Are the Spiritual Gifts for Today?

Some Christians claim that the spiritual gifts of the New Testament are not for today. This doctrine is called cessationism. Cessationists believe that either some or all of the spiritual gifts stopped with the first apostles.

This article will examine the main arguments cessationists give for rejecting the spiritual gifts. It will attempt to understand whether such arguments are Biblical and rational.

Cessationist Argument 1. “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:8). This Bible verse says that prophecies and tongues will pass away. This has already happened, and there are no gifts of prophecy or tongues today.

Answer: This Bible verse says that someday prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will all pass away; it does not say that tongues and prophecies will pass away while knowledge remains. To claim that tongues and prophecies have passed away, but knowledge remains, is to misinterpret this verse.

Furthermore, this passage gives the time when tongues, prophecies, and knowledge will pass away. They will pass away when “that which is perfect has come” (1 Corinthians 13:10), when Christians “know just as they are known” (1 Corinthians 13:12), and when Christians see God “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). All of this will happen at the second coming of Jesus Christ. At that time we will see everything clearly in the light of Christ, and there will be no more need for spiritual gifts or even knowledge because everything will be completely clear.

This passage actually shows that spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy will continue to function until the second coming of Christ.

Cessationist Argument 2. Non-miraculous spiritual gifts like helps, administration, giving, teaching, etc. are the only spiritual gifts that are operating today. Miraculous spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, and miracles have ceased.

Answer: The Bible never makes a distinction between miraculous and non-miraculous spiritual gifts. All spiritual gifts operate by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11), not by human power, and therefore they are all miraculous. There is no difference between the ability of God to enable someone to teach the Scripture or the ability of God to enable someone to prophesy about the future. Both abilities come from God, and both operate supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. If someone is teaching the Bible in their own strength, then they are not operating in the spiritual gift of teaching, they are operating in their own strength. If someone is helping others in their own strength, then they are not operating in the spiritual gift of helping. All spiritual gifts are energized by the Holy Spirit, and all are supernatural.

Cessationist Argument 3. No one is operating in the spiritual gifts today, and therefore there are no spiritual gifts today.

Answer: Just because someone has not seen or experienced certain spiritual gifts does not mean that spiritual gifts do not exist. Just because one Christian has not experienced a spiritual gift does not mean that another has not. Experience is the not the foundation of our faith, but the word of God is.

Cessationist Argument 4. There is a lot of deception surrounding the spiritual gifts. People manufacture speaking in tongues, speak false prophecies, and lie about miracles. All of this falsehood proves that there are no genuine spiritual gifts today.

Answer. Just because some people misuse spiritual gifts does not show that real spiritual gifts do not exist. Misuse of the gift of tongues does not prove the real gift of tongues does not exist. Just because some people prophesy falsely does not mean that everyone who prophesies is false. In the Old Testament there were many false prophets, but that doesn’t mean that there were no true prophets. The presence of the false is no evidence that the true does not exist. Instead, it may reveal that Satan is counterfeiting the true.

Cessationist Argument 5. There are no more apostles, and therefore there are no more spiritual gifts.

Answer: Please see the article Are There Apostles Today?

Cessationist Argument 6. The gift of prophecy was only given in the New Testament times to write Scripture. Since the Bible has been completed, there is no more need for the gift of prophecy.

Answer: The gift of prophecy in the New Testament was not primarily given for the writing of Scripture. Agabus was a prophet (Acts 11:28), but he did not write Scripture. Philip’s daughters prophesied (Acts 21:9), but they did not write Scripture. The Bible says that prophecy is for exposing secrets (1 Corinthians 14:25), foretelling the future, edifying, encouraging, and exhorting the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). Prophecy was an important part of the church meetings in the New Testament. These prophets weren’t adding books to the Bible at church. The Bible commands all Christians to earnestly desire to prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:1). It’s not telling them to desire to write Scripture.

Cessationist Argument 7. The gift of tongues is only given for the purpose of communicating to an audience in a language a speaker does not know. Since we are not in situations where we need to communicate foreign languages to reach people with the gospel, we do not need the gift of tongues.

Answer: According to the New Testament, the gift of tongues is given in order to edify the person who speaks in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:4). Tongues are also to be spoken in a church along with interpretation (1 Corinthians 14:27). This shows that the tongue is not only unknown to the speaker, but it is also unknown to the audience. The gift of interpretation of tongues is required in order to make the meaning of the tongue known to the audience – an audience which already understands the primary language of the speaker. In addition, tongues are often spoken when people are baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:46; 19:6). These many purposes of the gift of tongues show that the primary purpose of tongues is not evangelism to people whose language is not known by the speaker.

Cessationist Argument 8. Miracles like tongues and prophecy may operate in remote countries that need to hear the gospel, but in countries where the gospel is established these miraculous spiritual gifts will no longer operate.

Answer: The Bible nowhere says that miraculous gifts are only for unreached areas. In the New Testament, one of the primary places that miracles operated was within church meetings, among Christians. Furthermore, if it is admitted that miraculous spiritual gifts are operating anywhere in the world today, then it is admitted that they have not ceased.