Nailing the Coffin Shut on Revelatory Gifts: The Sufficiency of Scripture (Part2 con't)

 The prominent Southern Baptist continuationist scholar says in his SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine says," We can define the sufficiency of Scripture as follows:

The Sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained in all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly.

This definition emphasizes that it is the Scripture alone that we are to search for Gods words to us. It also reminds us that God considers what he has told us in the Bible to be enough for us, and that we should rejoice in the great revelation that he has given us and be content with it [italics mine]." 

If Grudem's definition represents the Biblical doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture, then why do we need the revelatory gifts of tongues, knowledge and prophecy? Doesn't it make senses that the "perfection" that Paul refers to when he explains why the revelatory gifts "pass away" is all sufficient Word of God?   

It is clear the New Testament writers and Christians living in the apostolic age anticipated that the completed New Testament Canon was the complete finished revelation of God. The New Testament doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture belies any claim the modern Pentecostal or Charismatic movement makes that the charismata are a continuation of Pentecost that we should desire or anticipate in any way. Paul said to Timothy:

[14] But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it [15] and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14–17ESV)

 Paul turned Timothy to the "sacred writings" to lead him to salvation, to give guidance on continuing in the faith and to equip him for ministry. Of course, scripture includes the Old Testament. Jesus spoke clearly of the authority of the Jewish Tannach, our Christian Old Testament. He said the time of prophetic authority was from the time of events recorded in Genesis through the death of the prophet Zechariah which encompasses the Old Testament period through the prophet Malachai (Lk11:51ESV) [27] "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."(Luke 24:27ESV)

It is clear by the time of the New Testament that the writings of Christ's first century followers are considered scripture. In his first letter to Timothy Paul quotes from the scripture, [18] "For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer deserves his wages.'” (1 Timothy 5:18ESV). His first reference, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain" is from Deuteronomy 25:4, and the second "the laborer deserves his wages" is from Matthew 10:10 and Luke 10:7. He is referring to Matthew and Luke as Scripture. Peter referred to Paul's letters as Scripture saying:

[15] And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, [16] as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures [italics mine]. [17] You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. (2 Peter 3:15–17ESV)

The New Testament writers claimed to be writing spiritual truth that God had revealed a to them as Jesus had promised in their own "spiritual words" and saying that the Spirits work through the scriptures so that we can know the "mind of Christ." (1Cor 2:6- 16). Scripture is the means through which God brings us to salvation (Rom 10:14-17; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:22 & 23). It is the scripture that guides us to live rightly (Psalm 119). The scripture changes our very nature so that our lives can conform to his will, and his promises be fulfilled in our lives:

[3] His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, [4] by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3–4ESV)

There is no doubt that after Christ ascended and the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost that there was a period of time where signs and wonders proliferated. How were they to be understood? Were they an additional word to what was being delivered through the apostolic writers and were those experiences to be continued in the life of the church beyond the first century? The book of Acts records that each occurrence of tongues served as a sign that the Spirit had reached a different people group in the same way as he had the Jews:

[5] Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. [6] And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. [7] And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? [8] And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? [9] Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, [11] both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” [12] And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” [13] But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” (ESV) 

At Pentecost Jews came to the temple from many nations and heard the apostles speaking in their languages. It was a reversal of the separation and confusion God had inflicted in Genesis 11 and a fulfilment of the New Covenant promise that the Spirit would come to all nations. (Acts 2:14 -21 cf Joel 2:28-32; Acts 15:12- 17 cf. Amos 9:11 &12). Jesus had commissioned his people to take the message of the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. The ethnic Jews frankly struggled with this, after all they were God's chosen people.  What was the significance of this Pentecost event beyond this day when Hellenistic Jews from around the empire had received the Spirit? At the end of Chapter 7 the church is in the midst of a persecution lead by the Rabbi Saul of Tarsus. Stephen is stoned to death as Saul approves. As a result of the persecution Jewish believers scatter, and gospel goes with them just as Jesus said from Jerusalem, it then went to Samaria.

