Craig S. Keener responds to a critic’s comment posted on his statement about the relationship between anti-supernaturalism and cessationism.

Excerpts from Miracles by Craig S. Keener

Are Pentecostals offering Strange Fire? (Panel Discussion)

John MacArthur’s Strange Fire, reviewed by Craig S. Keener

R.T. Kendall’s Holy Fire reviewed by Craig S. Keener

Craig S. Keener on Anti-supernaturalism and Cessationism

I find here, as in the book to which I originally responded, some strange lumping together of all charismatics’ beliefs to the detriment of any particular charismatic. What prompted me to write the review to begin with was a prominent figure’s extreme claim that the vast majority of charismatics are not saved, the implication that Pentecostals are a cult, and the claim that charismatic scholars have contributed nothing to scholarship. Cessationist and charismatic Christians often work together for the furtherance of the gospel; certainly I work with both. But when someone levels charges so outrageously polemical, it merits a strong response.

I took the time away from my exegetical work, and cannot do again in the near future, as between teaching and research I am embarrassingly far behind even on answering emails. Nevertheless, I took time to respond to the charge raised in the critic’s post partly because of another polemical statement: “Unconvinced that Keener is qualified to respond biblically and objectively.” In case someone could not tell based on my commentaries, most of my average day is spent working on Scripture and its context (and most of the exegesis is not distinctively charismatic; in fact, neither is much of the Miracles book).

Misconstruals of the original post

I have never claimed that moderate cessationists deny miracles today; in fact I stated the opposite. I recognize that moderate cessationists deny particular kinds of gifts rather than that God continues to sovereignly work miracles where he wills. Someone who has honestly read what I said will recognize that I myself agree “that God sovereignly heals when and how He chooses to.”

Furthermore, though I disagree with moderate cessationists about gifts, I agree with them that God sovereignly works miracles where he wills; we cannot generate or control them. One will also not find anywhere that I make the following claim that the post attributes to me: “does not follow how faith-healers can claim to work mass healings to the tune of thousands of people - which they themselves insist happens.” There are areas in the world where massive numbers of people are being healed, but this happens as often when they hear the gospel or see the Jesus Film as well as when they are specifically prayed for, and these massive cases for the sake of the gospel have to do with God sovereignly reaching a new area and not only with the agents that God sometimes chooses to use. I have explicitly affirmed God’s sovereignty in healing and criticized the prosperity teaching and its associated beliefs, so I am bewildered by the assumption that I doubt that miracles are God’s sovereign acts.

This guest review essay originally appeared in Trinity Journal and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

This work[1] is the result of a conference in Costa Rica (1996) devoted to a selection of issues emerging from the ongoing globalization of what Presbyterian theologian J. Rodman Williams identifies as the Pentecostal Reformation,[2] a movement which represents more than one third of the world’s practicing Christians, more than all of Protestantism combined.  In Williams’ case, for example, his many writings,[3] especially his trilogy, Renewal Theology,[4] have been of some assistance to the global Pentecostal and Charismatic renewal movements as have the biblical contributions, for example, of Arrington, Ervin, Horton, Palma and Rea[5] from within the Pentecostal sector.  These movements[6] continue to attempt to reach out to Christians in various denominations through conferences and symposia around the world, as is the case with the current effort of Dempster et al.  The estimate that the Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal movements now numerically dwarf all Protestantism combined is probably a conservative numerical estimate by Baptist statistician David Barrett’s latest tabulation[7] and accords with the belief of travelling observers that there are over a million Pentecostal churches in villages, towns and cities across the world.  Given the contributions of the Reformed/Evangelical and Catholic tradition to the Charismatic Renewal, joining Pentecostalism’s renewed emphasis on Scripture and experience in theological reflection and hermeneutics,[8] and to various former and ongoing dialogues with Pentecostals,[9] perhaps the fruits and outreach of this conference in Costa Rica, along with associated theological ramifications, may be of interest to readers of the Trinity Journal.

Dempster, Klaus, and Peterson have put together a collection of essays built around three pre-selected themes, somewhat similar in style to the earlier Charismatic Christianity as a Global Culture.[10]  Here, the editors and conference organizers come from the disciplines of social ethics (Dempster) and missiology (Klaus and Peterson).  The immensity and diversity of the Pentecostal movement and its burgeoning offspring, the international charismatic renewal (not considered in this volume), afford a wide possibility for scholarly consideration.  Those topics chosen here reflect the concerns and interests of the conveners and are grouped into three categories: Changing Paradigms in Pentecostal Scholarly Reflection, Pentecostalism as a Global Culture, and Issues Facing Pentecostalism in a Postmodern World.

As a brief assessment cannot give due consideration to all the contributions, perhaps it is appropriate to focus on some of the highlights and lowlights, as well as some backgrounds, in an effort to provide an overall perspective of the volume.  In the first category, Changing Paradigms, Wonsuk Ma, writes on “Biblical Studies in the Pentecostal Tradition: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” (52-69).  Noting that two thirds of the world’s people in the Third World are more open to the supernatural world enunciated in Scripture than in Western cultures, Ma points out that “The Pentecostal movement has long treasured Scripture.  These ‘people of the Book’ have never questioned the authority of the written word” (54), citing some of the scholarly books and journals produced in the tradition.  Use of biblical narrative is widespread and Ma seems to side with the critical interpretative methods that emphasize the legitimacy of employing narrative for doctrine and practice, “Though the use of narrative for constructive theological work and doctrinal formulation has been criticized from both within and without, narratives are still viewed by Pentecostals, not only as an effective, but also as an authentic means of communicating traditions and truths” (62).

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:19-20).

The cessationist insists that, according to the analogy Paul employs, apostles and prophets belong to the period of the foundation, not the superstructure. That is to say, these two groups and their respective gifts were designed by God to operate only during the early years of the church’s existence in order to lay the once-for-all foundation.

At the Strange Fire conference, in his session devoted to articulating arguments for cessationism, Tom Pennington stated that “once the apostles and prophets finished their role in laying the foundation of the church, their gifts were completed,” which is to say, they ceased to function and eventually ceased to exist altogether.

But several things must be noted.

Sam Storms

The cessationist argument fails to take note of vv. 21-22 where Paul refers to the superstructure of the church as under construction, so to speak, as he speaks/writes (note the consistent use of the present tenses in vv. 21-22). In other words, the apostles and prophets of v. 20, among whom was Paul, were also contributing to the superstructure, of which the Ephesians were a contemporary part, simultaneous with their laying the foundation on which it was being built. We must be careful not to push the metaphor beyond what Paul intended by it.

To use an analogy, once a man establishes a company, writes its by-laws, articulates its vision, hires employees, and does all the work essential in laying the foundation for its future work and productivity, he does not necessarily cease to exist or to serve the company in other capacities. As Jack Deere points out, “the founding director of a company or corporation will always be unique in the sense that he or she was the founder, but that does not mean the company would not have future directors or presidents” (Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, 248).

Furthermore, on the cessationist’s view, all NT prophets functioned foundationally. But there is nothing to suggest that “the prophets” in Ephesians 2:20 is an exhaustive reference to all possible prophets in the church. Why should we conclude that the only kind of prophetic activity is “foundational” in nature, especially in light of what the NT says about the extent and effect of prophetic ministry? It simply isn’t possible to believe that all prophetic utterances were part of the once-for-all foundation of the church. For one thing, the NT nowhere says they were. For another, it portrays prophetic ministry in an entirely different light from the one most cessationists attempt to deduce from Ephesians 2:20. Surely not everyone who ministered prophetically was apostolic. Therefore, the cessation of the latter is no argument for the cessation of the former.

Pentecostals and Reformed affirming the value of all of the New Testament Gifts
Frank Macchia

In the context of this hoopla over cessationism, it might be interesting to see how the issue of spiritual gifts was dealt with in the first round of international talks between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Pentecostals (of which I was a participant). We agreed together that all of the gifts from the New Testament have value today, but that both global church families tended to favor different lists of gifts from the New Testament. In response, we affirmed that no single list of gifts is to be held up as all determinative for judging the quality of a church’s spirituality and that both sides must expand its horizons by embracing the value of the gifts cherished by the other side. Here’s the important paragraphs, a joint statement shared by both sides:

“The participants in this Dialogue affirm that the gifts of God to the Church are real, the Holy Spirit is the Giver of gifts to the Church, and the gifts are given to the Church to work together for the common good. Reformed as well as many Pentecostal churches acknowledge that their understanding of the Spirit’s gifts is broader than the classic list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10… As we, the Reformed and Pentecostal participants in this Dialogue, have reflected on the biblical texts and the life of the Church, we have been convinced that no single gift or set of gifts is normative for every believer, every congregation or every church in every time, or place. We share the conviction that gifts are not permanent possessions of believers or congregations, for the Spirit gives various gifts at different places as those gifts are needed. We also agree that no biblical listing of gifts is a template to be laid over the entire Church. On the one hand, we recognize that many Pentecostals limit the gifts of the Holy Spirit to those mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. They do not value the charismatic nature of those mentioned elsewhere in the Bible (Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:27-30; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:10-11). On the other hand, many Reformed Christians recognize the theoretical possibility that the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 might somewhere be appropriately exercised, but normally they do not encourage or even sanction them to be exercised in their own services. In addition, there are those in both traditions who value one gift over the contribution of another, or who seem to limit the Holy Spirit’s sovereign distribution of gifts… It is our mutual conclusion that these positions are ultimately no less than concessions to the reality of our separated existence as Christian churches. We believe that those who embrace these positions, or elevate their status by giving voice to them in doctrinal or political statements, must be challenged to recognize their limitations. They need to be asked to broaden their understanding of the gifts, which the Holy Spirit desires to give to the Church. Only in so doing can they enter fully into the life of the Church as the body of Christ. Only in so doing can they participate in what it means to be a priesthood of all believers. Only in so doing can they experience the fullness of what Joel prophesied, and Peter proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost, that God’s Spirit would be poured out on all flesh, thereby equipping them to participate in God’s work in the world.”

