Table of Contents

Copyright
Title
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Meet the Leaders
Empowered Kindle © Copyright 2011 Global Awakening
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-937467-33-3
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 EMPOWERED
A SCHOOL OF HEALING AND IMPARTATION
WORKBOOK
COMPILED BY
RANDY CLARK
INTRODUCTION
Empowered is a school designed for the thirsty who desire to
walk into higher realms of the supernatural. Our goal is to equip
you with the knowledge you need to minister effectively in the
areas of deliverance and disbelief.

On the first day, we will focus on THIRST. God has a destiny

ready and waiting for you to step into. We will be teaching the
basics of healing and illustrating the place healing has in
modern day ministry. Each session will prepare you to walk in
the healing power of the Holy Spirit, and one session will focus
specifically on activating the spiritual gifts in you.

TRUTH is the topic of our second day. Church history is often

a source of confusion, particularly when it comes to the
charismata. In these sessions, you will have the opportunity to
hear the truth behind the history of the charismata in the
church and to learn more about ministering deliverance and
healing.

The focus of the third day will focus on IDENITY; to better

equip you to walk in the power of the supernatural, we will
show you how to overcome disbelief and solidify your identity
in Christ. What God calls you to, He will empower, and you
have a right to walk out and exercise that authority.

The final day of the school, ENCOUNTER, is specifically

designed to be a hands-on course in healing and deliverance.
Building on the lessons taught earlier in the school, these
sessions will teach you about the importance of forgiveness in
healing, how to break generational curses and soul ties, and
further build your confidence in ministering healing and
deliverance to those around you.
 CHAPTER 1
A FIVE STEP PRAYER MODEL
THE COMMISSION
Healing was Central to the Ministry of Jesus
Healing the sick was an integral part of the ministry of Jesus.
Healing is mentioned in most places where the gospel speaks
generally about His ministry. Matthew 4:23 is one example:

Matthew 4:23

Now Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their

synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease
among the people.

Healing was part of Jesus’ assignment to the twelve disciples:

Matthew 10:1, 5, 7-8

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He

gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out,
and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of
disease… These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded
them, saying, “... as you go, preach, saying, ‘The
 kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have
received, freely give.”

And to the seventy:

Luke 10:1-2, 9

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also,

and sent them two by two before His face into every city
and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He
said to them, “…And heal the sick who are there, and say
to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

Healing is part of the great commission assigned to all

believers:

Mark 16:15-18

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will
be condemned. And these signs will follow those who
believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will
speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and
if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt
them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will
 recover.”

Therefore, ministering in the name of Jesus to the sick, with

laying on of hands, is for “those who believe”. This includes
every member of the body of Christ!

Your Preparation
Preparation for ministry for the healing of others is very
important.

Be a clean, clear channel for God to use!

Be “prayed up”! Pray a lot in tongues both before and during

ministry time. If you don’t pray in tongues, ask God fervently
and specifically to be with you and to help you. He is the
healer. If He doesn’t come, the person you pray for won’t get
healed.

Take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit if there is anyone you

need to forgive. If there is, forgive him or her at once from your
heart. See Matthew 6:14-15.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any unconfessed sin in your
life. If He does, repent sincerely at once and ask God’s
forgiveness for it. See Luke 13:2-5.

Ask God to give you His love for each person you pray for.
Loving ministry will impact the sick person for good, whether
or not his body is healed. He may not really know that God
loves him. Your ministry may be his first experience of God’s
love.

Be aware that physical healing may take different routes. It may

be instantaneous. It may come gradually in stages as you pray.
It may come after repeated times of ministry. Or it may not come
at all. God is sovereign. He heals when, how and whom He
chooses in His own wisdom. Do not be put off if God does not
heal someone you minister to. Our job is to pray. God is
responsible for what does or does not happen.

Do not worry if the sick person does not seem to have faith for
his healing. Faith helps, but God sometimes heals sick people
who don’t believe He can or will heal them - and sometimes
when the one who prays does not have much faith either!

Be flexible. There is no universal rule about how to pray that

will apply to all cases. There is nothing special in particular
words. The Holy Spirit is the only sure guide. He may lead you
differently from time to time. Practice listening to Him and
following His leading.

The Holy Spirit may ask you to pray for something the person
has not mentioned to you. In that case, include it in your
prayer. Be clear, careful and tactful!

A FIVE-STEP P RAYER MODEL FOR HEALING

There are different ways of praying for the sick. The following
Five-Step Prayer model is not the only one. If you have found
one that is effective for you, use it in your own personal
ministry.

This Five-Step Prayer model is used by Randy Clark and the

ministry teams at Global Awakening crusades and events. It is
quiet, loving and effective. It can be used by anyone.

The five steps are:

1. The Interview

2. Prayer Selection

3. Prayer Ministry

4. Stop and Re-interview

5. Post-prayer Suggestions

STEP ONE: THE INTERVIEW

Briefly interview the person requesting prayer. Be attentive and
gentle; a loving attitude on your part will do much to reassure
the person that he is in good hands. Ask him or her what the
physical need is, but do not go into lengthy detail. For example:

“What is your name?” (A question or two to put the

person at ease.)

“What would you like prayer for?”

“How long have you had this condition?”

 “Do you know what the cause is?”

“Have you seen a doctor? What does he say is the

matter?”

“Do you remember what was happening in your life

when this condition started?”

“Did anything traumatic happen to you about the

time your condition began or within a few months
prior to it starting?”

[You may need to explain why you are asking these

last two questions.]

This is often sufficient for the initial interview. You may now
know the nature and cause of the condition. In some cases you
won’t know and must ask additional questions, or simply ask
the Holy Spirit for His leading. If His leading isn’t clear to you,
you must make an educated guess as to the nature and cause
of the condition.

For example:

Perhaps there was an accident, which would usually suggest a

natural cause. He may need to forgive the person who caused
the accident. This could mean himself, if he caused it.

Perhaps he was born with the condition, which would often

suggest a natural cause, or possibly a generational curse.
The condition may be partly or totally caused by emotional
stress. Perhaps the person has had headaches ever since he
lost a job. Maybe his back has hurt ever since someone
cheated him. Or perhaps cancer was discovered a few months
after a divorce, or after the death of a parent or child.

The cause might be spiritual. Perhaps the person has had

nightmares ever since an occult experience he had. Maye his
condition is the result of a habitual sin, or perhaps the effect of
a curse of some kind.

As noted above, if the cause is not known, ask the Holy Spirit
for His leading as to the nature and possible cause of the
condition. However, during your prayer for healing, you may
want to consider other causes of the condition than the one
you first considered, or you may want to go back to the
interview stage and ask further questions (see the comments
under Step Four on re-interviewing the person).

STEP TWO: P RAYER SELECTION

In the prayer selection, one must decide on the appropriate
type of prayer ministry.

Types of prayer ministry:

Petition: A request to heal, addressed to God, to Jesus or to

the Holy Spirit.

“Father, in the name of Jesus I ask you to restore sight to this

eye.”
“Father, I pray in Jesus’ name, come and straighten this spine.”

“Father, release Your power to heal, in Jim’s body, in the name

of Jesus.”

“Come, Holy Spirit. Release your power. Touch Jim’s back, in

Jesus’ name.”

Command: A command addressed to a condition of the body,

or to a part of the body, or to a troubling spirit such as a spirit
of pain, or infirmity, or of affliction.

“In the name of Jesus, I command this tumor to

shrivel up and dissolve.”

“In the name of Jesus, spine, be straight! Be

healed!”

“In Jesus’ name, I command every afflicting spirit;

get out of Jim’s body.”

“In the name of Jesus, I command all pain and

swelling to leave this ankle.”

A command is appropriate:

As your initial step, unless you are led otherwise by

the Holy Spirit.

When there has been a word of knowledge for

healing or some other indication that God wants to
 heal the person at this time.

When petition prayers have been tried and progress

has stopped.

When casting out an afflicting spirit or any other

spirit.

When a curse or vow is broken.

Whenever you are so led by the Holy Spirit.

As preliminaries to praying for healing.

STEP THREE: P RAYER MINISTRY

First, audibly ask the Holy Spirit to come. You can say simply,
“Come, Holy Spirit!” Or, “Come, Holy Spirit, with Your healing
power.” Or you may prefer a longer prayer. Then wait on Him
for a minute or two.

Tell the person receiving ministry that you will be quiet for a
minute or two, so that he doesn’t become confused about what
is going on.

An Attitude of Receiving
Ask the person not to pray while you are praying for him. Here
again, be gentle and loving. Say something like: “I know this
means a lot to you, and you have probably prayed a lot about
your condition, but for now I need you to focus on your body.
I want you to just relax and to let me know if anything begins
to happen in your body, like heat, tingling, electricity, a change
in the amount or location of the pain, etc. If you are praying in
English, in tongues, thanking Jesus, or saying ‘Yes, Yes!’, it is
harder for you to focus on your body. It is harder for you to
receive healing.”

Sometimes a person may find it very hard not to pray. Don’t be

hung up on this. Pray for him any way.

If the presence of the Holy Spirit becomes evident, by the

person feeling heat or tingling or some other manifestation,
continue waiting on Him until He finishes what He wishes to
do at that time. When the manifestation has ebbed, check to
see if healing is complete. If it is not complete, continue your
ministry.

Remember: always pray or command in the name of Jesus!

Mark 16:17-18

In my name … they will lay hands on the sick, and they

will recover.

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name

of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through Him.
You cannot use the name of Jesus too much! The power is in
His name. Some who have anointed healing ministries
sometimes simply repeat “In the name of Jesus” over and over
as their prayer for healing.

Thank God for whatever He does. You cannot thank God too
much!

When you minister healing, seek to deal with the cause of the
condition if you know the cause, as well as with the symptoms.
For example:

“Father, in Jesus’ name I ask you to heal the cones and rods in
the retina of this eye. Father, in the name of Jesus, cause the
scar tissue to dissolve and leave this eye. Oh God, restore the
sight in this eye, in the name of Jesus.”

“In the name of Jesus, I command this ruptured disc to be

healed and filled with fluid, and every pinched nerve to be
released and soothed. In the name of Jesus, I command the
pain to leave Joe’s back.”

“In the name of Jesus, dear God, I ask You to heal this
pancreas. Father, in the name of Jesus I ask You to touch this
pancreas with your healing power and cause it to function
normally. Cause it to produce insulin as needed and cause all
diabetes to be cured and complete health restored. Release
Your healing in the name of Jesus.”

“In the name of Jesus, I command every afflicting spirit and

every spirit of infirmity, leave Joe’s body, now!”

“In Jesus’ name I command all stiffness to leave this joint, all
pain to leave and all swelling to subside. I command all calcium
deposits and all scar tissue to dissolve in Jesus’ name.”

“In Jesus’ name, I command all chemical imbalances in Joe’s

body to be healed.”

“I command every organ furnishing chemicals or other signals

to his organs to function normally in Jesus’ name.”

Forgiveness of Another’s Wrong Conduct

If it appears that someone else caused the condition or that
someone wronged the person about the time the condition
started, find out if the sick person has forgiven the other. If
not, forgiveness should precede your prayer for healing.
Unforgiveness can be a major obstacle to healing.

If you think forgiveness is called for, ask the sick person to

forgive the other, even if the sick person is not aware of any
resentment toward that person.

Examples:

A woman has had arthritis in her spine for five

years, ever since her husband ran off with another
woman. Has she forgiven her husband and the
woman? Jesus said we must forgive, not we ought
to. Emotional stress can cause illness and prevent
 healing. Sometimes one can be angry at God and
must forgive Him.

A pastor has had back pain for ten years. Ten years
ago there was a split in his church and some of his
closest friends turned against him. Has he forgiven
the ringleaders of the split, his former friends, and
all others involved?

(Note: Sometimes a person is healed before you

even begin to pray for healing, just by forgiving the
person who caused the hurt, or just by repenting
and asking God’s forgiveness for his own sin of
resentment and anger. The pastor noted above was
healed by forgiving without any prayer for healing.)

Repentance for One’s Own Wrong Conduct

and Asking Forgiveness for It
If it appears that the condition was brought on by sin, very
gently inquire if the person agrees that this might be so. If he
does, encourage him to repent and ask God’s forgiveness. This
should precede your prayer for healing. Sin that is not repented
of can impede healing. Anger can contribute to back pain and
some forms of depression. AIDS may result from a bad lifestyle
choice. Lung cancer might have been caused by smoking.

Be tender. Ask if perhaps the condition could be related to his

lifestyle. Perhaps say, “I wonder if this condition could be
related to things you have done in the past.” Never accuse the
person confrontationally of causing his condition by his sin. It
is seldom helpful and you may be wrong.

A caution: If this leading is of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit

will usually indicate the specific sin which is the problem, not
sin in general. General accusations of sin are often destructive
and probably are from the enemy.

A person may need to forgive himself. He may have caused his

own injury or sickness. This may seem unnecessary, but
sometimes it releases healing.

Some Practical Suggestions on How to

Minister
If changes in the seeker’s condition can be readily determined,
it is appropriate and often helpful to pray short prayers or give
brief commands interspersed with re-interviewing at frequent
intervals to see if progress is being made.

“What has happened to the pain now?”

“See if you can read the sign now.”

“Do you still feel heat in your stomach?”

“Try moving your knee.”

A person may be partly or completely healed without feeling

anything. He may not realize that healing has taken place until
he uses the affected part. If he does something he could not do
before or that caused pain before, he can see if the prayer thus
far has made a difference.

When a prayer or command results in a partial healing,

continue to use it until you find that it no longer produces
further healing.

Two examples of short prayers with frequent interviews, in

actual situations, are set out in Examples 1 and 2 at the end of
this section.

Note that many of the prayers or commands for healing set out
in scripture are very short.

“I am willing. Be cleansed.” (Mark 1:41)

“Little girl, I say to you ‘Arise.’” (Mark 5:41)

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13)

“Please heal her, O God, I pray!” (Num. 12:13)

“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and

walk!” (Acts 3:6)

“Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your

bed.” (Acts 9:34)

“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you

on the road as you came, has sent me that you may
receive your sight and be filled with the Holy
 Spirit.” (Acts 9:17)

If a long prayer is followed by partial healing, it is hard to know

what part of the prayer or command was effective. Then, if it
needs to be repeated, the entire prayer may have to be
repeated.

Short prayers are not always called for, however. Where

progress cannot readily be determined, such as with diabetes,
frequent interviewing is not useful unless there are
manifestations which help you to know what is going on. For
example, if there is heat and the heat intensifies with certain
prayers, then short prayers with frequent interviews may be
appropriate.

Even if short prayers are appropriate, healing may not come

after the short prayers. Healing will sometimes come after an
extended time of prayer or after many prayers or after several
times of praying.

Be Persistent
If you try one kind of prayer or command and get results, but
not complete healing, continue. Explain why you are
continuing to the person receiving prayer or he may wonder
about the repetition. Be persistent!

If you try one kind of prayer or command and get no result

after a few times, try another kind! Be persistent!

Sometimes a person expects you to pray only once for his

condition and then stop. If he is not healed promptly, he may
expect you to stop praying and he may start to leave.
Encourage him to stay and let you pray more. Continue praying
as long as God seems to be making any further change in his
condition or as long as you are given different ways to pray for
him. Be persistent!

If healing has partially come and then seems to stop, wait a bit.
Continue praying for a time to see whether another wave of
healing will come. Be persistent!

Your Manner
You need not necessarily pray aloud all the time. If you wish,
tell the person that you may pray silently at times. As long as
you have your hand on his arm, you are praying, even if not
aloud. Do pray silently. Listen to the Holy Spirit. He may give
you some guidance that you would otherwise miss.

It is often very helpful to pray with your eyes open and

observe the person you are praying for. Look for signs that
God is at work in his body: fluttering eyelids, trembling,
perspiration. If you see something happening or if the person
reports a change in the pain or increased sight or other
progress, thank God for what He is doing and bless it.
Continue to pray in the manner that led to the progress.

If you are not accustomed to praying with your eyes open, this
will require practice! However, it is worth the practice as it
sometimes helps you see what God is doing.
Use your normal tone of voice. Shouting or praying loudly in
tongues will not increase your effectiveness.

Don’t preach, don’t give advice and don’t prophesy.

STEP FOUR: STOP AND RE-INTERVIEW

If after a time you are making no progress, consider
interviewing the person further.

Possible questions might be:

“Would you try again to remember whether

anything significant happened within six months or
so of the beginning of this condition?” (Some event
may require forgiveness that the person may have
forgotten or may have been unwilling to disclose.)

“Do any other members of your family have this

condition?” (If so, perhaps there is a generational
spirit affecting several members of the family.)

“Do you have a strong fear of anything?” (Fear can

be a cause of many physical and spiritual problems
and it sometimes interferes with healing.)

“Is anyone in your family a member of the

Freemasons or Eastern Star?” (Association with
Masonic or other occult organizations is
particularly likely to impede healing.)
 “Has anyone ever cursed you or your family that
you know of?”

“Have you had other accidents?” (If the person is

accident-prone, consider whether he is under a
curse.)

“Have you ever participated in any kind of occult

game or practice?”

Consider whether a Wrong Spirit may be

Present
If the person reports that the pain has moved or has increased,
it signals the likely presence of an afflicting spirit. Simply
command the afflicting spirit to leave in the name of Jesus. You
might pray with more intensity, but not louder: “In the name of
Jesus, I break the power of this afflicting spirit and command it
to leave Joe’s body” (or an equivalent prayer).

If the condition has existed a long time or if it is a condition

that resists medical treatment, such as cancer, diabetes,
Parkinson’s, AIDS, etc, consider that there is likely to be a
spirit causing the condition or resisting healing and command
it to leave. “In the name of Jesus, I command any spirit of
arthritis to leave this woman!”

When expelling a spirit of infirmity, an afflicting spirit or a spirit

of a particular condition, a simple prayer may be enough. See
the section on “Deliverance” for help in cases where expelling
a spirit seems more difficult.

Inner Healing
Very often a person who requests prayer for a physical
problem is also in need of emotional healing from hurts and
wounds suffered as a result of trauma, physical or emotional
abuse, perceived or real rejection, disappointments, fears,
perceived or real inadequacies, and so on. These hurts and
wounds may have accumulated over a long period of years.

Sometimes the physical healing of such a person cannot be

fully realized unless and until his inner wounds and hurts have
been healed or a process of healing begun.

Sometimes, even if a person seems to receive physical healing,

it may be apparent that emotional healing is also needed.

Sometimes the person thinks his problem is physical, or

sometimes you or he may think he needs deliverance. However,
what he really needs may be inner healing.

In these cases, you should by all means take time to pray for
the person’s inner healing. Follow the leading of the Holy
Spirit. Pray for the healing of hurts that have become apparent
in your conversation with the sick person. If you are so led,
inquire gently about the causes of the inner hurts. If
circumstances permit, take time to understand the situations, at
least in general. If time is limited, consider scheduling another
session with the sick person.
Pray for the healing of each specific hurt just as you would for
each specific physical ailment.[1] It is appropriate to inquire
from time to time whether the Holy Spirit has put additional
specific needs on the person’s mind that you might pray for.

Allow the prayee to weep. Encourage it if he begins to cry. Let

God love, comfort and console the person through you. When
emotions are very strong, it is often helpful to ask Jesus to
speak to the person or to show him how Jesus sees his
situation. You may know other effective methods of praying for
inner healing.

Ministry to a Person Who is Under Medical

Care
You will have occasion to minister to people who are
consulting with a counselor or psychiatrist. This probably is
not a problem if your ministry is for a physical ailment, such as
a broken limb or back pain. However, if healing for emotional
problems is indicated, you should ask the prayee to get the
approval of his doctor or counselor for his seeking prayer. This
is especially important if the prayee is under medication.

Sometimes a person under medication, such as for diabetes,

asthma, arthritis, heart disease, etc., believes he has been
healed when you pray for him. He may think he can
discontinue his medication. You must instruct him to continue
his medication after your ministry to him; even if he believes
and even if you believe he has been healed. He must return to
his doctor and let the doctor change his medication if the
doctor considers it appropriate to do so.

Ministry to a Person with Multiple Problems

As a general rule, it is better to finish praying for one condition
before starting to pray for another

[1] Francis McNutt says specificity is particularly important

in prayer for inner healing.

unless the Holy Spirit directs you differently. Flitting from one
problem to another is distracting. The person’s faith will be
built up for successive problems if one healing is completed.

The sick person may ask you to pray for a second problem as
soon as you finish your first prayer for one condition. He may
not understand that you will pray further for the first condition.
Tell him gently that you will pray for the second condition, but
first you wish to finish praying for the first condition.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit! If you are praying for a
person’s sinus infection and his bad foot begins to tingle, stop
praying for the sinus condition and pray for the foot. Bless
what God is doing and pray in cooperation with what He is
doing. Go back to the sinus only when you have finished
praying for the foot or when the sinus begins to manifest the
presence of God at work there.

Other
Ask the Holy Spirit for His leading and expect to receive it.
Don’t cause guilt in the person you are ministering to. Don’t
make him feel guilty if he does not get healed. Don’t tell him it
is his fault, even if you think it is!

If you think you may have made a mistake, don’t fret over it.
The Holy Spirit is bigger than your mistakes!

If possible, always use a catcher. A person may fall even

though you are praying only for his physical healing. If you
don’t have a catcher, have the prayee sit down or stand
against a wall so that he cannot fall or have the person stand in
front of a chair so that he can settle into the chair if he becomes
weak.

If the prayee falls, pray for him a few moments longer and then
see if he has been healed (“How is the pain now?” “Try
moving your neck now.” etc.). Ask if he senses that the Holy
Spirit is still touching him. If he senses that God is still at work
in him, pray further for him. If nothing seems to be happening,
ask the Holy Spirit whether you are through praying for him
and continue as long as the Holy Spirit wants you to.

When to Stop Praying

Stop praying when:

The person is completely healed.

The person wants you to stop. He may be tired or

simply feel you should stop.
 The Holy Spirit tells you it is time to stop.

You are not given any other way to pray and you
are not gaining ground.

STEP FIVE: P OST-P RAYER SUGGESTIONS

After praying, consider the following:

Encourage the prayee’s walk with the Lord.

You might share a scripture verse. For some people, scriptural

passages are extremely meaningful and encouraging.

If a condition resulted from occult experiences or habitual sin,

suggest tactfully that a change in lifestyle may well be needed
to avoid a recurrence of his condition.

If he is not healed or not completely healed, don’t accuse him

of lack of faith for healing or of sin in his life as the cause.

Encourage the person to get prayer from others if there is little

or no evidence of healing, or if his healing has not been
completed. Encourage him to come back again for more prayer
after the next meeting, etc. Sometimes healing is progressive
and sometimes it occurs only after a number of prayers for
healing have been made.

Tell the prayee not to be surprised if he experiences a spiritual

attack after a healing. Help him to be prepared to resist it. If a
symptom starts to recur, he can command it to leave in Jesus’
name. If a bad habit is involved, he may be tempted for a short
time to re-commence the habit. If he does yield, quick
repentance is needed and asking God’s help to overcome.

Love! Love! Love!

1 Corinthians 16:14

Let all that you do be done with love.

1 Corinthians 13:4 RSV

Love is patient… kind… not jealous…not arrogant or

rude.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Phillips

Love is not anxious to impress… not touchy.

As a minister of healing, do everything in love.

An Observation
If you pray for more people, you will see more people healed!
 CHAPTER 2
WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE
LESSON GOALS
1) To answer the question, “What is a word of knowledge?”

2) To learn how to minister words of knowledge for healing.

3) To learn how to recognize when we are receiving words of

knowledge - that is, how they may come to us or in what form
we may receive them.

4) To examine practical insights for growing in the use of words

of knowledge for healing.

5) To be activated in words of knowledge for healing!

INTRODUCTION

1 Corinthians 12:1,7-8

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want

you to be unaware….But to each one is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to
one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and
to another the word of knowledge according to the same
Spirit (NASB95).
Our Heavenly Father, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
sent to His children the person of the Holy Spirit with all of His
fruit and gifts made available to us. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul
wrote that the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the
common good.

In this lesson, we want to look at receiving words of knowledge

for the release of healing. Notice this is an activation clinic
session. At the end of the session, you will be given the
opportunity to step out in faith to receive a word of knowledge
for healing. This will be followed by the opportunity to pray for
the individual that has the condition described in the word of
knowledge you received. In your ministry to that person, you
will use the Five-Step Prayer Model discussed in the previous
lesson.

KEY INSIGHTS
What is a Word of Knowledge?
Simply, a word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation of
information received through the Holy Spirit. It is knowledge
received apart from natural analysis or human means.

Recognizing and Receiving a Word of

Knowledge for Healing
How Does God Give A Word of Knowledge
for Healing?
God gives His revelations in different ways. That is true of
words of knowledge for healing, as well as for other kinds of
revelation. Some of the more common ways He gives words of
knowledge for healing are: Feel It, See It, Read It, Think It, Say
It, Dream It, Experience It.

Let’s look at each of these in detail.

Feel It
You may have

a sharp pain in some part of your body,

a throbbing sensation,

some other sensation,

a strong emotion such as fear or panic.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things
that have been freely given to us by God. These things we
also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches
but which the Holy Spirit teaches... (NKJV)

Be careful that your feeling is not caused by a condition in

your own body. For instance, if you often have pain in your
left ear, you would not give that as a word of knowledge even
if you get that pain during a meeting.

See It
You may get a mental picture, such as:

a body part: perhaps a heart, a foot, an eye, a head,

a person with a certain condition such as a limp,

a person carefully holding his arm,

a crutch, glasses, a person walking with a cane,

a water bottle, a barbed wire fence, an auto

accident.

Read It
You may see in your mind:

a person with a word written across his front, back,

or over his head,

a word written on a wall or on a carpet,

something like a newspaper headline or a banner.

Think It
You may sense in your mind that someone has a particular
condition, or that the Holy Spirit has spoken the word to you.
It is a mental impression.

Say It
While talking or praying or standing with someone,
unpremeditated words may tumble out of your mouth relating
to a physical condition you were not aware of.

