“Don’t Elevate Doctrine above the Holy Spirit.”
Driscoll vs. Calvin, Doctrine vs. the Spirit “He proposes that ‘cessationism…[is ] a clever way of saying, we don’t need him [the Holy Spirit ] like we used to.’ One of the repercussions of cessationism, he says, is that ‘Christianity goes from a relationship we enjoy to a belief system we adhere to.’”
- 1 view
This man trips over the most elementary theological concepts. His broad and often uncritical acceptance, in fact his celebration, explains much of the biblical/theological igronce among many Evangelicals which has in view its leaders as well. There was a day and age when utterings like this would have been widely understood to be those of a novice, dare I say someone unfit even to teach a Sunday school class.
We are absolutely dependent upon the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. He guided the authors of Scripture to provide us an infallible document. He takes the ministry of the Word and convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgment, working to draw them to put their trust in the Savior. After we are saved, we are dependent upon Him for daily guidance, gleaning wisdom from the Word, and being enabled to serve our risen Savior. God is the One Who works in us (energizes us) both to do and to will of His good pleasure, and God the Spirit is instrumental in this ministry.
As a dispensational Baptist, I know my life and ministry could not survive without the ministry of the indwelling Spirit. I liken this ministry to “an internal guidance system.”
Having written these few brief words, we must confess that we do not give enough attention to the Spirit’s vital ministry.
As a dispensational Baptist, I know my life and ministry could not survive without the ministry of the indwelling Spirit. I liken this ministry to “an internal guidance system.”
Having written these few brief words, we must confess that we do not give enough attention to the Spirit’s vital ministry.
Dick Dayton
A man I admire is known to say, “One meeting with the Holy Spirit will mess up a lot of good doctrine.” That’s turned out to be so true in my life (as a former cessationist.) The believer who thinks he has figured out God is going to spend eternity being surprised by His Lord. (as will we all.)
I didn’t know that this Jackson Hole pastor blogged.
Thanks for the link.
Thanks for the link.
“you have your doctrine, but I have my experience…”
And as a friend of mine relates—the next line flows something like: “and my experience trumps your doctrine.”
In my meager time as a Christian, too often the promulgators of this woozy type of religious empiricism speak not parallel to, not in congruity with, but in some sort of remonstrance to biblical doctrine. And I do not mean they demur on some secondary doctrines, but often on those capital Christian themes. And they do so without batting an eyelid as to the grievousness of their defiance of the Holy Spirit.
Cessation is and has been argued poorly, to be sure. God’s voice has not ceased to be noised—we can grasp it in our hands and fill our minds with it essentially at will. But, clearly with his “pornographic divinations” (HT to Phil Johnson) MD is unlikely to be a trustworthy voice to inform the body of Christ on this topic—at least for the time being.
And as a friend of mine relates—the next line flows something like: “and my experience trumps your doctrine.”
In my meager time as a Christian, too often the promulgators of this woozy type of religious empiricism speak not parallel to, not in congruity with, but in some sort of remonstrance to biblical doctrine. And I do not mean they demur on some secondary doctrines, but often on those capital Christian themes. And they do so without batting an eyelid as to the grievousness of their defiance of the Holy Spirit.
Cessation is and has been argued poorly, to be sure. God’s voice has not ceased to be noised—we can grasp it in our hands and fill our minds with it essentially at will. But, clearly with his “pornographic divinations” (HT to Phil Johnson) MD is unlikely to be a trustworthy voice to inform the body of Christ on this topic—at least for the time being.
SamH
Phil Johnson touched on this, again, over at pyromaniacs this week.
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-is-written.html
The core issue for continuationists is, and always has been, the sufficiency of scripture. Any belief system that has God communicating truth today, in any way, outside of scripture has denied the doctrine of sufficiency of scripture.
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-is-written.html
The core issue for continuationists is, and always has been, the sufficiency of scripture. Any belief system that has God communicating truth today, in any way, outside of scripture has denied the doctrine of sufficiency of scripture.
Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?
is illuminate the Word for us. If one experience with the Spirit causes one to deny the word in any part, or to contradict the word, or especially to glorify oneself when one should glorify God, that is NOT the Holy Spirit. I’ve yet to see how many of the things that Driscoll says Glorify anyone but himself
“Cessation is and has been argued poorly, to be sure. God’s voice has not ceased to be noised—we can grasp it in our hands and fill our minds with it essentially at will. But, clearly with his “pornographic divinations” (HT to Phil Johnson) MD is unlikely to be a trustworthy voice to inform the body of Christ on this topic—at least for the time being”
Cessationism will always be argued poorly because it’s Biblical roots are flimsy to say the least.
Richard Pajak
[Chip Van Emmerik] Phil Johnson touched on this, again, over at pyromaniacs this week.
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-is-written.html
The core issue for continuationists is, and always has been, the sufficiency of scripture. Any belief system that has God communicating truth today, in any way, outside of scripture has denied the doctrine of sufficiency of scripture.
The Early Church was able to live with the Spirit speaking to them outside of Scripture through prohetic utterances.
There is nothing in Scripture to say this now no longer the case.
I am therefore bound by Scripture to acknowledge that the Spirit will speak as He wills and not as men say he must.
Richard Pajak
[Richard Pajak][Chip Van Emmerik] Phil Johnson touched on this, again, over at pyromaniacs this week.
http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-is-written.html
The core issue for continuationists is, and always has been, the sufficiency of scripture. Any belief system that has God communicating truth today, in any way, outside of scripture has denied the doctrine of sufficiency of scripture.
The Early Church was able to live with the Spirit speaking to them outside of Scripture through prohetic utterances.
There is nothing in Scripture to say this now no longer the case.
I am therefore bound by Scripture to acknowledge that the Spirit will speak as He wills and not as men say he must.
Bold added - this is the core disagreement.
Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?
Discussion