- Cessationism is the belief that only the sign manifestations of the Holy Spirit listed in the New Testament (ie. healing, prophecy, tongues, interpretation) have ceased from regular, normative, everyday use in the Church and are no longer given by the Holy Spirit to individual believers as permanent edifying abilities. The reason put forward is that the sign manifestations were given only to authenticate the new revelation of God during the time of the Apostles. When the Apostles died off, new revelation ceased, and the canon of Scripture was closed, the sign manifestations likewise ceased from regular occurrence and ceased as permanent abilities. However, the Holy Spirit has always been free to use any or all of the sign manifestations if He decides that particular circumstances require their use.
Cessationism is too often misunderstood. This leads to its frequent misrepresentation by those who believe all of the Holy Spirit’s manifestations have continued (continuationists). Due to misrepresentation, cessationists are often called unloving, uncaring, anti-emotional, divisive, cold, legalistic, or worse - cessationists are missing out on something God has for them and cannot fully experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Continuationists seem to have an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to the Holy Spirit’s work so that the cessationist view must be the denial that the Holy Spirit fully works in the world. This mentality leads to these seven commonly argued myths…
1. Myth: The Holy Spirit is trapped in the Bible
This is a genie-in-the-lamp mentality. Just like one must rub the lamp in order to summon the genie, one must open the pages of the Bible to release and encounter the Holy Spirit.
It is often argued that the cessationist believes that the Holy Spirit no longer works in the world to bring people to Christ or to change the lives of believers, and He is only found in Scripture. In order for the Holy Spirit to be able to work, the Bible must be opened, read, and taught. The Holy Spirit does not work unless it is through the text of Scripture and He can only be encountered in it.
Fact: Yes, the cessationist holds an extremely high view of the Bible. But the cessationist also believes what the Bible says. The Bible clearly says that “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). "And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).
Continuationists and cessationists both reject this myth. To say that the Holy Spirit does not work outside the Bible or in the hearts of people is to deny the Bible.
2. Myth: The Holy Spirit does not do miracles
This is a deist mentality of an uninvolved, limited God. Cessationists are often accused of teaching that the Holy Spirit has ceased to do the miraculous in the world and in the lives of people. He no longer heals any physical issue, He no longer causes the saved to spontaneously speak in foreign languages previously unknown to the speaker, He no longer answers prayer for healing or help, etc. We are left to medical institutions for healing and our own abilities to serve the Lord.
Fact: No Bible-believing cessationist believes or teaches this. Obviously the Holy Spirit is God and He can do whatever He wants (Ps. 115:3). He is not limited by anyone or anything. If He wants to heal someone then He is free to do so, and He often does. We often hear medically verified stories of tumors miraculously disappearing overnight after prayers for healing, so it would be foolish to believe God doesn't do miracles anymore. The Bible clearly says that “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Ps. 135:6).
Continuationists and cessationists both reject this myth. To say that the Holy Spirit no longer does whatever He pleases, including miracles is to deny the Bible.
3. Myth: The Holy Spirit does not give gifts to the Church
This is an all-or-nothing mentality. Either the Holy Spirit gives every manifestation, whether a gift, ministry, effect, or grace (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; Eph. 4:7-8; 1 Pet. 4:10) to the Church or He doesn’t give any. The Church can no longer have unity (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:25), can no longer be equipped for service nor be built up (Eph. 4:12), and can no longer glorify God (1 Pet. 4:11).
Fact: This sets up a false premise that all the manifestations of the Spirit are one combined unit and for only one purpose. So if any one of them is not given to the Church then none of them are given. The problem is that some of the manifestations are clearly given for a different purpose than the rest (ie. 1 Cor. 14:22). The sign manifestations were signs to unbelievers so that they may believe the new revelation was truly from God. Once new revelation ceased and the canon of Scripture was closed, the need for authenticating sign manifestations also ceased. This is the only difference between reformed continuationists and cessationists. There are books on this subject so we won’t belabor the point.
The Bible clearly says of the saved, “each one has received a special gift… so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 4:10-11).
Continuationists and cessationists both reject this myth. To say that the Holy Spirit no longer gives gifts to the Church is to deny the Bible.
4. Myth: The Holy Spirit does not lead believers
This is a pirate-treasure-hunt mentality. Cessationists are accused of saying that God’s direction for the believer’s life is only found in the text of the Bible. So if the Bible does not clearly command something then God cannot and does not lead a believer. The believer is left to figure out on his own what God wants him to do in life. God does not give impressions or put desires and peace in the heart of the believer about life decisions.
Fact: While it is true that the cessationist believes the Holy Spirit no longer uses dreams, visions, or voices, they emphatically reject the idea that the Holy Spirit does not lead the believer or reveal His will via their intuition (Rom. 9:1) or desire (Ps. 37:4) as they are filled and walking with the Spirit (Eph. 5:17-18). In fact, the Bible-believing cessationist would argue that if the Holy Spirit does not lead a person then they are not truly saved. However, we must be wary of saying phrases like "the Lord led me to..." because it is not possible to empirically verify such claims. Furthermore, two believers could claim they are being "led by God" but their "leadings" could be opposed to each other. In that case, at least one of the two would be in error since God does not oppose Himself. The authority then for discerning God's leading must be sought in the Bible. But notice that the previous statement does not say God only leads through biblical commands or principles.
