This is Part Two of: "Cessation of Tongues" (Concerning 1 Cor. 13)
Cessationist reasoning (that tongues would die out before other forms
of prophecy) is beyond insane; as they must take great liberties and
questionable assumptions to make it work. Notable Greek scholars (some,
who are cessationists themselves) decry the technique used for that
argument.
It is ironic, that to be consistent, cessationists
have to say that the gift of "interpretation of tongues" was to last
longer than the gift of "tongues" itself (as interpretation is
"prophecy" and is not mentioned as ceasing). Another absurdity of the
cessationist argument is that they have had to create a "two-outpouring
theology."
They believe that prophetic speech has already
ceased; and yet, they know that Jesus told His disciples that in the
last days people will speak prophetically (again):
"But when
they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it
shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not
ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
Matt. 10: 19-20
The above verses are also mentioned in Mark
13: 11, and Luke 21: 5. In all three occasions Jesus is speaking of the
very last days of the tribulation period; and He is saying that His
disciples will speak by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
cessationists have had to say that there will be a second outpouring of
God's Spirit on all flesh for this to be possible; and hence, a
two-outpouring theology.
Another absurdity from the
cessationist camp is that they take the prophetic praying of Romans 8:
26 (which they believe is here today--as long as the person praying
does not speak in tongues, or even groans audibly by the Spirit), which
is written below, and say that it is not really anything prophetic--as
if it happens every time someone prays.
"Likewise the Spirit
also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for
as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered." Rom. 8: 26
What
cessationist will say that Rom 8:26 is not for today? But graonings and
inward sounds are basically the same as tongues. It is 99% same. The
only difference is that tongues-speakers move their lips a little more,
and if it is to be interpreted they are also louder. Clearly 8:26 is a
man praying with the Holy Spirit taking over. This is similar to what
is described in 1 Cor.
"For he that speaketh in an unknown
tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth
him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" 1 Cor 14: 2
There
is an incredible bit cessationist nonsense that needs to be explained
here. This will show the reader that cessationists scoff at the science
of hermeneutics (the science of interpreting scripture) in order to
read into the text that the prophetic gifts have died out. Here it is
(following the scriptures):
13: 9 "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part."
13: 10 "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
13:
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."
13: 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."
13: 13 "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
The cessationist argument is as follows:
"The
'perfect' is the Bible. When the perfect inscripturated prophecy (the
Holy Bible) arrived [perhaps in the 3rd or 4th century, or wichever
date they pick] people no longer needed the partial prophetic knowledge
of tongues, prophecies, dreams, and visions; so they ceased to happen.
For, when Paul wrote 1 Cor., the Bible had not yet been completed so
the prophetic gifts were still in operation. This means that people at
that time could only know part of God's word; which meant they were
like spiritual children who understood like children. They were limited
in their knowledge of God, because they had no Bible and could only
know what Paul taught them (when he was with them) which was not very
much. So they could only see through a glass darkly."
Face to Face
Now, the
obvious problem with their reasoning above, is that the gifts will not
cease until we are in the millenial reign, and see (God/Christ)
face-to-face. This, of course, puts cessationists in a dilemma. For
they want to say that people knew in part until the Holy Bible was
written, and since then, people can see face-to-face. Therefore,
"face-to-face," for them, must not mean face-to-face; as for them, it
must mean, "face-to-book/Bible"
And here is where
cessationists use the most horrible hermeneutics known to man. As they
say: "Face-to-face does not mean that we will see God/Christ; but
instead, reading the Holy Bible is coming face-to-face with God;
because in it we see how wicked we are compared to God's holiness, and
that knowledge is similar to coming face-to-face with God Himself."
When
they say the words above, all they are really saying is that
"face-to-face" actually means, "face-to-book" Written below are five of
the cessationist theologies:
1 "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. For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know
in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known." 1 Cor. 13:
11-12
Cessationists say: "Reading the Holy Word is seeing God
face-to-face because in reading the Holy Word we see how wicked we are
compared to how holy God is, and that is like seeing God
Himself--face-to-face."
2 "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. For now we
see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then I shall know even as also I am known." 1 Cor. 13: 11-12
Cessationists
say: "When we read the Holy Word, we see ourselves as we really are--as
sinners; in this way the Holy Word is like a mirror showing us how we
look; as God sees us--as James agrees with us: "For if any be a hearer
of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his
natural face in a glass [ a mirror]" (James 1: 23)
3
"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. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known." 1
Cor. 13: 11-12
Cessationists say: "Spiritual gifts;
particularly tongues, are for the immature--for the spiritual children.
