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Particulars
of Christianity:
310
Pentecostalism, the Charismatic
and Faith Movements
Preliminary
Proof: Counterargument 3
Preliminary
Proof: When the Gifts Would Cease
Preliminary Proof: Counterargument
1
Preliminary Proof: Counterargument
2
Preliminary Proof: Counterargument
3
Preliminary Proof: Counterargument
4
Preliminary Proof: Conclusions
Preliminary Proof: Additional Commentary
Section 1 | Section
2 | Section 3 | Section
4
| Section 5
Counterargument
No. 3 - Cessation was a Cessation of Distribution not the
Phenomena Themselves.
The basic premise of this proof is that when Paul spoke of
cessation in 1 Corinthians 13, he was speaking of a point
in time when the distribution of the gifts would cease rather
than the phenomena themselves. The idea is that instead of
having prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other gifts cease
occurring, Paul's teaching here is merely meant to indicate
that the apostles would cease to distribute the gifts to anyone
while those who already had the gifts would continue to operate
in them.
With regard to the original proof, If Paul was talking about
a cessation of the distribution of the gifts rather than a
cessation of the phenomena themselves, then it would be very
easy for Paul to perceive of such a cessation prior to the
return of Christ even if Christ came during their own lifetimes.
For, the apostles would simply stop distributing the gifts
at some point during their own lives when the Church hypothetically
became mature. So, no matter if Christ came before they died
or after they died, a cessation of the distribution prior
to the return would be compatible with either scenario.
On the other hand, if the cessation Paul describes was to
be a cessation of the phenomena themselves and not just a
cessation of the distribution of the gifts, then it is not
possible for Paul to have taught a cessation would occur prior
to the return of Christ. For, so long as cessation was a cessation
of the phenomena and individuals with the gifts retained those
gifts for their entire lives, if Christ returned in their
lifetimes the gifts would continue until his return. Since
at the time Paul understood Christ might come back before
the deaths of that first generation, his teaching regarding
cessation would have to be compatible with that possibility,
which existed in his understanding. Consequently, Paul could
only teach of a cessation that occurred at the return, since
only a cessation at the return would work whether Christ returned
in their lifetimes or after their deaths. Conversely, Paul
could not have placed the cessation of the phenomena prior
to the return of Christ, nor is there room for such a concept
in his understanding, for Paul thought it was possible for
Christ to return in their lifetimes, in which case no such
cessation of the phenomena would take place prior to the return.
So, in order to sidestep the original proof, the cessation
would have to be a cessation of distribution and could not
be a cessation of the phenomena themselves, such as the phenomena
of prophecy, tongues, etc.
The first point worthy of note here is this. Given that Justin
Martyr establishes that the gifts were being distributed by
others after the apostles had long since died, the basic premise
of this counterargument would do nothing to demonstrate that
the gifts were supposed to pass away prior to the return of
Christ. For, theoretically Paul could have been speaking of
a cessation of distribution, but that cessation of distribution
clearly did not occur when the apostles died or even 30-35
years later in the time of Justin Martyr. Thus, there is no
reason to think that this cessation distribution would come
at any time prior to the return of Christ.
Secondly, it is very significant to note that there is no
mention whatsoever of the idea of distribution in 1 Corinthians
13 itself.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity
never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall
fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether
there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know
in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that
which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall
be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became
a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through
a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known.
As can be clearly seen from verses 8 and 9, Paul only uses
language here that indicates the phenomenon themselves. He
says nothing about the giving of or distribution of prophecy
or tongues, etc. He simply says prophecy itself will cease
and speaking in tongues itself will cease.
So, how can one interpret the cessation mentioned in these
passages as a cessation of distribution of the gifts when
distribution is not mentioned here at all? The nearest mention
of distribution of the gifts comes in chapter 12, some 27
verses earlier.
1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts,
but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations,
but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations,
but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every
man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the
Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge
by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit;
to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To
another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues;
to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these
worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as he will.
