The Kingdom and the Power

Gary S. Greig and Kevin N. Springer, eds., The Kingdom and the Power: Are Healing and Spiritual Gifts Used by Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today? A Biblical Look at How to Bring the Gospel to the World with Power (Regal Books, 1993), 463 pages.

Thirty years ago, when I graduated from a prominent evangelical divinity school, I prayed long and hard for a book like Kingdom and the Power to answer the objections that my seminary professors had raised against my Pentecostal experience. My parting shot from the seminary was a tutorial research paper that eventually evolved into my doctoral dissertation and later, book, On the Cessation of the Charismata. The cessationist professor read only about half of the project, assigned it a “B” and refused to dialog about its arguments and exegesis. At the same time, a close friend and fellow student with normally high grades, who is now the New Testament Professor at Edinburgh, fared even worse: he received a “C” on his thesis, “Signs and Wonders in the New Testament.” There was little discussion on the ideas presented, aside from an assertion from one committee member to the effect that along with Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, Pentecostals should not have been allowed enroll at that school.

Times have changed since the 60s. The shrinking proportion of evangelicals who still maintain that spiritual gifts have ceased with the apostles are much more willing to dialog—if only because increasingly they now find themselves in a theological Alamo, where there are constant defections and increasing apathy on the part of the defenders. In the last decades, the debate over the gifts of the Spirit has become much more sophisticated exegetically and theologically. Many non-charismatic evangelicals today seem to be more willing to receive, or at least read, the new exegetically-grounded works of Pentecostals and charismatics.

The Kingdom and the Power is a work that represents a theology in transition from categories framed by traditional Protestant theology to ones more naturally expressed in scripture. Accordingly, Kingdom effectively avails itself of the breadth of scholarship from the last 60 years (see especially, pp. 24-28) as the numerous endnotes will attest, though without compromising the authority of its biblical grounding. The work presents itself as a polemic against critics of the Third Wave renewal generally, and cessationism in particular (p. 16). More significantly, the book’s extended scholarly argument represents a long step toward a comprehensive theology for the movement. Kingdom moves beyond its theological polemic, “Exegetical and Theological Studies,” in Part I, to Part II, to express its pastoral concern involving real-life application to ministry, and, in Part III, toward contributions from the disciplines of history, psychology, social anthropology and missiology. Seven appendices treat narrower issues dealing principally with cessationism.

After a Forward by C. Peter Wagner, the editors introduce the work by laying out its rationale and structure (pp. 18-20). The format of Kingdom and the Power rests loosely on presenting a disputable quotation or allegation from a critic of the charismatic movement, such as John MacArthur or D. A. Carson, followed by an extended response. Overall the book’s responses to the critics are at a markedly higher level in terms of scholarship and argumentation than that of the critics. We older Pentecostals are not used to the scales being tipped like that!

The writers and editors are also to be commended for their sensitivity to their audience by anticipating and astutely treating the standard evangelical objections on many points. They seem to know as well just how far to push it in one sitting—“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). The writers of Kingdom anticipated the criticism against them that charismatics supposedly minimize the doctrine of the atonement (the cross). Later, J. Niehaus countered this criticism by emphasizing the charismatic flavor of Isaiah 53—healing in the atonement (pp. 32-33). Elsewhere, in fending off critics who wish to emphasize the experience of suffering in the New Testament to play down its charismatic power, the editors stress the need to maintain one of the key tensions in New Testament theology: power in weakness (pp. 332-33).

Chapter 1 by Jeffrey Niehaus offers the “Old Testament Foundations” for the remainder of Part I. Niehaus shows the parallels between the miracles of Moses and the later prophets, particularly those in the Elijah/Elisha cycles with those of Jesus, “the greatest of all the prophets,” as a fulfiller of those patterns. Niehaus moves on to describe the “deliverance ministry” in the Old Testament—an intriguing concept when one considers the close parallels of Old Testament idolatry with modern Satanic rituals. This section might have been strengthened by showing that each of the miracles of Moses and those of Elijah seem to confront systematically the corresponding province of the respective competing deities. In Moses’ case each plague was a direct assault on a specific Egyptian deity and its turf, as was each of Elijah and Elisha’s miracles, where Baal was thought to be the producer of lightning, thunder, rain, fertility, food, and children. Similarly, throughout the New Testament there is a strong tie exhibited between the miraculous and the struggle against the demonic. Further, an examination of some of the Old Testament passages on the promised new covenant would show how normatively the presence of the Spirit of prophecy was to be expressed in each believer at the coming of the Messiah. As Moses said, “Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them” (See also Isaiah 42:6-7; and especially 59:21; 61:8 with vs. 1; and Jeremiah 31:33).

Chapter 2, by the prolific scholar, Wayne Grudem offers a point-for-point rebuttal to 28 common objections to contemporary charismatic experience. As a pocket defense for parishioners and students, this section is excellent: the temptation to photocopy this chapter and distribute to those assailed by cessationists will be irresistible for all but the most sanctified. For pastors as well as instructors in Bible colleges and seminaries, this section is well worth careful examination in class. Grudem’s responses necessarily overlap with much other material in the book, but as a summary, it is excellent.

Peter Davids’ chapter (3) on sin, miracles and the nature of human existence takes the discussion of spiritual gifts beyond the well-worn paths of defending their validity—a chapter perhaps more usefully read by those within the Pentecostal/charismatic movements than by those without.