Dream It
While sleeping, you may have a vivid dream in which:

you have a new health problem,

you see someone with a health problem,

you hear someone talking about a health problem,

you see an event acted out before you like a movie,

such as a hospital scene or an accident.

Experience It
Similar to dreaming it, you may have a vivid vision while awake.
It may be so strong that you are actually a part of what is
happening, not just an observer.

Sometimes these categories blend together. Is it a mental

picture or a vision? Vision could be likened to a “3D
Technicolor movie” - something given by the Holy Spirit that is
beyond a mental picture in intensity and vividness.

Ministering a Word of Knowledge for

Healing
The Holy Spirit Gives a Word of Knowledge
for a Specific Need
The Holy Spirit often gives a revelatory word of knowledge
concerning the need of a person (or persons) for healing. This
is an indication that God wishes to heal the person or those
who have the condition revealed in the word of knowledge,
and usually that He wishes to heal at the time the word is
given.

When understood in this way, a word of knowledge builds

faith in the person who needs the healing and also in the
person who received the word of knowledge. Accordingly, the
person who receives the word:

Should usually speak it out at that time or at the next

appropriate time.

Should see if it applies to someone present, and if so, offer to

pray at once for that person’s healing.

The Context for Receiving a Word of

Knowledge
You may receive a word of knowledge any time or anywhere.

You might get a word during a prayer meeting, a cell group

meeting, walking past someone in church or in the supermarket,
or while washing dishes at home.

You may or may not know for who the revelation is for.

Most often, the word of knowledge is given for someone

present. However, it may not be for someone present, but for a
person whom someone present knows about. Or it could be for
someone you will see in the near future.

Expressing a Word of Knowledge for

Healing and the Effect on Faith.
The more specific the word of knowledge is, the more faith it
builds in the people involved. If the word is received through
feeling a pain, it is helpful to state the kind of pain and its exact
location.

It is better to say, “A shooting pain on the left side of the neck

just below the ear”, or to point to the exact location, than to
say merely, “A pain in the neck,” or, “Does someone’s neck
hurt?”

Expressing a Word of Knowledge Only as

Received
The person receiving the word should be careful not to change
or add to it. When shared, it should not be exaggerated and no
detail left out, even if it seems unimportant. Changes or
additions cause confusion.

Personal Illustration: the man and the green hose. I once had
a mental picture of someone being injured by tripping over a
green hose. The only green hoses I had seen were garden
hoses, so I said I had a picture of a person injured by tripping
over a green garden hose. There was a man in the meeting who
had been injured by tripping over a green pressure hose at
work. He did not respond to my word at first, because the hose
he tripped on wasn’t a garden hose. He would have responded
more quickly if I had not assumed that the green hose was a
garden hose and had given it just as I had seen it.

How to Deliver a Word of Knowledge for

Healing
It is generally wise to be tentative in speaking out the word
you have received.

For example, you might say, “Does anyone have a sharp pain
in his left elbow right now?” If no one responds, don’t be
concerned. If someone responds, you could say, “Well, I just
had a sharp pain in my left elbow, which may be a word of
knowledge indicating that God would like to heal you now.
Since you have that condition, would you like for me (or us) to
pray for you now?”

If the person is open to receiving prayer, pray for him.

If he wants prayer later, pray for him later. If he doesn’t want
prayer due to embarrassment, lovingly encourage him to
receive. But if he refuses, don’t pressure him in any way to
receive prayer.

Practical Insights for Growing in the Use of a

Word of Knowledge for Healing
A word of knowledge may come quickly
Words of knowledge may come flitting through your mind
more like a bird or dancing butterfly than like a stationary
billboard.

A word of knowledge may be rather vague,

tempting you to screen it out or to ignore it.
Practice “tuning in” to these revelations and speaking them
out. If you are tentative and humble, not arrogant or
presumptuous, no one will be offended if you seem to have
heard amiss.

Resist the thought that a word you have

received is not important, or that it is “just
you”
Remember, it builds faith in the other person to know that God
has revealed that person’s condition to you. What seems like a
vague impression to you may be a shout to the other person!
However, don’t be presumptuous. Don’t say, “God just told me
you have an earache.” Instead, say, “Does your left ear ever
bother you? I have an impression of a problem in a left ear.
Does this mean anything to you?”

Unpretentious honesty is the best policy!

It’s perfectly okay:

to admit that you’re nervous,

to say that you have only a vague impression,

to say that you have never had a word for someone

before,

to say that praying for sick people is new to you.

Don’t let fear rob you and the person who

might have been healed
Someone has said that “faith” is spelled “r-i-s-k”. Be patient,
but step out! Be humble, but step out! Be tentative, but STEP
OUT! God is giving you words of knowledge because He
wants you to use them! He wants you to use them wisely and
prudently and humbly, but He DOES want you to use them!

Activation
Now we get to the fun part! Again, if you have never received
a word of knowledge, don’t be afraid! Step out on the
faitherfulness of God and into the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

Remember:

Gifts are given to us in the “Finished Work of Jesus

Christ” in His atonement.

Gifts are received by asking.

Gifts are drawn to those who hunger and thirst for

spiritual things.

Gifts are received through faith, like everything else

in the Kingdom.

My Personal History
I was in the ministry for 14 years before I recognized a word of
knowledge.

I had a B.S. degree in Religious Studies and a Master of

Divinity degree from the School of Theology, but had no
understanding of how to move in the gift of word of
knowledge.

I began having words of knoweldge the very week I was told

five ways that you could have them.

One week later I taught on words of knowledge for the first

time in my life. That very evening, a woman had a word that led
to a healing!

Every time I have taught on this subject, and given God the
opportunity, there have been people who receive their first
words of knowledge. I have taught this teaching hundreds of
times.

Today, we shall see God be faithful once again. At least 10% of

this crowd who have never had a word of Knowledge will have
their first word of knowledge. In a brief period of time I am
going to pray and wait for 2 minutes, during which time some
of you will have your first word of knowledge. I have never
taught this when God didn’t give people words of knowledge.

Of the ministry team on the bus in Brazil, one half had NEVER
had a word of knowledge or seen anyone healed. I told them
that before 2 days were over they would all have a word of
knowledge and pray for someone who would be healed. It
happened then and has continued to happen!

GET READY TO BE ACTIVATED!

 CHAPTER 3
THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR HEALING
SESSION GOALS
1) To gain a solid Biblical basis for the Ministry of Healing as it
relates to:

The Nature of God.

Messianic prophecy

Covenant, the Atonement and the Kingdom

The Scope of Healing

2) To understand the Commission of healing to all believers.

3) To understand the Model of Humility, the Mystery and the

Motivation of Healing as it relates to our moving in healing.

TO RECEIVE FAITH FOR HEALING AS THIS MESSAGE IS

TAUGHT AND TO RESPOND TO THE ANOINTING OF GOD!

INTRODUCTION
In this session we make a brief journey through key Scriptures
on the Biblical Basis of Healing. It is important in the ministry
of healing to have a rock solid foundation as to the Father’s
will to heal. This way, no matter what we are faced with, we can
move forward with full confidence that the Father desires to
release healing through the name of Jesus, and in the power
and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

A Word of Preperation:

Today, while I am preaching the Word of God, God will heal

people as they listen to the Word of God. I want you expecting
to receive!

When you feel the anointing, stand and remain standing until I
see you and say, “God bless you in the name of Jesus.” Then
you may be seated.

KEY INSIGHTS
The Self-Revelation of God – God is “The
Lord that Heals”
In the book of Exodus, God reveals himself as Jehovah-Rapha,
“the Lord who heals you”. This name indicates the healing that
flows out from the nature of God.

Exodus 15:26
He said, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your
God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to
His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on
you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am
the Lord, who heals you.”

Healing Would Be the Prophetic Indication

 for Recognizing the Messiah
Jesus confirms this by quoting Messianic prophecies in Isaiah
chapters 35 and 61 in relationship to Himself and His ministry
to the sick and demonized.

Isaiah 35:3-6
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give
way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not
fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution He will come to save you.” Then
will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the
deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and
the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the
wilderness and streams in the desert.

Isaiah 61:1-2a
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the
Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim freedom for the captives and release from
darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the
Lord’s favor...

Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has
anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 7:20-23
When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist
sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come,
or should we expect someone else?’” At that very time
Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil
spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So He
replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John
what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight,
the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is
preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not
fall away on account of me.”

Every Christian Has Been Commissioned to

Heal
Jesus very clearly stated that we as believers are commissioned
to heal the sick. He taught and commanded His disciples to do
so, and commanded them to pass it on to all believers.

Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have
leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received,
freely give.

Mark 6:7, 12-13

 Calling the Twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two
and gave them authority over evil spirits...They went out
and preached that people should repent. They drove out
many demons and anointed many sick people with oil
and healed them.

Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”

The Scope of Healing

Psalm 103:2-3
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits
— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

THE BASIS FOR HEALING

The Covenant
In the old and new covenants, signs and wonders are part of
each covenant.

Exodus 34:10
Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you.
Before all your people I will do wonders never before
 done in any nation in all the world. The people you live
among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord,
will do for you.”

Hebrews 2:3-4
How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?
This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,
was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also
testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and
gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

The Atonement
Matthew 8:17 and I Peter 2:24 clearly relate the healing to the
blood atonement of Jesus as prophesied in Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely He took up our infirmities [sicknesses, Hebrew:
choli – sickness, disease (noun form of chalah, to be sick
or ill)] and carried our sorrows [pains, Hebrew: makov
– pain], yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten
by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by
His wounds we are healed.

Matthew 8:16-17
He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the
 sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the
prophet Isaiah:“He took up our infirmities and carried
our diseases.”

1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that
we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His
wounds you have been healed.

Acts 4:10
Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified
but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands
before you healed.

The Kingdom

Luke 10:9
Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom
of God is near you.’

Luke 17:21
“Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because
the kingdom of God is within you.”

The Bible clearly relates the Kingdom to healing.

THE MODEL FOR HOW TO RESPOND TO HEALING

– P ETER’S HUMILITY.
Peter was the first “non-stick, Teflon Christian” who let all
praise “slide off” and gave all honor to the name of Jesus
Christ for the healings.

Acts 4:9-10
If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness
shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then
know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God
raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

The Mystery of Healing

Greater and Lesser Degrees of Healing
Anointing
Those in healing ministry must recognize that there will be
times of greater and lesser degrees of anointing for healing.

At times the anointing is greater for

healing
The ministry of Jesus

Luke 5:17
One day as He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of
the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and
 from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the
power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.

The ministry of Paul

Acts 19:11
God did extraordinary miracles through Paul…

At times the anointing is lower for healing:

The ministry of Jesus

Mark 6:4-6
Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his
relatives and in his own house is a prophet without
honor.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay
His hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He
was amazed at their lack of faith.

Note: This is NOT meant as an encouragement to pass

judgment when someone is not healed or the anointing is
lower. This is to be discouraged (as discussed in the sessions
The Five-Step Prayer Model and the Agony of Defeat). Our job
is to press in for more! This just further illustrates that Jesus
also operated in varying levels of anointing.

The ministry of Paul

 2 Timothy 4:20
Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in
Miletus.

It is natural to want to ask why Paul, who “did extraordinary

miracles”, had not only little anointing, but apparently no
anointing for the healing of Trophimus in Miletus. This
illustrates our next point:

Not everyone is healed when you pray for

healing
As discussed in the session the Agony of Defeat, we must be
able to say, “I don’t know why some are healed and others are
not.”

In the face of defeat we must press on without blaming

ourselves or the faith of those we minister to.

The Motivation for Healing – The honor of

the name of Jesus!
In Ephesus, Paul stayed for two years and did extraordinary
miracles in the name of Jesus (Acts 19:11). The Jewish exorcists
using the name of Jesus were attacked and fled bleeding and
naked after the demon had answered them, “Jesus I know, and
I know about Paul, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15). As a result
the people were seized with fear, “and the name of the Lord
Jesus was held in high honor” (Acts 19:17b).
Our motive must ALWAYS be to honor the name of Jesus
Christ. We also must be humble “Teflon” Christians following
the example of Peter as stated in section IV above, who let
glory from man “slide off” and give all glory to the name of
Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:30
Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous
signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant
Jesus.”

Activation
Be prepared to give a word of knowledge or to participate in
prayer ministry.
 CHAPTER 4
SPEND AND BE SPENT
LESSON GOALS
1) To recognize our need for transformation to enable us to
reach the world.

2) Recognizing our need, to cry out with passion to receive a

mighty impartation of the Holy Spirit.

3) To respond to the Holy Spirit’s call to evangelism and world

missions.

INTRODUCTION

2 Corinthians 12:15

So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and

expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me
less?

The Story of Nobuo Tanaka: Still putting his life in the offering
plate.

The purpose of this lesson is very simple:

I want you to see the connection between the

 outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Missions and
Evangelism.
I want the Spirit to fall upon people, so that they fall
under the power, but I also want people to get up and
go to the lost and poor. Often revival breaks out among
the young.
I also want you to see the importance of Holy
Communion in revival history.

KEY INSIGHTS
The focus of this lesson is rooted in two premises:

Premise 1: We are too selfish to pay the price for powerful

ministry unless we are touched by the Holy Spirit, who gives
us boldness and the ability to live a more holy life.

Premise 2: The most effective evangelism in the history of the

Church has been through those who had such experiences of
the Holy Spirit.

Illustrations from History and Contemporary

Leaders
I want you to listen as I tell you the stories of those who have
paid the price, of their desperate hunger, powerful Holy Spirit
Baptisms, their transformation, and of the mighty revivals that
have followed to transform nations.

Francis of Assisi
 A Life Spent

Ludwig Nicolaus Zinzendorf

200 yrs vs. 25 yrs

100 Missionaries
Moravian Motto: “To win for the Lamb that was slain
the rewards of His suffering.”

John Wesley

Methodist revivals

Evan Roberts

The Welsh Revival

Age: 26
His Spirit Baptism

Sophal Ung – Cambodia

Anointed for Burial

Underground Prison

John G. Lake
 12 men
16 women & children
500 churches in 5 years

Luke Hubers

100,000 churches
46 got his wish

Heidi & Rolland Baker – Mozambique

Raygu
Amori
Surprise
William
Gun threats to pastors: “We’re already dead men”

Leif Hetland – Norway / Pakistan

1995 -Bulldozer for God in Muslim World

IMPARTATION
This lesson will be followed by a time of impartation for the
purpose of world evangelism and missions. These times are
very powerful and many have been released into their destiny
at these sessions.
 CHAPTER 5
HEALING AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD
LESSON GOALS
1) To understand the centrality of the Kingdom Message to
healing and the Gospel.

2) To understand the impact of the “Kingdom now, not yet” on

a theology of healing.

3) To understand the need for an integrated model of healing.

4) To consider what we can learn from former teachings within

Protestantism.

INTRODUCTION

Luke 9:1-2

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave

them power and authority to drive out all demons and to
cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the
Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

In this passage in Luke’s gospel, Jesus sent out the twelve to

preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. In Matthew
6:10, He taught us to pray, “...your Kingdom come, your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven.” If we truly desire to “invade
earth with heaven’s realities” in the area of healing-or any
other area, for that matter - then our understanding of the
Kingdom, and a revelation of its nature, is crucial. In this
session we want to take some time to ponder our perception,
our view of the Kingdom of God and that view’s influence on
our faith for healing.

KEY INSIGHTS
The kingdom message is central to the
Gospel
John the Baptist preached that the kingdom
of heaven was at hand:

Matthew 3:1-2

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the

Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is near.”

Jesus message was centered on the

Kingdom:

Mark 1:14-15
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,”
he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and
believe the good news!”

Luke 17:20-21

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the

kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The
kingdom of God does not come with your careful
observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it
is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

Luke 18:17

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the
kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the

whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the
end will come.

Paul argued for and preached the

Kingdom:

Acts 19:8
 And he entered the synagogue and for three months
spoke boldly, arguing and pleading about the kingdom
of God; (RSV)

Acts 28:30-31

And he lived there two whole years at his own expense,

and welcomed all who came to him, preaching the
kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus
Christ quite openly and unhindered. (RSV)

Philip preached the good news of the

Kingdom of God:

Acts 8:12

But when they believed Philip as he preached good news

about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized, both men and women. (RSV)

Healing and the Kingdom of God message

This is not to be confused with Rushdooney’s usage of the
words “Kingdom now”. It is grounded intitally in the work of
Baptist theologian George Eldon Ladd and popularized by
professors at Fuller Theological Seminary.

The basic understanding of “Third Wave”

 proponents.

Popularized most by John Wimber and the Vineyard.

Other proponents: Dr. Charles Kraft, Dr. Derek
Morphew, Dr. Don Williams, etc.

Basic Understanding of the “Kingdom Now-

Not Yet”, and its impact upon a theology of
healing.
This is the explanation for the question raised when some are
healed and others are not. It has been my position for the last
20 years and I have taught it in my meetings. During 2005 I
seriously began to question this position as far as its
implications regarding healing. My concern was:

In application it seems to be just one-half step behind

seeing the healings as due to the sovereignty of God.
God chooses to heal some and not others thereby
leaving the onus of the problem on God, not man.
This position seems to mitigate against:

a) Praying through

b) Contending in prayer

c) Praying fervently on behalf of the sick

 In the circle of my experience at the
Vineyard, there seemed to be little true
expectation where:
a) there were no “words of knowledge” received.

b) there were no manifestations in the body of the

person receiving prayer.

Faith expectation seemed to be based more

upon a personal “word” than upon the
promises of God in the Word of God. As I
studied the writings and read the history of
“healing movements” and the primary
“healers” of those movements, I realized
that their understanding of healing was:
a) Word based

b) Cross based

c) Gift/Anointing based

I also noticed that both the magnitude of the healings and the
kinds of things healed were greater than in my own movement.
Several years earlier I discovered that the truth was that
everyone could move in the gifts and that everyone could
receive words of knowledge and pray for the sick.
 I have said this was a weakness and in the
same sentence that this was a truth:
The weakness was that there was such emphasis
upon everyone receiving and the potentality of
being used for healing that there was little or
perhaps no emphasis on the other scriptural truth
that there are some in the Body of Christ that are
“healers” and “workers of miracles”. To say it
another way, we allowed the pendulum to swing too
far to one side, emphasis upon the situational
gifting, in order to address an emphasis on the other
side, the constituted gifting of those who had the
calling as a “healer” or “worker of miracles.”

As I traveled the world, I was meeting people who had been

saved by their application of the teaching of the Faith Camp. I
was made aware of pastors who were seeing major healings in
their churches who had instructed their people in more of a
“Faith Camp” position. In my reading I realized I had allowed
Hank Hannagraaf to influence some of my opinions regarding
faith camp leaders, especially E.W. Kenyon, and that Hank
Hannagraaf had greatly misrepresented Kenyon. This was
especially true in his connecting Kenyon to the “New
Thought” influence from his training at Emerson College. I also
came to see that E.W. Kenyon was influenced not by the
“cults”, but by the Holiness movement and by great
Evangelical preachers like:
 a) Baptist A. J. Gordon

b) A.B. Simpson-founder of the Christian Missionary

Alliance and former Presbyterian minister

c) Andrew Murray – Dutch Reformed preacher and

writer from South Africa whose books are still
popular today

d) R. L. Stanton – former moderator of the

Presbyterian Church

e) D. L. Moody, R. A. Torrey, and other great

evangelical preachers of Kenyon’s day

I noticed that Kenyon was credited as the major source for the
understanding of healing for T.L. Osborne, who probably saw
more people led to Christ and more healings than any other of
the great healing revivalists of the famous 1948 healing revival.

The Need for another Emerging Integrated

Model for Healing.

Drawing upon insights from the “situational” gifting

emphasis of the Vineyard, and its corresponding
emphasis to train all the saints to pray for the sick.
Drawing upon the older Pentecostal models of the
constituted gifts of healing or the offices of “healers”
and “miracle workers”
 Drawing upon the Latter Rain movement regarding the
restoration of all the offices of the Apostolic Era and its
emphasis upon training and releasing for healing and
ministry within the local church.
Drawing upon the emphasis of the Faith Camp in
emphasizing the relationship between the Word of God
and Faith. The Faith Camp today regarding healing is
very similar to the “Faith Cure” movement of the late
1800’s.

What can we learn from the former teachings

that were positive regarding healing within
Protestantism?

Personal faith is important to the healing process.

The Word of God is important for healthy faith.
Avoid the negative view of medical healing.
A lack of faith may not be the only reason someone is
not healed. We must learn from others that there can be
root issues that are holding back the healing other than
“lack of faith” or “sin in their lives.”
There is too much of an emphasis in the Church today
upon the sovereignty of God which explains the lack of
healings we do see.
Our understanding of the authority delegated to
believers needs to be stronger.
What does, “… and the forceful lay hold of it by force,”
or “the Kingdom of God suffers violence and the
violent lay hold of it” mean?
 CHAPTER 6
CHARISMATA THROUGH HISTORY 1
LESSON GOALS
1) In this and the following two lessons we will walk through
Christian history examining the historical continuation of the
Charismata.

2) In this lesson we will seek to understand the developments

in the period up to 600 A.D.

3) We shall focus on the Topics Persecution and Purity, Plato,

and Power.

INTRODUCTION

Mark 16:15-18

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the
good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will
be condemned. And these signs will accompany those
who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they
will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with
their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will
not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick
people, and they will get well.”
 2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last
days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their
parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the
good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness
but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

1 Timothy 4:1
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will
abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and
things taught by demons.

In the introduction to Dr. Morton Kelsey’s book, Healing and

Christianity, which was published in 1973, he writes:

Finally, in the past 30 years or so men in other

areas of medicine have come to realize that many
physical illnesses can have a psychic factor….With
growing realization that man cannot be treated
piecemeal, physicians have begun to treat him as a
whole functioning organism, including his social
and religious life...1

But the average “orthodox clergyman is not much

interested in practices that would convey healing.
The “orthodox” Christian, whether liberal or
 conservative, has little exposure to such
sacramental acts and little or no interest in physical
or mental healing through religious means…” 2

Kelsey follows with examples where doctors and clergy were

called together to discuss spiritual healing. The physicians
were actively interested, but the clergy were indifferent or
didn’t even take the topic seriously. He then continues:

What, then, is the place of healing in the

Christianity of the modern world? …difference over
the value of sacramental or religious healing in the
church is only one symptom of a fundamental
division among Christians about how God acts in
human life. The points of view are so diametrically
opposed and so deeply divided that they are often
unspoken, and each side simply accepting the
validity of its own view without question.

Thus in the Christian churches today we find two conflicting

attitudes toward the ministry of healing of Jesus of Nazareth
and the apostles – a ministry that was practically unbroken for
the first thousand years of the church’s life. On one hand,
among certain religious groups today we find an increasing
interest in this spiritual ministry of healing. On the other, we
come face to face with the fact that in most Protestant churches
today there is actual hostility to the practice of religious
healing-hostility even to the idea of it.3

Kelsey follows with three key questions:

 “How has the church become so divided?”
“Which point of view is nearer the heart of a vital
Christianity?”
“Which attitude fits better the knowledge of man and
his world?”4

The answer to those three questions is the purpose of this

three-part teaching.

How did the Church which witnessed so much healing its first
thousand years of life begin to lose this vital powerful
ministry?

How did Protestantism become so closed to the ministry of

healing, especially from its beginning in 1517 until the middle to
late part of the 19th Century?

Only after the emergence of Pentecostalism was Protestantism

truly affected in a significant way, reversing its anti-healing
position.

These lessons are to help us understand how the traditional

protestant church and its members became so opposed to the
ministry of healing within its services.

This topic is divided into three significant periods in the life of

the Church, and each reveals the reasons for success and/or
failure in the healing ministry.
KEY INSIGHTS
Persecution, Purity, Plato and Power (30-
600 A.D.)
Persecution and Purity
Notice three things about Persecution:

Persecution came from the Christian threat to the status

quo.
Persecution produced Purity.
Persecution prevented lukewarm, nominal believers.

The following information on Persecution has been extracted

and condensed from Study 9 THE CHURCH IN
PERSECUTION: Sell, H. T. (1998, c1906). Studies in early
church history. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic
Publishing. Copyright, Public Domain:

Jewish Persecution
The persecutions began in Jerusalem, with the crucifixion of
Christ; they continued after His resurrection when the Jews
hauled the apostles before the magistrates and in imprisoning
them for speaking and teaching in His name (Acts 4:1–21; 5:18–
42). They broke out afresh upon the martyrdom of Stephen led
by Saul (Acts 7:52–60; 8:1–4). When Saul was converted, the
Jews never ceased to harass him in every city in which they
were strong enough to do so.

The time of the persecutions of the Jews was, however, quite

limited. After 70 A.D. they ceased to be of much consequence,
not because the bitterness of their spirit was taken away, but
because their power to do harm was seriously weakened
through the destruction of their holy city.

Roman Persecution
An attempt was made by the Romans to bind their people
together by a religion. The necessity of a universal religion was
felt in the face of the political unity, which had been
accomplished by force of arms. The unity of the state required
a common religion to create a common tie amongst the
heterogeneous populations. This universal, made-to-order
political religion was an eclectic one, a patchwork, taking
elements from this and that national religion with a deified
emperor at the head to whom was paid divine honors. It was a
religion in which vice - in “the mysteries” - often clothed itself
in the mantle of worship and made religion its servant; hence
the awful immoralities prevalent in society of which Roman
writers tell us.

The worship of the Roman emperor was the one form of

worship, however, which was coextensive with the empire. Not
to worship the image of the emperor was considered an act of
treason to the state.

At first the Romans did not persecute the Christians because

they were not awake to the radical nature of their teachings.
Christianity was supposed to be a sect of Judaism and Judaism
was a national religion and under the protection of the empire.
The Jews took the same stand as the Christians against the
worship of the emperor as a god, yet this was not made a
ground of accusation and persecution, because Judaism was
practically limited in its scope to the Jews. Had the Christians
been willing to take its place with a hundred or so of other
religions, there would have been no persecution, but it claimed
to be the one true faith. The Christians were guilty of a double
offense - they strove by every means to persuade citizens to
abandon the worship sanctioned by Roman law and to
introduce rites not sanctioned by it.

