Gary Derickson: The Cessation of Healing Miracles in Paul’s Ministry
Derickson acknowledges that his first argument—how the later books of the New Testament do not say much about the miraculous—is an argument from silence. He attempts to demonstrate a pattern of diminishing importance or mention of the miraculous in Paul’s ministry and epistles. He describes Paul’s first Roman imprisonment as “The demarcation between the period of miracles and the beginning of the church’s present experience …” (p. 306).
He recognizes that an argument from silence really cannot prove his thesis and accedes that even charismatics have used a similar argument from silence to say that there was no need to mention that which was fully operative in the church. He believes, nevertheless, that this does reflect a pattern. “This silence … does not prove in itself the cessation of miracle-working, [though] it may imply it” (p. 308).
Derickson’s second argument is to demonstrate Paul’s inability to heal three crucial co-workers in his later ministry. This argument, from the perspective of this writer, comes down to whether or not Paul could ever heal anybody. If Paul was the one who could heal by his own will, then Derickson has a point. If, however, Paul was only anointed to heal according to God’s will under the leading of the Holy Spirit, then this argument demonstrates nothing.
The third argument brought forward to show the diminishing miraculous ministry of Paul is the typical cessasionist interpretation of Hebrews 2:3-4. Derickson deals briefest with this third argument, relying on arguments presented in the past by cessationists such as B. B. Warfield (see p. 300-301), Thomas Edgar, and Charles Ryrie. He does acknowledge that the aorist tense, as used in this passage, is sometimes used without a past tense meaning (p. 314). One charismatic, former Dallas Theological Seminary professor Jack Deere, has noted that unlike the typical cessationist argument, the word translated “confirmed” in Hebrews 2:3 is never used in the New Testament of miracles authenticating a messenger, just the message of God.5
Derickson quotes opponents to his overall view as he draws his final conclusions, but does not answer them and only points to the conclusions drawn from his previous two arguments. He also shores up his conclusion by quoting or referring to numerous other cessationists. His conclusion rests on a definition of miracles being performed at the will of the human agent, therefore his argument will not be accepted by charismatics who, for good reason, do not accept his definition.
Reviewed by Raul L. Mock
Notes
1 Matt. 13:58 says “He did not many mighty works there” but Mk. 6:5 says “He could do no mighty work there.”
2 1 Cor. 12:4-11, NKJV, emphasis mine
3 Stanley Horton, What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1976), p. 211-212, 213.
4 A. G. Bittlinger, Gifts and Ministries (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973), p. 20.
5 Jack Deere, Surprised By the Power of the Spirit (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993), p. 277.
Category: Pneuma Review, Spirit, Winter 1999
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