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Montanist heresy. Now the tumult has re-emerged in the twentieth
century in the form of Pentecostalism, Neopentecostalism, and
movements variously labelled as "Charismatic," "Vineyard," "Signs and
Wonders," and "Third Wave."
The gift of tongues (cf. Acts 2:1-13; 1 Cor 14:2 ff.) has drawn a
disproportionate amount of this debate until about the last fifteen
years. Most recently, however, several books have dealt with the gift
of prophecy. Since the nature and purpose of this gift had not been
closely defined by either side of the controversy, this gift has provided
a fertile topic as a new phase in the discussion of temporary and
permanent spiritual gifts. Fundamental questions about the nature of
this gift now threaten to become, if they have not done so already, a
major storm center in NT theology and church worship. Recent works
have challenged long-held views of what NT prophecy is. Among
noncharismatics it has been relatively standard to regard the gift as
foundational for the church and temporary in nature.
2
Charismatics
who may be loosely labelled "noncessationists"`i.e., they deny that any
of the spiritual gifts ceased after the first century`generally see
prophecy as presently active as it was during the first seventy years
2
Exemplifying standard noncharismatics, Ryrie writes, "The gift of prophecy
included receiving a message directly from God through special revelation, being
guided in declaring it to people, and having it authenticated in some way by God
Himself. The content of that message may have included telling the future (which
was what we normally think of as prophesying), but it also included revelation from
God concerning the present. This too was a gift limited in its need and use, for it was
needed during the writing of the New Testament and its usefulness ceased when the
books were completed. God's message then was contained in written form, and no
new revelation was given in addition to the written record" (Charles C. Ryrie,
The
Holy Spirit
[Chicago: Moody, 1965] 86). Other prominent dispensational
noncharismatic works are John F. Walvoord,
The Holy Spirit at Work Today
(Chicago:
Moody, 1965); Robert G. Gromacki,
The Modern Tongues Movement
(Philadelphia:
Presbyterian and Reformed, 1967); Robert L. Thomas,
Understanding Spiritual Gifts
(Chicago: Moody, 1978); Merrill F. Unger,
The Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit
(Chicago: Moody, 1974); John F. MacArthur, Jr.,
The Charismatics
(Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1978); Charles R. Smith,
Tongues in Biblical Perspective
(Winona Lake, IN:
are B. B. Warfield,
Counterfeit Miracles
(Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1918); Anthony
Hoekema,
What about Tongues-Speaking?
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1966); J. I.
Packer,
God Has Spoken
(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1958).