We are to grow out of them and focus on reading the Holy Word; rather
than using spiritual gifts. Paul agrees with us: "Brethren, be not
children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in
understanding be men." "Wherefore tongues are for a sign" (1 Cor. 14:
20,22)
4 "For we know in part, and we
prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that
which is in part shall be done away." 1 Cor. 13: 9-10
Cessationists
say: "The 'perfect' is the Holy Word of God. So when the Holy Word was
made available, the prophetic gifts ceased. James agrees with us: 'But
whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty... shall be blessed'
(James 1: 25)
5 "And now abideth faith, hope, charity [love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 1 Cor. 13:13
Cessationists
say: "The prophetic gifts were temporary, and were passing away; but
love is permanent, and will last throughout the church-age."
First of All Four Observations:
1)
The plain meaning of the words, "face to face" imply being in God's
presence (um, face-to-face). "for they have heard that thou LORD art
among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face" Numbers 14:14
"The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of
the fire" Deut 5:4 "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like
unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face" Deut 34:10 "And the LORD
spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" Ex.
33: 11 In the verses above, "face-to-face" refers to direct
revelation/knowledge from God--Not information from God through a third
source, such as the written word. Face-to-face is direct revelational
knowledge from God. There is no way the term, face-to-face can be
construed into saying, "face to book." The Greek word, "anigmati" that
has been translated as "darkly" and from which we get our english word,
"enigma" from, basically means, "a riddle." The Greek wording of 1 Cor.
13: 12 is as follows:
"For we now see through a reflection ["reflection" may be translated as mirror] in a riddle but then face to face"
Because
both mirrors [back then], and riddles do not reveal everything clearly;
Paul was using the mirror/riddle illustration to show the Corinthians
that prophetic messages are only bits and pieces of God's knowedge (not
perfectly clear). And that revelational knowledge would be partial
until we are actually in the presence of Christ (face-to-face). But
cessationists have come up with the opposite conclusion. They have to
say (to support their theories that the "perfect" is the Bible):
"at
Corinth, the bronze mirrors were of excellent quality that revealed
every facial blemish; and therefore, Paul was showing that face-to-face
does indeed mean face-to-book as the Holy Bible reveals every spiritual
blemish that people have (of course, they leave out the word "riddle"
as it does not fit in well with their theology)."
Notice that
the verses from Numbers (below), show that prophetic revelation is in
riddles; that is, in part--not full knowledge. But that face-to-face
revelation (as with Moses) is perfectly clear and understandable.
Cessationists suppose that only the written Word is clear and
understandable.
"And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a
prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a
vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so,
who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to
mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of
the LORD shall he behold" Num 12: 6-8
A few verses below
reveal that Bible writers used the words "face-to-face" to mean just
that (This should not even be an issue of contention, but cessationists
are insistent that "face-to-face" means "face to book/Bible")
2
John 1:12 "Having many things to writ unto you, I would not write with
paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face"
3 John 1:14 "But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face"
2
Cor 10:1 "Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meakness and gentleness
of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold
toward you" The Greek wording of the above verse has the word "face"
instead of "presence." This verse should rightly be translated as "I am
weakly when face-to-face with you." It is possible that other Bibles
use "face-to-face" in their renderings of the above verse.
2)
Paul did not know of a complete Holy Bible, or he would have mentioned
it rather than saying, "the perfect." Paul never thought there would be
a Holy Bible. Notice that Paul thought that the Lord would be returning
very soon, and he still made no attempt to gather epistles together to
form a complete (perfect) Holy Bible. It must be realized that Paul
wrote 1 Cor. with the idea that the Lord is returning soon:
"So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Cor. 1: 7
"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come," 1 Cor.4: 5
"But this I say, brethren, the time is short" 1Cor. 7: 29
Paul
wrote to the Corinthians as if the time was short, and yet he still
made no attempt to gather scriptures together to form a complete Holy
Bible. It is not possible that he was telling the Corinthians that the
"perfect" is a completed Holy Bible.
3) In
context, Paul was not refering to incomplete writings with a few
epistles--Then the perfect Holy Bible. He was speaking of incomplete
and partial revelation (dreams, visionst, tongues etc)--Then complete
revelation knowledge of God (during the heavenly age). Paul was not
talking about the law and prophets, Septuagint, incomplete writings and
scraps of paper---then the perfect complete Bible. Rather he is talking
about incomplete revelation knowledge in tongues dreams etc---then
perfect revelation knowledge as we will be face to face with Him, and
no longer needing partial bits of revelation to guide us.
