Calvin wasn't a Cessationist in the sense usually meant by cessationism.
Here's something which has seldom been argued: sign-gifts were never the source of doctrine in the Church. I'll explain:
God revealed His will through the holy apostles and prophets, and through our Lord Himself, and through the Scripture-writers.
But the simple gifts of prophecy, tongues, interpretation, healings etc were never the source of doctrine even in the early churches.
Rather, prophecies had to be judged - judged against the already-established doctrine of the Apostles.
The Apostles' doctrine was laid by eyewitnesses of our Lord's ministry.
These men also confirmed Paul's doctrine and ministry.
Sign-gifts followed and confirmed the Apostles' including Paul's and other apostles' doctrine - sign-gifts did not precede the establishment of doctrine by the Apostles.
Sign-gifts were not the source of it.
The Lord Himself and His Words and ministry was the chief cornerstone - built on the foundation of the Scriptural Prophets - and propagated by the Apostles who were eye-witnesses and by others named as apostles such as Paul who wrote canon, and Barnabas who did not.
New Testament doctrine was not sourced in sign-gifts. Sign-gifts followed the preached word.
Signs point to something. Confirm existing reality. The pre-existing reality was New Covenant doctrine. Signs only confirmed it.
So although God no longer reveals new doctrine - there are no apostles today in the same category as the Twelve (although there still are "sent-ones" today though in a different category to the Twelve, as there also were in New Testament times) - the place and purpose of sign-gifts can remain unchanged.
Sign-gifts can therefore still follow and confirm the preached Word today.
Not to relay the foundation - for that was laid by the prophets, the Lord and the Twelve apostles (eyewitnesses) and Scripture-writing apostles.
But to follow and confirm. And to heal. There are still sick in need of healing today!
These are covenant promises which continue.
Here's something which has seldom been argued: sign-gifts were never the source of doctrine in the Church. I'll explain:
God revealed His will through the holy apostles and prophets, and through our Lord Himself, and through the Scripture-writers.
But the simple gifts of prophecy, tongues, interpretation, healings etc were never the source of doctrine even in the early churches.
Rather, prophecies had to be judged - judged against the already-established doctrine of the Apostles.
The Apostles' doctrine was laid by eyewitnesses of our Lord's ministry.
These men also confirmed Paul's doctrine and ministry.
Sign-gifts followed and confirmed the Apostles' including Paul's and other apostles' doctrine - sign-gifts did not precede the establishment of doctrine by the Apostles.
Sign-gifts were not the source of it.
The Lord Himself and His Words and ministry was the chief cornerstone - built on the foundation of the Scriptural Prophets - and propagated by the Apostles who were eye-witnesses and by others named as apostles such as Paul who wrote canon, and Barnabas who did not.
New Testament doctrine was not sourced in sign-gifts. Sign-gifts followed the preached word.
Signs point to something. Confirm existing reality. The pre-existing reality was New Covenant doctrine. Signs only confirmed it.
So although God no longer reveals new doctrine - there are no apostles today in the same category as the Twelve (although there still are "sent-ones" today though in a different category to the Twelve, as there also were in New Testament times) - the place and purpose of sign-gifts can remain unchanged.
Sign-gifts can therefore still follow and confirm the preached Word today.
Not to relay the foundation - for that was laid by the prophets, the Lord and the Twelve apostles (eyewitnesses) and Scripture-writing apostles.
But to follow and confirm. And to heal. There are still sick in need of healing today!
These are covenant promises which continue.
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