(#54-55, 57, Word and Word and Spirit, Church and World, The Final Report of the International Dialogue between Representatives of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches And Some Classical Pentecostal Churches and Leaders 1996-2000).

(PS- there was not a cessationist among them)

John C. Poirier looks at recent trends regarding those Christians who say the supernatural gifts of the Spirit have ceased, and what their arguments are today.

Hurricane Isabel (2003) as seen from the International Space Station. Image: Wikimedia Commons

As I write this, cessationism is in the news for an apparent slippage in its subscription base: on June 1, 2007, the Research Division of LifeWay (the former Baptist Sunday School Board) released a study indicating that 50% of Southern Baptist pastors believe that God has given a “private prayer language” to some people. Wanting to mitigate the damage of this news, cessationists immediately questioned the way LifeWay worded the corresponding question in its poll (see Yarnell 2007b), but the question as it was actually asked seems to be well written: “Do you believe that the Holy Spirit gives some people the gift of a special language to pray to God privately? Some people refer to this as a Private Prayer Language or the ‘private use of tongues.’” Certainly, most fair-minded reviewers will have a hard time believing that anyone misunderstood the question in any way. The poll, I take it, is probably right in what it suggests: that the traditional cessationist arguments are losing their hold. But that, I submit, is something that the cessationists themselves had already noticed, even if they (like everyone else) were genuinely surprised by the poll.

In this guest editorial, Pastor Mur shares his memories of being filled with the Holy Spirit and how he was reminded of this blessing of God while reading Robert Graves’ article, “The Focus of the Charismatic Experience” that appeared in Summer 1999.

Robert Graves’ excellent article on “The Focus of the Charismatic Experience” (Pneuma Review Summer 1999, Vol 2 No 3) gave new life to some of my memories. His words brought me back to 1961 when I was thirty years old and knew absolutely nothing about Protestant theology. Back then I thought that the person who had painted “Jesus Saves” on the rocks overhanging the NJ Turnpike was crazy. A friend, who I thought might help me with my career, invited me to go hear Billy Graham. At that meeting I was gloriously saved, one of those story book conversions.

A few months later, I was enrolled at the Philadelphia College of the Bible, a cessationist institute which required each student to sign a pledge that they would not go near a Pentecostal church. That was fine with me. For while I had somewhat revised my opinion about the person who painted “Jesus Saves” on the rocks, I was “safe” in Bible College, and I wanted no part of the devil, demons, holly rollers or weirdoes that ignorantly claimed to be part of the church.

The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, in Philadelphia’s City Center, in 1976.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

Alas, I unknowingly went to a Pentecostal service and ended up challenged to seek the Baptism in the Holy Spirit including its initial evidence of speaking in tongues. That quest proved far more difficult than I first thought, and I ended up attending all sorts of meetings where I heard that the Spirit was falling. One memorable evening I went way out into the Pennsylvania countryside to hear Sister Seville preach. She said that the Ethilopian (her word, repeated many times that night) would never change his color and a leopard would never change his spots. Since I knew that signs and wonders followed the preaching of the word, I endured through her message, but I went home the same as I had come, still unfilled.

Finally on July 4, 1964 in the Academy Room at Philadelphia’s old Bellevue Stratford Hotel, the site of a Full Gospel Businessman’s meeting featuring Kathryn Kulhman, God rewarded my quest. I was filled with His Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. This prayer language I have exercised daily and more often for 35 years. During that time my life, values, ideas and hopes all have changed as I grew into maturity in the Kingdom of God. Those years included a career beyond my dreams in engineering, which even brought national recognition. Ten years I was a part time student at Fuller Theological Seminary. I watched as my wife was miraculously and instantly healed. I have also had the opportunity of serving on the pastoral staff at two of Foursquare’s (International Church of the Foursquare Gospel) largest churches and on Foursquare’s national finance committee. I have known these blessings and more, many more.