Cessationist Churches and the Spirit

“I think a cessationist church is in danger of quenching the Spirit and becoming little more than an information delivery system.”

This comment was directed at us. We are cessationist.

That is, when 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “tongues, they shall cease”, we believe they have. So has the other partial powers given by the Spirit to the early church in 1 Corinthians 12.

As in the comment above this can be wrongly understood that the Spirit does not operate today. No, no, no!

It is not the Spirit that has ceased, it is those partial powers and lesser gifts that have ceased.

The operation of the Spirit which was once by tongues has been replaced by a different greater operation under grace (1 Cor 12:31). Today, the Spirit’s more excellent operation is in building the Body of Christ according to the word of God that works effectually in those that believe.

How the Holy Ghost Works
How to Grow as a Christian

To quench the Spirit is to prevent people from growing in the most important information that Christ delivered to our apostle Paul to deliver to us (Eph 3:1-2).

Tongues have ceased, but God’s greater grace continues. We are told to continue in what we have learned and to deliver it to others (1 Tim 2:4; 1 Tim 4:6; 2 Tim 3:14-15).

His grace continues,

Justin “sealed by the Spirit” Johnson