Cessationist? Continuationist? Complicated.
One way disagreements go wrong is when they fixate on a binary. The parties get so focused on a singular question and the two categories it creates, they fail to recognize the complexity of the broader issue and miss much of what actually matters. This is how I feel about the charismatic/cessationist debate in Christianity. For those unfamiliar, the debate is around the expression of certain obviously supernatural gifts and workings of God in the modern church. Are there modern prophets and apostles? Is there ongoing, authoritative revelation from God? Should tongues-speaking be a part of our regular experience in worship? I've spent time in churches all across this spectrum. I've had people pray in tongues over me and others insist that must have been a demon. I often get asked about it as a pastor, and I try to give helpful counsel. But I don't like the parameters I'm usually asked to operate within. Even defining the terms of the debate is messy. There are absolute c...