The clear mention of distribution of gifts in the above verses
from chapter 12 stands in stark contrast to the total absence
of any reference to distribution in chapter 13 when Paul speaks
of cessation. The only way to include distribution in chapter
13's discussion of cessation is to infer into chapter
13:8-12 a concept that appears some 27 verses earlier. One
might even make the argument that since Paul's entire discussion
of the gifts in chapters 12-13 begins with a discussion of
distribution, the entire discourse that follows is also about
distribution and therefore it is distribution that Paul has
in mind when he discusses cessation in chapter 13.
But there are several problems with this kind of argument.
First, Paul's entire discussion in chapter 12-14 is not about
distribution of the gifts. He may discuss distribution of
the gifts as a part of his instructions, but Paul's overall
discussion is about the disagreement between two groups in
the Corinthian local church. One group was practicing the
gifts out of balance and making another group of the believers
in that church begin to doubt the godly origin of those "out-of-balance"
gifts. When Paul speaks of the gifts being a work distributed
by the Holy Spirit in verses 4-11 of chapter 12, he is not
setting up his entire topic for the next few chapters. Instead,
he is addressing one aspect of the issue. Paul is reassuring
the second group that the gifts were indeed from God. This
is evident by his remarks prior to verse 4.
1 Corinthians 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand,
that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed:
and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by
the Holy Ghost.
With these words, Paul is reassuring the Corinthians that
the gifts were from God and his follow-up comments in verses
4-11 are a further explanation of that fact. Paul is not setting
distribution as the main premise of his comments for all of
chapters 12-14. Instead, distribution is merely one aspect
of a discussion that covers many aspects of the issue of the
gifts.
Second, after distribution, Paul goes on to discuss the practice
of the gifts and it is AFTER he has shifted to a discussion
of the ongoing practice of the gifts that Paul speaks about
cessation, as we can clearly see from the opening verses of
chapter 13. Because Paul has shifted his discussion so that
his topic is no longer distribution but ongoing practice,
we cannot infer that distribution is still in view when Paul
discusses cessation.
1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become
as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I
have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and
all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I
could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though
I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth
me nothing.
Notice that in verses 1-3 Paul is talking about speaking in
tongues and prophesying and understanding all mysteries and
all knowledge. He is not talking about receiving those gifts
initially but rather that AFTER they are received they must
be practiced in love. Thus, with these opening 3 verses of
chapter 13, Paul is shifting from talking about receiving
and distributing of the gifts and moving instead to a discussion
of the ongoing practice of those gifts and how they should
be practiced by those who have them.
Therefore, in light of this shift, when Paul discusses cessation,
he is discussing the cessation of the ongoing practice of
the gifts, not their distribution. And since distribution
is only one aspect of the overall discussion rather than the
theme of the entire discussion, it is unfair and inappropriate
to read that one aspect into every other aspect that follows
it, particularly since chapter 13:1-3 makes it very clear
that Paul has left the topic of distribution and moved on
to the topic of practice. By discussing the topic of practice
he is addressing the first group of Corinthians, those who
practiced the gifts out of order and out of balance, just
as in distribution he addressed the group that was becoming
suspect of the gifts origin. And the reason Paul speaks of
love in the midst of these passages is in order to pacify
the growing division between these 2 groups in the Corinthians
church.
To assert that distribution is the main theme in view throughout
all of chapters 12-14 when in reality it is merely just one
of many aspects under discussion is a clear case of mistaking
a minor point for a major point and interpreting everything
afterward under that mistaken impression that it is a major
point. Instead, we must understand that the cessation Paul
is talking about in 1 Corinthians 13 would most certainly
be a cessation of the occurrence of the phenomena of prophecy,
tongues, and the other gifts and not just a cessation of their
distribution after which the phenomena themselves would continue
for a time.