The scope of the persecutions was coextensive with the

empire. The time was about three hundred years from Christ to
the Emperor Constantine.5

Plato and his dualistic philosophy

Plato believed in a Dualistic nature of reality. In his worldview
the physical world was a shadow of the greater reality of the
spirit realm. According to Kelsey:

Platonic philosophy tried to show how the tangible

world, of which man’s body is a part, constantly
interacts with a world of Ideas, spirits, demons, and
deities. In this framework the Old Testament
descriptions of man’s direct dealings with God made
good sense, as did the dreams and visions, the
 healings, prophecies, and angels and demons of the
New Testament.6

In Dualism, the spirit realm is superior, valuable and good, but

the natural realm is inferior, worthless and even evil. This
Dualistic Platonic worldview and philosophy later manifest
itself in the Neo-Platonism and Gnosticism of the New
Testament period.

Why this is important for our discussion

The influence of the Dualism of Platonism had both a positive
and negative effect:

The Positive: Those who held a Platonic worldview

believed in an active eternal spirit realm which affected
and influenced the natural world, thus opening them up
to the message of the gospel of Jesus the Victor who
triumphed over the powers of darkness and evil.
The Negative: Those who held a Platonic worldview
devalued the physical realm, including the human body.
This contrasts with the Biblical and Hebrew view,
which has at times manifested in the extremes of
asceticism and licentiousness, and has affected the
acceptance or rejection of the healing ministry through
the course of Church history.

Power: The Testimony of Healing in Early

 Church History
We will now consider reliable witnesses from early Church
history who witnessed and/or participated in healing ministry.
[The information in this section is drawn almost exclusively
from quotations of Morton T. Kelsey’s Healing and
Christianity, as referenced in the endnotes.]

The Testimony of the Anti-Nicene Fathers

All of these lived after the Apostles had died and some of them
after the Bible was canonized, which historically disproves
cessationism.

a) Justin Martyr (100-165, martyred in 165 A.D.)

Justin Martyr wrote in his “apology” addressed to the Roman

emperor:

For numberless demoniacs throughout the whole

world, and in your city, many of our Christian men
exorcizing them in the Name of Jesus Christ...have
healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving
the possessing devils out of the men, though they
could not be cured by all the other exorcists, and
those who used incantations and drugs.7

Justin Martyr tells in several places how Christians healed in

the name of Jesus Christ, driving out demons and all kinds of
evil spirits. Writing about the charismata, the gifts God pours
out upon believers, he calls attention to the power to heal as
one of the particular gifts that was being received and used. 8

b) Hermas (Died c. 150)

From the Shepherd of Hermas one can see the strong emphasis
that was on the ministry of healing in the early Ante-Nicene
church. Hermas wrote:

“He therefore, that knows the calamity of such a

man, and does not free him from it, commits a great
sin, and is guilty of his blood.” Indeed the healing of
physical illness was seen in this period as telling
evidence that the Spirit of Christ was actually
present and at work among Christians. Since both
bodily and mental illness were a sign of domination
by some evil entity, the power to heal disease was
prime evidence that the opposite spirit –the Spirit of
God – was operating in the healer. Thus the healing
of “demon possession” was often spoken of in
conjunction with curing illness from other causes.9

c) Tertullian (160-225)

In a telling protest written to the proconsul in North Africa

during the persecutions there, Tertullian cited facts even more
specifically:

All this [that is, the number of times Roman officials

simply dismissed charges against Christians] might
 be officially brought under your notice, and by the
very advocates, who are themselves also under
obligations to us, although in court they give their
voice as it suits them...And how many men of rank
(to say nothing of common people) have been
delivered from devils, and healed of diseases!

It was simply a fact of Christian experience which pagan

officials could verify if they wished. Tertullian, explicitly
identified persons who had been healed and testified to their
great number and the wide range of physical and mental
diseases represented. Elsewhere he also says that God could,
and sometimes did, recall men’s souls to their bodies.10

d) Origen (185-254)

Origen wrote his great treatise, Against Celsus, to take pagan

thinking apart piece by piece, and here he spoke in several
places of how Christians “expel evil spirits, and perform many
cures” - many of which he had himself witnessed. Or again,
“the name of Jesus can still remove distractions from the minds
of men, and expel demons, and also take away diseases.”
Several such statements occur in this work, which was written
especially for the top-level pagan community. Cyprian told in
one of his letters how baptism itself was sometimes the means
by which a serious illness was cured, and that there were
Christians living on and giving their lives to the church
because of such an experience.11

e) Quadratus
Quadratus, who wrote an apology presented to the emperor
Hadrian stated that the works of the Savior had continued to
his time and that the continued presence of men who had been
healed left no question as to the reality of physical healing.12

f) Theophilus of Antioch (died c. 181)

Theophilus of Antioch specified the physical healing of human

beings he had witnessed as particular evidence that the
resurrection was beginning to work in them and death being
put to flight; he also spoke of the fact that demons were
sometimes exorcised and confessed their demonic nature.13

g) Eugenia

In the Acts of Eugenia, where she is portrayed as being so

close to God that she could cast out devils. It is told how a
certain noblewoman of Alexandria was healed of a recurring
fever when Eugenia prayed over her.14

h) Minucius Felix (Second century)

Minucius Felix in the dialog Octaviu, one of the earliest Latin

apologies, written about the end of the second century,
describes the exorcism of demons in these words:

Since they themselves are the witnesses that they are

demons, believe them when they confess the truth of
themselves; for when abjured by the only and true
God, unwillingly the wretched beings shudder in
their bodies, and either at once leap forth, or vanish
 by degrees, as the faith of the sufferer assists or the
grace of the healer inspires.15

i) Irenaeus (flourished c. 175-195)

Perhaps the most interesting discussion of healing among the

ante-Nicene fathers came from Irenaeus in Gaul. In Against
Heresies, one of his telling points was that heretics were not
able to accomplish the miracles of healing that Christians could
perform. Irenaeus attested to almost the same range of healings
as we have found in the Gospels and Acts. All kinds of bodily
infirmity, as well as many different diseases, had been cured.
The damage from external accidents had been repaired. He had
seen the exorcism of all sorts of demons. There is no indication
that Irenaeus viewed any disease as incurable or any healing
as against God’s will. Indeed the whole attitude he voiced was
that healing is a natural activity of Christians as they express
the creative power of God, given them as members of Christ. In
one place Irenaeus speaks of the prayer and fasting of an entire
church as effective in raising a person from the dead. 16

j) Arnobius and Lactantius

Near the end of the ante-Nicene period, from 300-325, Arnobius

and Lactantius, his pupil, wrote about healing. Lactantius
wrote about what he had witnessed in the church in his time.
He wrote,

As He Himself before His passion put to confusion

demons by His word and command, so now, by the
 name and sign of the same passion, unclean spirits,
having insinuated themselves into the bodies of men,
are driven out, when racked and tormented, and
confessing themselves to be demons, they yield
themselves to God, who harasses them.17

The Testimony of the Doctors of the Church

The doctors of the Church refers to a small group of men who
had a profound impact upon the development of what would
later be considered “orthodoxy”. These were among the most
brilliant and strongest leaders of the early Church. Most were
born a few years before or sometime after the Edict of Milan in
313, which gave Christianity the status of a legal religion. Only
a few years later, Christianity would become the official religion
of the Roman Empire. There would be many heresies to face
and the church would be wrestling with its faith, but we shall
see that healing continued to be very important to this faith.

Doctors from the East

We shall consider four men from this group. The first,
Athanasius, was the main defender of the Trinitarian
understanding of the Christian faith. The other three, called the
great Cappadocians, were Basil the Great, his brother Gregory
of Nyssa, and their friend, Gregory of Nazianzus. The life and
power of Gregory Thaumaturgus (called the “Wonder
Worker”) who came to Cappadocia in the days of Persecution,
strongly influenced the families of these three.18 The greatest
preacher of the time, John Chrysostom (345-407), who was
known as “the Goldenmouth” for his eloquence popularized
their ideas.19

Athanasius (296-393)

Athanasius was the main defender of the Trinitarian

understanding of the Christian faith. He and four other Eastern
theologians all wrote about healing occurring during their time.
These were five of the most intelligent, spiritual, leaders of the
Church during this time. Together they were used to forge the
orthodoxy of the early Christian doctrines. These are doctrines
that have changed little in the East since their time.

Gregory of Nazianzus (329-396)

Gregory of Nazianzus became the bishop of Constantinople

after the Arian controversy. The historian Sozoman tells of
how Gregory was used in the healing of a pregnant woman. In
the account he writes, regarding the Orthodox church, “The
power of God was there manifested, and was helpful both in
waking visions and in dreams, often for the relief of many
diseases.”20

According to Gregory’s brother Caesarius, who was noted for

his brilliant medical career, “In place after place Gregory
showed his understanding of the ‘deep roots’ of disease and
how closely the church’s task with people was allied to the job
of the medical practitioner.”21
Gregory tells of two healings from his immediate family:

His sister was dragged by a team of mules and was so

hurt that no one thought she would live. She was saved
by the prayers of the congregation. She was healed
again years later when she developed a terrible disease.
She had an extremely high fever and had comatose-like
experiences. The physicians couldn’t help her. She was
healed when she went into the church and took the
“bread of the Presence”, the Eucharistic bread, and
rubbed it all over her body.22
Gregory’s father, also a Bishop was healed through the
prayers of the church. This great family was certainly
not a stranger to the healing ministry for they
experienced it in their own immediate family. His healing
was associated with the celebration of the Mass. His
mother was healed through a spiritual dream.23

Basil the Great (329-379)

Basil founded what was probably the first Christian hospital,

located outside Caesarea. He saw no conflict between faith and
healing. Basil answered the question, “whether recourse to the
medical arts is in keeping with the practice of piety.” He
believed that medical science had been given to men by God to
be used when necessary, although not as the only decisive
factor. He stated, “to reject entirely the benefits to be derived
from this art is the sign of a petty nature.”24
Two healings from Basil’s ministry were recorded by Gregory
of Nazianzus:

The first occurred when he (Basil) was about to be

exiled by the emperor Valens, whose small son was
suddenly sick and in pain. When physicians could not
help the baby, the emperor had a change of heart and
called for Basil, who came immediately. According to
the reports of those present, the boy began to improve
at once, but later died because his father was
overanxious and asked the physicians to try their
treatment again.25
The other incident also occurred during a personal
conflict, this time with the Bishop Eusebius, who was
then taken ill and called for him. He went willingly, and
Eusebius confessed that he had been in the wrong and
asked to be saved. According to Gregory, his life was
indeed restored, and Eusebius never ceased to wonder
at Basil’s power.26

Gregory of Nyssa (331-396)

Gregory of Nyssa was the only one of the Eastern theologians

who, concerning healing, made a definite statement relating it
to his total theology. In The Great Catechism and On the
Making of Man, his key works, he describes healing as the
main door through which a knowledge of God reaches men.27
He recorded in great detail a number of healings witnessed by
others including the healing of a lame Roman soldier’s limb as
he cried out in prayer at a shrine, and a healing by the prayer of
a woman known as St. Macrina of a child losing sight from a
severe eye infection.28

Doctors from the West

There were four men in the western part of the Roman Empire
who were later recognized as Doctors of the church. They were
Ambrose (340-397), Augustine (354-430), Jerome (340-420) and
Gregory the Great (540-60?). All of these men wrote about
healings in their day, but because they viewed it differently,
this set the stage for changes in the church.

Two other men need to be mentioned from this time period:

John Cassian, who was responsible for laying foundations for
the monastic movement in the West, and St. Martin of Tours
and his biographer Sulpitius Severus. St. Martin of Tours was
noted as one of the great wonder workers of the Catholic
Church of the west during this time.

The Testimony of Ancient Historians

There were four historians of the first 600 years of Christianity
and all of them include accounts of healing during the whole of
this period. They were: Eusebius, the first historian of the
church. He was a contemporary of the Emperor Constantine
who legalized Christianity in 313 A.D. with the Edict of Milan.
He was followed by the historians, Sozomen, Socrates
Scholasticus, and Theoderet. Socrates, for instance, tells how
Maruthas, the Bishop of Mesopotamia, cured the Persian king
of headaches which the Magi had not been able to relieve, and
that Maruthas was permitted in consequence to establish
churches wherever he wished in Persia.29

What a great example this was of what we today would call

“Power Evangelism”. We will see more examples of the
connection between power to heal and deliver and the
missionary expansion in the Church.

The Testimony of Augustine

Augustine was the undisputed theologian in the west for 1,000
years. His influence is very important to the history of healing.
In his early years of ministry he wrote critically of healing. He
wrote:

These miracles are not allowed to continue into our

time, lest the soul should always require things that
can always be seen, and by becoming accustomed to
them mankind should grow cold towards the very
thing whose novelty had made men glow with fire.30

However, about 40 years later he corrected this view which

seemed to be antagonistic towards the ongoing ministry of
healing in the Church. He wrote in his last and greatest work,
The City of God, completed in 426, a whole section that gave
high value to the ongoing ministry of healing. In this section
he noted that over 70 healings had been recorded in his own
bishopric of Hippo Regius in 2 years. He stated in his
Revisions:
 It is indeed true: that not everyone today who has
hands laid on them in baptism thus receives the
Holy Spirit so as to speak in tongues; nor are the
sick always healed by having the shadow of the
promise of Christ pass across them; and if such
things were once done, it is clear that they
afterwards ceased.

But what I said should not be taken as understanding that no

miracles are believed to happen today in the name of Christ.
For at the very time I wrote this book I already knew that, by
approaching the bodies of the two martyrs of Milan, a blind
man in that same city was given back his sight; and so many
other things of this kind have happened, even in this present
time, that it is not possible for us either to know of all of them
or to count up all of those that we have knowledge of.”31

Dr. Morton Kelsey asks, “What had happened to change his

view?” and traces the story from Augustine’s writings,
sermons and biographical material. It begins in 415 with the
discovery of the bones of the martyr Stephen. Some of these
relics were brought to his church. In 424, two weeks before
Easter, as he was preparing to conduct the services, a young
man who was troubled, both he and his sister, with convulsive
seizures was suddenly healed. How did this happen? For two
weeks this man and his sister had came to the reliquary in the
sanctuary of Augustine’s church to pray for healing. On this
day, the young man was praying as he was holding onto the
screen of the reliquary. Suddenly, he fell down as if dead.
Augustine was in the vestibule preparing for the processional.
The people were frightened by the fall of the young man and
feared he had died. Suddenly, the young man rose to his feet
staring back at the crowd of people. It was apparent to all that
he had been healed. He now was normal. Augustine had the
young man stay after the meeting to have dinner with him so
they could talk.

On the following days Augustine preached about St.

Stephen, the healing, and also other martyrs and
healings. On the third day after Easter he read the
young man’s statement, while both brother and
sister stood on the choir steps where the whole
congregation could see them – one quite and
normal, the other still trembling convulsively.
Augustine then asked them to sit down, and was
giving his sermon about the healing when he was
interrupted by loud cries. The young woman had
gone straight to the shrine to pray, and exactly the
same thing had happened to her. Once more she
stood before the people, this time healed, and in
Augustine’s own words, ‘Praise to God was shouted
so loud that my ears could scarcely stand the din.
But, of course, the main point was that, in the hearts
of all this clamoring crowd, there burned that faith
in Christ for which the martyr Stephen shed his
blood.’ In this last section of his final great work
Augustine paid his dues, all at once, to the reality of
healing. It was one of the ways, he now saw, that
 men find how true the gospel really is, particularly
the resurrection.32

Augustine was aware not only of the many healings which

occurred in his bishopric over a two year period, he was also
aware of other bishops with whom he communicated that were
also having healings in their areas.

Before Augustine died he became known for the healing

anointing and authority to deliver flowing through his own life.
A major healing occurred during Augustine’s own illness. It
occurred after his completion of The City of God, while Hippo
was under siege. His biographer Possidius tells us the story:

A certain man came with a sick relative and asked

him to lay his hand upon him that he might be
cured. Augustine replied that, if he had any such
power, he certainly would have first applied it to
himself. Thereupon, his visitor replied that he had
had a vision and in his sleep had heard these words:
“Go to Bishop Augustine, that he may lay his hand
upon him, and he will be healed!” When Augustine
learned this, he did not delay doing it and
immediately the Lord caused the sick man to depart
from him healed.33

Possidius also tells us that Augustine prayed with tears and

supplication for certain demoniacs freeing them from their
possession.
Augustine would have a tremendous affect upon the thinking
and writing of the Reformers Luther and Calvin. Augustine’s
strong view of predestination and his writings regarding God’s
sovereignty would change the view of the early church from a
“Warfare Worldview” to the “Blueprint Worldview.” This
would ultimately have a very negative impact upon the
theology of healing for the history of the Church.

ENDNOTES
1Morton T. Kelsey, Healing and Christianity [New York, NY: Harper
and Row, Publishers, 1973, 1976 (paperback)]p. 5
2 Ibid. p. 6
3 Ibid. p. 6
4 Ibid.
5 The information on Persecution has been extracted and condensed
from Study 9 THE CHURCH IN PERSECUTION: Sell, H. T. (1998,
c1906) Studies in Early Church History (Willow Grove, PA:
Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, Copyright, Public Domain)
6 Morton T. Kelsey, Healing and Christianity [New York, NY:
Harper and Row, Publishers, 1973, 1976 (paperback)]p. 139
7 Ibid p. 136, Kelsey references: (Justin Martyr, Second Apology to
the Roman Senate 6: see the Anti-Nicene Fathers)
8 Ibid. p. 149
9 Ibid. p. 149
10 Ibid. pp. 136-137
11 Ibid. p. 136
12 Ibid. p. 149
13 Ibid. p. 149
14 Morton T. Kelsey, Healing and Christianity (New York, NY:
Harper and Row, Publishers, 1973, 1976 ) p. 159
15 Ibid. pp. 150
16 Ibid. pp. 150-151
17 Ibid. p. 152
18 Ibid. p. 173
19 Ibid. p. 160
20 Ibid. p. 169
21 Ibid. p. 168
22 Ibid. p. 168
23 Ibid. pp. 168-169
24 Ibid. p. 167
25 Ibid. p. 168
26 Ibid. p. 168
27 Ibid. p. 174
28 Ibid. pp. 172-173
29 Ibid. p. 162
30 Ibid. p. 185, Kelsey references: (De Vera Religione, cap. 25, nn.
46, 47)
31 Ibid. p. 185, Kelsey references: (De Vera Religione, cap. 25, nn.
46, 47)
32 Ibid. pp. 186-187
33 Ibid. pp. 187-188
 CHAPTER 7
CHARISMATA THROUGH HISTORY 2
LESSON GOALS
1) In this lesson we will continue our walk through Christian
history examining the historical continuation of the Charismata.

2) In this lesson we will seek to understand the developments

in the period up to 430 A.D to 1900.

3) We shall focus briefly on three periods:

Disaster, Decline, Distortion and Desert Divines (430-

1200 A.D.)
Arab, Aristotle and Aquinas (1200-1517 A.D.)
Scholasticism, Skepticism, Scofield and Sanctification:
(1517-1900 A.D.)

INTRODUCTION
In the previous lesson, we set down a detailed survey
concerning the supernatural legacy of healing in church
history through 430 A.D. It was essential for this and the next
lesson that we establish a solid base of thought upon which to
build. To understand the need for restoration of power, we
need to understand where we came from as God’s New
Covenant people. In this lesson we will move more rapidly
through church history, in order to understand how far western
church thought has strayed from the Biblical understanding of
the supernaturally empowered church, and how it has
occurred.

KEY INSIGHTS
Disaster: 6th and 7th Century the Roman
Empire is overrun and western civilization
begins to crumble. The Roman Empire
collapses.
Decline:

Cities emptied
Education collapses
Disease, depression and despair characterize life –
emphasis moves from this life to the next life

Distortion: Jerome’s translation of the

Scriptures into Latin, the language of the
people:
In James 5:16 “heal” is mistranslated as “save”. Interestingly,
the Greek verb áomai (άομαι) which Jerome mistranslated into
the Latin for “save” in James 5:16, he accurately translated into
the Latin for “heal” in Luke 5:17 and Luke 9:11.
 James 5:16a

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for

each other so that you may be healed... (NIV)

Luke 5:17

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of

the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and
from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the
power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.
(NIV)

Luke 9:11

but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He

welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of
God, and healed those who needed healing. (NIV)

Anointing to heal became Extreme Unction to prepare for

dying.

Desert Divines: The decline in morality of

leaders in the church leads those in search
of the purity and power of earlier days to
move to the desert of North Africa.

These monastic movements were holiness revival

 movements within the Church.
These Desert Fathers operated in healing.
Eventually it was thought that only these desert
divines were holy enough to move in healing power.
“Normal” persons who did were suspected of operating
by the power of the Devil.

Arabs, Aristotle and Aquinas (1200-1517

A.D.)

Arabs conquer much of the former Christian lands in

the areas of North Africa, Turkey and Southern Spain
Aristotle’s philosophy becomes the basis for the rising
Arab culture
Aquinas attempts an Apology appropriate for the
Arabs
There results an Aquinas-Aristotelian synthesis

Yet at the end of his life Aquinas had changed. St. Thomas
Aquinas, Dec. 6th 1273: “I can write no more. All I have written
seems so much straw compared with what I have seen and
what has been revealed to me.”

Three months later he died on a mission trip for the Pope.

Others had to finish his famous Suma Theologica; we do not
know how his experience would have changed his theology
had he lived long enough to process the experience into his
theology.
 Scholasticism, Skepticism, Scofield and
Sanctification (1517-1900 A.D.)
Scholasticism:
On Oct. 30th 1517, the 95 Theses were nailed to door of
Whittenburg Church, marking the beginning of the Protestant
Reformation began. The Reformers never challeneged the
Aquinas-Aristotelian Synthesis. In search of authority, the
Reformers became more anti-supernatural, more opposed to
healing than Roman Catholicism. In reaction to the accusation
of the Roman Catholic Church’s claim to the miraculous still in
its midst as a basis of authority, the Protestants became
cessationist, attributing the miracles in the Catholic Church to
being false miracles or of the devil. The Roman Catholic Church
was perceived to be the Great Whore of Revelation and the
Pope the Antichrist.

They did not understand that power flows out of relationship,

not doctrine!

Skepticism:
The Scientific Revolution on the continent of Europe produced
skepticism in the church. Germany and England were
profoundly affected. The anti-supernatural view of Higher
Criticism spread, eventually reaching the shores of the United
States. In Roman Catholicism Gifts of the Spirit as understood
by Pope Gregory the Great, were:
 Wisdom
Science
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude
Piety
Fear

Pope Gregory X: “No longer can the Church say, “Silver and
Gold, have I none.”
Thomas Aquinas: “Yes, but neither can it any longer say, ‘Rise
and Walk.’”

Scofield:
American Cyrus I. Scofield was heavily influenced by
dispensationalist John Nelson Darby. Scofield had a
dispensational view of the history and cessationist view of the
end times. He believed that God’s dealings with man were
broken up into 7 periods of time or dispensations. In this
system, the miraculous ceased with the apostles. His views
were widely propagated and gained major influence in the
notes of the Scofield Bible.

Ironically, the closed dispensational system of interpretation

that Scofield propagated may have violated its own standard.
Dispensationalists did not believe in the revelation and
addition of “new” doctrine by esoteric experiences such as
visions and dreams. Yet some have documented that key
elements of the eschatological system of interpretation he
adopted from Darby can be traced back to the visions of a
young Scottish invalid named Margaret MacDonald.1

The Holiness issue in the 19th century

opens the door to healing ministry: “Faith
Cure” movement:
1) These revival movements centered on a desire for holiness
and a desire for a return to Apostolic Christianity.

2) There were two main branches:

Those of Methodist (Armenian) roots believed it took

years of struggle to experience.
Those of Baptistic (Calvinist) roots entered into
holiness quickly by Faith. This branch was centered in
England with Keswick and spread from there. This
understanding translated over to receiving healing by
Faith.

ENDNOTES
1 From Chapter 10, “Boiling It Down”: “We have
seen that a young Scottish lassie named Margaret
MacDonald had a private revelation in Port
Glasgow, Scotland, in the early part of 1830 that a
select group of Christians would be caught up to
meet Christ in the air before the days of Antichrist.
An eye-and-ear witness, Robert Norton M.D.,
preserved her handwritten account of her pre-trib
rapture revelation in two of his books, and said it
was the first time anyone ever split the second
coming into two distinct parts, or stages. His
writings, along with much other Catholic Apostolic
Church literature, have been hidden many decades
from the mainstream of evangelical thought and
only recently resurfaced. Margaret’s views were
well-know to those who visited her home, among
them John Darby of the Brethren. Within a few
months her distinctive prophetic outlook was
mirrored in the September, 1830, issue of The
Morning Watch and the early Brethren assembly at
Plymouth, England. ” MacPherson, Dave, The
Incredible Cover-up (Medford, OR.: Omega
Publications, 1999), p. 93
 CHAPTER 8
DELIVERANCE: A NEW TESTAMENT
REALITY
LESSON GOALS
1) To gain a Biblical understanding of the spiritual world as it
relates to the origin, nature and hierarchy of Satan and the
demonic host, their operation and relationship to sickness.

2) To understand how Jesus dealt with the demonic host.

INTRODUCTION
This session is designed to give a basic Scriptural foundation
regarding the demonic, in preparation for entering into
deliverance (or liberation) ministry guided by the Pablo Bottari
model of ministry.
KEY INSIGHTS
The Origin of Demons
There are three views regarding the origin of demons:

They are disembodied human spirits from an earlier age.

Demons are the offspring of the union between the
sons of God and the daughters of men (Genesis 6:1-4).
The view I hold and the one historically held by the
 Church is that they are the fallen angels.

The Order or Government of Demons

Demons appear to be the lowest among the
ranks of the beings of evil.
There are several passages where the Apostle Paul lists what
appears to be a hierarchy within the realm of dark evil beings.
There are two passages in Colossians. The first refers to their
defeat by Christ on the cross:

Colossians 2:15

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he

made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them
by the cross.

In this second passage, Paul lists even more of the order of

government of heavenly beings from which the evil beings fell
with Satan (see below):

Colossians 1:16

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and

on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created
by him and for him.
In Ephesians, Paul further describes division and qualifies
these beings of evil:

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but

against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

These beings came were created with Satan’s fall. These

thrones, powers, rulers, authorities of evil were not established
by God, however. God is not the author of evil. They came into
being by the fall of Lucifer and the third of the heavenly court
that followed him in his rebellion against God.

Luke 10:17-18

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even

the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I
saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Revelation 12:7-9

And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels

fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his
angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and
they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was
 hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or
Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled
to the earth, and his angels with him.

Physical Illness and Demons

Not all illness or disease is caused by demons. The
understanding that all sickness was caused by demons was a
common view of many “Healing Evangelists”, but it doesn’t
seem to be the biblical picture – the Bible clearly delineates
between people who are physically or mentally sick from those
who are demonized. Counting the repetitions, there are about
80 references to demons in the New Testament. Of these 80
there are 11 references which indicate a clear distinction
between illness caused by demons and illness caused by other
factors.

Let’s look at a few of these passages:

Matthew 4:24

News about him spread all over Syria, and people

brought to him all who were ill with various diseases,
those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those
having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

Matthew 8:16

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed

were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a
word and healed all the sick.

Matthew 10:8

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have
leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received,
freely give.

Mark 1:32-34

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all

the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered
at the door, 34and Jesus healed many who had various
diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would
not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Mark 6:13

They drove out many demons and anointed many sick

people with oil and healed them.

Mark 16:17-18

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my

name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and
when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at
all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they
will get well.
 Luke 4:40-41

When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all
who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands
on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came
out of many people, shouting,“You are the Son of God!”
But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak,
because they knew he was the Christ.

Luke 9:1-2

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them

power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure
diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of
God and to heal the sick.

Luke 13:32

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and
heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I
will reach my goal.’”

Acts 19:11-12

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that

even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him
were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and
the evil spirits left them.

The results of demonization are not exclusively mental or

nervous. Here is a specific example of a demonized mute man
being healed by the casting out of a demon:

Matthew 9:32-33

While they were going out, a man who was demon-

possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And
when the demon was driven out, the man who had been
mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing
like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

The biblical examples are distinctly and peculiarly mental in two

instances only.

Gadarene maniac and parallel passages (Mark 5:1-20;

Matthew 8:28-9:1)

Luke 8:26-39

They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is

across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore,
he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For
a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a
house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he
cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his
voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most
High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had
commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many
times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand
and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains
and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.
Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”“Legion,” he
replied, because many demons had gone into him. And
they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into
the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the
hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into
them, and he gave them permission. When the demons
came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the
herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was
drowned. When those tending the pigs saw what had
happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and
countryside, and the people went out to see what had
happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man
from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’
feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-
possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the
region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,
because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the
boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone
out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away,
saying,“Return home and tell how much God has done
for you.” So the man went away and told all over town
how much Jesus had done for him.
 The demonized man who attacked the Jewish exorcists.

Acts 19:13-16

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried
to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were
demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus,
whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing
this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I
know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Then
the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and
overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that
they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

There is a distinction made between the demonized and the

epileptic (also translated “lunatic” or “moonstruck” in some
translations):

Matthew 4:24

News about him spread all over Syria, and people

brought to him all who were ill with various diseases,
those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those
having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.
Epilepsy is specified in one case only.

Matthew 17:15, 18

“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures

and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into
the water… Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of
the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

Children Can Become Demonized

Most people in America don’t believe children can become
demonized. We must remember that the forces of evil do not
play by the rules of the Geneva Convention. There are no
civilians in this war for souls, and women and children are
special targets. I have been surprised to see small children
demonized. Twice in the Bible we see children who are
demonized, the Syro-Phonecian woman’s daughter and the
man’s son who Jesus’ disciples couldn’t deliver.

Mark 7:25-26

In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose

little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and
fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian
Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of
her daughter.
Mark 9:14-29

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large

crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing
with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were
overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. “What
are you arguing with them about?” He asked. A man in
the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son,
who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of
speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the
ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and
becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the
spirit, but they could not.” “O unbelieving generation,”
Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long
shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they
brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately
threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground
and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the
boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From
childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into
fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take
pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus.
“Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe;
help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a
crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil
spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command
you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The
spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.
 The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said,
“He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted
him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone
indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t
we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out
only by prayer.”

Note the texts refer to the girl as a little daughter and the man’s
father says the boy had been demonized from “childhood”.

How Jesus Dealt with the Demonic

Mark 1:21-28

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came,

Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The
people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught
them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the
law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was
possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want
with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”“Be quiet!”
said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit
shook the man violently and came out of him with a
shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked
each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with
authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they
obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the
 whole region of Galilee.

Jesus is never seen wrestling with someone to get their

demons out. We never see Jesus wrestling or struggling with
demon powers. He acted from a position of authority (vs. 27),
manifesting the Father’s kingdom:

Luke 11:20

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the

kingdom of God has come to you.

Jesus simply commands them to come out using the authority

He had from the Father. He exercised kingdom authority and
power through simple commands, which the demons had to
obey:

Luke 4:36

All the people were amazed and said to each other,

“What is this teaching? With authority and power he
gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!”

Randy’s Testimony: Sovereign deliverance

by Jesus Christ.
My own personal deliverance was a sovereign deliverance. No
one had to say anything to me, not one person said, “Come
out!” The power of God completed the deliverance even when
no one was sure I was having a deliverance.

This is where I hope to see the Church come to, but most of us
do not walk in this level of power. That means we have to do
deliverance with more emphasis on interviewing to determine
the root causes and then leading them to forgive someone, ask
forgiveness for their own sins, renounce vows and
commitments of an ungodly nature and command the spirit to
leave.

We will cover this in more detail in the upcoming session on

the Argentine deliverance model.

The Ultimate End of Demons

The Bible makes some very clear statements concerning the
ultimate end of Satan and the demonic host. Jesus said that the
eternal fire had been prepared for the “devil and his angels”.
Again, these angels which fell with the Devil from heaven are
the demons on the earth today. The Apostle John connects the
destiny of the fallen angels with the destiny of the devil:

Revelation 12:7-9

And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels

fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his
angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and
they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was
hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or
Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled
to the earth, and his angels with him.

Matthew 25:41

Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from me,

you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the
devil and his angels…”

Revelation 20:10

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the
lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false
prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day
and night for ever and ever.
 CHAPTER 9
THE BASICS OF DELIVERANCE
LESSON GOALS
1) To understand how and where demonic attachment takes
place

2) To understand how to remove demonic attachment

3) How to create a strong spiritual foundation and prevent

further demonic attachment

INTRODUCTION
Scripture tells us not to give the devil a foothold. In this
chapter, we’ll be discussing how demonic attachment takes
places, likely places attachements may take root and how to
remove attachments.

KEY INSIGHTS
All attachments are not equal. Demonic influences in a life has
varying levels.

Mark 5: 1-5

And they came to the other side of the sea, into the
country of the Gerasenes. And when He had come out of
the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an
unclean spirit met Him, and he had his dwelling among
the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore,
even with a chain; because he had often been bound with
shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart
by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one
was strong enough to subdue him. And constantly night
and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was
crying out and gashing himself with stones.

Mark 8:31-33

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must

suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the
chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after
three days rise again. And He was stating the matter
plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke
Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He
rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you
are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Luke 9:38-40

And behold, a man from the multitude shouted out,

saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is
my only boy, and behold, a spirit seizes him, and he
suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion
with foaming at the mouth, and as it mauls him, it
scarcely leaves him. “And I begged Your disciples to cast
it out, and they could not.”
 Luke 11:14

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the
demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the
crowd was amazed.

Matthew 12:22

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was

blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could
both talk and see.

Luke 13:11

and a woman was there who had been crippled by a

spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could
not straighten up at all.

Where does a demon attach itself to a

person?
body/soul/spirit

We are body, soul and spirit. Our spirit is where we connect

with God. We are created as spirit

1Thessalonians 5:23

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;

 and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved
complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.”

beings. Sin seperates us from God and we cut off from God.
Our spirit still functions but it was designed to connect and
relate to God. When we ask Christ to come into our lives, God’s
Spirit connects with our spirit as we are joined with Jesus.
God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God (Rom. 8:16). Our soul is also part of our inner man. It is our
mind (our capacity to think), our will (our capacity to choose)
and our emotions (our capacity to feel). Our bodies are the
temple of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies give us our physical
identity and enable us to relate to the physical world.

At salvation we were totally redeemed, body, soul and spirit.

The spirit was fully redeemed as God’s Spirit connects with our
spirit. Our soul (our mind, will and emotions) has also been
redeemed. 1 Cor 2:16 says that you have the mind of Christ.
Your will has been redeemed. Phil. 2:13 says that God is in you
to will and to work for His good pleasure. God gives you the
desire and the power to do His will. Your emotions have also
been redeemed. He has given you the fruit of the Holy Spirit of
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and so on.
What has been redeemed must be reclaimed. Since God’s Spirit
indwells your Spirit, I believe it has been fully reclaimed. The
soul must now be reclaimed.

The body is under the curse of death, but 1 Cor. 15 tells us that
it will be full reclaimed.

“opportunity” - opportunity, power, place of operation, an area

of legal control. In a kingdom it is the right of jurisdiction over
land determined by the authority of the king.

2 Corinthians 4:16

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer

man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day
by day.”

Ephesians 4:26-27

In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down

while you are still angry, and do not give the devil an
opportunity.

NIV - Don’t give the devil a “foothold.”

KJV - Don’t give the Devil a ‘place’.

NRSV - Do not make “room” for the devil.

NCV - Do not give the devil a way to defeat you.

Demons look for a “right” (a “place”) to

attach.
Our demonic adversary wants to destory our life. He wants us
to self-destruct. The demonic look for a legal “right” to attach
themselves to a person. If we grant such permission and give
him such an “opportunity” or “foothold” in our lives through
our sin, someone else’s sin or any open door that they think
gives a legal entrance. These become inroads into our life that
if left unresolved will eventually bring us to a place where we
eventually ecome enslaved. At the point of enslavement, we
call it a “stronghold”. Even after we have given our lives to
Jesus, the demonic will try to stay if we have given ground
over to the kingdom of darkness. These attachements may
come by our choice, by our neglect or by their deception. They
must be seen as illegal squatters that have no right to the
believer and must be evicted. We must reinforce what Jesus
bought and paid for on the cross. Remember that the devil
doesn’t play by fair rules. He cheats. He is a liar, a theif and a
murderer. If he thinks he has a right, he will claim it. He is a
legalist and looks for loopholes. He seizes what he can.

Some common “opportunities” that open doors to the demonic

(not an exhaustive list):

habitual sin
sexual perversion & pornography
involvement in occult practices
cult involvement voluntary and involuntary
drugs
ancestral or generational sin
curses
 trauma
involuntary exposure to evil
unforgiveness
wounding of the heart

How to Remove Demonic Attachments

Remove their right to be there. Heal the hurt - fix the

crack and they slide
Reinforcing the work of the cross. Often there is no
legitmate right that remains. The shed blood of the
cross destroyed the works of the devil and removed the
curse of the law. The demons are just trespassers that
need to be evicted and you are not only serving them
their eviction notice, but you are removing them
immediately from the premises. That is within your
jurisdiction to enforce.

Don’t leave the “house” empty. Fill the

“house” through rebuilding a Godly
stronghold in the opposite spirit.
Whenever you tear down an ungodly demonic stronghold, you
rebuild that area with a Godly stronghold. You want to fill the
house! It’s for your protection!

Matthew 12:43-45
 When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the
desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will
return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds
its former home empty, swept, and clean. Then the spirit
finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all
enter the person and live there. And so that person is
worse off than before. That will be the experience of this
evil generation.

Ungodly Stronghold Godly Stronghold

pride/self-promotion humility

self-hate self-acceptance/love

rejection acceptance

lust/greed contentment

hate love

fear trust

depression joy

anxiety peace

rudeness kindness

bitterness compassion
fear trust

rage self control

rebellion submission

This is not an exhaustive list, nor is everything necessarily

demonic.
 CHAPTER 10
DELIVERANCE: A TEN-STEP MINISTRY
MODEL
SESSION GOALS
1) To understand the Pablo Bottari Ten-Step deliverance
model, to be a peaceful and loving participate in the ministry of
deliverance (liberation).

INTRODUCTION

Matthew 4:24

So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they

brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various
diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons,
epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. (ESV)

Mark 16:17

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my

name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; (ESV)

In this session we will take what we have already learned about

the New Testament reality of deliverance and build on it by
discussing specifics for moving in deliverance ministry. We
want to emphasize that “seeing a demon under every bush” or
behind every problem is not Biblical. Then again, neither is the
denial of their existence or operation. Sadly, many who could
be helped, especially in Western societies, are denied
assistance because of the lack of practical instruction or by
theologies which deny their need. It is not unusual to read
accounts of western missinaries who have quickly changed
their theology when confronted openly with demonic activity
of the field in Asia, Africa and South America.

To review, deliverance is setting a person free from the

oppression of a demonic spirit.

Note: the term “oppression” is used here, rather than

“possession”, because “possession” implies ownership and
complete control. Since a believer has been purchased by the
Lord Jesus Christ he cannot be “possessed” by Satan or his
emissaries. However, many believers have been host to
demonic presences in their years before conversion, and these
evil spirits do not always cease operation against them when
their host is converted.

For years, Pablo Bottari supervised the deliverance tent at

evangelist Carlos Anacondia’s crusades in Argentina. There
he supervised deliverance ministry to many thousands, and
personally participated in the deliverance of many hundreds of
people, mostly believers. He felt that the deliverance ministry
he saw at first was noisy, difficult, lengthy and often
humiliating to the person being ministered to.
He developed a ten-step model for deliverance which is quietly
effective. The model discussed in this session is based on his.
It is quiet, pastoral, loving, non-humiliating and very effective.
It is followed in all Global Awakening crusades, conferences,
international trips and in many churches.

KEY INSIGHTS
The Pablo Bottari Deliverance Model.
Presuppositions:

We’re ministering to the person, not the demon.

Authority, not wrestling, is the focus.
Counseling, bringing the truth, is key; quietness is
better than flamboyant demonstrations of warfare.
It is extremely important to find out the entry points, the
“open doors” and how to close those doors.
They don’t have to “throw up” or be torn or tormented
to be delivered. Satan loves to make a scene. We want
to rob him of that opportunity.

The Model’s Ten Steps:

The following ten steps are followed in a session where the
minister does not know the host person well, such as in a
crusade or other public meeting setting. In some settings, some
of these steps might be omitted. For example, where the
minister knows the prayee is a believer and really wants to be
set free, steps 4 and 5 would be omitted. If there is no
manifestation during the ministry, step 2 and probably step 3
would be omitted. Remember: These steps are a model, a guide.
Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit at all times!

1) Give the individual priority.

a) Keep a loving attitude, not a militant attitude.

Firmness is necessary in casting out a demon, but in the

meantime, the prayee needs to feel loved and accepted.

b) Be encouraging. Raise hope. Emphasize to the

prayee that Jesus can bring them freedom.

c) Don’t emphasize the power of the demon; it is

subject to you in the name of Jesus.

Remember that the prayee may have been in bondage for years,
and perhaps has received many prayers that were not
completely effective.

2) If a spirit manifests, bring it under

submission, in the Name of Jesus.
a) Take authority over the spirit.

Tell it, “Submit, in the name of Jesus!”, or “Be quiet, in Jesus’

name!” or similar commands. It is best to let the prayee know
that you are not speaking to them, but to the demon.
 b) Repeat such commands until the spirit is quiet.

c) Don’t be surprised if this takes time. Be persistent.

You may have to command the spirit several times – or even

many times --to submit. It will come under submission.

d) If others gather while you are quieting the spirit,

ask them not to touch the prayee, and not to speak
or pray loudly.

Your objective is not to keep the spirit stirred up, but to get the
spirit to be quiet so that you can talk to the prayee.

Mark 16:17

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my

name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; (ESV)

3) Establish and maintain communication

with the prayee.
a) You must be able to talk with the person
receiving ministry, because you must have his
cooperation if the deliverance is to be successful.

b) If you are not sure the prayee can hear you, ask -
even if the person’s eyes are closed.
 c) Maintaining communication may require
additional commands to the spirit to submit, during
ministry.

The prayee may drop his head, close his eyes, or let his eyes
may wander. Ask him to hold his head up, to open his eyes, to
look at you. If the person cannot do these things, a spirit is
involved and you should order the spirit to submit.

4) Ask the prayee what s/he wants to be free

from, and try to make sure s/he really wants
to get free.
a) In a crusade situation, ask the person receiving
ministry what he wants to be freed from.

If the prayee is uncertain, ask them what the speaker was

praying about when the spirit started to manifest.

Other helpful initial questions are whether he is trying to break

any habit without success, or whether he has any conduct he
considers odd or unusual.

b) In private ministry, the prayee probably will

know what the bondages are that he or she wants to
be set free from.

This can include one or two specific bondages, or it may

involve a broader ministry – a thorough housecleaning. The
prayee may have communicated this information in advance to
the person who will be ministering.

c) If the prayee indicates that he does not want

ministry even though a spirit has manifested, abide
by that decision.

d) If the prayee wants to leave after partial ministry,

allow the person to leave.

You may encounter attitudes that indicate lack of desire for

complete freedom.

e) Do not try to detain the prayee or to minister

against his or her will.

5) Make sure the prayee understands to

make Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour.
a) The ministry recipient will need the help of the
Holy Spirit to stay free.

If he is not a Christian, he probably will be back in bondage

shortly, even if he is delivered. This should be explained to
him. It isn’t wise to try to deliver him in the hope that he will
become a believer as a result of getting free.

Matthew 12:43-45a

When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through

arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says,
 ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds
the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more
wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the
final condition of that man is worse than the first...”

b) If you can lead the person to Christ, do. If you

can’t, pray for him; bless him.

Pray for the healing of his hurts and wounds. Let him know by
your attitude that you are not offended. Be loving, but don’t
cast out any spirits. Explain why that you won’t, because he
won’t be able to stay free. Encourage him to take the step of
making Jesus his Lord and then return for deliverance.

6) Interview the prayee to discover the event

or events, the conduct or the relationship
situations that have led to his or her
bondage or bondages.
a) The purpose is to expose where forgiveness is
required and where healing, repentance and
breaking of bondages are needed.

b) Find all open doors. If there is no obvious place

to start, begin with his parental relationships, then
move to other areas. Be thorough, don’t rush.

c) Do not stir up demons, keep them quiet. List the

 spirits encountered and areas requiring forgiveness
of others or repentance.

d) Consider a curse if the person has persistent

difficulty in an area of life.

e) Fear is an entry point for many different spirits

(and a problem in many illnesses).

7) Lead the prayee in “closing” these

“doors” to the admission of spirits.
a) Forgive whoever caused the hurt or led him into
wrong conduct.

b) Repent and ask forgiveness for specific sins.

It is important to be specific, such as, “Father, forgive me for

___ (hate, bitterness, sharing my body with ____, reading
horoscopes, etc.).”

c) Renounce all sins or spirits involved in the name

of Jesus.

Renunciation should be audible and firm.

Renunciation is not a prayer to God. It is spoken to the
spirit involved, who is an enemy. It should be spoken
as a command to an enemy, not a petition to God.
Spirits taken in without the sin of the prayee need to be
 renounced the same as those that entered through his
wrong attitudes or other fault. For example, if a child
witnesses his parents fighting (verbally or physically),
he may take in spirits of confusion, anxiety, fear,
insecurity and others.
Renounce all spirits involved, in the name of Jesus. In
the case of sex outside marriage, the person should
renounce spirits taken in from every partner he can
recall, individually, by first names if possible.
Pacts with Satan and inner vows must be renounced
and curses broken, such as “In the name of Jesus I
renounce the spirits of ____ and _____” or “In the
name of Jesus, I renounce the vow I made never/always
to ____.”

d) The minister should break the yoke of bondage

and the power of any spirit.

This closes the door. You or the seeker can do this:

“In the name of Jesus I break the power of the spirit(s)

of ____ over (person’s name) so that when they are
cast out, they will not come back.”
“In the name of Jesus I break the power of every curse
over (person’s name) from ______ (father’s careless
critical words, mother’s rejection, etc.).”

8) When all doors are closed, cast out the

 unclean spirit or spirits.
With all doors closed, the spirits will leave quickly and quietly.

If they don’t leave promptly, go back to Step 6. Tell the person

there may be other spirits to deal with. Re-interview. Ask the
Holy Spirit to show you or the seeker or a team member what
He wants to do next.

9) Lead the prayee in a prayer of praise

and thanksgiving to Jesus for his or her
deliverance.
If the person cannot speak, or if spirits manifest, more doors
need to be closed.

10) Have the prayee ask the Holy Spirit to

fill him/her, to fill up every space formally
occupied by an evil spirit.
We don’t want to leave the house swept clean and empty!
Spend time praying for an infilling of the Holy Spirit! You want
them to leave in love with Jesus and rejoicing in His strength,
power, and love!

Post ministry suggestions:

1) Walking in forgiveness as a lifestyle.
 Explain that forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling, and
that he can forgive a person even if he doesn’t feel like
it. He can choose to forgive. His spirit can have the rule
over his emotions, and it is important to forgive for his
own best interest.
The prayee needs to know that the forgiveness process
– of needing to forgive the same person more than once
(sometimes many times) – is normal and not a sign that
the deliverance ministry was a failure.

2) Asking the Lord for healing quickly after

being hurt.
3) Instruct them to commit to
accountability, such as in an
accountability/cell/home group in the
person’s local fellowship.
4) Suggesting ways to change crucial habit
patterns. Some possibilities are:

Praise God, singing or listening to praise songs, reading

Psalms.
Pray in tongues.
Take authority over tempting spirits in the name of
Jesus and send them away.
Thank God for having been set free. This is very
 important!
If he falls, he can repent quickly and get the door
closed again.
If Satan accuses him of being a sinner, he can say:
“You’re right, Satan. Just look at what Jesus has
forgiven me for!”
He can look for ways to remind himself that Jesus is his
Lord. You can tell him that a number one priority should
be to make Jesus the Lord over every area of his life.
Ask daily for infilling of the Holy Spirit.

5) Taking authority over any spirits that

may try to attack or torment him or her
again in the future.
6) Praying in tongues.
7) Daily Bible reading, having intimate
quiet time with God.
8) Things that the Holy Spirit may prompt
concerning walking in the light.
The following chart can be used as a guideline
for common things to be “tuned in” for as you
minister:
 Body Soul
Sexual sin of Despair/ Hatred in al
Resentment/Anger
any kind Hopelessness forms
Uninvited
sexual Trauma and its effects Pride/Arrogance Criticism/Go
relationship
Long
Rejection/ Rebellion/ Envy in all
Illness/General
Loneliness Vengenance forms
Weakness

All Addictions Unforgiveness/Bitterness Fear in all forms Greed

 CHAPTER 11
GROWING IN CONFIDENCE
SESSION GOALS
1) To clarify your identity and power as a child of the King.

INTRODUCTION
One of the biggest roadblocks I see in Christians seeking to
walk in healing is a lack of confidence. In this session, we will
be discussing the scriptural basis for understanding and
walking in your authority in Jesus.

KEY INSIGHTS
What God calls you to He will empower

Matthew 4:23

Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the

synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about
the Kingdom. And He healed people who had every kind
of sickness and disease.

When Jesus taught His disciples to advance the Kingdom of

God, He modeled and taught them to do two things…
DECLARE the Kingdom and DEMONSTRATE the Kingdom.
The demonstration gave opportunity to declare the Kingdom
or demonstrated validated the declaration. A part of that
demonstration was the casting out of demons.

Luke 9:1-2

And He called the twelve together, and gave them power

and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases.
And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God,
and to perform healing.

Luke 10: 1, 9

Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and

sent them two and tow ahead of Him to every city and
place where He Himself was going to come...and heal
those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of
God has come near to you.’

John 14:12

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the

works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go to the Father.

1 Corinthians 2

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with

superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you
the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing
 among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I
was with you in weakness and in fear and in much
trembling. And my message and my preaching were not
in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of
the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on
the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Live convinced of the completed work of

Jesus
You must live convinced of the absolute victory of Jesus over
the Kingdom of Darkness.

You have to be convinced that Jesus has absolute authority in

heaven and on earth.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither

angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 28:18

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given

complete authority in heaven and on earth.
 Ephesians 1:21-22

Now he (Jesus) is far above any ruler or authority or

power or leader or anything else in this world or in the
world to come. And God has put all things under the
authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the
benefit of the church.

You have to be convinced that the Devil has been completely

stripped of all authority.

Dwell on the Greatness of God

Colossians 2:15

God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their

authority. With the cross, he won the victory and showed
the world that they were powerless.

Secure in your authority in Jesus.

You and Jesus are ONE – (principle of unification)

2 Kings 6:15-18

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen

early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and
chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to
him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he
answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are
more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed
and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may
see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he
saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and
chariots of fire all around Elisha.

I died with Christ

I was buried with Christ

1 John 5:13

I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that

you may know you have eternal life.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature;

the old things passed away; behold, new things have
come.

I was raised with Christ

I am seated with Christ
You need to know that you have the right to walk out and
exercise that authority.

Ephesians 1

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so

that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what
are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the surpassing greatness of His power
toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the
working of the strength of His might which He brought
about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and
seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far
above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this age, but
also in the one to come. And He put all things in
subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all
things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of
Him who fills all in all.

1 John 2:6

Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.

Luke 10:18-20

And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from

heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority
to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the
power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.
 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are
subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded
in heaven.”

Identity Statement for Ministering

Deliverance
I am a child of the King, I am a co-heir with Jesus
All Jesus bought and paid for is my inheritance
I am united with Jesus, I have been crucified with Christ
I died with Him, I was buried with Him,
I was raised with Him,
I am seated with Him in the heavenlies
far above all rule, all power, all authority,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age, but also in the one to come
Therefore I carry the authority of Christ
I have authority over sickness, over sin, over the flesh,
over demons, and over the world.
I am the salt of the earth, I am the light of the world
I will displace the darkness, I have the full armor of God
I put on the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth,
the helmet of salvation, the sandals of peace,
I take up the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit,
for the weapons of my warfare are not fleshly.
They are divinely powerful
to tear down the strongholds of darkness.
I can do all things through Christ,
Because greater is He who is in me
Than he who is in the world.
 CHAPTER 12
BREAKING FREE: PART 1
SESSION GOALS
1) To understand the gift of spiritual discernment and to learn
to recognize the difference between natural and demonic
mental and physical afflications.

2) What questions to ask and what to be aware of during a

deliverance.

3) How to rebuke a demon and command it to go.

INTRODUCTION
With deliverance, you will need to recognize that when you are
dealing with the demon. Even so, you must always give priority
to the person. The act of deliverance should be an act of love,
freeing the person. It’s about the person and their freedom.

KEY INSIGHTS
How do you know you are dealing with a
Demon?
Through Spiritual Discernment
The gift of discerning of spirit discerns if the spirit operating is
the Holy Spirit, a demonic spirit or the human spirit. You need
to be aware of any spiritual “caution flags” that go off inside of
you that God will use to help you discern.

Remember that not everything is demonic. If someone is

mentally ill, that doesn’t mean they are demonized. The brain is
an organ and can malfunction like a liver, a heart colon, etc.
The unfortunate thing is that some people want to put every
mental malfunction in the category of being a demon. The
malfunction of the brain may be a phsyical issue, a spiritual
issue or both. It might be caused by a demon or have a demon
present, but you can’t assume that every brain or mental
dysfunction is demonic. You need to listen to the Holy Spirit.

If a person went through abuse when they were really young,

they may have developed patterns of disassociation where the
brain went into survival mode and their brain partitioned so
that some parts of their brain disassociated with other parts. It
was a protective pattern that enabled them to survive as
children, but becomes dysfunctional as adults if it still remains.
They end up going through life with a mind that is fragmented,
with fragmented personalities and memories. The brain is
wonderfully made. The body is designed to survive. But these
disassociated parts aren’t demons. There may be demons
attached to some and maybe there are some demons
masquerading as a disassociated personality, but the healing
of that person isn’t through casting out a bunch of demons,
but through the healing of the inner wounds.

Through observing certain physical

 manifestations
This could be things like:

The pain in the body is moving around

Sudden drowsiness, possibly even a drunked stupor
Facial controtions
Screaming
Rigid body
Eye rolling around, a lack of eye contact
Changing voices
...a whole lot more

A physical manifestation doesn’t mean that there is a demon

present, but should be investigated. Demons don’t always
manifest, but don’t be surprised when they do.

Through asking probing questions:

Do they hear voices?

Do they have uncontrollable sin?
Do they possess habitual uncontrollable behavior?
Are they ruled by abnormal emotions?
Are they ruled by self hatred?

The person you are dealing with must ALWAYS be given

priority. You must see them as an important person that God
loves. You must give them honor as God’s creature. They may
have some significant emotional hurts that may have opened
the door to the demonic. The deliverance should be an act of
love. Since our priority is the healing of the person, we don’t
sacrifice the person by laying them on the alter of an agenda of
deliverance that would scar and wound the person in the
process. When people feel loved, deliverance goes faster.

Rebuke the demon and tell it to go.

Just tell the unclean spirit to go. Don’t always presume the
demon has a “right”; their “right” is usually not legitmate.
They may be loosely attached. I only go down the road of
looking for legal rights if they don’t leave after a moment or
two of telling the unclean spirit to leave.

Involve their will

In rebuking the demons, include the person to be a participant.
There is great power in their will. There is power in agreement.
Often that demon is present because the person came into
agreement with something. This agreement empowers the
demon. The solution requires the person to come into
agreement with the will of God and to get this unclean spririt
out. It is best to teach them how to fight. If you don’t, you
might find yourself fighting their battles for them.

If the demon doesn’t leave after a moment or

two, we have to investigate “WHY” it still
remains.
When they don’t go, there are a couple of reasons why. Here
we need to investigate if there is still a “right” that this demon
is still attached to. Is there a door that needs to be shut? Is
there a foothold that needs to be taken back?

Has the reason why this demon was attached in the

first place been thoroughly removed?
Is there no desire or intent to “occupy” the land?

Matthew 12:43-45

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the

desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will
return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds
its former home empty, swept, and clean. Then the spirit
finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all
enter the person and live there. And so that person is
worse off than before. That will be the experience of this
evil generation.”

Exodus 23:29-30

But I will not do this all in one year because the land
would become a wilderness, and the wild animals would
become too many to control. I will drive them out a little
at a time until your population has increased enough to
fill the land.
 Remove the “right” or “open door” given to
the demon, then remove the demon.
Once you establish that there is still a right or an open door in
which a demonic spirit is still attached to, then give attention to
that area and remove its right. Once the “right” is removed,
then command the spirit to submit and go.
 CHAPTER 13
BREAKING FREE: PART 2
SESSION GOALS
1) To learn about the power of words, the creation of curses
and soul ties, how to break free of them, and how to renounce
previous involvement in the occult.

INTRODUCTION
The words we speak have more power than we realize. In this
session, we will discuss curses and soul ties, how they come
about and how to break free of them. We will also discuss
declarations and using them to free ourselves and others.

KEY INSIGHTS
Breaking the power of words that bring a
curse

Genesis 11:1, 6

Now the whole earth used the same language and the
same words… And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one
people, and they all have the same language. And this is
what they began to do, and now nothing which they
purpose to do will be impossible for them.”
 1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ, that you all say the same thing, that there be no
divisions among you and that you be united with the
same understanding and the same conviction.

John 17:21-23

My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as

you and I are one, Father--that just as you are in me and
I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will
believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you
gave me, so that they may be one, as we are-- I in them
and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the
world will know that you sent me and will understand
that you love them as much as you love me.”

Matthew 12:36-37

And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall
speak, they shall render account for it in the day of
judgment. “For by your words you shall be justified, and
by your words you shall be condemned.”

What you send out of your mouth will come back to you.

Luke 6
 But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for
those who mistreat you. But love your enemies, and do
good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your
reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most
High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not
judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn,
and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be
pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you; good
measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over,
they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of
measure it will be measured to you in return.

It is your birthright to be free from the bondage of the curse of

words.

Galatians 3:13

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having

become a curse for us - for it is written, curse is everyone
who hangs on a tree.

Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but

only such a word as is good for edification according to
the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those
who hear.

Prayer
In the name of Jesus

I break every curse of words against me

I take every word captive that has been spoken over

me

…that I spoke over myself

And I break the power those curses from hell

I cancel every assignment of darkness

I cast them to the ground

I call blessing to fall on me in their place

I take back every curse I have spoken against

another

I cast those words down to the ground

I return a blessing on those with whom I have cursed

Jesus took my cursing so I can live in blessing

Renounce previous or current involvement in

any occult or cultic practices

John 14:5-6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the
life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

Prayer
In the name of Jesus, I renounce any involvement in
(name the occult or the cultic practice)

I renounce (list the practices you participated in)

I ask you God to forgive me for worshipping other

Gods.

I declare that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life

No one comes to the Father but through Him.

Jesus is Lord of all, I will worship God and Him

alone.

Genesis 2:23-24

And the man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And

flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she
was taken out of Man.” For this cause a man shall leave
his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife;
and they shall become one flesh.

Matthew 19:5-6

and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and
mother and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall
become one flesh’? Consequently they are no longer two,
but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let
no man separate. (see also Mark 10:8-9 & Ephesians
5:31 which also quote the Genesis 2 text)

1 Corinthians 6:16

Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a

harlot is one body with her? For He says, “The two will
become one flesh.”

1 Corinthians 6:18

Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects

the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin
against your own body.

Psalms 23:3a

He restores my soul…

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;

 and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved
complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.

Breaking Soul ties:

Since restoration of the soul is the intention of the Lord, then
there must be a way to bring restoration of the soul that has
been fragmented in unholy soulish relationships. Based on the
intention of God for soul restoration and the dilemma of soul
fragmentation by unholy sexual unions, we deduce that God
grants permission and authority to call our souls into holy
alignment. We can confidently ask the Lord to restore our
souls into wholeness. We can ask the Lord to restore what we
have lost or have given away that rightfully belongs to us and
to send away what isn’t ours to keep.

Prayer
In the authority of Jesus,

I plead the Blood of Jesus

To stand between me and ____(this

person)________

And separate the “one flesh” union.

I send back to them

 everything that I have taken from them

…when I became “one flesh” with him/her.

I call back to me

…everything that I gave in this “one flesh” union.

I declare the blood of Jesus to be a wall of

separation between us

Thank You Jesus for restoring my soul

Breaking the generational curses.

Number 14:18

The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in

lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but
He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth
generations.

Isaiah 28

So listen to the Lord’s message, you who brag, you

leaders in Jerusalem. You say, “We have made an
agreement with death; we have a contract with death.
When terrible punishment passes by, it won’t hurt us. Our
lies will keep us safe, and our tricks will hide us.”
Because of these things, this is what the Lord GOD says:
“I will put a stone in the ground in Jerusalem, a tested
stone. Everything will be built on this important and
precious rock (cornerstone). Anyone who trusts in it will
never be disappointed. I will use justice as a measuring
line and goodness as the standard. The lies you hide
behind will be destroyed as if by hail. They will be
washed away as if in a flood. Your agreement with death
will be erased; your contract with death will not help
you. When terrible punishment comes, you will be
crushed by it.

Numbers 6:24-27

The LORD bless you and keep you, the LORD make his
face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD
turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ “So they
will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Prayer
In the name of Jesus,

I declare the blood of Jesus

to stand between me and the _______ generation

as a wall of separation.

I cancel every assignment of darkness

 and remove every right of the demonic

to afflict me because of the sin of that generation.

I call to me my righteous inheritance

and the blessings of that generation.

Forgive and release

What forgiveness is and what it is not:

Forgiveness IS acknowledging an offense.

Forgiveness is NOT saying this didn’t happen to you.
Forgiveness is NOT saying what they had done was
OK.
Forgiveness IS forgiving a debt.
Forgiveness IS giving up any unrealistic or unfulfilled
expectations.
Forgiveness is NOT reconciliation.
Forgiveness is NOT releasing the proper boundaries
that could prevent future damage.
Forgiveness IS releasing you to get on with life to fulfill
your destiny.

Romans 12:19

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room

for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is
 Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Unforgiveness has consequences?

The tormentors are unleashed against those who refuse

to forgive. (Matthew 18:21-35)
You curse yourself. (James 3:8-10, Luke 6:38, Matthew
12:37)
Possible, and very likely, physical problems
You can cut off the impartation of the blessings that
another can give you.
Your offender still has power over you until you
forgive.

Forgiveness IS releasing the offender into the care of Jesus,

the Just Judge, who is your defender.

Prayer
In the name of Jesus,

I choose to forgive as I have been forgiven.

I now choose to forgive _______________

I release any right I have retained

…To bring revenge.

 I release them from my hands

And place them into Your hands, my Just Judge

I break every curse I have sent to them

I call forth a blessing towards them

Removing the SLIME from a fear bond

I will live in perfect love that casts out fear

I cast off the yoke of domination

I now choose to forgive _________(name the

person)

I break the power of their words over me

I break the victim spirit off of me

I rebuke the fear of man I have lived under

I cancel my bond to them

I take back my true identity

I will not live under oppression

I receive my Father’s love

I am now free to live and to love

 Final thoughts

Cover yourselves and family members with the blood of

Jesus. Put on the full armor of God
Work as a team.
Depend on the word of knowledge and discerning of
spirit gifts.
The Holy Spirit is the deliverer.
Teach them how to fight or you will always fight their
battles for them. Their will MUST be involved.
Be relaxed and don’t shout and don’t wrestle the
people. Yelling doesn’t increase your authority.
A manifesting demon is the last thing they want to do.
Be aware of those whose assignment is to drain you of
energy and distract.
Take extra care in dealing with children.
Don’t pursue demons –
Not everything is demonic.
Don’t listen to their threats -- they lie
Angels are present
Deliverance is Jesus’ ministry, not yours. Jesus
delivers. You just get to watch and speak when you are
told.

TAKE TIME TO DESLIME

After ministering to the demonized, take time to dust off any
residue from that encounter. Ask the Lord to wash everything
off of you, to cancel any assignments of hell, and release the
assignments of heaven over you and your team. Ask Him to
keep you minds pure, to guard your emotions, to protect your
body, and bless those you who would curse you.

Affirmation Declaration
There is only one true and living God,

…who exists as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Jesus Christ is the Christ, the only way to the

Father.

Jesus destroyed the works of the devil.

He disarmed the rulers and authorities,

…having triumphed over them

…through His shed blood on the cross.

Jesus now has all authority in heaven and on earth

Jesus has authority over sin, He has authority over

sickness

He has authority over death, He has authority over

the world,

He has authority over the devil.

He has redeemed me from hell and has given me a
new destiny.

I am saved by grace through faith and not of my

works

Jesus delivered me from the domain of darkness and

transferred me to His kingdom,

I have been forgiven of all my sin.

I am now ONE with Jesus

I died with Christ. I was buried with Christ,

I rose with Christ. I am seated with Jesus in the

heavenlies.

Because I am one with Jesus

I am righteous, I am holy, I am a saint

I will live above sin because I am prone to do

righteousness

I am not prone to sin any more

I am a new creature, the old is gone

The new has come

Because of my oneness of Jesus

I have authority over sin, over the world, over the
devil.

I can resist the devil and he will flee form me.

God has given me spiritual weapons, and spiritual

armor

I can live a victorious life

I can do all things through Christ

I will overcome in this world

Because greater is He who is in me

Than he who is in the world.

 CHAPTER 14
CESSATIONISM: PART 1
LESSON GOALS
1) Introduce the topic of Cessationism and understand the
relevance today of evaluating B.B. Warfield’s Counterfeit
Miracles.

2) Define Cessationism and its key tenets.

3) Review a brief history of Cessationism’s development in

Church history.

4) Understand the stage of development of cessationism as

defined in Calvinism.

Lesson Glossary:

apologist: one who speaks or writes in defense of

someone or something

glossolalia: speaking in tongues

hermeneutics: the study of the methodological

principles of interpretation (as of the Bible)

polemic: an aggressive attack on or refutation of the

opinions or principles of another

presupposition: a conditional element in logic or

 fact

INTRODUCTION

Matthew 9:35
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching
in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the
kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Matthew 10:7-8
As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven
is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who
have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have
received, freely give.

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of
power.

1 Thessalonians 1:5a
Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but
also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full
conviction.

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the
whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the
end will come.
To begin, let us look at a quote from Jon Ruthven in his book
On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic
on Postbiblical Miracles:

Historically, Pentecostalism has provoked

controversy at almost every stage of its development.
This has been true not merely because of its
tradition-breaking forms of worship and practice,
but, significantly for the purposes of this essay,
because the emergence of Pentecostalism was a
tangible challenge to a theological position
maintained in the church for centuries: that the
miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit had ceased.
Against this, the salient characteristic of
Pentecostalism is its belief in the present-day
manifestation of spiritual gifts, such as miraculous
healing, prophecy and, most distinctively,
glossolalia. Pentecostals affirmed that these
spiritual gifts (charismata) are granted by the Holy
Spirit and are normative in contemporary church
life and ministry.1

As described in Vinson Synan’s book, In the Latter Days, the

Pentecostal fire that broke out at the beginning of the 20th
century and spread literally around the world is indeed a
formidable “tangible challenge” to the cessasionist position
that the miraculous charismata have ceased. During the 1960s
and 1970s it set ablaze believers within mainline Protestantism
and Roman Catholicism in the Neo-Pentecostal/Charismatic
renewal. In the 1980s its flames ignited Evangelicalism and
other mainline groups in the Third Wave movement. Synan
describes this last development’s effects:

The coming together of evangelicals and

charismatics in the 1980s presaged other changes
in American church life. Although little had been
said by mission boards of the mainline churches,
Pentecostalism had long since swept into the
mission fields of other denominations. Southern
Baptists whispered the rumor that an estimated 75
percent of their missionaries had spoken in tongues
in the various “renovation” and charismatic
movements in the third world during the 1970s.
Large numbers of Methodists, Presbyterians,
Anglicans, and Lutheran missionaries had become
practicing Pentecostals on the field – a fact they did
not broadcast back home.

The latter rain was also falling in the major

independent seminaries of the nation as well as in
many of the denominational schools. This led to a
fever of research and writing on the doctoral level
on all things pertaining to Pentecostalism.

A sign of the times in the academic world was the

development of the most popular course ever offered
at Fuller Theological Seminary. Taught by
professors John Wimber and Peter Wagner, “Signs,
Wonders and Church Growth” attracted some 100
 students to study the use of the gifts of the Spirit in
the churches. Wimber‘s classes often ended with
prayer for the sick, tongues, and prophecies. Wimber
put his theories into practice in his “Vineyard
Christian Fellowship” congregation in Yorba
Linda, California, where 4000 persons attended
Sunday worship services in a church that by 1982
was only five years old.

As large numbers of young converts from the “Jesus

movement” felt the call to preach, they increasingly
entered seminaries and schools of theology to
prepare for the ministry. By 1983, about one third of
the student bodies of Fuller and Gordon Conwell
seminaries were made up of Pentecostals or
charismatics. Many of these graduates were called
to serve traditional mainline congregations as
pastors, musicians, and ministers of Christian
education. By the 1980s they were being welcomed
with open arms and with few questions asked about
their charismatic experiences.2

According to Synan, “While few mainline theologians would

accept the Pentecostal theory of initial evidence, there was a
tendency after 1970 to accept the premise that the gifts of the
Spirit were operative in modern times, and to reject the old
theory of the cessation of the charismata.”3 Yet, according to
Ruthven the growth of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement
“did not occur without opposition”4:
The cessationist polemic, which was often directed against
persons or groups claiming religious authority via any
exhibition of divine healings, prophecies or miracles, recurs
consistently from within such conflict settings throughout the
history of the church and even within rabbinic Judaism. But it
emerged in its modern form most prominently in the conflict
between Rome and the Protestant reformers, notably Calvin,
then again during the Enlightenment in ’[sic] the ‘great
debate on miracles’, and presently in the twentieth-century
opposition to the Pentecostal-charismatic movement. In
recent years the advancing front of charismatic growth has
precipitated showers of polemical books and tracks, virtually
all reiterating the cessationist premise.5

In a footnote reference to the “showers of polemical books and

tracks” Ruthven lists over 25 books and articles dealing with
the “cessationist polemic” response to the
Pentecostal/Charismatic/Third Wave movement.6 Possibly one
of the most well-known, highly available works listed - clearly a
modern representative of the cessationist polemic - is
Charismatic Chaos (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) by
John F. MacArthur, Jr. In his introduction, Dr. MacArthur
acknowledges what Synan documents--the rapid spread of this
“tangible challenge” to cessationism:

Through modern communication media – especially

television – the charismatic movement has swept the
globe and is expanding at a rapid pace.
Charismatic teaching has now reached beyond the
 United States and Europe to the remotest parts of
South America, the Orient, Africa, India, the South
Pacific, Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union –
nearly everywhere the name of Christ is known.
Literally millions worldwide believe God is giving
people signs, wonders, and miracles on a scale
unprecedented since Biblical times. These claims
continue to multiply at a rate so prolific that they
can hardly be cataloged, let alone verified.7

MacArthur also expresses disconcert at its further spread to

the “formerly wary” through their attraction to the Signs and
Wonders movement and its “notion”:

Some even go so far as to deny the effectiveness of

evangelism without such miracles. They argue that
the gospel message is weakened or nullified if not
accompanied by great signs and wonders. They
believe some people need to see signs and wonders
before they will believe. That notion has spawned a
whole new movement, grandiosely tagged “the
Third Wave of the Holy Spirit,” also known as the
Signs and Wonders movement....This recent
variation on the old charismatic theme is attracting
many evangelicals and others from mainline
denominations who were formerly wary of
Pentecostal and charismatic influences.8

Ruthven, introducing the purpose of his book’s study, makes

an interesting observation concerning the response to the
cessationist polemic as represented by books such as
MacArthur’s Charismatic Chaos:

Many political and theological works either express

directly or presuppose the position that the
miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit had ceased. In
response, some defenders of present-day charismata
established their case of historical studies which
endeavor to show a more or less continuous line of
charismatic activity throughout the centuries.

Despite the relatively large size of the Pentecostal

charismatic constituency, there has been – with a
small, but growing, number of exceptions – little
scholarly effort to trace and evaluate the
cessationist position, including its historical and
Biblical aspects, from a perspective of systematic
theology.9

In Ruthven’s book - which is just such a scholarly response to

the cessationist position - he explains his focus on analyzing
the cessationist polemic writings of B.B. Warfield:

The doctrine that miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit

ceased around the apostolic age has evolved over
the long expanse of church history, and has found
expression in various religious persuasions and
philosophical convictions. This study evaluates the
historical levels of influence from John Calvin to
Warfield and the rationale for this cessationist
 polemic. It focuses in particular upon B.B.
Warfield’s thought because this represents the
historical culmination of the cessationist tradition
and because Warfield was the most prominent
modern evangelical advocate for the position. His
thought is singled out here because he stands at or
near the end of the evolution of cessationism, works
within Calvinism, the dominant religious tradition
espousing this position, and is steeped in the
modern philosophical presuppositions which
undergird the recent expressions of cessationism.10

He further explains Warfield’s immense theological influence

even today:

To most theological leaders of millions of

evangelicals and fundamentalists in North America,
the collection of Warfield’s work in The Inspiration
and Authority of the Bible stands as the definitive
statement on the nature of biblical revelation... He
also produced a definitive statement for
evangelicals on another issue: the occurrence of
modern-day miracles. In the evangelical debates
over the continuation of charismatic gifts, Warfield’s
Counterfeit Miracles remains, after seven decades,
the major starting point for this discussion as well.
Accordingly, this study treats Warfield’s Counterfeit
Miracles as the final, authoritative and
representative expression of cessationism for
 conservative American evangelicalism.11

Ruthven cites numerous to support his assessment of the

centrality of Warfield’s influence.12

It is our goal in this six-part series of lessons entitled “B.B.

Warfield, His Counterfeit Miracles, and Today’s Echoes” -
using Ruthven’s analysis as a framework - to show the failure
of the cessationist polemic of B.B. Warfield, and to validate
what we believe to be the biblical understanding for the
function and duration of the charismata.

KEY INSIGHTS
To avoid getting lost in the details, let’s start out by getting a
framework of the basic concepts and issues of this study and
our plan of analysis.

Cessationism Defined
Cessationism is, simply stated, the doctrine that revelatory and
miraculous charismata13 passed away with the apostolic age.
What is telling is the great inconsistency among cessationists
as to what “passed away with the apostolic age” really means.
Ruthven says of R.W. Graves, author of Tongues Shall Cease:
A Critical Survey of the Supposed Cessation of the
Charismata, Paraclete 17 (Fall 1983).

He notes in cessationist writings the bewildering

and imprecise variety of points at which the
charismata are believed to have ceased, for
 example, after the writing of 1 Corinthians, the book
of Hebrews, or the last New Testament book; at the
closing of the canon of Scripture; when the New
Testament was ‘accepted’ or ‘circulated’; at the
death of the last apostle; the death of the last
disciple on whom the apostles confirmed a charism;
when the apostolic age passed; at the destruction of
Jerusalem; when the Church matured in ‘love’ or in
‘doctrine’; until faith was established; ‘ when the
whole knowledge of God designed for the saving the
health of the world had been incorporated into the
living body of the world’s thought’.14

Is it possible that this confusion is evidence of inconsistencies

and contradictions intrinsic to the cessationist polemic? We
believe so, and will later examine why.

Cessationism As Expressed in Warfield’s

Polemic
According to Ruthven, Warfield’s polemic is an expression of
the traditional, Protestant cessationist propositions of classic,
post-Reformation Calvinism which can be summarized as
follows:

The essential role of miraculous charismata is to

accredit “normative” or “true” Christian doctrine
and its bearers. While God may providentially act in
unusual or striking ways, true miracles are limited
to epochs of special divine revelation, i.e., those of
 the Biblical period Miracles are judged by the
doctrines they purport to accredit. Therefore, if
doctrines are false or alter orthodox doctrines, then
the accompanying miracles are necessarily
counterfeit. 15

Warfield’s Cessationism: Its Central Failure

In the Scripture verses at the beginning of this lesson the
Gospel of the Kingdom - as proclaimed and demonstrated by
Jesus Christ, his disciples and the apostle Paul - is presented to
be one not just of words, but also of power. Warfield, a
staunch defender of the miraculous (as he defines it) within the
Biblical period, vehemently denies and discredits their
operation in the postbiblical period. Why the contradiction?
Where is the failure?

We strongly agree with Ruthven’s assessment:

The central failure of Warfield’s cessationism is the

confusion of the sufficiency of revelation, that is, in
the unique historical manifestation of Christ and
apostolic doctrine as finally revealed in Scripture,
with the procedural means of communicating,
expressing and applying that revelation, that is, via
the charismata, including gifts of prophecy and
miracles. In other words, the charismata do not
accredit the Gospel; they express the Gospel.16

A central goal in this study - through an analysis of Warfield’s

cessationist polemic - is to show just how untenable his
position, and to demonstrate that the charismata are indeed a
valid, continuing expression of the Gospel of the Kingdom for
the present time.

Evaluating Warfield’s Cessationist Polemic

In his book’s introduction, Ruthven states:

Warfield’s polemic—the culmination of a

historically evolving argument directed against
certain threats to institutional religion—fails
because of internal inconsistencies with respect to
its concept of miracle, its historical method and its
biblical hermeneutics. Insofar as these errors are
characteristic of more contemporary forms of
cessationism, the latter also fail.17

Ruthven describes Warfield’s polemic as “the culmination of a

historically evolving argument” directed against certain threats
to institutional religion”. He attributes its failure to internal
inconsistencies with respect to its:

concept of miracle
historical method
biblical hermeneutics

A Brief History of Cessationism’s

Development
We now move on to look at a brief history of cessationism. As
Ruthven notes:

Warfields’s cessationism did not, of course, suddenly

appear in its highly evolved form at the beginning of
the twentieth century. Cessationism developed from
a complex stew of postbiblical theologies and
philosophies that had long been simmering in their
polemical cauldron...Cessationism did not originate
within orthodox Christianity but within normative
Judaism and in Christian sects during the first three
centuries of the Common Era. 18

We will begin our overview by examining the development of

cessationism in Judaism and the early period of Christian
History. This will be followed a look at cessationism’s
development in the Protestant Reformation and the
Enlightenment.