After a chapter by Gary Greig dealing with the nature and purposes of “signs and wonders” partly in response to the cessationist slogan, “function (accreditation) implies duration,” Don Williams (Chapter 5) develops a most promising line of reasoning in advancing the book’s overall argument, that the continuation of Christ’s miracles is based on the very nature of the believer’s relationship with Him; discipleship. Williams rightly argues that the essential nature of the rabbi-disciple relationship in New Testament times demanded that the disciple not simply remember his teacher’s words, but rather to replicate exactly the teacher’s life, mission and behavior. Unfortunately, the contemporary training of ministers, at least among main-line Protestants, does not adequately demonstrate how to replicate New Testament ministry. However, the strong New Testament theme of imitate Christ cannot simply apply to a life of piety and poverty, as has traditionally been the case, but must necessarily include demonstrations of power as well. Williams could have strengthened his case to show that the New Testament repeatedly and normatively expresses the goal of the Christian life to “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ … in all ways grow up into him who is the Head.” (Eph. 4:13, 15; Phil. 2:5 ff.; Rom. 15:1-13). Indeed, the notion of the “foundational gifts” (Eph. 2:20), a favorite passage of cessationists, further indicates the biblical pattern of replication of gifts and ministries, rather than their cessation. Moreover, the New Testament notions of “son,” “disciple,” “type,” “follow,” and “imitate” among others demonstrate the strong New Testament theme developed by Williams. Another way of framing this issue is to ask after the very purpose of the New Testament canon itself: is it primarily for information (words, theology) or for parenesis (Greek: action, Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11)?

The last chapter (6) in the theological section responds to the common charge that the “epistles show such light interest in miracles.” Walter Bodine, formerly of Dallas Theological Seminary, responds that “at least five epistles devote explicit attention to the gifts of the Spirit” (p. 197). This chapter is too short. One can show that classical Protestantism has “demythologized” much of the New Testament language about spiritual gifting. The terms “all wisdom and knowledge,” “revelation,” “dunamis,” “word,” “Spirit,” cannot be reduced to traditional cessationist understanding. Biblical theology long ago began to see the charismatic content of these terms. More importantly, one can also show that the epistles explicitly teach the continuation of spiritual gifts (Rom. 11:29–a great universal principle; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Cor. 13:8-13; Eph. 3:14-21; 4:11-13; Phil. 1:5-10; 1 Pet. 1:5, among others). Certainly Gordon Fee’s new work on the Holy Spirit in Paul (God’s Empowering Presence (Hendrickson Publishers, 1994)) is a valuable supplement here.

The editors of Kingdom and the Power are to be commended for including a substantial section on the practical expressions of the foregoing theology (Section II). Chapters 8 and 9 integrate practice of healing and deliverance with its biblical grounding, while Chapter 10 by Kirk Bottomly, “Confessions of an Evangelical Deist” documents the charismatic awakening of a Presbyterian minister.

Section III, “Related Studies,” treat further objections to charismatic phenomena. Stanley Burgess traces substantial number of cases of the miraculous in the post-apostolic church. This is followed by two studies that have particular relevance to the recent critics of the charismatic revivals in Toronto and Pensacola. Psychiatrist John White offers “a psychiatric view of behavioral phenomena associated with healing and gift-based ministry” in Chapter 12, while David Lewis lays out “A social anthropologist’s analysis of contemporary healing” in Chapter 13. These thoughtful analyses represent a satisfying response to reductionistic books like Hank Hanegraaff’s Counterfeit Revival. Charles and Marguerite Kraft (Chapter 14) show that biblical, power Christianity is much more relevant to cultures who see the demonic and the power of God with much clearer eyes than even Christian missionaries from the rationalistic West.

Finally, one ought not to ignore the appendices of Kingdom and the Power. These treat in meticulous detail particular criticisms of the charismatic experience. Among them: (1) “that the New Testament does not teach that evangelism is to be done by cultivating miracles”; (2) that the “greater works” promised by Jesus (John 14:12) are primarily works of salvation; (3) that the only true “Great Commission” (Matt. 28:19-20–as opposed to the others in Matt. 10; Luke 9 & 10) alone is binding on Christians today and is devoid of the miraculous; (4) the denial of a miracle-working church today; (5) the reality and treatment of the demonic; (6) models of prayer for healing and related phenomena; and finally, (7) miracles and the sufficiency of Scripture.

In concluding, I would offer only some minor suggestions to round out this work in future editions. First, I think it would be useful to include a historical survey of how the doctrine of cessationism developed. Many of those throughout history who espoused the doctrine either simultaneously or later repudiated it. Moreover, when one examines the evolutionary stages of cessationism from the rabbis (who originated the essential arguments of cessationism against Jesus and the early church), through the church fathers, to the Reformation and the Enlightenment, one can discover more clearly its fatal flaws. It is not enough to show that miracles happened throughout church history. One must also note the theological grounding offered for them. For example, in the half dozen or so cases where 1 Cor. 13:8-10 was used by the church fathers in connection with prophecy they unanimously used it to prove the continuation of the gift. In all other contexts, they indicated that “the perfect” was the end of the age.

Second, if one unpacks the unbiblical and philosophically flawed concept of “miracle” upon which cessationism depends, the doctrine collapses of its own weight. Third, against the oft-repeated charge that nowhere does the Bible explicitly teach that spiritual gifts are to continue, one can offer at least 20 passages. I do not think Kingdom and the Power exploited these passages systematically enough.

It is fair to say that never before has a single book defending the continuation of spiritual gifts assumed such a breadth, depth and scope of argument. Kingdom and the Power deserves a far greater place at the table than it has heretofore received. I would strongly recommend that this work receive consideration as a text in Pentecostal or charismatic theology, or, if one is using traditional evangelical texts in systematics: here is a badly-needed supplement to the bland, deficient diet one finds in some noncharismatic theology.

Reviewed by Jon Ruthven

Most chapters from The Kingdom and the Power have been reprinted serially in Pneuma Review.

An earlier version of this review appeared in Pneuma 20:2 (Fall 1998) and is reprinted here with permission.