4)
Paul includes himself as one who only knows in part, and who will
actually see the perfect. Paul includes himself as not yet perfect
though he knows the entire gospel message. For Paul has the complete
inerrant Word in his mind already he does not have to wait for the
perfect Holy Bible to be written so that he will see himself in mirror
and realize that he is a sinner-- "the chief of sinners." Paul even
knows of the antichrist and end times per his message to the
Thessalonians speaking of the man of sin to be revealed. The only thing
Paul did not know is the exact number (#666)of the beast Paul includes
himself as one who knows in part, and prophesies in part. He includes
himself as one who is waiting for the "perfect" to come. And as seen in
the verses below, he includes himself as one who will see the
"perfect."
"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part...
For now we see through a glass darkly... now I know in part; but then I
shall know even as also I am known" 1 Cor. 13: 9-12
Paul had
recieved his doctrine from the Lord Himself (per Gal. 1: 11-12), what
was left for Paul to know? Yet he said that he only saw through a glass
darkly (in a riddle). If we see clearly cause we have the complete Holy
Bible but he did not see clearly; he should learn from us.
Cessationists
forsake all of their "hermeneutical rules" in order to claim that Paul
was speaking to the Corinthians of a future complete Holy Bible. There
is no way that the Corinthians read the words of 1 Cor. 13: 12 (below)
and came to following conclusion:
"What Paul is telling us is
that all of the epistles from various writers will be gathered together
into a book; and we will look face-to-face at the book; which will be
equivelent to looking at our own selves face-to-face, because in it we
will learn how wicked we are, as God sees us, and in turn, that will be
equivelent to seeing God face-to-face-- as we see how holy He is
compared to us; that is what Paul is telling us here."
"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." 1 Cor. 13: 12
In
their paranoia they take away our proof-text that we will actually see
God/Christ face-to-face some day. With their liberal interpretation of
1 Cor. 13: 12 they may say of 1 John 3: 2 ("when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is"), that John is not
saying that we will actually see Him; but, rather, that we will know of
God by reading about Him in the Bible"--there is no end to their
madness!
Actually, the Greek word "teleios," which has been
translated here as "perfect," means, and has been translated as:
"perfect," "mature," and "complete." The word "perfect" in the verses
below is "telios" and may be translated as "mature" or "perfect."
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt. 5: 48
"Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect:" 1 Cor. 2: 6
"Whom
we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" Col. 1: 28
"Epaphras,
who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring
fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in
all the will of God" Col. 4: 12
"Not as though I had already
attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I
may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as
be perfect, be thus minded" Phil. 2: 12-15
In the Philippians
verse above, First Paul is saying that he is not telios
(perfected/complete) but that he is telios (mature minded). According
to the pericope' (The 1 Cor. 13: 8-13 portion of scripture), the
"partial" is not here at the same time as the "perfect." First the
partial, then later (face-to-face) the perfect comes. Which means;
according to cessationist teaching, that the partial tongues,
knowledge, and prophecies will be gone by the time the complete
(perfect) Holy Bible comes into existence. However, if just one person,
anywhere on the planet, at any time, had a prophetic prayer or dream,
while the perfect Holy Bible is here, then the cessationist position is
destroyed (But, as seen above there are variations of the cessationist
argument as to when the prophetic gifts supposedly ceased.
Some
cessationists believe that the spiritual gifts ceased, not when the
perfect/complete canon of scripture was organized, but as early as A.D.
70, when the Jewish temple was destroyed--in that case any
tongues-speaking after 70 A.D. proves the cessationist argument to be
incorrect).
A key point in the cessationist argument is that
the people of Paul's day only knew in part. However, they knew about as
much as anyone does today. Paul preached at Ephesus for about 3 years.
If someone listened to Paul preach for 3 years, then he knew enough
that he would not have to wait for a Bible to be created so that he
could see how wicked he is compared to the Holy God--even the Old.
Test. teaches that truth. Below are written some verse that show the
people of Paul's day knew a lot. They knew how to be born again (which
includes realizing how sinful they are in a Holy God's sight). They
knew enough to be blameless at the Lord's return (if you and I can be
so fortunate!) And they were complimented by Paul's word's that they
even have the mind of Christ!
"Seeing you have purified your
souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit... Being born again, not
of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God" 1 Peter
1: 22-23
"Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 1: 8
"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Cor. 2: 16
Copyright 2006 - 2007. Peter Kwiatkowski. Creative commons licensed