Graham Cole on the Cessationist/Continuationist Debate

The following is a brief excerpt from Graham Cole's book, He Who Gives Life:

"The cessationist arguments that canon closure is in view in 1 Corinthians 13:10 ("when the perfect comes") and that the Pastorals (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) show the eclipse of the charismata by the absence of reference to them do not persuade me. With regard to the former argument, the reference in 1 Corinthians 13:10 appears more likely to be a reference to the return of Christ, and additionally, 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 places the Corinthians and the exercise of their gifts in the framework of life between the cross and the second coming of Christ, and not that of the cross and canon closure. Moreover, I find it hard to imagine that the charismatic gift of faith (pistis en to pneumati, 1 Cor. 12:9) no longer remains among God's people. Since faith is a necessary condition for being a Christian, a special capacity for faith is in view (cf. Rom. 5:1 and Heb. 11:6) ..."


1 Cor. 12:7-10 - "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues."