Sola Scriptura and Therefore Charismatic

03-02-20

Tune in for this brand new broadcast, specially recorded while Dr. Brown is away, ministering in Australia. Listen live here 3-4 pm EST, and call into the show at [phone] with your questions and comments.

[FRN]

Cessationists don't interpret their experiences by the Word. They interpret the Word by their experiences.
They looked around and didn't see any miracles, so they decided that God doesn't do that anymore.
Then they said, “I guess I need to find a verse that backs up my ideology.”
And they found 1 Corinthians 13:8-11, where it says miraculous gifts “will be done away” and “will cease.”
OK, they will cease, but when?
The answer is in verse 12!


"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."


Have you seen Jesus face to face? Do you have all knowledge about him?
If not, then miraculous gifts haven't ceased.
Miraculous gifts that we experience now are only “in part” (verses 9 and 10). For example, a “word of knowledge” is very helpful, but we still don’t know very much. A healing is a great blessing, but we’re still mortal.
But when we see Jesus, the partial shall be done away, and we shall possess the “perfect” (sometimes translated as “complete”).

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. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:8-12)

[kamogelothatomonareng]

Another question that needs to be asked to cessationist is this: has demon possession ceased as well?
If it has ceased, on what grounds do they conclude on such?
If it has not ceased, how are we, from a scriptural perspective, to minister to those we encounter who are demon possessed?

[kamogelothatomonareng]

Another argument from cessationist (which Dr Brown clearly addresses in this video), is the issue that the prophetic implies equal authority with scripture, and thus believing that the prophetic is still in operation is to believe that special Revelation is an ongoing thing, meaning the Canon of scripture can still be extended.
Without going into much detail on the matter (especially where the Canon is involved), I think this blunder is caused by ignoring the broader purpose of the prophetic ministry in the New Testament.
Philip had daughters who prophesied, but clearly not on a dimension of inscripturation.
Paul, wrote to the church of Corinth, laying out factors that relate to the prophetic, and how they should desire this gift. The Corinthians never wrote scripture, nor is their mention of their prophetic utterance being recorded as special Revelation that levels with the inspired Canon, yet, from Paul's letter, it is clear that the gift was operational within their church setting. It was not an exclusive gift reserved for those who were to engage (either directly or indirectly) in the writing/production of scripture. But his words to them prove that prophecy was a common and widespread phenomenon among them, which was more accessible to the multitudes and easily at their disposal above the other gifts (for he says that they should desire spiritual gifts, ESPECIALLY THAT OF PROPHECY). By this, we can establish that to reduce the prophetic ministry to special Revelation that equals inspired scripture in authority (and insinuating an open Canon) is unfounded in the Bible.
Paul is clear: the purpose of prophecy is for EDIFICATION, EXHORTATION, and COMFORT.

[danielgaskell]

Willing ignorance on your part....Paul explicitly says where these things are they will cease BUT they do appear again during the tribulation. By 40 some years after the apostles ministered tongues was becoming rarer. It seems the charismatic movement is doing believers a disservice by encouraging them to seek revelation outside the now complete revelation which is Gods’ Word.

[Anonymous]

Your testimony sounds similar to mine as I have also bounced from charismatic to Calvinist to Pentecostal. I realized that it takes way too much working around scripture to be a cessarionist. One cessationist church I went to practiced infant baptism based on a single scripture snippet: “you shall be saved, you and your whole household.” To me that was a stretch that basically said “we don’t have to wait for this baby to grow up and demonstrate faith in Jesus. He is already saved and now we can baptize him. “ To me, that was a more egregious false doctrine than the what the they claimed the Pentecostal congregation down the street was preaching.

[tellmewhatyourlookingfor]

It's all right there!
Look at Samaria when Phillip was called away.
I just cannot deny what God has said.
Thankyou Dr Brown.

[maurdib]

Finally someone speaks the truth, Nothing has expired nor passed away yet, they were all new covenant gifts

[randallmcleod]

John 14;12-14 - HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL DO EVERYTHING i HAVE DONE AND EVEN MORE (oops all caps accidental)

[cmstube]

Very good DR. Brown ! You shut the door on cessatioinism in many places but I particularly liked your going through 1 Thes. 5 and asking of the many things Paul wrote .... "Is this just for the first Century ?" .... Excellent !

[Visonista]

Are you sure that Jesus performed miracles 'as the Son of God' as you put it. Was not all that He did through the power of the Holy Spirit upon Him and within Him? Did He not lay down His own divine power as an example to demonstrate that if yielded to God and if operating in faith, one can do the things He did? Was not the sole manifestation of His deity (in respect of power) the fact that He walked obediently from birth to death?

[iamsteve]

I am, by no means, a Calvinist.


However, I understand where they are coming from because there are many scriptures that seem to support "TULIP" when taken out of context.


Conversely, when it comes to Cessationism there is NOTHING in Scripture that would lead someone to believe that the Gifts have ceased.

