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Cessationism in General * The Cessation of the Sign Gifts, by Thomas Edgar of Capital Bible Seminary - In this introductory
article, Thomas Edgar shows that modern-day claims of miraculous gifts fall way short of the New Testament model. He also
demonstrates that the gift of Apostle passed away with the first century. Excellent! For more on spiritual gifts by Dr. Edgar,
you should get a copy of his new book Satisfied by the Promise of the Spirit, published by Kregal. * Who Surprised Whom? The
Holy Spirit or Jack Deere?http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/gen_hspirit.html by Richard L. Mayhue of The Masters Seminary
- Mayhue shows that it is Deere, not cessationists, who has made interpretive errors in coming to his biblically unfounded
conclusion that the miraculous gifts of God have continued beyond the apostolic age. An excellent analysis of Deere's book
Surprised by the Power of the Spirit. * The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts, by John F. Walvoord of Dallas Theological Seminary
- A good introduction to the biblical reasoning behind the cessationist belief that some of the spiritual gifts served a temporary
purpose and are no longer being given by God. * Cessationism, by Willem Berends of Reformed Theological College - Berends
first provides a history of Protestant cessationism, then notes the difference between strong cessationism (no miracles today)
and weak cessationism (no miraculous gifts today). I have found that Charismatics often confuse the latter with the former.
I hold to Berends's "weak cessationism," as did B.B. Warfield. * An Appraisal of the Signs and Wonders Movement,
by Ken Sarles. A brief history and analysis of the "third wave." The Gift of Apostleship * Apostles and the Apostolate
in the New Testament, by Robert Duncan Culver (Bibliotheca Sacra) - A biblical defense of the historic Protestant belief that
the gift of Apostle is limited to the first century. * The Cessation of the Sign Gifts, by Thomas Edgar of Capital Bible Seminary
- While this article focuses on cessationism in general, a good portion of it deals with the issue of the gift of Apostleship.
The Gift of Prophecy * Gaffin and Grudem on Eph 2:20: In Defense of Gaffin's Cessationist Exegesis, by R. Fowler White - Wayne
Grudem proposes a unique interpretation of Eph 2:20 which allows for a continuing role for prophecy in the Church. White dismantles
Grudem's exegesis point by point. Excellent! * F. David Farnell wrote an extensive four-part series on the gift of Prophecy
for Bibliotheca Sacra. It's the most complete treatment I have found on the net. o The Current Debate about New Testament
Prophecy - Gives a summary of both the interpretive history of the gift of prophecy and the current debate concerning the
gift. o The Gift of Prophecy in the Old and New Testaments - Provides a biblical analysis of the gift of prophecy in the Bible
and concludes that there is fundamental continuity between the two testaments. o Does the New Testament Teach Two Prophetic
Gifts - Deals with Wayne Grudem's argument that prophets and prophecy are active today as they were in the first-century church.
(I think this essay incorrectly assumes that Grudem is arguing from a misapplication of the Granville-Sharp rule. Grudem's
arguments do not focus on Granville-Sharp.) o When Will the Gift of Prophecy Cease? - Demonstrates that, due to its miraculous
nature, the gift of prophecy has ceased. * Fallible NT Prophecy/Prophets? A Crituque of Wayne Grudem's Hypothesis, by F. David
Farnell - This seems to be similar to the third installment above, but all the footnotes are included here. * Something New
under the Sun, by David B. McWilliams. Yet another critique of Wayne Grudem's ideas concerning the gift of prophecy. The Gift
of Tongues * Charles Hodge on the Nature of Tongues - Charles Hodge argues that throughout the NT, tongues does not refer
to any kind of ecstatic speech, but instead refers to the ability to speak in a known human language. (From Hodge's commentary
on First Corinthians 12:10) * The Gift of Tongues in the Post Apostolic Church (A.D. 100-400), by Cleon Rogers, Jr. - This
is a summary of the evidence of tongues in the post-apostolic church showing that tongues did not play a significant role
in this period. * Church History and the Tongues Movement, by George W. Dollar. * The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts, by
John F. Walvoord of Dallas Theological Seminary - This article deals with spiritual gifts in general, but a large portion
deals with the most controversial gift of the them all: tongues. * Glossolalia at Azusa Street: A Hidden Presupposition?,
by Chales S. Gaede. "This survey demonstrates that there was an undifferentiated range of uses of glossolalia in the
practices of the Azusa Street leaders and participants… The desire and attempts to perpetuate the revival developed
an unacknowledged presupposition that the imposition of any structure, including that set forth in the written Word, nullified
the experiential activity of God."
But without Faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
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