Third, it must be noted that our proof in no way prohibits
the inclusion of the distribution of the gifts in the cessation
that Paul is teaching about in 1 Corinthians 13. In fact,
the view that the gifts would cease at the return of Christ
and not prior to it maintains that both the operation and
the distribution of the gifts would occur at the return of
Christ. For it would not make sense for the Church to mature
and the operation of the gifts to cease at Jesus' return and
yet uphold that the gifts will continue to be distributed
after this point. Therefore, to state that the phenomena themselves
such as prophecy and tongues, etc. would cease automatically
implies that the ability to distribute these phenomena would
also cease. Thus, we don't need to infer this from 27 passages
earlier. Effectively, if the cessation of the phenomena is
in view then distribution is automatically included under
that broader heading WITHOUT even needing to infer distribution
from 27 verses earlier.
In clarifying this, it becomes apparent that this third argument
against our proof is not just an argument for including the
distribution of the gifts in the cessation the Paul is discussing
in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12. Instead, this third argument must
be understood as an attempt to completely EXCLUDE of the phenomena
of the gifts in the cessation that Paul is discussing. And
this is not permissible within sound hermeneutics. While it
may be allowable to incorporate the distribution of the gifts
into the cessation even though distribution is not directly
mentioned, what cannot be permitted is EXCLUDING what Paul
DOES specifically mention in the text of 1 Corinthians 13,
and that is the actual operation, occurrence, and practice
of the phenomena of prophecy, tongues, etc. This would effectively
result in substituting something Paul DOES NOT mention to
the exclusion and removal of that which Paul DOES mention.
So, while the cessation that Paul is talking about will certainly
include the gifts no longer being distributed after the maturity
of the Church, we must understand that the wording of 1 Corinthians
13:8-12 expresses that the gifts themselves would no longer
operate after the maturity of the Church. To suggest otherwise,
as this third counterargument does, is to both contradict
and deny Paul's own teaching in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 and
the sound hermeneutic practice demanded by the grammatical-historical
Method. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 must be taken as
clear Biblical teaching that the gifts would NOT continue
to operate after the maturing of the Church. And since Justin
and Irenaeus clearly attest that the gifts did continue after
the death of the last apostle we cannot assert that the Church
matured before the death of the last apostle or that Paul
knew the church would mature before Jesus' return. So, again
the original proof still stands.
Fourth, as we pointed out earlier, there is absolutely no
reference to distribution anywhere in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12
when Paul teaches about cessation. The only way to turn that
passage into a discussion of the cessation of distribution
instead of a cessation of the phenomena themselves is to reach
back to 27 verses earlier where distribution is mentioned
and infer it into 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 where it is
absent. The argument in support of such an inference is that
when Paul associates one concept (such as gifts) with another
concept (such as distribution) in the beginning of his argument,
that this association can be inferred throughout Paul's entire
argument because it is the theme of his discourse.
We have already shown that this is not the case with 1 Corinthians
12 and 13. But, for the sake of argument, anyone who hold
this position with regard to an association made 27 verses
earlier to a passages where that association is not mentioned,
could have no objections with the following interpretation.
1 Corinthians 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ
was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no
gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye
may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we stated earlier, from Paul's point of view when he wrote
about cessation of the gifts in 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, there
were two distinct possibilities concerning the return of Christ.
First, Paul believed that Christ might return before the deaths
of the apostles and those they had laid hands on. Second,
Paul understood that Christ might return after the deaths
of the apostles and those they laid their hands on. And, given
that Paul's teaching regarding the gifts MUST be consistent
with his own understanding, Paul's teaching regarding cessation
would have to work for both of these two possibilities that
existed in Paul's understanding.
Here in 1 Corinthians 1:6-8, Paul tells these Corinthians
that the effect of the testimony of Christ being "confirmed"
in the Corinthians was "so that [the Corinthians] come behind
in no gift." This is the same Greek word "confirmed" that
is used in Mark 16:19-20 when it talks about the Lord confirming
the apostles' testimony with signs and wonders. So then, the
use of this Greek word confirmation in the context of the
gifts refers to the use of miraculous signs as confirmation.