[donaugustine]

Based on my experience and the WORD. The gifts still remain. AS GOD SEES FIT!! I see a big misunderstanding in the gift of tongues. Huge misunderstanding! Even Dr. Brown doesn’t get it but going off his own misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the “sign” gift of tongues. And I also see a big fleshy desire to SHOW signs and miracles. Lots of fake and made up signs and miracle stories. And that’s what is hurting and dividing the church the most.

[changemymind]

How could we be sola scriptura if most of what we believe and practice was derived from centuries of man made traditions. You can just walk into 99% of Catholic and Protestant churches today and experience practices and teachings that aren’t even in the scriptures but we accept as biblical truths because that’s what we grew up to.

[robertcain]

The new age church and the 'Pleading the blood of Jesus' etc.
I hear this phrase from certain segments of the church it breaks my heart because this phrase has taken on a false meaning other than it started out. This phrase was originally meant; that through faith we accept the sacrifice of the blood of the Lamb for our salvation and REST in it; in this truth we rest.
'Pleading the blood of Jesus' the way they do in some churches today is akin to mantras. It is not a mantra. And devil already knows about the blood of the Lamb that was the one sacrifice for all time and must run from you who have the Spirit and who are residing in it by faith. It's we who do not know and trust in Jesus' finished work and rest in it. This new age church has gone off the straight and narrow path of truth and ventured into great error. Where are your true teachers and true Shepards? They are busy making a name for themselves. Whereas the apostle Paul ssid, 'I must decrease, that Christ may increase in you.' He meant, that the emphasis must be on Christ and not on Paul himself. In one name only are we saved. Stop making a name for yourselves and your particular church's with catchy names and doctrines to tickle the ears of the listener in order to increase your number of followers.

[kevindarby]

Dr.Brown you are on the money always, Thanks.

[FRN]

Dr Brown wisely uses the phrase _Sola Scriptura_ because some of his loudest his critics use it.
It's interesting that the folks who use that Latin phrase the most often are the ones who rely more on Augustine and Calvin that they do on the Scriptures.
Latin? Augustine? Calvinists are kinda like Catholics, who revere Latin and Augustine just as much as they do.

[deloresm]

I would absolutely love to see you and John McCarther debate this issue because if I am torn, others probably are as well.

[RoseThistleArtworks]

Wow! (WOW= Word Of Wisdom) I thoroughly enjoyed this hearty, beefy meal from God's Word. Thank you, Dr. Brown! Your understanding of the original languages is so valuable, too. Thank you for sharing the original language words. You mentioned the word 'Ha', but did not show how we can find that and what that means. I would like to see you teach non-original language speakers how to use the concordance to learn the original language words, their definitions, how to find that word used throughout Scripture, no matter how it was translated into English, and how to search for phrases like you did. That way people can check out the truth of what you said, as well as what anyone says is written, for themselves. This is one reason I use the KJV because there are so many study tools keyed to it to be able to study God's Word more in depth, such as Strong's Concordance and Smith's Bible Dictionary.

The message from God that you conveyed of being a vessel for *His* promised works in this world reminds me of a wife who is a vessel for the life her husband creates inside her. The long term commitment to stay together in that work of love even though there may be learning and growing and need for forgivenss due to mistakes made on the way. In this way, even men are the betrothed to Christ, being vessels for God's will on earth, repenting when falling short and being made new through His great love and grace through our Advocate, Jesus Christ. The etymology of the word 'betrothed' is Be Truthed.

God is love and it is love that draws people to Jesus Christ, also known as God's Word. Love first brings consent for God to work His will through us. And *then* intellect strengthens and disciplines that love of His Word to be fruitful. 1 John 4:8 KJV He that loveth not knoweth not God; for *God is love.* John 6:44 KJV No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.


I think the message of "an evil … generation seeketh a sign" means people seeking signs in order to believe God is love, rather than having signs of God's will being worked through them on earth *because* of their trust that He is love and *because* of 'good faith' (which is a legal contractual term used to this day because no one knows how they or others will keep their promise of future commitment, except that God keeps His promises) that God keeps His promises, which requires knowing what His promises are, which are found written in His Word. Matthew 12:39 KJV, Matthew 16:4 KJV. John 6:29 KJV Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The ultimate Prophet - Mark 13:23 KJV But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

[michaeljamesreed]

Amen, brother. Awesome teaching of the Word. God bless you and your ministry always.

The greatest argument I hear from unbelievers about the gifts is why don’t you go clear out a hospital? Not understanding that there are many barriers to healing and the operating in the gifts with both the Christian minister and the one being healed. Peter’s shadow healed many because they had the faith in Jesus Christ for it to do so. Just like the woman who touched the hem of the Savior’s garment. Her faith healed her. Unbelief is certainly a barrier to the supernatural healing of many. Anyway, again, awesome teaching Dr. Brown. Love your work.

[TheTheologizingSubject]

Books on early church spiritual gifts?? ♥️