7 Forms of Functional Cessationism

By cessationism, I am referring to the belief or practice that an ascension ministry gift and manifestation of the Holy Spirit has ceased to operate in the present church age (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11).

The Charismatic and Pentecostal world supposedly believes in all the gifts of the Spirit, as well as hearing the voice of God. Various terms are used to describe similar experiences, including “revelation” and “illumination.” On the other hand, there are evangelical rationalists who, both functionally and theologically, are cessationists.

Consequently, whether you are Pentecostal, Charismatic, or a non-Charismatic evangelical, you can be a functional cessationist if you neither believe in , practice nor experience divine spiritual phenomena.

By evangelical rationalist, I mean a person who believes the cardinal truths of Scripture but denies the contemporary operation of certain manifestations of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4–11).

In a sense, they have “demystified” Scripture by employing an Enlightenment framework in which biblical truth must pass through the grid of human reason and understanding.

Of course, true Christians cannot be consistent in an anti-supernatural worldview. To be saved, a person must believe in the historical, supernatural resurrection of Christ and experience the supernatural reality of the new birth (Romans 10:9–10). They must also believe the Gospel accounts of Jesus, who continually ministered through healing the sick, prophecy, and the expelling of demons—practices the Charismatic church seeks to emulate but cessationists deny continue today.

The following are seven traits of functional cessationism:

1. Cessationism Regarding Ephesians 4:11 Ministry Gifts

It does not matter whether you or your denomination identifies as Charismatic. If a person or church does not believe in or embrace the practical function of all five cluster gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11—apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher—they are practicing a form of ministry-gift cessationism.

2. Cessationism Regarding Hearing the Voice of God

If you do not believe God can subjectively speak to you outside the written Word of God, you are a cessationist in this area. Whether you describe the experience as “illumination,” “God impressing something upon my heart,” “revelation,” or “God speaking to me,” it describes the same basic phenomenon.

However, if you believe God no longer personally communicates because the canon of Scripture has been completed, you are a cessationist.

Evangelical rationalists sometimes interpret 1 Corinthians 13:10—“when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away”—as referring to the completion of the biblical canon. Thus, when someone claims, “God spoke to me,” they believe that person is adding to Scripture or the completed canon (Revelation 22:18–19).

However, a proper exegesis of 1 Corinthians 13 indicates that Paul was not referring to the completed canon but to the saints seeing Jesus “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2).

Furthermore, Paul said he would “know fully even as [he was] fully known.” Since Paul died before the book of Revelation was written, he could not have been referring to the completion of the canon. He was referring to the eschatological state.

The context also says that “knowledge will pass away”—not merely tongues and prophecy. Do evangelical rationalists really believe our present need for knowledge has ceased?

3. Cessationism Regarding the Gift of Prophecy

Doctrinally, Pentecostals and Charismatics claim to believe in prophecy. First Corinthians 14 teaches that prophecy edifies the church and that believers may prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:4, 29–31).

However, if a Charismatic church affirms prophecy doctrinally but never practices it, it can properly be described as functionally cessationist regarding prophecy, regardless of its Charismatic classification.

4. Cessationism Regarding the Practice of Glossolalia

I have been told by numerous Pentecostal leaders that many younger pastors and members of contemporary Pentecostal churches rarely practice speaking in tongues for personal edification (1 Corinthians 14:2–4).

Thus, despite retaining the “Pentecostal” classification, they are practicing a form of functional cessationism regarding glossolalia.

5. Cessationism Regarding Divine Healing

The Gospels and New Testament writings encourage believers to pray in faith for supernatural healing (Mark 16:15–17; Luke 10:1–9; John 14:12; James 5:13–15; see also the Acts narrative).

Despite this New Testament pattern, many Pentecostals and Charismatics rarely pray effectively for the sick. Consequently, whatever their stated theology, they function as cessationists regarding divine healing.

6. Cessationism Regarding the Expelling of Demons

Jesus made it clear that demons submit to believers operating under His authority (Luke 10:17–20; see also James 4:7). Yet many Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians are uncomfortable with casting demons out of people.

This practice, sometimes called “deliverance,” should not be viewed as the unique calling of one person or specialized church. It should be part of the spiritual arsenal of believers as the need arises. Setting captives free is integral to the Gospel mission (Luke 4:18).

Those who never engage in the expelling of demons are functional cessationists in this area.

7. Cessationism Regarding Experiential Hermeneutics

I have been trained in the historical-grammatical method of biblical interpretation, which helps us discover an author’s original intent in the inspired canonical text.

However, if I do not allow the Holy Spirit to give further insight regarding the practical application and understanding of Scripture, I am practicing a form of hermeneutical cessationism.

After all, the Holy Spirit has come to guide us into truth (John 14:26) and is our primary teacher (1 John 2:27).

For further study, I recommend Dr. Craig Keener’s Spirit Hermeneutics and the book I wrote “My Hermeneutic”

Conclusion

My objective in writing this article is to encourage all believers—irrespective of their denominational or theological classification—to allow the fullness of the Holy Spirit to flow through their lives and through the church so that we can be effective witnesses of Christ (Acts 1:8–9).