Is the Completion of the Bible the End of Spiritual Gifts? | The PursueGOD Truth Podcast

Welcome to the podcast! This week, we're looking at some "fan mail" and we'll be answering the question: is the completion of the Bible the end of Spiritual gifts?<br />
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1 Corinthians 13 is often called the “Love Chapter” due to its powerful emphasis on the necessity of love for the Christian life. However, this passage has also been the subject of considerable debate, particularly surrounding the meaning of the term "the perfect" in verse 10 and how it relates to the continuation or cessation of spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy.<br />
Some argue that “the perfect” refers to the completion of the New Testament canon, and therefore, the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy, and knowledge, ceased once Scripture was completed. This cessationist view suggests that now that we have the Bible, we no longer need these gifts because Scripture is sufficient for our spiritual direction and maturity.<br />
This article will explore the context of 1 Corinthians 13 and challenge the interpretation that “the perfect” refers to the completed New Testament, showing instead that Paul is pointing to something far greater and still future—the return of Christ and the full revelation of God’s kingdom.<br />
Q. Where did this interpretation come from in the first place? The interpretation that “the perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 refers to the completion of the New Testament and that spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, and knowledge have ceased, primarily stems from the Cessationist theological perspective. This view emerged from a particular way of reading the New Testament and was later developed within certain branches of Protestantism.<br />
Here’s an overview of how this interpretation evolved:<br />
1. Early Church to the Reformation In the early church, there was no clear consensus that spiritual gifts had ceased after the apostolic age. The early Church Fathers, such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian, referenced the continued operation of spiritual gifts, including prophecy and tongues, in their writings. However, as Christianity became institutionalized and the church grew more organized, miraculous manifestations of the Spirit seemed to become less common, leading some to believe that these gifts were no longer needed.<br />
During the Reformation (16th century), Protestant reformers like John Calvin began to articulate a view that extraordinary spiritual gifts were no longer active. Calvin, in particular, believed that miracles and certain gifts, such as tongues and prophecy, were given for the foundational period of the church and had ceased after the apostolic age. He argued that the purpose of these gifts was to authenticate the apostles' ministry as they spread the gospel and that once the canon of Scripture was completed, they were no longer necessary. This line of reasoning laid a foundation for later Cessationist views.<br />
2. Post-Reformation Development The...<br />
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24046115?utm_source=youtube