The Bible clearly says, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).
Continuationists and cessationists both reject this myth. To say that the Holy Spirit no longer leads believers is to deny the Bible.
5. Myth: The Holy Spirit is a Pharisee
This is a grace-less God mentality. Cessationists are often called Pharisees who teach that believers must follow a set of rules in order to be filled with the Spirit and to please the Lord. There is a set of standards that we must meet in order to merit blessings from the Lord and to grow in our walk with Him. Until we meet those standards we cannot please God, He cannot lead us, we cannot become sanctified or Christ-like, we cannot do His work rightly, and we cannot gain His favor. Following the rules is the only way that a believer must encounter the Holy Spirit and merit growth in the Christian life.
Fact: It is true that there are cessationists who are pharisaical, however it is also true that there are continuationists who are also pharisaical. The belief of cessationism is not a cause of legalistic systems and teaching.
The truth is that in the Christian life there can never be growth by works. Christian growth, as with salvation, is always by grace through faith alone. That being said, any faith without the subsequent evidence of good works is useless and dead (Jas. 2:20, 26). And God has prepared good works for every believer to do (Eph. 2:10). And there is a “law of the Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2) that believers are to obey.
Any legalistic teaching that places rules on believers to “help” them grow in their faith is contrary to the Spirit’s work, unless the rules are explicit commands and prescriptions found only in Scripture. Therefore the Holy Spirit is absolutely not pharisaical! The Bible clearly says, “now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter” (Rom. 7:6).
Continuationists and cessationists both reject this myth. To say that the Holy Spirit is a Pharisee is to deny the Bible.
6. Myth: The Holy Spirit is quenched by cessationist theology
This is similar to the genie-in-the-lamp mentality and the all-or-nothing mentality but with a different nuance. This is the nuance that says cessationist theology quenches (limits, suppresses) the Holy Spirit so that He cannot use His full power. The Holy Spirit is unable to fully work in the lives of the saved and unable to give them full, powerful, godly experiences because they are not in full belief concerning the fullness of His gifts. Limited theology means a quenched Holy Spirit. Thus the Holy Spirit cannot fully move in the hearts of believers, He cannot fully lead believers in life decisions, He cannot give the full outpouring of specific gifts to believers, He cannot fully rid the believer of sin’s power, and He cannot fully express the love of Christ to and through believers. All because of a so-called “cold and quenching theology” that seemingly disallows the Holy Spirit the giving of all the spiritual manifestations.
Fact: The problem with this myth is that no Bible-believing cessationist teaches a limited Holy Spirit. As stated before, the Holy Spirit is God so He is able to do anything He wants (Ps. 115:3; 135:6). Just because there are biblical reasons to believe in the cessation of the regular use of the sign manifestations does not mean that the Holy Spirit will never again use those manifestations should He choose if particular circumstances require their use. No cessationist would say that the Holy Spirit must adhere to their theology, or that never again can He use a sign manifestation under the circumstances of His choosing. In fact the cessationist would say that we are to follow the Spirit, not a system of theology (although we are to primarily follow Him by applying what the Bible clearly prescribes, not by doing whatever we want and saying it’s the Spirit’s leading). The Bible clearly says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25).
Informed continuationists and cessationists both reject this myth. To say that the Holy Spirit is quenched by cessationist theology is to deny the Bible.
7. Myth: The Holy Spirit does not stimulate emotions
This is a vulcan mentality. Just like a vulcan rejects emotion and seeks logical intellectualism, so the cessationist is accused of teaching that the Holy Spirit does not care about, or want us to experience emotional worship. The Holy Spirit does not fill us with emotion or help us worship the Lord Jesus. We worship the Lord merely by gaining biblical knowledge and by obedience, but certainly not by expressing emotions. It is wrong to express strong emotions of the Lord.
Fact: No Bible-believing cessationist believes this. In fact, just the opposite. The cessationist believes and experiences the clear teaching of the Bible that the Holy Spirit gives grand and intense emotions and calls for their full expression in worship. The Bible clearly says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Gal. 5:22-23). And believers are to “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). There is however one precondition that goes along with the fruit of the Spirit. True Holy Spirit emotions are never fleshly (Gal. 5:16-17). It is possible for fleshly emotions to be expressed in the same way that true, Spirit-filled emotions are expressed. So we must be careful to discern the cause of our emotions. The Bible says that true fruit of the Spirit always “consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (Eph. 5:9).
Continuationists and cessationists both reject this myth. To say that the Holy Spirit does not stimulate intense emotions is to deny the Bible.
These are the common myths put forward by continuationists in attempt to falsify cessationism and call for balance. However, they are mere rhetoric and straw-man arguments based not in fact nor in Scripture, but in personal bias against cessationism. This personal bias leads to either a stubborn refusal to further understand cessationism or a deliberate misrepresentation of cessationist beliefs. Refusal to seek the truth is not pleasing to God. Any believer, whether continuationist or cessationist, who truly loves the Lord will sincerely seek after His truth, love it, and abide by it. The Holy Spirit illuminates our minds and hearts as we seek to understand the truths of Scripture. So the primary place where we can fully encounter Him and be filled by Him is in the Bible as He glorifies Christ to us.
“I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name” (Ps. 138:2).
Nehemiah Ryan © 2013
