"Rebuking in the gates:" Anglicostals, TBN, & Charismatics. Costals and their kinfolk aggressively pushed themselves forward with global marketeering; a pushback is long overdue.
Proverbs 12.1: “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”
A theological study about the nature of miracles and their cessation at inscripturation but the continuation of pseudo-miracles according to revealed religion from the fall of the first Adam till the second coming of the Second Adam.)
And now, for rebukes from F. Nigel Lee:
23. Kuyper Sr. (continued): miracles a disappearing redemptive phenomenon
Elaborating on the last point, Kuyper continued:54 "In the dramatically-moving spiritual atmosphere of the apostolic period, several phenomena occurred in the spiritual realm which exhibit a certain analogy to inspiration.... First, there were the demon-possessed, from whose lips words often came which (just as in the case of inspiration) was brought about by a power outside of themselves.... Second, there were the charismatic gifts, and particularly speaking in tongues.... Third, there were the Prophets of the New Testament (Acts 13:1-4 & 21:10-11 etc.), in whose actions and words a certain impulse of the Holy Spirit was undeniable...."However, with them, there can be no question of inspiration in the narrower sense.
For, as the final blossoming of a disappearing phenomenon, they attained only temporary and local significance -- without meaning for the Church Universal....
"Here we encounter temporary extraordinary phenomena, which only occurred in a
particular period of time and which did not accompany the entire revelation [from the time of Adam down to that of the last Apostle].... Scripture itself had repeatedly predicted that extraordinary phenomena would occur when Jesus came to Earth in the fullness of time [Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6f & 53:1f etc.].
"In the sphere of [the history of] revelation, great moments were always accompanied by signs.... No child can ever be born without woes and without causing disturbance in the family. So too -- by the very nature of the case -- when Jesus was born, this did not occur without previously-unknown woes and disturbances in the spiritual family. So too on the day of Pentecost -- when the Holy Spirit descended -- signs occurred [like the rushing mighty wind and the tongues of fire and speaking in previously-unacquired languages]...which clustered round this extraordinary act of God...."The reason why the demons thrust themselves into people with such anger -- in the days of Jesus -- is not to be found in the sinners, but rather in Jesus.... This was an attack by Satan-- against the world in which Jesus erects His Kingdom. It represents His triumph – because He repelled those attacks."
As regards the extraordinary gifts or charismata: "Human nature has a predisposition. This differs according to abilities.... The seeds of all this, reside in every man. But by far the greatest number [of seeds] do not develop. They differ in degree: in one, they are only very few; in another, they are more developed; finally, in the genius, it becomes unmeasurable...."With this, the general basis has been given upon which the charismata [or gifts from God] develop. They are not new matters brought into a man, but they represent the development of germs latent in human nature. The basis of this, then, is human nature as God created it -- according to the image of God. Nothing can be added to it. For there is no higher image, than the image of God.... But one man has some charismata, while another has others."
Kuyper went on to say55 that both God's ordinances and His miracles "are securely
connected -- in His eternal Counsel. He predestinated all ordinances of the physical and psychical life of the creature -- as well as all such deeds and operations which God has foreordained -- to be brought to pass in its own good time...."The representation that miracles are supposed to be unnatural or super-natural [in the
sense of being anti-natural], must be condemned. They only occur in different ways and according to different rules which, just like the normal ways and the normal rules, proceed from the same will and the same power of God Who expresses Himself in both.
"From this, it also follows that miracles never have creatures as secondary causes – but always proceed directly from the Primary Cause.... Even where Prophets or Apostles here act as instruments, it is notwithstanding that never they but God Himself performs the miracles...."On the other hand, it is quite different as regards the so-called signs and wonders which Pharoah's wise men performed; or which the man of sin performs. For those are manifestations only of powers which indeed lay hidden and contained in nature, but which had hitherto been concealed from others.
"By praying without ceasing; by thanking God in all things; by constantly seeking God's fellowship -- one comes to see God's presence even in the ordinary, rather than going to seek Him only in the extraordinary.... Those who are Reformed [viz. Presbyterian], have always maintained this.
"It is precisely here that they stand in principled opposition to Pietism [such as in
Methodism]. For the latter thrives on the exceptional. It is there [in the exceptional] that it [Pietism or Methodism] goes looking for muscle.... This is what makes Pietistic behavior aggressive. The quiet, normal life of piety -- leaves the Pietist cold.
"Nowadays...we find organizations for 'healing' through prayer. These people mean
well, but they concentrate their entire Christianity upon this.... Here is a case of people who have no eye for the presence of God's almighty power in the normal course of things.... In this way, an endeavour arises to increase the number of miracles -- an endeavour which one finds especially in the Romish Church.
"On this position, one comes to regard all miracles as something against or above
nature.... This viewpoint is irreligious, and in practice boils down to a denial of God....
Everyone who adopts this dualistic position of a dualistic cosmos alongside of and opposite God, is thereby saying that God indeed created the world like an architect who built a house; but that if you then take God away, the world still keeps on standing -- just like a house does when the architect has gone."
"The only view of nature reconcilable with faith in a living personal God, is the
Reformed: God maintains everything, from moment to moment. If that is the true view of nature -- then there can be no question of anything above nature, or against nature. For that which exists, is nothing else than the expression of God's pleasure for every given moment (cf. Revelation 4:11). Natural law is nothing other than the expression of God's pleasure in the relationship of things (cf. Psalm 119:89-91).... And whereas God is not inhibited by anything within or outside of Himself -- it follows that it is totally untenable to contend that His omnipotence is in any way limited by the laws of nature (cf. Romans 11:33-36)."
Already at Genesis 1:1, it needs to be asked whether that very remarkable and indeed unrepeatably-unique act of ex-nihilatory creation -- bore the mark of being precisely a miracle. Apparently not. For it did not redemptively recreate a fallen universe, or any part thereof. Nor did angel or man see it.
No comments:
Post a Comment