From: Terry M. Gray (grayt@lamar.colostate.edu)
Date: Thu Feb 20 2003 - 11:56:22 EST
The most convincing argument for me for the cessation of new word
revelation is that put forth by Richard Gaffin in his Perspectives on
Pentecost in the chapter on The Question of Cessation. This has been
recently articulated in one of the Three (or Four) Views books
published by Zondervan.
It is not a proof-text based argument, but rather a
redemptive-historical one that recognizes the uniqueness of the
Christ event and the uniqueness of the apostolic witness to the
Christ event and the foundational character of the early church
apostles and prophets. The closest thing to a prooftext is in
Ephesians 2 where Paul refers to the church being built on the
foundations of the apostles and prophets. Thus, Acts and the early
epistles are not normative in this regard--they are foundational and
not to be repeated events much in the same way that Christ's death on
the cross and resurrection is a foundational and not to be repeated
event. There is indication that even by the time of the Timothy
epistles, Jude, and 2 Peter of an appeal to the authority of the
apostolic tradition (scripture) rather than to immediate revelations
of the Spirit.
I think that Don is mistaken when he says that all Christians accept
"that Jesus' revelation was the culmination". It's mostly by way of
lip service. TheJudeo-Christian message is primarily about what Jesus
did in history to accomplish our salvation--it's not primarily about
some subjective religious experience or knowledge. Much of
Christendom is concerned about this subjective religious experience
with little concern about what God actually accomplished in Christ
2000 years ago.
The Jesus told me (apart from the Word) piety of much of modern
evangelicalism is equally suspect. That which unites traditional
Roman Catholic theology/piety, Pentecostal and charismatic theology,
and many non-Christian religions is religious experience. The
emphasis on the objective, historical facts of the doing and dying
and rising again of Jesus Christ distinguishes Biblical Christianity
from all these things.
Now, having fired my theological blast, I do want to remind us again
of the purposes of this group. As a group we're not interested in
general issues of theology (such as this one), or general issues in
politics or social concerns, but the intersection of Christian faith
(as outlined in the ASA statement of faith) and scientific concerns.
TG
-- _________________ Terry M. Gray, Ph.D., Computer Support Scientist Chemistry Department, Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 grayt@lamar.colostate.edu http://www.chm.colostate.edu/~grayt/ phone: 970-491-7003 fax: 970-491-1801
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