Spiritual Gifts and Cessation

IMO, considering the entire text of Cor 13, agape, which is the essence of the religion of Jesus Christ, is that which is perfect, which would be more fully realized with the completion of the word of God, both on the corporate and individual level.

Contrary to the perception that the secular world may hold of it, the Bible is not willy nilly chocked full of miracles and signs throughout, but these are generally confined to three periods of time; the time of Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Christ and the Apostles.

 

I agree with both of you. I believe, along the lines of what Scarlett said, that those who practice the "signs and wonders" gifts today do so in a self-seeking, self-glorifying manner. I believe the definitive in the 1 Corthinians 13:8-13 passage is the fact that "perfect" -- the Greek teleios -- is an adjective preceded by the Greek article for "the", indicating that it is no a person, but a thing or event, that puts an end to prophecy and knowledge, and I believe that was the closing of Scripture with the Revelation given to John around 96 A.D.

Paul uses a different word for the end of the gift of languages, thus indicating it will “cease” by itself, rather than being abolished by something, as it did at the end of the apostolic age. It will not end by the coming of the “perfect,” for it will already have ceased. The uniqueness of the gift of languages and its interpretations was, as all sign gifts, to authenticate the message and messages of the gospel before the NT was completed (Hebrews 2:3, 4). “Tongues” was also limited by being a judicial sign from God of Israel’s judgment (Isaiah 28:11, 12). Tongues was also not a sign to believers, but unbelievers, specifically the unbelieving Jews. Tongues also ceased because there was no need to verify the true messages from God once the Scripture was given. The Bible, not the sign gifts, became the standard by which messages all are to be verified.

 

I've attended two 'charismatic' services in my life. At the invitation at the church of God there was a man from the back of the building that bunny hopped while flapping his arms like wings and gobbling like a turkey that came forward. At the end of the service at the Pentecostal church the preacher 'uttered' a couple of garbled phrases (IMO, apparently rehearsed and thrown in for good measure) that I had no idea the meaning of.

No thank you. Thank you Lord for the home you led me to.

 

Prophecy is the revealing of God's Word. Since we are all able to prophesy, now that we have the more sure Word of prophecy, we are all to covet the best gift.

The Apostles were the last to have the Word that they Saw, (Seer is the original name for a prophet, because they would SEE the Word in a visión, trance, or dream) become canon.
Now we all prophesy, using the revealed written Word.

1Sa 9:9
9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer:for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer).

Joel 2:28
28 And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
your young men shall see visions.

Act 2:16-18
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

1Co 14:1-3
Chapter 14
1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God:for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
(KJV)

And many more Scriptures...If you really want the list of references, ill be glad to post them.