Cessationism and Judaism

According to Ruthven, there emerged three major cessasionist
elements within Judaism.1 9 A developing ambivalence about
prophecy and miracles in the “postbiblical (Old Testament)
period:

…from the outset of the Maccabean Judaism

harbored an ambivalence about prophecy and
miracles: lamenting, on the one hand, the loss of
prophets and God’s miraculous interventions, and
 on the other, a readiness to accept reports of such
activity when it appeared.20

This led to a tendency to view prophecy and miracles on a two-

tier level, the top tier being the classical prophets and
miraculous events described in Scripture and the lower tier
being the attenuated forms of prophecy and miracles, such as:

bot qol, literally, “daughter of a voice,” suggesting an

inner voice or revelatory impression21
Miracle accounts of early rabbis

As we shall discover, Warfield echoes a similar two-tier view

when evaluating his “concept of miracle” in order to delineate
what constitutes a “true” miracle in the biblical versus
postbiblical periods. The view that the Spirit’s activity had
already peaked:

…the feeling nonetheless persisted that the highest

level of the Spirit’s activity had ended [Emphasis
added], so that by the end of the first century CE, an
unusually pious rabbi might ‘merit’ the Holy Spirit
(that is, the gifts of prophecy and miracles), but not
receive it because postbiblical (OT) generations are
not worthy.22

Note three things:

The quasi-cessation delineation between the biblical

 and postbiblical (Old Testament) periods.
The idea of individual ‘merit’—where the reception of
gifts of prophecy and miracles accredited ‘pious’
individuals operating in those gifts.
The implied overriding qualitative difference between
the biblical and postbiblical periods, which, as we shall
see, is similar to the “Golden Age” ideas prevalent in
Enlightenment thinking.

The reaction of religious authorities to the charismatics:

…the issue of religious authority between

charismatics who…may have wished to use
prophecy and miracle to establish their doctrinal
credibility, increasingly lost out to those who relied
on the interpretive skill and consensus of the
academy. Prophecy and miracle working were
replaced by study of the Torah and its scholarly
interpretations. 23

According to Ruthven, Judaism reacted to two elements:

Radical charismatic messianic pretenders revolting

against Roman rule. The rapidly growing
charismatic Christian movement. Judaism became a
religion based on the one true God, the written
Torah and its scholastic interpretation. Because of
that miracles and prophecies, perforce, had
ceased.24
As we shall observe, a similar pattern of cessationism
developed within Christian History.

Cessationism in the Early Church

Ruthven documents a number of sources in the development
of cessationist thinking in the first several centuries of Church
history. We review these now to gain an understanding of the
gradual early cessationist transition where “miracles and
prophecy” are “replaced by piety and the study of
Scripture.”25

Early Christian Apologists

Early Christian apologists such as Justin (c. 100-c. 165), Origen

(c. 185-c.254) and Cyril (315-386) used the Jewish admission
that prophecy and miracles had ceased among them to argue
that God had transferred them to the church as proof of God’s
favor. For example, Origin wrote:

God’s care of the Jew was transferred to those

Gentiles who believe in him. Accordingly [they]
have not even any vestige of divine power among
them. They no longer have any prophets or wonders,
though traces of these are to be found to a
considerable extent among Christians. Indeed, some
works are even greater; and if our word may be
trusted, we also have seen them.’ (Contra Celsum
2.8) 26
Since the coming of Christ no prophets have arisen among the
Jews, who have admittedly been abandoned by the Holy
Spirit.27 Ruthven explains:

Thus the church moved toward evidentialism, the

view that the primary, if not exclusive, function of
miracles is to accredit and vindicate a doctrinal
system or its bearers.

In reference to the following commentary by E. Sjöbert:

At the beginning, however, the Gentiles too could

receive the Holy Spirit, and there could thus be
prophets among them. But after Balaam misused his
prophetic gift, the Holy Spirit was taken from the
Gentiles and reserved for Israel.28

Ruthven points that the very cessationist evidential argument

the Jewish apologists had once argued was now used on them:

This whole line of argument must have been

ironically familiar to Jews who had often argued
that at one time Gentiles had experienced the Holy
Spirit, but…the Spirit was totally transferred from
any Gentile participation to the Jews alone.29

A Montanist Prophetess ( c. end of 2nd century)

Near the end of the second century with Montanism there

arose a prophetess named Maximilla. She is alleged to have
made the cessationist claim, “After me there will be no more
prophecy, but the end[*]” probably referring to Jesus
statement in Matthew 28:20b, ”…I am with you always, to the
very end[*] of the age.” Ruthven explains:

Against this hint of cessationism some appealed to 1

Cor. 13.10 [“but when the perfect comes, the partial
will be done away.” (NASB)]. For example
Eusebius records that Miltiades does so against
Maximilla and concludes: ‘it is necessary that the
prophetic charisma be in all the church until the
final coming’.30

The irony here is that the verse used by Miltiades to counter

Maximilla’s [cessationist] claim is used by later cessationists to
argue AGAINST the continuation of the charismata. According
to Gordon Fee:

Others see “the perfect” as referring to the full

revelation given in the NT itself, which when it
would come to completion would do away with the
“partial” forms of charismatic revelation. Given its
classical exposition by B. B. Warfield, this view has
been taken over in a variety of ways by
contemporary Reformed and Dispensationalist
theologies.31

*Greek sunteleía (συντελεία), meaning “a point of time marking

completion of a duration, completion, close, end” 32

Victorian of Petau ( d.c. 304)

In a commentary on the Apocalypse Victorian writes: “The
apostles through signs, wonders and mighty deeds overcame
the unbelievers. After this the faith of the Church was given
the comfort of the interpreted prophetic Scriptures.”33
Ruthven comments that, “This seems to be the only clear
connection between the cessation of the charismata and the
replacement by Scripture among the church fathers.”34

Chrysostom (347-407)

Chrysostom’s “several dozen references to miracles are

associated with arguments against seeking them”35 which
Ruthven summarizes as follows:

Miracles were once required for weak faith;

Powerful miracles would perniciously allow weak
faith among observers.

When ‘true religion took root’ in all the world,

miracles ceased.

To suffer for Christ is much greater than to

experience miracles delivering us from that
suffering.

No one should ‘wait for miracles’ today because the

‘sign greater than all signs’ is deliverance from sin.

If we choose Christian love as the best spiritual gift,

‘we shall have no need of signs.’36
 Isidore of Pelusium ( d. c. 450)

Isidore “follows this latter line somewhat idealistically:

‘Perhaps miracles would take place now, too, if the lives of the
teachers rivaled the bearing of the apostles.’”37

Ambrosiaster (d. 384)

Ruthven describes how Abroisiaster taught a proto-

cessationist theory of charismatic entropy, that is, the
weakening in both frequency and level of power of the
miraculous:38

Level 1: Only the apostles (as promised in John 14:12)

would perform ‘greater works.’
Level 2: John 20:22 denoted an impartation of the spirit
for conferring ecclesiastical power which enabled the
successive transfer of the spirit throughout history via
the imposition of hands.
Level 3: In Acts 2 the Spirit was bestowed on the laity
‘whence arises the preaching of the church’.

Augustine (354-430)
Augustine began with strong cessationist sentiments:

We have heard that our predecessors, at a stage of

faith on the way from temporal things up to eternal
things, followed visible miracles...When the Catholic
 Church had been founded and diffused throughout
the whole world on the one hand miracles were not
allowed to continue till our time, lest the mind
should always seek things visible and the human
race should grow cold by becoming accustomed to
things, which, when they were novelties kindled its
faith...At that time the problem was to get people to
believe before anyone was fit to reason about divine
and invisible things.39

Notice the weak faith /strong faith cessationst theme (similar to

those expressed by Chrysostom):

Weak, ‘temporal’ faith of the early church required

the ‘visible’ miraculous ‘novelties’ ‘to get people to
believe.’ is, to ‘kindle’ faith.

Once the Church was established miracles ‘were not

allowed to continue’ lest they undermine the
maintenance of a mature faith ‘fit to reason about
divine and invisible things’.

Yet near the end of his life Augustine in Chapter 22

of City of God repudiated his earlier position and
provided accounts of over seventy miracles.40

One more point is in order. Another corollary argument of

cessationism, of which Augustine is an example, is the
“common tendency to transmute the ‘miraculous’ charismata of
earlier times into the more ‘ordinary’ expressions of church
ministry;” 41 Augustine wrote in Sermons On the Selected
Lessons of the New Testament:

The blind body does not now open its eyes by a

miracle of the Lord, but the blinded heart opens its
eyes to the world of the Lord. The physical corpse
does not now rise again, but the soul rises again
which lies dead in a living body. The deaf ears of the
bodies are not now opened; but how many who have
the ears of their hearts closed, let them fly open at
the penetrating word of God.42

This argument gave “the ecclesiastical hierarchy with a ready

rationale against complaints of diminished charismatic activity
within their churches”43

Gregory the Great (540-604)

Gregory was “a prolific recorder of contemporary miracles” and

“wrote (c. 590) what was to become a highly influential
metaphor on the cessation of miracles.”44 To Gregory, at the
Church’s beginning miracles “…were necessary…for in order
that faith might grow, it had to be nourished by miracles; for
we, too, when we plant shrubs, pour water on them till we see
that they have gotten a strong hold on the ground; and when
once they are firmly rooted, we stop the watering. For this
reason Paul says: ‘tongues are for a sign, not to believers, but
to unbelievers.’”45

Thomas Aquinas (1225-74)

Ruthven describes the centrality of Aquinas in cessationist
thought:

[Aquinas] ordered the pattern of cessationist tenets

which dominated the church until the 20th century.
His major new contribution to cessationism was the
metaphysics of miracle based on Aristotelian
philosophy. A true miracle, Aquinas said, expresses
itself beyond any ‘means’ of nature, absolute and
above the power of the created order: it must be
purely ‘supernatural’. Therefore, starting with the
‘facts’ of a miracle, an observer can reason to its
divine source. While one can never know how God
performed a miracle, one can certainly know that he
did. Miracles, then, include such events as
instantaneous healings of visibly diseased or
broken bodies, the revelation through a prophesy of
something impossible for anyone to know, or the
bestowal of the gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying
on of hands.

According to Aquinas, the central function of

miracles was to serve as a signum sensibile, a
testimonium to guarantee the divine source and
truth of Christian doctrines, particularly the deity of
Christ. To explain the lack of visible miracles in his
day, Aquinas asserted that Christ and his disciples
had worked miracles sufficient to prove the faith
once and for all; this having been done, no further
 miraculous proof of doctrines could be required.46

Interestingly, Aquinas, in contrast, allowed for the operation of

miracles under certain circumstances:

To confirm preaching and in the bringing of

salvation to souls.47

Believers of great sanctity may operate in miraculous gifts of

the Holy Spirit (which doctrine ironically “strengthened the
veneration of shrines and canonization of saints via miracles…
which essentially contradicted cessationism, [and] resulted in
the excesses surrounding miracles which precipitated the
Reformation.”)48

In summary, we see developing significant Christian

cessationist tenets during this period. As Ruthven points out,
in the basics, they parallel those of the Jewish Rabbis:

Spiritual power is normatively apportioned in

descending tiers, at the idealized level of the
biblical cannon versus the present time. The
apostolic level of spiritual power could not, and
likely should not, again be approached.49

Only in a return to the (impossibly?) idealized

righteousness of the New Testament could the
church merit the charismata.50

Miracles were once required as scaffolding for the

church, which, once established (that is, in
 Scripture, tradition and institution), no longer
required such support...Miracles and prophecy were
replaced by piety and the study of Scripture.51

Cessationism and Calvinism

As we noted in the last section, the Roman Catholic Church

had developed a heavily cessationist view in doctrine and
practice, yet allowed that those of great sanctity could still
operate in the miraculous, a view which, again, led to the
veneration of shrines and the canonization of saints.

The Protestant reformers, in their quest to undermine the claims

(based in the miraculous) of the Roman Catholic hierarchy,
used that cessationist polemic against them. They also aimed it
at “radical reformers” whose claims to the miraculous in
establishing their own authority the Protestant reformers also
sought to undermine.52

Chief among the reformers and significant to us is John Calvin.

To better understand Calvin’s effect on the development of
Warfield’s Polemic, we now want to focus on a brief summary
of the key points of his cessationist doctrine in their historical
context. Ruthven points out four significant aspects of the
cessationist polemic of Calvinism which we quote and
annotated with comments:53

God’s purpose for miracles was to accredit the

word, that is, the Scripture, its doctrines and its first
proclaimers. This proposition had the effect of
 restricting the power of accreditation by miracles to
the major Protestant basis of religious authority:
Scripture. This limitation to scripture and the
original apostles of accrediting miracles was
presented to undercut the religious authority of
contemporary miracles thought to accredit the
evolving doctrines and the contemporary
leadership, derived from ‘apostolic succession’, of
the Roman Church, as well as the ‘Spirit-inspired’
(and hence, religiously authoritative) teachings of
the radical reformation.

Ruthven notes a quotation from Calvin which well illustrates

the evidential argument of ‘miracle’ as authority on both sides:

In demanding miracles of us they act dishonestly.

For we are not forging some new gospel, but are
retaining that very gospel whose truth all the
miracles that Jesus Christ and his disciples ever run
serve to confirm. But, compared with us, they have
strange power: even to this day they can confirm
their faith by continual miracles. Instead they allege
miracles which can disturb a mind otherwise at rest
—they are so foolish and ridiculous, so vain and
false!54

Calvin uses the cessation evidential argument of

‘miracle’ to accredit his authority against the
continuation evidential argument of ‘miracle’ by the
Catholic leaders to accredit their authority.
 Counterfeit miracles are discerned by their
association with false doctrines; hence, when
miracles were claimed by the Catholics or the
radical reformation as accrediting their
unscriptural doctrines, such miracles were self-
evidently false.

Comment: Observe the following portion from the previous

quote which illustrates this point:

‘…they have strange power...they allege miracles

which can disturb a mind otherwise at rest—they
are so foolish and ridiculous, so vain and false!’55

While ‘visible’, ‘miraculous’, ‘extraordinary’ or

‘temporary’ spiritual gifts ceased with the apostles,
there is a possibility they may recur if conditions
requiring their manifestation warrant. However,
these types of spiritual gifts are more likely
transmuted into the ‘permanent’ gifts and offices of
contemporary Christian ministry or employed as
metaphors for faith in the Gospel.

Comment: Note that his cessationism is not as strict in this as

other reformers. He essentially agrees with one of Aquinas’
tenets for recurrence, to confirm preaching and in the bringing
of salvation to souls.

What proof, other than his a priori association of

miraculous charismata with accreditation of
 Scripture, does Calvin offer for their cessation?
Surprisingly little: he appeals only superficially to
Scripture and to the testimony of historical
‘experience’. But in the main Calvin assumes the
traditions enshrined in Aquinas, rather than attempt
systematically to prove his contention.

Comment: It is ironic that, according to Ruthven’s study,

Calvin (along with his “a priori association of miraculous
charismata with the accreditation of Scripture”) “appeals only
superficially to Scripture and to the testimony of historical
‘experience’” to prove his cessationist position. One of today’s
leading cessationist, Reformed voices, John F. MacArthur, in
his book Charismatic Chaos, makes the following statement in
reference to the “historical, objective” vs. “[charismatic]
personal, subjective” “approach to biblical truth”56:

Objective, historic theology is Reformation

theology. It is historical evangelicalism. It is
historical orthodoxy. We begin with Scripture. Our
thoughts, ideas, or experiences are validated or
invalidated on the basis of how they compare with
the Word.57

His statements echo B. B. Warfield, who “defines Calvinism as

the teachings of John Calvin, the Doctrinal System of the
Reformed Churches”58:

There is no true religion in the world...which is not

Calvinistic - Calvinistic in its essence, Calvinistic in
 its implication… in proportion as we are religious,
in that proportion, then, are we Calvinistic; and
when religion comes fully to its rights in our
thinking, and feeling, and doing them shall we be
truly Calvinistic...it is not merely the hope of true
religion in the world: it is true religion in the world
—as far as true religion is in the world at all.59

Is it possible that Warfield’s (and his echoes’) Calvinistic,

Reformed cessationist foundation of “true religion” does not
all “begin with Scripture,” that the “thoughts, ideas, or
experiences” behind the cessationist position that are
supposedly “validated or invalidated on the basis of how they
compare with the Word” are not actually so validated?

In our next session we will begin our examination of Warfield’s

work in the context of his times and begin our evaluation of his
Cessationism in Counterfeit Miracles.

Endnotes
1Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:
The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 14

2Vinson Synan, In the Latter Days (Fairfax, VA:

Xulon Press, 2001) pp. 134-135
3Ibid. p. 82

4Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 14

5Ibid. p. 15

6Ibid. pp. 15-16, footnote 3

7John F. MacArthur, Jr., Charismatic Chaos (Grand

Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) p. 18

8Ibid. p. 19

9Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) pp. 18-20

10Ibid. p. 20

11Ibid. pp. 21-20

12Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) pp 22-23, footnote 1

13plural of cha•ris•ma [Greek charisma favor, gift,

from charizesthai to favor, from charis grace, an
extraordinary power (as of healing) given a
Christian by the Holy Spirit for the good of the
church, from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary, 10th edition (Springfield, MA: Merriam-
Webster, 1996)

14Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p.16, the continuation of footnote 3, p.
15

15Ibid. pp. 23, 189

16Ibid. p. 23

17Ibid. p. 23

18Ibid. p. 24

19Ibid. pp. 24-25

20Ibid.

21Ibid. p. 25, footnote 1

22Ibid. p. 25

23Ibid.

24Ibid. p. 26

25Ibid. p. 31

26Ibid. p. 27, the continuation of footnote 4, p. 26

27Ibid.

28Theological dictionary of the New Testament.

1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich.
Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W.
Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Vol.
6, Page 383). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.7276
Str.-B., II, 130. 8277 Tanch. 231a; Nu. r., 20, 1 on
22:2 (Str.-B., II, 130). Acc. to other sayings it took
place when Israel had received the Torah, Seder
Olam Rabba, 21 (Str.-B., II, 130) or after the
completion of the tabernacle, Cant. r., 2:3 R. Jishaq.

29Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 27, the continuation of footnote 4, p.
26

30Ibid. p. 27
31Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the
Corinthians, NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans,
1987), p. 645, footnote 23, (2)

32Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A

Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and
other early Christian literature. “Based on Walter
Bauer’s Griechisch-deutsches Wr̲terbuch zu den
Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der
frhüchristlichen [sic] Literatur, sixth edition, ed.
Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor
Reichmann and on previous English editions by
W.F. Arndt, F.W. Gingrich, and F.W. Danker.” (3rd
ed.) (Page 974). Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.

33Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 28

34Ibid. p. 28, footnote 1

35Ibid. p. 29

36Ibid.

37Ibid.

38Ibid.
39Ibid. pp. 29-30.

40Ibid. p 30

41Ibid. p. 31

42Ibid. p. 31, footnote 1

43Ibid. p. 31

44Ibid.

45Ibid.

46Ibid. pp. 32-33

47Ibid. p. 33

48Ibid. p. 33

49Ibid. p. 30

50Ibid. pp. 30-31

51Ibid. p. 31

52Ibid. p. 33

53Ibid. pp. 34-35

54Ibid. p 35, footnote 1, cited from Institutes,

Prefatory Address. 3 (16)
55Ibid.

56John F. MacArthur, Jr., Charismatic Chaos

(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992) p. 36

57Ibid.

58Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) pp. 39-40, footnote 2
 CHAPTER 15
CESSATIONISM: PART 2
SESSION GOALS
1) Briefly review the historical, philosophical, and theological
traditions which shaped Warfield’s cessationist arguments as
expressed in his work Counterfeit Miracles.

2) Understand the setting and events giving rise to his writing

Counterfeit Miracles.

3) Overview the basic components of Warfield’s cessationist

argument in preparation for analyzing his polemic’s
methodologies, arguments, and conclusion.

4) Investigate Warfield’s foundational concept of miracle, its

characteristics, and its integrity in preparation for evaluating
the historical and biblical methodologies of his polemic.

Lesson Glossary:

a priori: [from before] relating to or derived by

reasoning from self-evident propositions

a posteriori: [from after] relating to or derived by

reasoning from observed facts

cosmology: a theory or doctrine describing the

natural order of the universe
 dogmatism: a viewpoint or system of ideas based on
insufficiently examined premises

dichotomy: something with seemingly contradictory

qualities

epistemological: adj. form of epistemology: the

study or a theory of the nature and grounds of
knowledge especially with reference to its limits and
validity

excoriate: to censure scathingly

irruption: to rush or break in forcibly or violently

INTRODUCTION
In this lesson we continue our analysis of B.B. Warfield and
his cessationist polemic Counterfeit Miracles. After surveying
the traditions and historical setting affecting his polemic, and
then examining the key elements of his polemic, we will analyze
his polemic’s foundational concept of miracle.

KEY INSIGHTS
Traditions Which Shaped Warfield’s
Cessationist Polemic
As covered in previously, Warfield was a staunch Calvinist
and his cessationism draws heavily from Calvin’s doctrinal
influence. To quote Ruthven, “Calvin had established a
theological rationale for the polemic based on a few, but
important, scriptural proof-texts, but primarily on an evolved
and internally inconsistent role of miracles.”1 Yet his views
were also formed by other influences, to which we now turn
our consideration.

The Enlightenment era (c.1650-1790) set the stage for further

development of Warfield’s cessationism. Two catalytic issues
occurred during this period2:

The basis of religious authority changed dramatically

from the biblical basis of Protestantism to the human
authority based in perception and reason.”
A ‘great debate’ raged in England concerning the place
of miracles in accrediting religious truth.

We now examine some key Enlightenment developments that

occurred in this context. With the Enlightenment came an
interest in the scientific study of the natural world “with the
presupposition that God providentially ordered nature subject
to fixed laws.”3

God’s providential, ‘laws of nature’ and a ‘Closed’

Cosmology

This scientific worldview brought with it a closed system of

cosmology ruled by objective cause and effect ‘laws of nature’.
As we shall see in more detail, miracles then became, “divine
irruptions into the natural order.”4

An empirical basis for apologetics

This added “an empirical basis for apologetics….Proof of

Christianity via miracles was available to any human mind in
the same way that all knowledge is excessive, not by
revelation, but by ‘common sense.’”5

Rationalism and Skepticism

In reaction to religious dogmatism the Deistic and other
Enlightenment polemicists created a “dogmatism of their
own.”6 As Ruthven describes:

Extreme skepticism and rationalism shaped the anti-

miracle polemic which arrogantly admitted of no
facts beyond one’s own experience and
preconceptions about nature...The phrase ‘law of
nature’, then, moved illogically from describing
ones consistent but limited understanding of natural
phenomena to expressing a dogma prescribing what
must always happen to everyone under all
circumstances. Hence, if this skeptic does not
experience miracles, then no one can experience
miracles.

The idea that Revelation flows from history

was regarded with suspicion.
This development was a reaction to several things:7

Protestant suspicion of ‘enthusiasm’ (an experience-

based religious outlook in contrast to the rationalistic
non-experiential outlook) and its associated claims to
unverifiable revelations.
The Deistic desire for a ‘natural religion’- one to be
appropriated through reason and ‘common sense’ - that
was equally available to all apart from revelation.
Protestant suspicion of Roman Catholicism’s authority
and dogmatic traditions developed over time from the
‘dubious testimony’ of the Church Fathers.

Enlightenment historical-critical
methodology
Illustrative of the above is the historical-critical work by
Conyers Middleton which sought to undermine the use of the
miracle accounts of the church fathers to accredit Catholic
post-apostolic dogmas. The full title is revealing; A Free
Inquiry into the Miraculous Powers which are supposed to
have subsisted in the Christian church from the earliest ages
three several successive centuries. By which it is shown that
we have no sufficient reason to believe, upon the authority of
the primitive fathers, that any such powers were continued to
the church after the days of the apostles.’8

By his own admission, Warfield adopted Middleton’s

methodology as his own.9 Middleton’s position was so
extreme that while he aimed his polemic at Romanists, most
“contemporary observers, including John Wesley...were
convinced there was another motive: ‘to overthrow the whole
Christian system’.”10 Here is Middleton’s summary of the
main points of his Free Inquiry’s theses:

That they (miracles) were all of such a nature, and

performed in such a manner, as would necessarily inject
a suspicion of fraud and delusion.
That the cures and beneficial effects of them, were
either false, or imaginary or accidental.
That they tend to confirm the idlest of all errors and
superstitions.
That the integrity of the witnesses is either highly
questionable, or their credulity at least so gross, as to
render them unworthy of any credit.
That they were not only vain and unnecessary, but
generally speaking, so trifling also, as to excite nothing
but contempt.

And lastly, that the belief and defense of them are the only
means in the world that can possibly support, or that does in
fact give any sort of countenance, to the modern impostures in
the Romish Church.11

Scottish Common-Sense Philosophy

We now switch our attention to Scottish common-sense
philosophy (SCSP), its setting, tenets, and adoption by
Warfield.

SCSP’s roots developed during the Enlightenment by

rationalistic English philosophers in search for a way to attain
peace in an atmosphere of religious intolerance amidst
competing religious dogmas. For example, English philosopher
John Locke:

…insisted that the human capacity for knowledge

was limited to fairly reliable probabilities based on
sensory input and experiment. He held that through
the correct use of this intellectual capacity, which
was common to all, reasonable people could see the
truth and settle differences.12

With the formation of the United Kingdom in 1707 English

rationalism spread into Scotland creating conflict among
Presbyterians. According to Ruthven, the major Scottish
universities reacted quickly to these rationalistic notions about
religion, revelation and innate human capacities, resulting in
Scottish common-sense philosophy “which propelled its
adherence to the center stage of his European thought.”13

A central figure in SCSP was Thomas Reid (1710-96) professor

of moral philosophy at Glasgow University who succeeded
Adam Smith. Reid and Smith were friends of David Hume,
“whose epistemological14 skepticsm precipitated the
defensive reaction of Scottish common-sense philosophy.”15
Reid’s goal, in reaction to both idealism’s and skepticism’s
damage to traditional apologetics - especially the argument for
God’s existence based on evidences of his design in nature -
was to rebuild “...for theology a solid foundation of
epistemological certainty, on which the structure of Christian
apologetic could securely rest.”16

According to Vander Stelt in Philosophy and Scripture:

Reid’s “common sense” was not used “ to indicate a

power of general knowledge based on ordinary
development and opportunities, but to mean a
faculty of reason, a source of principles, the light of
nature, the capacity for certain original and
intuitive judgments which may be used as
foundation for deductive reasoning.17

To summarize Reid’s expression of SCSP tenets:

God created within man ‘instinctive presuppositions’ of

self evident principles or propositions.
Mankind, based on these intuitive, innate propositions,
is an active, judging perceiver.
This rational ‘common sense’ both characterizes and
validates knowledge.
This intuitive knowledge based on ‘common sense’
requires no other proof.
Perception involves three things: the act of perceiving,
the object perceived and the conviction that the object
 really exists in the external world.
Truth cannot be established by mere ideas, but is static
and open to investigation irrespective of time and
place. If the evidence for Christianity is properly
gathered, its reality or truth is inescapable.18

From the late 1700s to mid 1800s, SCSP had an extensive impact
on American thought and culture. According to Vander Stelt,
“[Scottish common-sense philosophy] permeated almost every
faculty of the academy, institution of society, and activity in
culture.”19

In 1768 the Rev. John Witherspoon came from Scotland to

become the first president of Princeton College. The Scottish
common-sense philosophy became the basis of theological
instruction at Princeton College, and later Princeton Seminary,
until Warfield died in 1921.

In 1868 - the year Warfield entered Princeton College - James

McCosh, the last prominent defender of SCSP, became college
president. Warfield became his disciple. Adopting SCSP,
Warfield viewed theology in the same empirical sense as the
‘hard sciences’ and his view of theology was a developed
expression of SCSP:

If theology be a science at all, there is involved in

that fact, as in the case of all other sciences, at least
three things: the reality of its subject matter, the
capacity of the human mind to receive into itself and
rationally to reflect this subject-matter, the existence
 of media of communication between the subject-
matter and the percipient and the understanding
mind.2

Following from SCSP, Warfield viewed Christianity as ‘the

Apologetical religion’:

It is the distinction of Christianity that it has come

into the world clothed with the mission to reason its
way to its dominion...It is solely by reasoning that it
has come thus far on its way to its kingship. And it is
solely by reasoning that it will put all its enemies
under its feet.

COUNTERFEIT MIRACLES: ITS SETTING

Several contemporary groups challenged Warfield’s
cessationist view by their claims to contemporary miraculous
power. All were targets of his cessationist polemic in
Counterfeit Miracles:

The Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholicism’s traditional claim to authority through the
miraculous was particularly active at this period of history.21
Also, particularly significant was the threat of its influence
growing out of extensive immigration between 1830 and 1900.
As noted by Ruthven from the 1987 Catholic Almanac:

In the first two decades of the twentieth century,

 Catholic immigration was at its peak, a trend that
may have alarmed Warfield and may have
contributed to the urgency and relevance of his
treatment of medieval and Roman Catholic miracles
in Counterfeit Miracles.22

The Irvingites and (indirectly, the

Methodists)
The Irvingites grew out of the preaching of a Presybterian
Englishman, Edward Irving, who spoke often on the renewal of
the apostolic gifts, especially the gift of tongues and healing.
In October 1831, tongues broke out in his church through a
woman, Mary Campbell who Irving viewed as a prophetess.
Eventually Irving was tried by the London Presbytery and
found guilty of heresy. He started his own church, the
Apostolic Catholic church. By 1900 it was dying out, but it was
characteristic of the building expectation in Britain, and later
the United States, for a ‘New Pentecost’. According to Vinson
Synan, in 1857:

...a British Methodist preacher, William Arthur,

published his influential, The Tongue of Fire. This
book, which has remained in print for over a
century, dismissed the traditional view of the
cessation and withdrawal of the charismata23...The
language of Pentecost that Arthur popularized
became even stronger in America. The Methodists
had always strongly emphasized the second blessing
 after conversion24...In 1839, Asa Mahan, president
of Oberlin college, published a book entitled the
Scripture Doctrine of Christian Perfection...By
1870, Mahan published a revision of the same book
under the title The Baptism of the Holy Ghost...The
second-blessing experiences of the Wesleys, Madame
Guyon, Finney, and Mahan himself were described
as “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.”25...This
Pentecostal emphasis which developed in the
holiness movement after 1867 also found expression
in the various offshoots of the movement in England
and America. This is best seen in the development of
the famous Keswick “Higher life” conferences in
England and the Northfield conferences in
Massachusetts conducted by the D. L. Moody.26

The Faith Cure Movement

Warfield noted in Counterfeit Miracles that by 1887 their were
more than thirty “Faith Homes” established in the United
States, and many more in Europe for the treatment of the sick
through prayer alone. He also refers to healing conferences
and conventions of ‘adherents in every church’.27

Christian Science
Christian Science was a religion based on science and health,
With a Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, claimed by
her to have been divinely dictated, thus a supplement to
Scripture. Christian Science claimed miraculous power that
overcame the “illusion” of sickness. Thus Christian Science
was a two-fold threat challenging the authority of Scripture and
contradicting the cessationist position that the miraculous had
passed with the Apostolic age.

Liberalism
Princeton Seminary was a bastion holding out against the
higher criticism of Scripture adopted by most major American
theological seminaries. According to Ruthven:

...whole religious denominations no longer

preached the Gospel as traditionally understood.
Those who oppose such modernism found themselves
increasingly shunted aside from what came to be
regarded as mainstream American Christianity...The
general theological climate of liberalism was
particularly odious to Warfield in its treatment of
miracles. Liberals theologians typically attempted
to explain the presence of miracles in the Bible
either by providing naturalistic interpretations or
by seeking analogies with contemporary
psychological or faith healings...For liberals, the
sharp distinction between ‘natural’ and
‘supernatural’ had blurred, and with it the
effectiveness of any Christian apologetic...based on
proof from miracles.28

So we see that Liberalism’s threat challenged both the

authority of Scripture’s inspiration and the cessationist view of
the miraculous as accreditation of the Gospel.

Counterfeit Miracles was written just after the

death of his invalid wife. Caught in a lightning
storm during their honeymoon in Europe many
years before, she had contracted a severe
nervous disorder. He devotedly attended to her
throughout their marriage. One wonders how
her long-term illness may have colored
Warfield perspective on miracles and on
healing.29
WARFIELD’S P OLEMIC IN COUNTERFEIT MIRACLES.
To keep from getting lost in the trees of the proverbial forest,
let’s step back and get the big picture in our evaluation of
Warfield’s’ cessationist polemic in Counterfeit Miracles. To
make this easier we will start with his conclusion and work back
to identify the elements of his argument and their
interrelationships.
The above figure is a diagram outlining the structure of the key
elements of his cessationist argument and their
interrelationships. Let’s briefly review them:

(4) Warfield contends that the charismata ceased

(approximately) with the “apostolic age.”

(3) Warfield’s conclusion in (4) is based on the underlying

argument that the evidential function of the charismata (to
accredit the Gospel and its bearers) determines their duration.
(2) Warfield claims two “legs” in support of (3) :

(2a) Historical: His historical methodology and its

application to the biblical and postbiblical periods.

(2b) Scriptural: The application of his biblical

hermeneutical method to the function of the
charismata.

(1) The underlying foundation for (2) (and, therefore, all of the
elements of Warfield’s cessationist argument) is his evidential
concept of miracle.

We will analyze Warfield’s cessationist polemic as expressed in

Counterfeit Miracles with reference to the elements and
interrelationships described above. Note that the validity of
Warfield’s cessationist argument is dependent on several
conditions:

Each element of his argument must be internally self-

consistent (that is, NOT self-contradictory) to be a
valid element of the argument.
Each element of his argument must be externally applied
in a consistent, uniform manner across all of the test
cases to which it applies.
If either or both of the above violations occur anywhere
in Warfield’s polemic, the integrity of the whole breaks
down and his cessationist conclusion is shown to be
invalid.
We now have in hand everything both necessary and
sufficient to analyze the validity of Warfield’s polemic. We will
work our way up from the bottom of the diagram. In the
remainder of this lesson we will examine (1) Warfield’s concept
of miracle.

WARFIELD’S CONCEPT OF MIRACLE

As we proceed in our analysis of Warfield’s concept of miracle
it is helpful to keep in mind the two simultaneous threats (real
or perceived) that he was confronting - as these motivated his
need to define a concept of miracle and the accompanying
criteria for evaluating claims of miracles:

The threat of those claiming miracles as a basis for their

religious authority.
The threat of those challenging the ‘traditional’
understanding of miracles and the miraculous
charismata.30

Warfield defines a miracle as follows: “A miracle is specifically

an effect in the external world produced by the immediate
efficiency of God.”3 1 Ruthven offers this about Warfield’s
characterization of miracle:

… First, that a miracle is not merely subjective, but

that it is ‘objectively real’ and not a function only
within the mind, and secondly, that its cause ‘is a
new supernatural force, intruded into the complex of
 nature, and not a natural force under whatever wise
and powerful manipulation.’32

Warfield’s characterization of miracle as ‘objectively real’ is

taken directly from Scottish common-sense philosophy, and, as
we shall see, is crucial to his criteria for evaluating claims of
miracle accounts.

Warfield’s characterization of miracle as a ‘new supernatural

force’ which intrudes into the complex of nature was necessary
for his defense against both the natural explanation of miracle
on one side and the claims of true contemporary miracles - for
example, by the faith cure movement - on the other side. This
clear delineation in Warfield’s concept of miracle is critical to
his polemic. A miracle, then, is the:

product of a force outside of nature, and specifically

above nature, intruding into the complex of natural
forces and producing, therefore, in that complex,
effects which could not be produced by the natural
forces themselves. These effects reveal themselves,
therefore, as ‘new’ - but not as neo-natural but
rather as extra-natural and specifically as
supernatural.33

This is a direct echo of Aquinas:

For a miracle is required that it be against the order

of the whole created nature. But God alone can do
this, because, whatever an angel or any other
 creature does by its own power is according to the
order of created nature; and thus is not a miracle.
Hence God alone can work miracles’34

Notice that Aquinas also states that if “an angel” or “other”

creature operates in “its own power” it is still operating
“according to the order or created nature” and that its activity
is not a miracle. This implies the possibility of “nonmiraculous”
yet, extraordinary activities which can manipulate the natural
world. Warfield echoes this same distinction from miracle as
“Divine Providence.”

Ruthven succinctly summarizes Warfield’s distinction between

‘miracle’ and ‘providence’:

[The forces of nature] ‘under whatever guidance,

can produce nothing but natural effects’, in which
case such events must be classified as ‘special
providence’s’. ‘Providential’ works of God involve
the use of means’, or ‘second causes’ within nature
which God uses to produce effects above their
‘natural working’. Miracles cannot be viewed as
‘extraordinary events performed through the
medium of natural forces, but as the immediate
products of the energy of God’. Hence an event may
be supernatural even to the extent that it is
‘startling’ or ‘remarkable’, but it is not necessarily
miraculous.”35

Very simply, Warfield, through Calvin, adopted Aquinas

cessationist view that the central function of miracles is
evidential: to confirm the “message” and messengers and is at
the root of his entire polemic. Ruthven documents how
Warfield in Counterfeit Miracles:

“Approvingly” cites Bishop Kaye’s account in

Ecclesiastical History of the Second and Third
Centuries of the gradual cessation of the charismata
which “ceased entirely at the death of the last
individual on whom the hands of the Apostles had
been laid.”36
Speaks of “the inseparable connection of miracles with
revelation, as its mark and credential” stating that they
“appear only when God is speaking to His people
through an accredited messenger declaring His
gracious purpose.”37
Lists four periods of revelation accompanied by
confirming miracles, the Exodus and conquest of
Canaan, the “life-and-death” struggle of “true religion”
vs. heathenism under Elijah and Elisha, Daniel and his
companions during the Exile, and the establishment of
Christianity when “miracles attested the person of
Christ and his doctrine, where “Outside these periods
miracles are rare indeed.”

It is significant how this evidential view of the function of

miracle - along with its other characteristics - contributes to
Warfield’s criteria for evaluating biblical and postbiblical
miracle accounts.
 The Inconsistencies within Warfield’s
Concept of Miracle
The Dichotomy of Scottish Common Sense
Philosophy and Faith
One key difficulty, an intrinsic inconsistency in Warfield’s
cessationism derives from his adherence to Scottish common
sense philosophy and must be noted to understand his
cessationist arguments and their weaknesses. Warfield writes:

We believe in Christ because it is rational to believe

in Him...Of course mere reasoning cannot make a
Christian; but that is not because faith is not the
result of evidence, but because a dead soul cannot
respond to the evidence. The action of the Holy
Spirit and giving faith is not apart from evidence,
but along with evidence.38

Since Warfield’s common sense is by nature common and

obvious to all reasoning persons, he must come up with an
explanation for the many who, for example, do not embrace the
“evidence” of Christianity. His argument that “mere reasoning
cannot make a Christian” and that “a dead soul” requires the
“action of the Holy Spirit” to be able to “respond to the
evidence” is in itself inconsistent with his own common sense
view of the nature of reality, and is, as we shall see, akin to the
subjective mysticism he so vehemently attacks in his
cessationist arguments. His effort to reconcile this issue rears
itself in of many of his cessationist arguments. As Ruthven
observes, “once the ‘common’ of the common sense is
surrendered, the epistemological ground of Warfield’s
apologetics has been washed away.”39

The Internal Inconsistency

This intrinsic inconsistency carries over into Warfield’s
concept of miracle and is the seedbed of the contradictions
inherent in the cessationist arguments that derive from his
concept of miracle.

Warfield “attempts to combine two incompatible a priori beliefs

into one notion of miracle: naturalism and faith. On the one
hand, Warfield’s common sense philosophy provided him with
the confidence that one could, by sifting the facts, determine if
an event was miraculous or merely providential, supernatural or
natural. He understands the discernment of miracles in terms of
their objectivity and evidence, and from the perspective of
naturalistic a priori beliefs. On the other hand, Warfield finally
must admit that a prior faith commitment determines one’s
judgment on miracles.40

To Warfield, his common sense dictated that anyone, shown

the “evidence for a miracle” would accept that evidence and its
conclusion of miracle: “Why such an event should be
incapable of proof...is not immediately obvious. If that occurs,
it ought to be capable of being shown to have occurred.”41 To
his critics these extraordinary events could “fall into one of two
categories: a false report, or an event which can be explained,
at least ultimately, within the naturalistic worldview.”

Yet his philosophical opponents, such as Hume and Huxley,

presented him with a big problem, for not only did they not
accept the evidence of miracle, they also claimed a priori that
miracles were unprovable.42

When the evidence for a miracle presents itself before their

minds it scarcely finds a hospitable reception, and when that
evidence is exceptionally abundant and cogent, they are
compelled to face the question - what kind and amount of
evidence would convince them of the real occurrence of such
an event? They thus discover their real position to be that a
miraculous event is, as such, incapable of proof.43

Thus, Warfield admits that the acceptance or rejection of

miracles based on common sense evidence depends on that
person’s a priori assumptions - which, by definition,
contradicts the common sense nature intrinsic to his concept
of miracle. Warfield’s concept of miracle is internally
inconsistent. Again, as Ruthven so accurately observes, “once
the ‘common’ of the common sense is surrendered, the
epistemological ground of Warfield’s apologetics has been
washed away.”44

The Inconsistency of Application

As Ruthven explains:
 Warfield excoriates those who claim to examine
carefully nature and history, declaring on a
posteriori grounds that biblical miracles do not
happen when in fact these doubters have already
begun their investigation guided by the a prior
belief that miracles are impossible. Nevertheless,
when attacking the occurrence of postbiblical
miracles, Warfield is not above an appeal to an
identical naturalistic a priori belief.45

While Warfield admits theoretically to the

possibility of genuine miracles such as “the
restoration of an amputated hand, the sudden
healing of a broken bone, or the replacement of lost
feet,” His “naturalistic a priori belief shows through
when he insists that ‘bare inexplicablity’ or
‘inscrutability’ would prove insufficient grounds for
the assertion of a miracle...”46

A clear illustration is his response to the account of the

instantaneous healing of the badly broken legs of Pierre de
Rudder at the shrine of Lourdes. After expressing his
skepticism concerning the report, he wrote:

We are only beginning to learn the marvelous

behavior of which living tissue is capable, and it
may well be that, after a while, it may seem very
natural that Pierre their readers’ case happened
just as it is said to have happened…Nature was
made by God, not man, and there may be forces
 working in nature not only which have not yet been
dreamed of in our philosophy, but which are beyond
human comprehension altogether...We do not busy
ourselves, therefore, with conjecturing how Pierre
De Rudder’s cure may have happened...we are
content to know that in no case was it a miracle.47

What we shall see here is Warfield’s attempt to “ride” two

intrinsically divergent and mutually incompatible “horses”: a
common sense oriented, naturalistic, objective, scientifically-
analyzed worldview and a faith-oriented, supernaturalistic,
subjective, spiritually-discerned worldview.

This dichotomy is essential to his polemic, for when defending

against the onslaught of liberals who would naturalize,
mythologize or allegorize away biblical miracles he valiantly
rides the steed of Biblical faith, but when charging out against
those who would threaten with religious authority based on
claims of the miraculous, he mounts the steed of common
sense - ALL THE TIME CONVINCED THAT THEY ARE
REALLY THE SAME HORSE!

Warfield’s Standards of Evaluation for A

Genuine Miracle
To complete our discussion concerning his concept of miracle
we look at “tests” Warfield published for evaluating the
occurrence of a genuine miracle. His tests - based in his
Calvinistic, a priori beliefs in the existence and activity of God
and the historical reliability of inspired Scripture to attest to
miracles - are primarily a reflection of the evidential function
central to his concept of miracle.49 The fourth is the exception,
and is one that he uses extensively to discredit those who
claim miracles in the postbiblical period.

This list is quoted from the article “Miracle” by Warfield:

1) “True miracles exhibit the character of God and

teach truths concerning God.”

2) “They are in harmony with the established truths

of religion…If a wonder is worked which
contradicts the doctrines of the Bible, it is a lying
wonder...”

3) “There is an adequate occasion for them. God

does not work them except for great cause and for a
religious purpose. They belong to the history of
redemption, and there is no genuine miracle without
an adequate occasion for it in God’s redemptive
revelation of himself.”

4) “They are established, not by the number of

witnesses, but by the character and qualification of
the witnesses.”50

SUMMARY
In this lesson we looked in depth at Warfield’s
concept of miracle, the underpinning for his entire
 cessationist argument. We have established its
flawed inconsistent, self-contradictory nature and
effect in application. In the next session we continue
by analyzing the historical and Scriptural “legs” of
his polemic by examining his historical methodology
and hermeneutical system for interpreting Scripture
based on his concept of miracle.
Endnotes
1Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:
The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) pp. 39-40, footnote 2

2Ibid.

3Ibid. pp. 35-36

4Ibid. p. 36

5Ibid. p. 37

6Ibid. p. 38

7Ibid.

8Ibid. p. 39, footnote 2

9Ibid., referenced in footnote 3

10Ibid. p. 40, footnote 2 references Wesley, V, p. 426
(entry for January 28, 1749)

11Ibid. p. 45

12Ibid.

13Ibid.

14epis•te•mo•log•i•cal adjective, from

epis•te•mol•o•gy noun : the study or a theory of the
nature and grounds of knowledge especially with
reference to its limits and validity from Merriam-
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition
(Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1996)

15Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 45

16Ibid. p. 46

17Ibid., footnote 3

18Ibid. pp. 46-47

19Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 47, footnote 3 citation: Vander Stelt,
Philosophy and Scripture, pp. 61-62

20Ibid. p. 49, footnote 3 citation: Warfield, Studies

in Theology, p. 11

21Ibid. p. 54, footnote 3

22Ibid.

23Vinson Synan, In the Latter Days (Fairfax, VA:

Xulon Press, 2001) p. 35

24Ibid. p. 36

25Ibid. p. 37

26Ibid. p. 39

27Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 53, footnote 3

28Ibid. p. 55

29Ibid. p. 56

30Ibid. p. 58
31Ibid., footnote 2 cites: Warfield, ‘A Question of
Miracles’, p. 170

32Ibid. p. 58

33Ibid.

34Ibid. p. 32, footnote 3, quoted and cited: Aquinas,

Summa Theologica 1.110.4

35Ibid. pp. 59-60

36Ibid. p. 72, quoted in text, and cited in footnote 3

37Ibid. p. 72

38Ibid. p. 51, footnote 3 citation: Warfield,

‘Apologetics’, WBBW, IX, p. 15

39Ibid. p. 52

40Ibid. p. 63

41Ibid. p. 64

42Ibid. p. 65

43Ibid.

44Ibid. p. 52

45Ibid. p. 65
46Ibid.

47Ibid. p. 71

48Ibid. p. 69

49Ibid., footnote 1 citation: DDB, p. 299

50Ibid. page 61, footnote 2, citing: B.B. Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 3
 CHAPTER 16
CESSATIONISM: PART 3
SESSION GOALS
1) Examine Warfield’s historical methodology, its integrity, and
its use in his evaluation of biblical and postbiblical miracles

2) Examine Warfield’s principles of biblical interpretation

3) Examine example weaknesses both in substance and neglect

of Warfield’s biblical interpretation

4) Summarize and conclude our analysis of Warfield’s

cessationist polemic

Lesson Glossary

ad hominem: [at the man] marked by an attack on an

opponent’s character rather than by an answer to the
contentions made or appealing to personal prejudice rather
than reason

soteriology: the theology of salvation, particularly as effected

by Jesus Christ

eschatology: the theology of the final events in the history of

the world and of mankind

INTRODUCTION
In our last lesson we looked in depth at Warfield’s concept of
miracle, the underpinning for his entire cessationist argument.
In this session we continue by analyzing the Historical and
Scriptural “legs” of his polemic. We will examine Warfield’s
(2a) historical methodology and (2b) biblical hermeneutics -
their integrity, characteristics and his application of them - with
the goal of assessing the validity of his evidential function
argument (3) and therefore the validity of his cessationist
conclusion (4).

KEY INSIGHTS
We begin our analysis of Warfield’s historical methodology by
examining its chief characteristics, for both the Biblical and
postBiblical eras. We will then examine his use of that
methodology.

Warfield’s Historical Methodology: Its

Internal Inconsistency
The contradictory, dual nature of Warfield’s concept of miracle
is significant to the historical methodology he applies to
biblical and postbiblical miracle accounts. His historical
methodology follows suit and is internally inconsistent in its
assumptions for the biblical period vs. the postbiblical period.
The following is a summary of his historical criteria for
evaluating reports of miracles and the charismata.

Characteristics of His Methodology for the

Biblical Period

A priori, unquestioned acceptance of the miracle

accounts.
Enlightenment, idealistic, “Golden Age” evaluation of
miracle events.
Testimonies in biblical accounts assumed inerrant.
Historical-critical methods rejected for evaluating
miracle accounts.

Characteristics of His Methodology for the

 PostBiblical Period

A priori, skepticism of miracle accounts.

Naturalistic, rationalistic evaluation of miracle events.
Ad hominem attacks in the evaluation of Postbiblical
Testimonies
Human misperception attributed to miracles included
superstition, mental imbalance/emotional stress - such
as “blinding excitement”, “brutal persecution” or
“inflamed with passion” - and a suspect worldview of
Christians from their absorption of the pagan culture’s
modes of communication.
Vacillation, as with the church fathers.
Historical-critical methods used to evaluate miracle
accounts.
Reductionism, i.e. the attempt to explain away the
miraculous by the physical laws applied to inanimate
matter.
Rudimentary literary form criticism, i.e. “myths” and
“wonder tales.”

Warfield’s Historical Methodology: Its

Contradictory Evaluation of Miracles in the
Biblical vs. PostBiblical Periods.
Following are examples of Warfield’s contradictory,
inconsistent conclusions about miracles and the charismata in
the Biblical vs. Postbiblical periods resulting from his defective
Historical methodology. They illustrate the invalidity of yet
another component of his cessationist polemic.

Biblical Period Examples:

Warfield not only fully accepted the testimony of Scripture
concerning Christ’s miracles, but he exaggerated them from his
Enlightenment “Golden Age” historical view of the Biblical
period:

“[Christ’s miracles] were but the trailing clouds of glory

which He brought from heaven, which is His home”1
“The number of miracles which He wrought may easily
be underrated.”2
“In effect he banished disease and death from Palestine
for the three years of his ministry.”
“[The hem of his garment] could medicine whole
countries of their pain. One touch of that pale hand
could life restore” [Note: Warfield referred to this as a
‘pardonable exaggeration’] 3

[It is] characteristic of the Apostolic churches that such

miraculous gifts should be displayed in them. The exception
would be, not a church with, but a church without such gifts.
Everywhere, the Apostolic Church was marked out as itself a
gift from God, by showing forth the possession of the Spirit in
appropriate works of the Spirit - miracles of healing and
miracles of power, miracles of knowledge, whether in the form
of prophecy or of the discerning of spirits, miracles of speech,
whether the gifts of tongues were of their interpretation. The
Apostolic Church was characteristically a miracle-working
church.

