors to teach on something once, than that is enough.

Furthermore, the thesis is false!  There is later New Testament mention of miraculous gifts.  For example, particular prophecies are alluded to in the Pastoral Epistles regarding Timothy (1 Timothy 1:18; 4:14), the Apostle John gives instruction on dealing with distinguishing true prophetic ministry from false prophetic ministry (1 John 4:1-6), and the church in Ephesus was testing apostolic credentials (Revelation 2:2), implying they believed apostolic ministry was still functioning in their time.

Rebuttal to Argument #6: The Sufficiency of Scripture

This is another very common cessationist argument, and another one that has been refuted often.  In short, the argument is that since we have the closed revelation in Scripture, we do not need any kind of revelation in the form of prophecies, dreams, and visions for example.  To allow for contemporary prophecy would threaten Scripture's finality and sufficiency, so we are told.  Pennington cites 2 Timothy 3:16,17:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  NKJV

My response to this is quite simply that prophecy can, but only if we let it.  Any good thing can functionally overtake Scripture's authority like creeds and confessions for example.  However, it is a total misapplication of the sufficiency of Scripture to claim that contemporary prophecy will always threaten Scripture's sufficiency.  As a Reformed Charismatic, I affirm fully the sufficiency of the Bible and the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.  Pennington (and other cessationists) miss something key in their application of 2 Timothy 3:16,17.  Here, Paul tells Timothy that the Scriptures make the man of God complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.  So far, I and cessationists agree.  But the Bible teaches me about spiritual gifts and tells me what they are for and how long they are to last.  So then I conclude that among the "good works" that the Scriptures are sufficient to "thoroughly equip" me for is how to understand and use spiritual gifts, including prophecy.  The claim that continuationism is a threat to Sola Scriptura is therefore false.

Pastor Pennington then quotes Martin Luther who said "Let the man who would hear God speak read Holy Scripture".  All I can say to that is amen!  In my reading of Holy Scripture, I hear God speaking through His Word concerning spiritual gifts, giving both teaching and example of how and how not to use spiritual gifts.

Rebuttal to Argument #7:  The New Testament Rules Laid Down for the Miraculous Gifts

Tom Pennington's final argument is that the New Testament lays down several rules for how spiritual gifts were to have been practiced while they were still around, but that modern charismatic practice is at clear variance with that teaching. 

Truthfully, I agree with just about everything he said at this point.  Much charismatic and Pentecostal practice is at variance with New Testament teaching.  I myself have witnessed many travesties of supposed gifts; or gifts that were used contrary to the teaching of the Bible.  But it is a baffling application and conclusion that Pennington reaches and a total non sequitur.  Simply because there is a lot of fake, doesn't mean the real doesn't exist.  At my job, I sometimes deal with counterfeit money.  Does that mean there is no real money?  I have heard a lot of bad preaching.  Does that invalidate true, biblical preaching? 

The answers to these questions are of course not.  Similarly, simply because many charismatics do not practice the gifts biblically does not mean that there aren't others who do.  And to argue for the cessation of the charismata on this point is terrible logic!

Conclusion

I had never heard of Tom Pennington prior to the Strange Fire conference so I know very little of him beyond what he himself believes about miraculous gifts.  I am sure he is a godly man who loves Jesus and seeks to please him.  Truth be told, he does understand several things that are encouraging.  For example, he does, toward the end, acknowledge that there are different kinds of continuationists - from the outright heretical to the biblically sound.  Secondly, he does not soft-peddle the differences between cessationists and continuationists.  He realizes that they are deep. 

Finally, I wish to reiterate that I realize that my very small contributions are not going to change the landscape of evangelical Christianity in the West.  Tom Pennington is very unlikely to read nor care about what I have to say.  The reason I have undertaken to write my critique, is because his critique is aimed at people like me - ordinary believers who embrace all of the Holy Spirit's miraculous charismata.  I feel it is within my rights to respond biblically and graciously.  It is my hope that whoever does read (and care) about what I have written may be spurred on to think more biblically about this very important issue.