For those who may be unfamiliar with these words, I am going to try to simplify concepts for the sake of the broader audience. I will undoubtedly irritate both camps with this attempt as both words have a “spectrum” of nuances, exceptions, and even attitudes.
The two words above, generally represent two views on the existence and practice of miraculous gifts in the life of God’s people.
Continuationists believe all spiritual gifts and offices (Ephesians 4:11-12) continue today.
Cessationists believe that either some or all spiritual gifts have ceased (I Corinthians 13:8-10). They would advocate (with various degrees of conviction) that those gifts in the revelatory category (tongues, prophecy, and the like) have definitively ceased.
Full disclosure, I am an unapologetic, fully committed, practicing continuationist. So I fully admit, I am biased. And with the same passion and commitment my cessationist friends hold to their views; I hold to mine. Which really is the impetus of this post.
Now before I begin the real reason for writing, it’s important to understand there are different flavors of continuationists and cessationists. While a clear dividing line exists between these 2 camps, each of them is internally more complex. This is important to understand as we start.
Cessationists
1. Harsh Cessationists – are certain of their position and condemn the charismatic movement wholesale. They also believe that God never gives visions, dreams, or leadings apart from Scripture or godly wisdom.
2. Hard Cessationists – are more sure of their position and suspicious of the whole charismatic movement. God might be sending dreams of Jesus to the Muslims in Iran, for example, or might lead a believer to make a choice apart from direct Scripture or seeming wisdom.
3. Soft Cessationists – admit they could easily be wrong and recognize much good in the charismatic movement. They can be skeptical about claims to speak in tongues, for example, but are open to the possibility if God has a purpose. But if such gifts are given, they are the real languages. They may also, for example, believe that the sign gifts are sometimes manifested where the Gospel is newly established or where persecution exists. They are quite skeptical of claims to these gifts, but are open to the possibility.
4. Functional Cessationists – affirm spiritual gifts, but usually ascribe them a more natural demonstration (i.e. A person with gift of tongues might learn multiple languages easily.) They might passively acquiesce the existence of such things but rarely participate in their use.
Continuationists
1. Orthodox Evangelical Continuationists – are committed to the closed canon of Scripture and believe the Scriptures clearly teach the present operation of all the offices and gifts of the Spirit. All revelation (small “r”) is subject to the Revelation of Scripture. This group tends to produce the evangelical scholarship of continuationism. (Although Pentecostal scholars abound as well.)
2. Charismatics – are a broader representation of doctrinal backgrounds. Some are more Scripturally grounded than others. There are Catholic charismatics, Anglican Charismatics, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc. The fellowship that exists within these groups revolves around the similar experiences and convictions concerning the Holy Spirit and less on doctrinal uniformity. Doctrine is usually reflective of the pastor’s religious tradition (or lack thereof).
3. Pentecostals – are a distinct group arising from the early 20th century outpouring of the Holy Spirit highlighting the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a “second work of grace”, holiness, and a more robust embracing of Arminianism. These would include the Assembly of God, the Church of God (Cleveland, TN), Pentecostal Holiness, etc. Historically, a case could be made for a far more exuberant and emotional expression of the things of the Spirit. However, many Pentecostal churches will now reflect a more refined expression of the work of the Spirit as one might find in an independent, nondenominational church.
4. “Chaos-matics” – are those who have little doctrinal moorings and are focused primarily on God’s manifest presence and associated experiences. Some of this can be unquestionably biblical, some of it pushes boundaries, and some of it is extra-biblical and questionable.
Now at this point, all I am doing is getting the average Christian reader up to speed. For those who are familiar with the debate between these 2 camps, I suspect your need for greater nuance and precision is causing you to twitch. That is what threads are for. My purpose is to lay a simple foundation of what appears to be another “dust-up” about the work of the Holy Spirit and why I’m chiming in.
I have no illusion that anything I offer will convince or close a centuries old debate. Believe me, most people are cemented in their theological grid. I get it. I am too. The problem is when one group broad brushes the other group as divisive, heterodox, or even heretics. Or, a critique that conflates what one continuationist group does upon another continuationist group. That’s when the gloves come off and honest (as well as robust) push back becomes necessary. As I entitled this series of posts, I’m not itching for a fight, but neither am I going to let a group unrighteously critique and influence (and I am being generous using the word critique) a legitimate, orthodox expression of the body of Christ into abandoning their expectations of God’s present miraculous possibilities.
I do wish we did better in the Kingdom, of being more generous with our brothers and sisters who are endeavoring to hold up Scripture faithfully, yet may land in a different, but orthodox Christian square. Again, my aim isn’t to convert cessationists. I genuinely appreciate how many are Gospel-driven and culturally engaged. We actually need each other. But just as there are continuationists who have jumped the orthodox rail; there are cessationists whose critique has come dangerously close to blasphemy.
So I will pause for the moment and call this, part 1. Stay tuned for part 2.
I have often said, if the church is ever driven to the catacombs again, it might behoove us to consider who we may be sitting next to in that place. My suspicion is that in persecution there will be more to unite us than divide us.
Lord, help me to help others become prepared for a catacomb.
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