Over the years, I’ve heard quite a few people describe themselves as “practical cessationists”. I first heard the term when I was finishing theological college and going into pastoral ministry. It’s an interesting term and leaves you wondering what is meant by it.
Cessationists are those who hold to the view that the Gifts of the Spirit, specifically those regarded as more supernatural gifts were only given for a specific time. These include dispensationalists who believe that there have been different ages or dispensations, the one during the time of Christ and the Apostles was one when gifts like tongues, prophecy, healings and miracles were frequent but these all ceased with the coming of the church. Others don’t take a dispensationalist line but do believe that these gifts were given specifically to authenticate the ministry of the Apostles and to enable the revelation of Scripture. With Scripture completed, these revelatory and sign gifts are no longer needed.
I guess it would be possible to be a theoretical cessationist without being one in practice but I’m not quite how sure that would work. So, it seems that practical cessationists are those who may not theoretically hold to a cessationist position but the reality is that those gifts would not be practiced in their churches.
This then begs the question why. Possibilities include first that they believe that it is theoretically possible for these gifts to happen but consider it to be rare and so unlikely. If so, they are likely to come from a position of scepticism as to whether we are dealing with genuine manifestations. When I asked one person what it would look like in practice if tongues or prophecy happened in their church, they explained that they were likely to speak to the person afterwards to talk through why it probably wasn’t a good idea. This is very different from welcoming the utterance and asking for interpretation or discernment.
Now, the problem with this view is that if our concern is to avoid counterfeit gifts, then this is a problem that the New Testament anticipates. It provides means to deal with this danger and to cut to the chase, the answer is not to avoid the gifts altogether.
I think there is also another possible category of those who are happy with the existence of gfifts but fearful that the exercise of them might put inquirers off. We might describe them as pragmatic cessationists. Even still, there is at least a likelihood that you will see tongues used in private devotions are prophetic words shared one to one or in small groups, the issue is about what happens in a Sunday morning meeting.
So, this brings us back to those who are genuinely practical cessationists. There is another possibility about why they take this position and we need to consider that this may well be the real underlying reason. My gut instinct is that there are people who are not just practical cessationists, they are in fact theoretical ones too. However, for whatwver reasons, they are not confident in the arguments advanced for cessationism. Therefore, they cannot put forward a Biblical case against the gifts but are still not convinced that we should be using the gifts today.
To be honest, I don’t think this is a helpful approach at all. I also wonder if you are really being honest with yourself and the church if you take this approach. Personally I’m convinced that all the gifts including tongues, prophecy, healing, dreams, visions etc are available today but I understand that there are differences of opinion among believers about this. So, what I’d encourage people to do is to check out Scripture for themselves, do the hard work of studying and research, listen to the arguments on both sides and then make your mind up. If together as a local church, you conclude like me that the gifts are available, then surely you should be seeking and encouraging them in the life of your church, whether you think one gathering or another is the best place for them. If you, like some of my friends end up convinced that the gifts are no longer available then be open about it. Explain that you don’t see those things happen in your church and don’t encourage them because you don’t believe, from your understanding of Scripture that these gifts are meant to be used today.
And then, having a clear position for your church, your in a position to maintain unity and partnership with those of us who disagree on this secondary matter but agree on the essentials of the Gospel.
Faithroots 