(Just as Hebrews 2:4 restates Mark 16:19-20 and tells us that
God "bore witness" to the apostles' word via miraculous signs
and the spiritual gifts). In both cases, the gifts ARE a confirmation
of the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Of course, in verse 8, Paul also tells the Corinthians that
this confirming (which occurred via the gifts) would continue
in them "unto the end." This phrase "unto the end" is a reference
to the end of the age and the return of Christ Jesus. This
is evidenced by the fact that "unto the end" is here sandwiched
in between the two phrases "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
and "day of our Lord Jesus Christ." The use of the phrase
"unto the end" as a reference to the end of the Age originates
from Jesus himself during the Olivet Discourse in his use
of the phrase "unto the end" in those passages with regard
to his return. (Matthew 24:13, Mark 13:13.)
And additionally, we not only have precedent of how the phrase
"unto the end" originated as a reference to the end of the
Age by Jesus Christ himself, but we also have proof from the
context of this passage that "unto the end" refers to the
end of the Age and not some other vague "end" of some kind.
For, in 1 Corinthians 1:6-8, the phrase "unto the end" is
sandwiched between the phrases "the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ" and "the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." These are
both obvious references to the end of the Age when Christ
returns and the occurrence of the phrase "unto the end" in
the middle of these two phrases provides contextual proof
that Paul is talking about the end of the Age.
Now despite this obvious precedent, some might assert that
the phrase "unto the end" could refer to one of two concepts.
It could refer to the "end of the Age" or it could refer to
the end of the lives of those particular Corinthians to whom
Paul was writing. Christians with the gifts would then retain
those gifts for their entire lives.
Notice what this assertion does to the counterargument that
Christians did not retain the gifts until the end of their
lives but ceased operating at the gifts during their lives
when they became mature. This is a catch-22. For, if Christians
who had gifts retained them for the rest of their lives, then
Paul could not have taught that cessation would occur prior
to the return of Christ. Since Paul thought it was possible
for Christ to return before the deaths of himself or the other
apostles or those Corinthians to whom he was writing, his
teaching regarding cessation would have to work with that
possibility. But, from Paul's perspective, if Christ were
to return before the death of the first generation Christians,
then the gifts could only cease at the return of Christ so
long as Christians retained their gifts for their entire lives.
The only way around this is to suggest that Christians did
not retain their gifts for their entire lives but would cease
operating in the gifts on an individual basis some time during
their own lifetimes, possibly when they became mature. As
we have already shown, this flies in the face of early Church
history as recorded by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus. But, there
is another problem with this assertion. If believers who had
the gifts did not retain them to the end of their lives, then
we must accept "unto the end" in verse 8 as a reference to
the "end of the age."
So, if believers did have the gifts to the end of their lives
so that the phrase "unto the end" could refer to the end of
their lives, then the original proof stands. On the other
hand, if believers did not have the gifts to the end of their
lives, then "unto the end" in 1 Corinthians 1:6-8 would mean
that Paul taught that the Church would continue to have the
gifts "unto the end of the Age" and would therefore not mature
before Jesus' return.
The result is that in 1 Corinthians 1:6-8 Paul is telling
those Corinthians that they would retain the gifts unto the
end of the Age when Christ would return on the day of Christ
(should they live that long). The point is not to extend the
Corinthians as transcendent stand-ins for the rest of us (although
later we will discuss how that factors into this discussion).
For now, it is not necessary to make this statement to the
Corinthians transcendent in order to disprove the notion that
cessation would occur prior to the return.
It is obvious that according to the grammatical historical
method, Paul is talking to the Corinthians here. So, if Paul
here tells them they will have the gifts to the end of the
age, then later when he instructs them about cessation, we
would have to conclude that cessation is necessarily at the
end of the Age at the return of Christ and not before. That
would require Paul to contradict his own previous teaching
to the Corinthians in the very same letter. And, when we consider
Paul's teaching about the cessation of the gifts in chapter
13 to this very same audience, given their prior understanding
from chapter 1, there is no way Paul could have been teaching
them that they would lose the gifts via a cessation prior
to the return of Christ.
