Answering the Cessationists’ Case against Continuing Spiritual Gifts, by Jon Ruthven
For the church, then, the apostolic and prophetic gift is “foundational” not only in the sense that the apostles and prophets first announced the gospel in some areas, but that all further revelation about Christ is delineated, articulated, qualified, and offered for reduplication by its original receivers. Hence, this passage shows not that the gifts of apostleship and prophecy ceased, but rather that since these people’s experience is “foundational” and archetypal, their experience and functions therefore must continue.
Ephesians 2:20 shows not that the gifts of apostleship and prophecy ceased, but rather that since these people’s experience is ‘foundational’ their experience and functions therefore must continue.
At least three points support this. First, Paul lays stress on the “connection” of Jews and Gentiles via access to the Father, not simply through a funnel of apostolic authority, but “through [Christ]… by one Spirit” (the Revealer) in Eph. 2.18. Secondly, just as Paul received by revelation his gospel of reconciliation between God, Jews and Gentiles (3.3), so now the whole church, by reading (3.3‑4) and by revelation by the power of the Spirit (3.1-18) is similarly to grasp the scope of God’s love (inter alia, the inclusion of the Gentiles). Thirdly, and most explicitly, Christ gave15 these apostles and prophets until (mechri) ultimate, eschatological goals of Christian upbuilding and maturity are achieved (4.13) “that we all attain to the unity of the faith” (this has happened?!); that we all attain to the knowledge of the Son of God (but to what extent?) to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (has this happened to all Christians?). These goals can only be attained in heaven! Until then, apostles and prophets (however the church may have later labeled them) are envisioned to be continuously at work until these goals are met—only in heaven.
As one committed to the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture, I would never seek to minimize the central significance of the Bible for faith. Nevertheless, the Bible in general, and Ephesians in particular, does not identify itself as the foundational core of the church. Rather, this ‘foundational core’ is the ongoing series of revelatory encounters with Christ, which open our hearts to the Scriptures. The disclosure experience of Christ, within its biblical framework, is truly the foundation of the church.
2) Moreover, conservative Protestants in practice hold to a continuing apostleship insofar as they cite as the final authority their denominational and traditional leaders such as Luther, Calvin and Wesley. In many writings, the teachings of these leaders appear with greater frequency and authority than even the apostles of the New Testament itself.
Category: Pneuma Review, Spirit, Spring 2000