Cessationism is the belief that some, or all, of the spiritual gifts ceased operation. These gifts, particularly the miraculous ones, are no longer part of the normative Christian ministry experience. In response to that fact, a cessationist believes that believers should limit their pursuit of gifts or cease altogether.
Within cessationism, it is more commonly accepted that the miraculous gifts ceased, but the ministry and motivational gifts continue today. The gifts in question are as follows:
Speaking in tongues.
Gifts of healing.
Miraculous faith.
Prophecy or divine revelation.
There are several proponents for this theology, most notably John MacArthur and R.C Sproul in recent years.
Arguments for cessationism
Cessationists have varying beliefs about why the gifts have ceased. They also disagree about to what extent they have ceased. Furthermore, it is debated which verses can be used as evidence or how to interpret them.
However, outside of scripture, there is a historical argument. A cessationist will often affirm that the Reformed Church has been historically cessationist, that the early church fathers make little or no mention of tongues, and that the ministry of the apostles and Jesus is unmatched in all of human history.
At the centre of several arguments for cessationism is the following passage:
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:8-12
The first argument is whether teknon refers to "the perfect" or "maturity." Some cessationists hold the belief that it refers to the maturity of the church, which occurred either when scripture was complete or when the last apostle died.
The second argument is whether there is significance behind Paul's use of the active verb "pass away" and the passive verb "ceased." The argument is that this deviation is significant, particularly since the gift of tongues is not mentioned in the following verse.
Lastly, without using the above verse to prove that the gifts have ceased, another argument raised against continuationism is that the definition for the gifts seem to change. Where tongues seem to be in human languages, they now seem to be ecstatic utterances. Likewise, prophecy used to be inerrent, but now is acceptable if the prophet is wrong or mistaken.
Arguments against cessationism
The contrasting view to cessationism is continuationism. It is the belief that these spiritual gifts were not limited for a time and are still operative today. The main arguments levelled against cessationism are:
There are no verses that explicitly state the gifts ceased
Several notable early church fathers did not believe they had ceased
An argument from silence is not evidence for cessationism
Scripture suggests we should eagerly desire these gifts
You can find out more about continuationism in my article what is continuationism? Alternatively, if you want to compare the two viewpoints I have an article titled continuationism vs cessationism.
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