Why do Cessationists consider recent testimonial evidence for the gifts of the Spirit less reliable than 2000-year-old evidence for the resurrection?

score:2

Accepted answer

What kind of logically consistent epistemology can simultaneously consider (1) limited 2000-year-old testimonial evidence reliable and (2) abundant, recent and accessible testimonial evidence unreliable?

Short answer

It has never been about epistemology, but about authoritative interpretation of what the miracles mean. NT testimony of Jesus & Apostles's miracles (A) passes reasonable epistemological standard, so Cessationists cannot be said to be guilty of being naive / irrational. Although Cessationists can accept that recent miracles and gifts (B) may have BETTER means of verification (using modern medical instruments, for example) as well as personal significance for the people involved (i.e. eyewitness becomes Christian as a result), A are STILL more valuable by a different order of significance since 1) it's connected to Jesus and the apostles and 2) the eyewitness testimonies are packaged with inspired personal interpretation of the NT authors. In short: We can do without B but A are indispensable.

Longer answer

First, the question is misleading as to the Cessationist's objection. What does "reliable" mean to the OP? I gather that it means the measure according to the scale used by either modern historiography (the kind of documentation) or modern science (empirical standard), both of which Cessationists consider valuable and use regularly in other contexts: studying church history, evaluating effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines, etc. BUT "reliable" can also mean trustworthiness to be the foundation of faith and this is the sense that Cessationists apply to miracles reported in the NT as well as OT. Trustworthiness take us BEYOND the miracles to the source of the miracle as well as to the our response. Do they come from God or Satan (the Pharisees ask this to Jesus)? Do they lead to the orthodox faith or to prosperity gospel / new age / other religion?

Let's consider the unique miracle first: Jesus's Resurrection. Jesus's Resurrection is different in kind than the raising of Lazarus or the resuscitation miracles that are sometimes reported today not only in Christian missions but in other religions too! Jesus's Resurrection is the first fruit of God's giving new body that will live eternally. This first fruit has never been repeated, since all Christians have or will die on earth. This is the main reason why ALL Christians, including Pentecostals and other non-Cessationists, should value Jesus's Resurrection more than the contemporary ones. (Let's call the contemporary ones resuscitation to highlight the temporary nature of it, since they will die again).

Then there's the matter of interpretation of the miracles themselves: what do they mean? Examples:

  • I already mentioned that to Christians Jesus's resurrection is MORE than resuscitation, but sign of eternal life, first fruit of what we hope for ourselves. Of course non-Christians don't interpret this the same way, and that is my exact point: interpretation matters.
  • About the interpretation of spiritual gifts, Paul addressed this in 1 Cor 12-14 since the Corinthians interpret them wrong.
  • Then moving on along church history, there was the Gnostic interpretation: denying that body is relevant, leading to either un-Christian ascetism or to licentiousness (since body will die but only the spirit lives on).
  • Prophecies and Visions can also be interpreted as continuing revelation of God (see the Montanist heresy), which was why Cessationists position is often linked to the closed canon.

(to be continued)

Thirdly, how are the miracles connected with the faith being preached? Other religions may report miracles too. (to be continued)

Upvote:5

  1. There is no reference to tongues/healings/miracles in the pastoral epistles nor the later writings of John. References to Pentecost are about the utterance of foreign, earthly, languages.

  2. Then no mention of such things, generally, until about 1905. Then an explosion of claims during the past hundred years.

  3. This looks like a modern movement with no apostolic basis in sound, doctrinal fact.

  4. It also follows the trend prophesied by Paul and Peter, in the last days, of a departure from sound doctrine and the pursuit of other things.

  5. The evidence stretches across two millenia, not just the last century.

  6. It is a distraction from Jesus Christ : his sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension and return.

  7. It rather draws attention to what is excessive and unbalanced.

Cessationists look at all the evidence across two thousand years and are regarding all the evidence in the apostolic documents, the gospels, the early epistles, the pastoral epistles, Peter's epistles, John's epistles and Paul's epistles.

This is weighed against extravagant claims starting at the beginning of the twentieth century.

There is no comparison between the evidence of the apostolic testimony of chosen vessels of Jesus Christ regarding Jesus Christ's resurrection . . . . . and the claims made in very modern times of peculiar, extravagant, unbalanced and unprofitable excesses among a small minority of Christendom.

No comparison whatsoever.

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