Musings from Milbank's (in)famous essay, "Alternative Protestantism."
Premise: The gift of Christ is the gift of the Spirit to the Church (38). It is a gift that is beyond law. It is a divine indwelling power.
Premise 2: What about the Spirit as donum is withdrawn from the church? In other words, do we have the full Spirit/donum today? You have to answer yes. Should we then expect the full donum? Certainly, why not? Ergo, cessationism is false.
If aspects of the Spirit-donum have been withdrawn, we need evidence that it has. Was Jesus crossing his fingers when he promised us his donum?
Premise: The gift of Christ is the gift of the Spirit to the Church (38). It is a gift that is beyond law. It is a divine indwelling power.
Premise 2: What about the Spirit as donum is withdrawn from the church? In other words, do we have the full Spirit/donum today? You have to answer yes. Should we then expect the full donum? Certainly, why not? Ergo, cessationism is false.
If aspects of the Spirit-donum have been withdrawn, we need evidence that it has. Was Jesus crossing his fingers when he promised us his donum?
Have you turned comment moderation on?
ReplyDeleteObviously, not. Looks like the comment got eaten.
ReplyDeleteI said, does this argument deal with the purposes of specific manifestations? The Spirit is God's gift to the Church, but one could argue specific demonstrations of the Spirit's power have specific purposes within the dispensation and might not be repeated.
I'm not a Cessationist any more, but I think their case is not easily dismissed.
That's possible, but the cessationist needs to show where Jesus took back part of his gift, and explain away all evidence to the contrary.
DeleteBut would it actually be taking back the gift if new instances of certain manifestations did not occur?
DeleteThe gift of the Holy Spirit does not result in all members of the Church speaking in tongues, so I don't see that it would be problematic or a withdrawal of the Holy Spirit for their to be no further instances of that gift given.
***But would it actually be taking back the gift if new instances of certain manifestations did not occur?***
ReplyDeleteI would first ask why they are not occurring. I would then question whether this absence is universal--and here the hard-line cessationist thesis comes into problems.
***The gift of the Holy Spirit does not result in all members of the Church speaking in tongues,***
True.
***so I don't see that it would be problematic or a withdrawal of the Holy Spirit for their to be no further instances of that gift give***
That doesn't follow. Not everyone originally manifested tongues. The tongue-speakers were part of the larger whole, for the building up of the body of Christ. Taking away the gift entirely prevents that one group from building up the body of Christ.