Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

Christ's Continuing Voice in the Church

Modern-day cessationists argue that the main purpose of miracles is to authenticate the apostles as trustworthy authors of holy Scripture. Once these authors wrote their material and died, goes the theory, miracles were no longer needed because there is no more Scripture to be written or authors to authenticate. The possibility of prophecy in today's Church is thereby eliminated. A more immediate purpose for signs and wonders, however, is shown in the above text. The miracles authenticated the message of salvation throughJesus Christ, which Paul preached to the Gentiles. At that moment those heathen did not even know Paul would be a writer of New Testa ment books. It was the message that gripped their hearts-but only after the miraculous had gained their attention! We preach the very same mes sage to the people of our day. Miracles are needed as much today as they were then. The purpose of signs and wonders is scarcely mentioned in the New Testament. But a thoughtful examination of all possible references shows only two reasons for miracles: to authenticate the character of the Lord Jesus and His relationship with His heavenly Father; and to authenticate the message proclaimed about Him. 5 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect 6 comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Everyone agrees that verse 10 of this chapter identifies prophecy and other gifts as temporary. The main issue is when these gifts will cease. The answer lies in the meaning of the phrase when the perfect comes. Various interpretations have been drawn from Paul's statement. The meaning that came to my mind as I read this remarkable text for the first time remains unchanged more than fifty years later. I believe the coming of "the perfect" refers to the Second Coming of Christ, when we shall see the Lord "face to face." 7 Some cessationists agree with this interpretation but must then compensate by making the time of the ces sation of prophecy an open question, to be decided on the basis of other passages. 8 • 234 2. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13