Tim White I, too, am one.

Joseph Ford I’m one as well.

Steve Ray Webb I’m a moderately strong rather than strong cessationist so I am probably not the best choice.

Shea Houdmann Stuart, Tim, and Joseph, are any of you particularly interested in writing the response? I just don’t have the time.

Tim White I would be glad to. If you will send me the specifics of the questions.

Michael Karpf I just wrote a long response to this, hit the wrong button, and lost it. I can try again later, but I am a strong cessationist. The tongues I see today, don’t line up with what the Bible gift of tongues is

Robbie Holmes love a copy of that Michael, or your response Tim, please

Ed Chait I’m a practical cessationist.

Michael Karpf On point 2, Terms, the writer stated, “The term sign gifts is never used as a separate category pertaining to gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Sign gifts in never used as a separate category, true, however in 1 Cor. 14:20-22, Paul makes very clear the purpo…See More

Tim White Can’t get electricity or phone signal

Vincent Trigili Tim White – sending you a PM. Reply when you are back from visiting the Amish Snake Handlers … smile emoticon

Jed Kramer Michael Karpf, thanks for sharing your experiences and your pursuit of truth. I have attended a very wide array of churches … several were charismatic, several were very traditional, and many were somewhere in between. A lot of what you stated resonated with me. Yet, getting slightly off-topic here, the biggest problem I saw was when a church stressed that they had grasped the “real truth” of God’s word whereas other churches had not. I would say that the problem wasn’t restricted to charismatic churches. From my experience, the problem was pretty evenly distributed. Back on topic, my 15 year old daughter came home from a worship concert with the youth group last weekend with enthusiasm for worshiping God and a keen interest in speaking in tongues. The concert was not ‘charismatic’, but I guess 1 person belted out in tongues (with no interpretation) near the end of the concert. It was late when she got home, so I said we’d talk about it later. In all honesty, I think I will just give her a bunch of Bible passages to read, then ask her what she thinks. I’m leaning toward giving her enough space to make her own judgement on the matter. After all, it isn’t a salvation issue. I’m a bit jaded by a lot of ‘faking’ of tongues and healings. I don’t want my 15yr old daughter to begin her exploration of life by the Spirit from a jaded perspective. But, I am not a cessationist either. I’m of the mind that God does whatever will reach people best. In a modern-civilized area & era, God mostly uses doctors who he has gifted to assist with healing. In developing nations, I would expect to see more supernatural healing at work. I don’t want my daughter to put the work of the Holy Spirit in too much of a box that justifies limited faith in what he is willing and able to do. Any reason(s) why I should not give her the space to seek the Word and the Holy Spirit for herself on this issue?

Michael Karpf Good point. Your daughter does need to seek God’s word and settle this before God and not anyone else. And we need to be convinced of what we believe as well. I don’t rule out the fact that God could give those gifts if He chooses to, but with His completed revelation in the Bible, I don’t see the same need as the early church did

Cliff Teeyoon Lim I am with Jed. I have attended different church including independent one who called themselves “evangelical pentecostals” where I have seen faking of tongues and distortion of the word to support their beliefs. I would like to be a cessationist but I am till today not convicted by the word of God that these gifts have ceased. We cannot make a judgement based on experience or even logic but only on the word of God.

Cliff Teeyoon Lim A modern day version of Pentecost can be: an English speaking only American tour group visiting some remote third world country where no one speaks english and suddenly some locals burst out in perfect english, praising God that Jesus has come to save us from our sin. I have yet to to see this happen but then who am I to restrict God?