“Its been a long time between drinks,” as they say… drinking, no thanks, I’m typing, but if I am inclined, can’t go past a good cup of tea (Pepsi really)… English Breakfast… rawght nice!
Or has it been more of our… “Parting has been such sweet sorrow”… I don’t know, but it surely has been some time since I last wrote you O reader of mine.
Humor me and read Part Four, which will give you the gist of where we are at heading into this latest “thought experiment,” where we move from the account of Daniel Wallace who will now
offer eleven suggestions, eleven challenges – eleven theses if you will – that deal with the areas in my own life [that is Daniel Wallace] that God is addressing… I do hope and pray that this essay will help other cessationists avoid the traps I [Daniel Wallace] fell into.
I kid you not, there will be copious quoting as we cover, hopefully, half of these eleven theses (this could be challenging) from Dan, and as he is a big boy and is capable of putting words into a coherent reality, I will let him speak for himself.
Here we go… Time to put yourself in the Kitchen!
(1) Although the sign gifts died in the first century, the Holy Spirit did not.
I think I might need to call for reinforcements as I am sure computer screens are being used and abused with much clamor and wrangling with this first thesis.
Now, if you are not a cessationist, you may want to rip into a Jeremiad, but be merciful to those who are not as illuminated as you.
Context is King and although I should be wearing the crown, Daniel Wallace is, so read on.
Dan’s words in this section are important, so I will quote on.
Cessationists can affirm that theologically, but pragmatically we act as though the Holy Spirit died with the last apostle. This is my fundamental thesis, and it’s well worth exploring. What can we, as cessationists, affirm that the Holy Spirit is doing today? What did Jesus mean when he said, “My sheep listen to my voice” (John 10:27)? What did Paul mean when he declared, “all who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God” (Rom 8:14)? What did John mean when he wrote, “You have an anointing from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20)?
I don’t know about you, but I am beginning to see a door opening… is it Sully?
I am increasingly convinced that although God does not communicate in a way that opposes the scriptures, he often communicates in a non-verbal manner to his children, giving them assurance, bringing them comfort, guiding them through life’s rough waters.
Hold the phones, stop the press, and stun the lizards… some will no doubt be getting excited reading this, get your praise flags out; while some others will be beginning to get the shakes, exclaiming, “this is getting scary”… Off you go, to your happy place!
However, Dan isn’t finished with this thesis, now for the kicker.
To deny that God speaks verbally to us today apart from the scriptures is not to deny that he communicates to us apart from the Scriptures.
Has Dan just pulled a theological killer-cross-over?
You be the judge Judy!
(2) Although Charismatics have sometimes given a higher priority to experience than to relationships, rationalistic evangelicals have just as frequently given a higher priority to knowledge than to relationships
In other words, Dan wants to say that both traditions are both guilty, but for different reasons, or as He puts it
Both of these miss the mark. And Paul, in 1 Corinthians, condemns both. Knowledge puffs up; and spiritual experiences without love is worthless.
(3) This emphasis on knowledge over relationship can produce in us a bibliolatry
One of the things that I appreciate about this chapter is the willingness of a scholar like Daniel Wallace to allow us to enter his world with all its redeemed brutality.
After all, a right concept of the Gospel frees us to an honest appraisal of our sin-redeeming reality.
The following is one such example
For me, as a New Testament professor, the text is my task – but I made it my God. The text became my idol. Let me state this bluntly: The Bible is not a member of the Trinity. One lady in my church facetiously told me, “I believe in the Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Bible.” Sadly, too many cessationists operate as though that were so.
I guess one of the questions that could be asked after the previous quotation is whether Dan’s position and response is representative and normative of those in the cessationist tradition?
(4) The net effect of such Bibliolatry is a depersonalization of God
Ramifications anyone?
Dan is in effect saying that God moves from being a person that we inter-relate with, forming a somewhat reciprocal relationship of connectedness, to a cold, almost laboratory-like object of OUR investigation.
Here is how he puts it
Eventually, we no longer relate to him. God becomes the object of our investigation rather than the Lord to whom we are subject. The vitality of our religion gets sucked out. As God gets dissected and trisected (in the case of you trichotomists), our stance changes from “I trust in” to “I believe that.”
Does this sound like you?
(5) Part of the motivation for depersonalizing God is an increasing craving for control
I think this is a rather perceptive insight, particularly the increasing desire for control, which is encouraged by what many observe in certain circles.
Here is Dan
What I despised most about the charismatics was their loss of control, their emotionalism. We fear that. We take comfort in the fact that part of the fruit of the Spirit is “self-control.” But by this we mean “do all things in moderation” – including worshiping God. But should we not have a reckless abandon in our devotion to him? Should we not throw ourselves on him, knowing that apart from him we can do nothing?
Absoposilutely (translation: combining absolutely positively)!!!
Instead, as typical cessationists, we want to be in control at all times. Even when it means that we shut God out. It is this issue of control that kept a good friend of mine a cessationist so long. Now, as a member of the Vineyard movement, he is quite happy: he acknowledges that he never was in control in the first place. In the midst of what I consider to be a heterodox shift in his part, there is nevertheless this honest breakthrough with God.
I find the last line to be rather theologically interesting.
Can there be a genuine breakthrough with God in such a heterodox shift (if that is what it actually is)? Mmmm
The context of such a question also has much wider ramifications!
I encourage you as we go through these eleven theses to put yourself in the hot seat – Semper Reformanda man… all the way, all the time!
Until Next Time
I am Jonny King
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