I conclude my list of verses on the charismatic issue by sharing some verses from the rest of the New Testament. On Monday I will be blogging about something very different, God willing. If I have missed any important verses please do let me know. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8) Let me ask you only this:... Read more
Of course for many charismatics 1 and 2 Corinthians are among their favorite books of the Bible. If I may be allowed to make one comment as I introduce these verses, it would be instead to ask two questions. If these verses do not apply to us today, why are they in the Bible? And, on what basis can we determine which other verses also do not apply to us? I have already posted verses that speak to this matter... Read more
In these few posts I am wanting to simply draw our attention to what the Scriptures say on the debate that has been raging recently. I am trying not to pass comment on these verses but allowing them to speak for themselves. It is worth pointing out one key difference in the way that charismatics approach Acts in particular, however. For us, this book is broadly speaking intended to be a normative model of what the Church can be like... Read more
In the last post I shared some OT verses which speak to the charismatic debate. Today, I continue with some passages from the Gospels. Read these, and try to allow the Bible to shape your viewpoint, not your traditions, whichever side of the fence you have come down on so far. Please also share any key verses I may have missed in the comment section. “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And... Read more
With all the recent controversy, and having previously posted an article which explains there are different opinions on the charismatic vs cessationist spectrum, as well as my old series on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I thought that I should simply share the most relevant Bible verses cited by people regarding this discussion. I encourage you whatever your viewpoint to approach the Bible open for God to speak to you through these verses, and perhaps even change your mind. Today... Read more
As far as I know John Stott was a cessationist through and through. This makes his attached statement about New Testament prophecy all the more credible and significant. It is worthy of our consideration because what is happening here is that a good biblical scholar is allowing the Bible to take him in the direction of something that could potentially undermine his position. We all do well to approach the Bible with a similar reverence. Of course there are degrees... Read more
Earlier today Premier Christian Radio broadcast a conversation between me and cessationist Doug Wilson. It wasn’t really a debate, still less an argument, more a discussion between two brothers who happen to disagree. Justin Brierley did his usual fantastic job of moderating. At one point we both conceded defeat! Anyway, I would encourage you to have a listen and to whet your appetite here is a couple of quotes from Doug in response to the comments MacArthur has made that... Read more
Further to his previous comments on Strange Fire, John Piper has released two audio clips that speak about his response to charismatic abuses. You will enjoy these, I am sure. I know I did. Read more
I am very keen to be fair to Dr John MacArthur. And so I want to acknowledge that in a recent Q and A online at GTY he states clearly that he does not believe all charismatics are unsaved. He claims he “never said that” though I have previously collected a bunch of quotes that do say precisely that. He doesn’t regret or apologize for those quotes in this audio. I think that he tends to think of the Charismatic movement... Read more
Lord Carey has been quoted as saying that the English church is in danger of dying out within a generation. The newspapers are delighted as there is nothing most of them would like more than to report the death of the last parishioner who’d stubbornly kept the last church in my country open. The vast drop in church attendance in the last fifty years is wheeled out as ammunition. There’s just two problems with this argument. The first is that... Read more
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