So, it is not that our interpretation here requires the notion
that Paul's comments to the Corinthians in chapter 1 transcend
to us. The notion of transcendence does RESULT from our interpretation.
But our view does not assume transcendence. Rather, since
Paul told these Corinthians they would retain the confirmation
via the gifts to the end of the Age in chapter 1, there is
no way any of Paul's teaching regarding the cessation of the
gifts in chapter 13 could place the cessation at any time
before the end of the Age at the return of Christ.
Therefore, either way that one goes regarding whether individuals
retained the gifts for the rest of their lives, the result
is a contradiction with the notion that the gifts were suppose
to cease prior to the return of Christ. If one says that individuals
did retain the gifts for the rest of their lives, then Paul's
teaching must be compatible with his understanding that Christ
could return in their lifetimes. Therefore, Paul could not
have taught those same individuals about a cessation of the
gifts prior to Christ's return. If one says that individuals
did not retain the gifts for the rest of their lives, then
"unto the end" in chapter 1 must refer to the end of the Age.
Therefore, Paul could not have taught these Corinthians that
the gifts would cease prior to Christ's return in chapter
13 when he just taught them in chapter 1 that they would retain
the gifts until the end of the Age.
Let's return to 1 Corinthians 1.
1 Corinthians 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ
was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift;
waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who
shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, some might argue that even though the confirmation in
verses 6-7 comes by the gifts, that the confirmation in verse
8, which occurs until the end, occurs without the gifts. In
other words, it is clear that in verses 6-7 the gifts are
the confirmation of the testimony of Christ within the Corinthians,
just as was the case when the same Greek word for "confirmed"
is used in Mark 16:19-20, which record the Lord confirming
the apostles testimony with signs and wonders. And just as
Hebrews 2:4 restates Mark 16:19-20 and tells us that God "bore
witness" to the apostles' word via miraculous signs and the
spiritual gifts). In both cases, the gifts are a confirmation
of the testimony of Jesus Christ. By suggesting that the confirmation
in verse 8 occurs without the gifts, the goal is to find a
way around the obvious fact that Paul was promising these
Corinthians that the gifts would continue until the end of
the Age.
As we pointed out earlier, there is absolutely no reference
to distribution anywhere in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 when Paul
teaches about cessation. The only way to turn that passage
into a discussion of the cessation of distribution instead
of a cessation of the phenomena themselves is to reach back
to 27 verses earlier where distribution is mentioned and infer
it into 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 where it is absent. The
argument in support of such an inference is that when Paul
associates one concept (such as gifts) with another concept
(such as distribution) in the beginning of his argument, that
this association can be inferred throughout Paul's entire
argument because it is the theme of his discourse.
Consequently, if Paul's opening remarks in 1 Corinthians 1:6-7
assert the gifts as the confirmation of the testimony of Christ,
then we can and should assume according to the 1 Corinthians
12 and 13 model regarding the inference of distribution, that
Paul continues this association throughout his statements
in verse 8. Therefore, we can and should infer that the confirmation
that takes place to the end is a confirmation by the gifts
just as it is when Paul initially mentions this just 1 verse
earlier in verses 6-7. This is even more striking given that
this inference only spans 1 verse while the inference regarding
distribution spans 27 verses.
Consequently, if the confirmation that was to take place until
the end was a confirmation by means of the gifts, then at
the very outset of this epistle Paul is making a very clear
statement that the gifts were supposed to continue as confirmation
of the testimony of Christ Jesus until the end of the Age,
the coming of Christ, the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,
there would be no room in Paul's perception and understanding
for him to teach later on in that same epistle that
cessation would occur prior to the return of Christ.
So, either one is forced to give up the ability to infer
distribution into 1 Corinthians 13 or one is forced to accept
the inference of confirmation by means of the gifts until
the end of the Age in 1 Corinthians 1. And since the original
proof stands so long as the cessation includes a cessation
of the phenomena and is not just a cessation of the distribution
of the gifts, either way the original proof still stands.
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