Under the preaching of Phillip the Evangelist the first Samaritans confess Christ. The Samaritans had been a despised people group to the Jews and had established their own alternate worship. When Jesus converted a Samaritan woman in John Chapter 4 she asked Jesus whether Samaritans worship was the right way or Jewish worship was the right way. Jesus responded that true worship was in spirit and truth rather than liturgy and ritual (John 4: 19 -23). When the disciples heard that Samaritans had confessed Christ they came to verify that they had received him. When the disciples came "they received the Holy Spirit." (Luke 8:14-17). It is evident from the context that "the reception of the Holy Spirit" was accompanied by the same manifestation as the apostles had at Pentecost, tongues. 

The Pentecostal manifestations that had first came to Jerusalem then to Samaria,  then came to the Gentiles with the conversion of the Roman soldier Cornelius and his family. After Peter received a vision in which he was told to eat things forbidden by the Mosaic law (Act 10:9-16) the Spirit led him to preach the gospel to Cornelius, a Roman soldier and a Gentiles. After believing he had the Pentecostal experience, tongues, without conforming to the Law. (Act 10: 34-47). So the first, Jewish, believers, the first Samaritan believers, and the first gentile believers had a Pentecostal experience. They served as a sign to the church that the kingdom had come to all peoples from all nations in the same way:

Peter interpreted these events as signatories.[17] "If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way? [18] When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, 'Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.' " (Acts 11:17–18 ESV). This was significant because those assembled at Pentecost described as "devout men from every nation" was probably a reference to Jews who had been dispersed and had returned to Jerusalem for Pentecost (Act 2:5). Later at the first Jerusalem council Peter alludes to their being no distinction in requirements for salvation between Jew and Gentile, saying, "... by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, [9] and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:8–9ESV) Since each of the recorded incidences of charismata happened to significant people groups (Acts 1:8), and many subsequent conversions took place without the charismata, it is reasonable to understand these events as signatory rather than as establishing a normal and expected pattern.

So when Paul speaks of the passing away of the imperfect in reference to tongues and prophecy it is consistent with scripture to recognize that the perfect is "the revelation of the gospel." So, what is it that confirms the legitimacy of the gospel to the believer? What is the perfect that will come? Do we need prophecy, healing, miracles, or tongues to legitimize that God is directing us? Jesus said our sanctification would be empowered by the Word of God (John 17:17)? The Word of God gives us everything we need to know how to live a godly life (2 Timothy 3:16 & 17; 2 Peter 1: 6 & 7). Jesus himself confirmed the sufficiency of Scripture at the transfiguration (Math 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36). So why did these specific sign gifts wane?

Peter explained that the Word of God is sufficient to explain and guide us in life experience:

[16] For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” [18] we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. [19] And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, [20] knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. [21] For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:16–21ESV)

Peter explained that Jesus identified himself and authenticated his identity to the disciples at the transfiguration (Matt 17:1-11;Luke 9:28-36). Where Peter, James and John accompanied Jesus to a mountain top where he was transfigured into a glorified state. Present also were Moses and Elijah (the two respective representatives of the Law, and the Prophets) representing the Old Covenant. The Spirit descended as a dove and the Father spoke telling the disciples to listen to Jesus. So while the messianic authority of Christ was confirmed in the presence of the father, Son and Spirit, and the representative of the Old Testament Peter calls on us to rely on the Word of God. The prophetic word is a "more fully confirmed" revelation" to us then even the transfigured Trinity. So it is clear what Paul refers to when he speaks of the perfect coming in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. He is speaking of all sufficient scripture.

The reason tongues, prophecy and knowledge are no longer with us in their first century form is that they are no longer needed. The revelatory gifts have passed away because God speaks, clearly, directly and sufficiently through his word. if one argues for continuationism, as Dr Grudem does later in his theology, then one must either explain why the sign gifts are necessary or deny the sufficiency of Scripture? Grudem can do neither, continuationism is errant teaching.