To quote commentary by Ruthven:

In ‘A Question of Miracles’, p. 202, Warfield makes a

special plea to view exorcism as strictly a clash of
spiritual powers, an activity ‘which can scarcely be
subsumed under the operation of natural forces’. He
compares exorcism to the resurrection of Jesus from
whom ‘both the divine Spirit and the human
soul...departed into “the other world”’, and
returned him to life - activity ‘over which “natural
forces” could have no control’ (p. 201) Warfield’s
view of the miraculous nature of New Testament
exorcism here lies in sharp contrast to his reaction
to nearly identical reports occurring in later church
history.4

PostBiblical Period Examples:

Warfield’s handling of the accounts miracles and charismata
during the first fifty post-apostolic years:

• When responding to statements of the general activity of

miracles or charismata he says that there is “no opportunity of
applying those tests by which the credibility of miracles must
be tried.”
• When responding to specific or compelling accounts, such as
one by Irenaeus of one being raised from the dead, he relegates
them back to the Apostolic age.

• Some cases regarded seriously by contemporaries he

dismisses as “not esteemed [by them as] a very great thing.”

Warfield relegated postbiblical period reports of exorcism to

“wonder tales” and “superstition” or demythologized them.
Speaking of the abundance of allusions to exorcists and
exorcisms in Christian literature beginning with Justin, Warfield
comments in Counterfeit Miracles, “But this is no proof that
miracles were wrought, except this great miracle, that [the
Church won] its struggle against deeply-rooted and absolutely
pervasive superstition”5

In another passage of Counterfeit Miracles he comments:

Something new entered Christianity in these

wonder-tales; something unknown to the
Christianity of the Apostles, unknown to the
Apostolic churches, and unknown to their sober
successors; and it entered Christianity from without,
not through the door, climbing up some other way.
It brought an abundance of miracle-working with it;
and unfortunately, it brought it to stay. 6

It is possible that we very commonly underestimate

the marvelous rest of the world with which the
heathen imagination surrounded itself, crippled as
 it was by its ignorance of natural law, and inflamed
by the most incredible superstition.7

Even ’Augustine the truthful’ in ‘a case of marvelous

happenings... shows himself quite unreliable… a
child of his times’.8

Warfield’s describes his rationalist, skeptical approach (with ad

hominem inferences) to investigating healings recounted by
his contemporary, A. J. Gordon, in Gordon’s The Ministry of
Healing and Miracles of Cure in All Ages:

The testimony of theologians is…a matter of

opinion…and of the healed themselves is only a
record of facts… which constitute in their totality
the whole evidence before us. What now are the
facts? What is their nature? And what are we to
think of them? The first thing that strikes the
observer…is that they stand sadly in need of careful
sifting. What we’re looking for is such facts as
necessitate or at least suggest the assumption, in
order to account for them, of the ‘immediate action
of God, as distinguished from his immediate action
through natural laws”.9

Summary
In conclusion let’s listen to Ruthven:

It is ironic that Benjamin Warfield, who to so many

 was a rock of orthodox stability in a time of
dramatic theological change, used many of the same
critical techniques on historical miracles that his
liberal opponents had used on Scripture. In dealing
with miracle accounts through the centuries,
Warfield appears to be employing at least
rudimentary kinds of literary form criticism; he cites
approvingly Adolph von Harnack’s rationalization
of exorcisms in the early church, and dismisses every
claim to miracles as human misperception, be it
superstition, mental imbalance or mendacity. The
very essence of Warfield’s argument against
postbiblical miracles seems formed from a template
of Harnack’s rationalistic liberalism, but also from
Hume’s Enquiry. All have their presuppositions:
that miracles cannot happen (for Warfield after the
Apostolic age, for Hume, at all); a highly critical
evaluation of witnesses to miracles; and a
preordained analysis of the improbability of miracle
occurrences on a case by case basis.10

We have completed our evaluation of Warfield’s historical

methodology and his application of it. We have established its
inconsistent, contradictory nature and effect - resulting from
Warfield’s underlying flawed concept of miracle - and
established the invalidity of (2a) the Historical “leg” of his
polemic. We now turn to our examination of Warfield’s
Hermeneutics, (2b) the Scriptural “leg” of Warfield’s
cessationist polemic.
WARFIELD’S BIBLICAL HERMENEUTIC METHODOLOGY
Hermeneutics is defined as “the study of the methodological
principles of interpretation (as of the Bible)”11 In this section
we want to examine Warfield’s methodology for interpreting
Scripture.

Its Characteristics
As he does with his historical and theological method
generally, Warfield shapes his specifically Biblical hermeneutic
according to the common sense traditions, that the Bible
should first be approached, without any presuppositions, ‘as
any other book.’12 Concerning common sense and
interpretation he says:

It is as old as the Bible itself, and has been

unconsciously used by everyone who has tried in a
simple-hearted way to understand its words. A man
does not need to know logic to reason correctly.
When the argument is in him, it will come out; nor
has it been necessary for everyone who has
interpreted correctly to know he was interpreting
after a scientific faction. All the same, logic and
hermeneutics are true sciences; and a knowledge of
them will enable many a man to reason and
interpret correctly who never could have done so
without them.13

Yet, he references the need for revelation to understand the

Scripture:

to understand the meaning when arrived at,

requires other graces: humility, docility… and
above all… spiritual discernment before we can feel
the full sense of the Word, which can be inspired
into the heart only by the same Spirit which inspired
the words themselves.14

And that the infallible inspiration by the Holy Spirit through

human writers:

brings the whole book under the authorship of a

single Mind; the words of Peter or the words of Paul
are alike the words of God.15

Which,

…puts the chief instrument of interpretation in the

hands of every Bible reader, by declaring that
Scripture is its own interpreter, and that more
obscured scriptures are to be explained by plainer
Scriptures.16

Notice the internal inconsistencies derived from the self-

contradictions of the Biblical faith model vs. common sense
model:

a) Concept of Scripture: Self-Interpreting vs. Interpreted

as any book
 b) Source of Interpretation: Illumination vs. Scientific
Investigation
c) Basis of Rules of Interpretation: Common sense vs.
Science and Logic

Its Rules of Interpretation

The goal in analyzing his methodology is to examine the
validity of his biblical arguments for cessationism against the
backdrop of his own professed interpretive methodology. We
include now a summary from Ruthven quoting the essentials of
Warfield’s rules of interpretation:17

1. “Base one’s exegesis upon an accurate text.”18

2. “Obtain the exact sense of every word.”19

3. “Construe the words according to the strictest

rules of grammar.”20

4. “Interpret the reference to the historical setting of

a passage.”21

5. “‘Interpret contextually’, keeping in mind the

immediate context which ‘must be put in harmony’
with the ‘broad context’ which is the ‘the object,
argument and general contents of the entire
book’”22

Warfield’s rules of interpretation are not in themselves

inappropriate - it is his underlying a priori cessationist
assumptions which affect the consistency with which he
applies them - sometimes causing him to completely contradict
their usage.

Warfield’s Biblical Defense for

Cessationism
Warfield asserted that his polemic was supported by the clear
teaching of Scripture. Ironically, though Warfield claims that
his argument stands on firm biblical ground, “hardly more than
a half dozen pages of over three hundred are devoted to this
scriptural grounding, and of this, almost nothing in specific
exegesis of texts.”23

A number of successors to Warfield acknowledge thoroughly

the weakness of the cessationist biblical position.24 For
example G. Aiken Taylor, the editor of a conservative
Presbyterian periodical for which Warfield had once written,
states:

It can be rather categorically stated that the New

Testament simply does not affirm that the Church
should expect God to stop working miracles among
his people. To take that position is to come
perilously close to the approach which is anathema
to Reformed hermeneutics, namely, conclusions
based on what is said to be the experience of the
Church rather than the clear teaching of
Scripture…We have no biblical warrant to restrict
the gifts to the early Church, nor to outlaw any
 specific gift today.25

We now want to examine the Warfield’s biblical arguments in

defense of cessationism.

Positive: Proof texts

In this section we briefly examine the positive aspect of

Warfield’s biblical argument for cessationism by looking at key
points and his supporting passages. The charismata of 1
Corinthians 12-14 are divided into two groups:

Warfield divides the Charismata into the ‘ordinary’,

that is ‘distinctly gracious’ gifts - ‘the more
excellent way’ - that continue into the Post-
apostolic age, and the ‘extraordinary’, that is,
‘miraculous’ gifts that are restricted to the Apostolic
age. Of the miraculous gifts, he reduces prophecy to
simply a ‘gift of exhortation and teaching’ that was
divinely inspired.

Warfield cites two primary scriptures for their evidential nature:

2 Corinthians 12:12
The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and
miracles—were done among you with great
perseverance. (NIV)

Hebrews 2:3b-4
How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?
 This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,
was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also
testified to it [i.e.,“this salvation”] by signs, wonders
and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit
distributed according to his will. (NIV)

Notice that the accrediting, even in our Lord’s case, was

focused on the message, that is, the Gospel of Salvation. Note
in Hebrews 2:3b-4 that “this salvation” was announced by
Jesus, confirmed by those who heard Jesus, and testified to by
God. The theme is the biblical requirement of multiple witness
or testimony to establish a fact. In was an accrediting of what
the Father was doing, even through Jesus to demonstrate the
Gospel of the Kingdom.

Acts 2:22-24
Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man
accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and
signs, which God did among you through him, as you
yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by
God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the
help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to
the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him
from the agony of death, because it was impossible for
death to keep its hold on him. (NIV)

Deuteronomy 19:15b
…A matter must be established by the testimony of two or
 three witnesses. (NIV)

John 8:17-18
In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two
men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other
witness is the Father, who sent me.” (NIV)

2 Corinthians 13:1
This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be
established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
(NIV)

Hebrews 10:28
Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without
mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. (NIV)

1 Timothy 5:19
Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it
is brought by two or three witnesses. (NIV)

John 14:10-11
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the
Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my
own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing
his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the
evidence of the miracles themselves. (NIV)

And after Jesus’ ascension, he confirmed the gospel message

by signs. The accrediting was focused on the message of the
Gospel of the Kingdom, the salvation message in word and
power. Warfield totally missed the New Testament view of the
miracles and the charismata as a part of the normative
expression of the gospel in both word and power:

Mark 16:20
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere,
and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word
by the signs that accompanied it. (NIV)

Acts 26:17b-18
…I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan
to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a
place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
(NIV)

1 Corinthians 2:4
and my message and my preaching were not in
persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power, (NASB95)

Romans 15:18-19
I will not venture to speak of anything except what
Christ has accomplished through me in leading the
Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by
the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the
Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum,
I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. (NIV)
The gifts were conferred through the laying on of hands only
by the Apostles:

For this argument Warfield uses the Acts 8, where

those in Samaria receive the Holy Spirit. “The
source of the gifts of power, in the Apostles, apart
from whom they were not conferred; as also their
function, to authenticate the Apostles as the
authoritative founders of the church.”26

Warfield further states, “There is no instance on record of their

conference by the laying on of hands by any one else than an
Apostle.”27

Acts 8:4-24
Those who had been scattered preached the word
wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in
Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the
crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he
did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With
shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many
paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great
joy in that city. Now for some time a man named Simon
had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the
people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone
great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him
their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine
power known as the Great Power.” They followed him
because he had amazed them for a long time with his
 magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the
good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon
himself believed and was baptized. And he followed
Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and
miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard
that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent
Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed
for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because
the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they
had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord
Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,
and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that
the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’
hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also
this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may
receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your
money perish with you, because you thought you could
buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or
share in this ministry, because your heart is not right
before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the
Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a
thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of
bitterness and captive to sin.” Then Simon answered,
“Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said
may happen to me.” (NIV)

Yet, Warfield’s argument breaks down in Paul’s case:

 Acts 9:1-19
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous
threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high
priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in
Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to
the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as
prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his
journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him,
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you,
Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the
city, and you will be told what you must do.”

It is recorded nowhere that an apostle laid hands on Paul.

Warfield classifies Paul as an exception who received the
Charismata directly from Jesus. He states that this “is no
exception as is sometimes said; Ananias worked a miracle on
Paul but did not confer miracle-working powers.”

Acts 9:1-19 (cont.)

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they
heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from
the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see
nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For
three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink
anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named
Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
 “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the
house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from
Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has
seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on
him to restore his sight.”“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I
have heard many reports about this man and all the
harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has
come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest
all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to
Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry
my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before
the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must
suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went to the house and
entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother
Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road
as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may
see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes,
and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and
after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Then, without any basis, he claims that Paul’s miracle-working

power was “original with him as an Apostle, and not conferred
by any one”28 contradicting his own position, as seen above.

Negative: Attacks on A.J. Gordon

We list passages A.J. Gordon cited in biblical support of

contemporary healings and miracles and highlight Warfield’s
arguments dismissing them. As can be seen, his arguments
against the faith-cure movement’s positions are not based on a
careful, complete biblical analysis of all relevant passages
based on his rules of interpretation, but draw from the
cessationist presuppositions already in place.

Matthew 8:17

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet

Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our
diseases.”

Warfield:

Countered that a miracle is strictly an object lesson for

a spiritual truth.29
Held that this passage does not promise “relief from
every human ill” and stated that we “live in a complex
of forces out of which we cannot escape”; and “Are
we… to demand that the laws of nature be suspended
in our case?”30 He held that “Our Lord never permitted
it for a moment to be imagined that the salvation He
brought was fundamentally for this life. His was
emphatically an other-world religion.”31
Denied the ‘entire sanctification’ by faith notion of the
holiness movement from which the faith-cure movement
developed.32
 Compared our struggle with sickness to the constant
life-long struggle with ‘indwelling sin’.33 (This
argument would have supported the position for
healing if not for his polemic’s foundation of the
dramatic, instantaneous nature of his concept of
miracle. Just as we progressively win over sin, we could
progressively win over sickness).

Warfield’s arguments here just do not hold up against biblical

scrutiny using his own rules of interpretation. They flow from
cessationist presuppositions based on his evidential concept
of miracle, and are largely analyzed from the perspective of his
Scottish common sense philosophy and closed cosmological
view of reality.

Mark 16:17-18

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my

name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands;
and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them
at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and
they will get well.”

As a text critic, Warfield denied the validity of this

passage’s assertion on the grounds that this passage
was “spurious”.34
 Even if it were a valid text he said, “I should not like to
have the genuineness of my faith made dependent
upon my ability to speak with new tongues, to drink
poison innocuously, and to heal the sick with a
‘touch’.”35

Comment: Ruthven points out how Warfield’s remark fails to

delineate the difference between saving faith and a faith which
results in miracles, even as expressed by his own mentors:

Apparently Warfield either overlooks or does not

subscribe to Calvin’s distinction between ‘saving
faith’… and ‘miraculous faith’, described in 1 Cor.
12.9, by which ‘miracles are performed in [Christ’s]
name’. Calvin also notes that ‘Judas had faith like
that, and even he carried out miracles by it’.
Warfield’s mentor, Charles Hodge, and Hodge’s son
Archibald Alexander both make analogous
distinctions, so it is odd that Warfield frames his
objection to faith for miracles in such a manner.36

James 5:14-15

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of

the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil
in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in
faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will
raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
 Sees “no indication” that miraculous faith or healing is
intended.37
Anointing oil is strictly medicinal in value and is not
symbolic of the power of the Holy Spirit for healing.38

In violation of his Rule 5, Warfield does not accept the

precedent of anointing for supernatural healing by the
disciples acting on the commission from Jesus to preach and
healing:

Mark 6:12-13

They went out and preached that people should repent.

They drove out many demons and anointed many sick
people with oil and healed them.

John 14:12

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the

Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the
miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has
faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do
even greater things than these, because I am going to the
Father.
 Faith healers have yet to produce the ‘greater works’ of
Jesus: raising the dead, and doing natural miracles39.
Defined the ‘greater works’ as ‘spiritual works’ referring
to the propagation of the gospel around the world.40

These conclusions are self-contradictory. On the one hand,

Warfield acknowledges the supernatural character of Jesus’
healings and miracles when claiming that the faith healers have
not duplicated all of Jesus works. Yet he spiritualizes away the
miraculous nature of these works of Jesus when referring to the
greater works as simply the preaching of the gospel. This,
again, is a violation of Warfield’s Rule 5.

To introduce our next section we want to ask ourselves a

question:

If Warfield’s principles of interpretation are

applied —consistently and without his a priori
cessationist assumptions—to Scripture, to what
conclusions do they lead concerning the
function of the Charismata?
BIBLICAL ASSESSMENT OF WARFIELD’S P OLEMIC
This section draws from selected highlights of chapter 3 from
John Ruthven’s book, On the Cessation of the Charismata:
“Theological and Biblical Critique of Benjamin Warfield’s
Cessationism”41. First, we review two key biblical doctrines
that Warfield totally fails to address in his polemic, and which
are of significant importance in honestly and biblically
examining the function of the Charismata.
In the second part we review Scriptures passages which
demonstrating the continuation of the Charismata until the
“Parousia“ [appearing] of Christ. Our focus is not to debate
end-time doctrine, but to simply demonstrate that Scripture is
clear concerning the continuation of the charismata until we
meet Jesus “face to face” - however it unfolds!

Our goal from this review is to illustrate that Warfield’s own

principles of interpretation - minus his cessationist
presuppositions - when honestly and consistently applied to
Scripture lead to this conclusion - that the function of the
charismata is to express the Gospel of the Kingdom and that
their continued operation is intrinsic to its full and complete
proclamation until Christ returns.

Biblical Doctrines Contrary to the Doctrine

of Cessationism
Ruthven identifies two biblical doctrines which are
contradictory to his cessation position, the doctrine of the
Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the Kingdom of God.

The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Warfield’s cessationist view of the post-canonical activity of
the Holy Spirit being limited to the “Calvinistic concepts of
regeneration and sanctification” is in keeping with Calvinistic
view of the exalted Christ:42

When the revelation of God in Christ had taken

 place, and had become in Scripture and church a
constituent part of the cosmos, then another era
began…Christ has come, His work has been done,
and His word is complete.43

God the Holy Spirit has made it his subsequent

work, not to introduce new and unneeded
revelations into the world, but to defuse this one
complete revelation to the world and to bring
mankind into saving knowledge of it.44

As Ruthven observes:

The exalted Christ seems presently inactive, waiting,

it appears, for the preaching of Calvinistic
soteriology to accomplish its task in the world…
These representative statements of theological
doctrine seen to reflect more of an urgency to
protect the authority of Scripture than to describe
carefully its teaching.”45 Warfield failed “to grasp
the characteristic biblical activity of the Spirit that
is so inimical [contrary] to cessationism” and “the
fact that Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the
promise of the universal outpouring of this Spirit of
prophecy and miracle on ‘all people’...not simply to
accredit apostles and those ‘upon whom apostolic
hands were laid’, but to all future generations,
conditional only upon repentance and faith. The
Bible sees the outpouring of the Spirit and his gifts
upon the church as characteristic of the age of the
 messiah and his reign in the kingdom of God.”46

Ruthven reports how he followed the steps of Warfield’s

principles of interpretation, classifying every biblical reference
to the Holy Spirit according to “any contextual description”. In
the Old Testament, “of the 128 appearances, 76 primarily
described prophetic or revelatory activities of the Spirit; 18
were charismatic leadership; 14 were divine (miraculous)
power; and 18 were the sustenance of life;” He reports finding
similar proportions in the more numerous references to the
Spirit in the New Testament.47

The Doctrine of the Kingdom of God

In his research, Ruthven identified “several key theological
aspects of the kingdom of God” for which Warfield failed “to
grasp the charismatic significance”48:

His “picture of Jesus’ earthly and exalted mission...fails

to show Christ as the continuing source of the
charismata among those who would receive them.”49
His Calvinistic soteriology “is limited to the problem of
sin” and “fails to grasp the holistic nature of salvation,
including healing, revelation and deliverance from
demonic power.”50
His eschatology “is flawed” because Warfield “fails to
see the work of the kingdom of God (alternatively, the
Spirit of God) as biblically described, that is, that the
exalted Christ bestows charismata provisionally in this
 age as a ‘down payment’, the ‘first fruits’, or a ‘taste of
the powers of the age to come’.51

Ruthven contrasts, the former “two-part schema shared by the

Old Testament and the rabbis, which divided history into…this
present age (from creation to the coming of the messiah), and
the age to come (the coming of the messiah onward)”52 with
the Church age:

The New Testament saw the two ages as

overlapping: the coming of the messiah, Jesus
inaugurated the time of the kingdom and Spirit in
the opening victories over the kingdom of Satan….
[Christ’s exaltation and the outpouring of the
Spirit] expanded this conflict, through the ministry
of the church, a conflict characterized by the
restoration of hearts, souls and bodies from the
control of the kingdom of darkness-, via the
preaching of the word and through healings and
miracles.”53

He adds further:

The New Testament expressly ties the presence of the

charismata to the exalted Lordship of Jesus...God,
through his exalted Christ in his church, continues
his earthly ministry of deliverance through the
church (John 7.39; 16.7, 17). The ‘greater works’ of
those who believe in him can be performed only
because Jesus goes to his Father (Jn 14.12, cf. Acts
 2.33, 36b, 38-39).”54

Finally, Ruthven says of Raymond Brown:

[He] represents the consensus of modern biblical

scholarship when he writes: ‘Jesus’ miracles were
not only primarily external confirmation of his
message; rather than miracle was the vehicle of the
message. Side by side, word and miraculous deed
gave expression to the entrance of God’s kingly
power into time.55

Biblical Passages Demonstrating the

Continuation of the Charismata
In his analyses of these passages, Ruthven step-by-step
applies Warfield’s principles of interpretation to exegete them,
provides in his summary paraphrases based on his exegesis.
While an in-depth study is beyond our means in this course,
we will highlight common themes and encourage you to
investigate it further on your own.

Common Themes

The Charismata are Christ “centric”

They are given by God through the exalted Christ Jesus,

continuously to confirm the ‘testimony of Christ’, until the
Lord Jesus Christ is revealed, in the ‘day of the Lord Jesus
Christ’.56

The Charismata are “not granted to exalt the self-

centered”

“The abundance of charismata serve usefully to promote

maturity in believers throughout the present age, but these
gifts will be overwhelmed and replaced by the consummation
of the age, the ‘and’, the kingdom in its fullness, that is, the
revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the ‘day’ of his glory.”

The Charismata are eschatological

“Spiritual gifts express the contemporary presence of the future

kingdom of God.”

They are not earned, but are God’s “grace” and

“graces”
They are for the purpose of confirming/strengthening
believers 57

Key Passages

1 Corinthians 13:8-12

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they

will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if
 there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in
part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect
comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child,
I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason
like a child; when I became a man, I did away with
childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but
then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will
know fully just as I also have been fully known.
(NASB95)

Chart from of Ruthven’s analysis of this passage showing the

contrasting aspects of the present and future age:58
Verses: 9-10
11
(Now our) 12
I used to speak as
Knowledge is Now I see Now I know
a child, think as a
imperfect dimly, in part
child, reason as a
prophecy is indirectly
child
imperfect
when the perfect then I then I shall
when I became a
comes the shall know know as
man I gave up
imperfect will be see face to fully as I am
infantile things
ended face know

1 Corinthians 1:4-8

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of

God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in
everything you were [past] enriched in Him, in all
speech [verbal charismata] and all knowledge
[revelatory charismata], even as the testimony
concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are
[present] not lacking in any gift [charisma], awaiting
eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will
[future] also confirm you to the end [completion of the
age], blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(NASB95)

Ephesians 4:7-13

But to each one of us grace was given according to the

measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When He
ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And
He gave gifts to men.” (Now this expression, “He
ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had
descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who
descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all
the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He
gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some
as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the
equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the
building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to
the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature
which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (NASB95)

Auxiliary Passages which reiterate the key

 passage
Even a basic perusal of the following passages reveals
exhortation and expectation to seek for, pray for, live in, and
operate in kingdom power dynamics until Christ’s return.
These verses are filled with themes such as:

Receiving his grace and power and glory, being

filled up to all the fullness of God, being clothed
with power, having power together with all the
saints, praying for all wisdom and spiritual
understanding, being empowered, the gifts
(charismata) and calling of God are irrevocable,
the proclamation of the Gospel in word and deed,
don’t quench the Spirit, do works of faith in power,
preserved by the power of God, Be prepared for
Christ’s return in power and glory.

Romans 11:29

for God’s gifts [charismata] and his call are irrevocable.

Ephesians 1: 13-14, 17-21

And you also were included in Christ when you heard

the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having
believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the
promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing
our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
God’s possession - to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:17-21

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also
that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order
that you may know the hope to which he has called you,
the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and
his incomparably great power for us who believe. That
power is like the working of his mighty strength, which
he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
and every title that can be given, not only in the present
age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his
whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I
pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen
you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I
pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may
have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how
wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that
you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at
work within us, to him be glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and
ever! Amen.

Ephesians 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption. (NIV)

Ephesians 5:15-19

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as

wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because
the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk
on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled
with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your
heart to the Lord.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that
when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to
stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled
around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness
in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that
comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all
kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert
and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also
for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be
given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery
of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.
Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Philippians 1:9-10

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more

and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you
may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and
blameless until the day of Christ.

Colossians 1:9-12

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we

have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill
you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual
wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order
that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may
please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good
work, growing in the knowledge of God, being
strengthened with all power according to his glorious
might so that you may have great endurance and
patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who
has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints
in the kingdom of light.

1 Thessalonians 1:5-8

because our gospel came to you not simply with words,

but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep
conviction. You know how we lived among you for your
sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite
of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the
joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model
to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s
message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and
Achaia—your faith in God has become known
everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything
about it.

1 Thessalonians 5:11-23

Therefore encourage one another and build each other

up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you,
brothers, to respect those who work hard among you,
who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their
work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you,
brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid,
help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that
nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be
kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful
always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat
prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to
the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the
God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May
your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our

God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his
power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and
every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the
name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you
in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord
Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:5

who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the

coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in
the last time.
1 Peter 4:7-12

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded

and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love
each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude
of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without
grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has
received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s
grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do
it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone
serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so
that in all things God may be praised through Jesus
Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and
ever. Amen. Dear friends, do not be surprised at the
painful trial you are suffering, as though something
strange were happening to you.

1 John 2:26-28

I am writing these things to you about those who are

trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you
received from him remains in you, and you do not need
anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you
about all things and as that anointing is real, not
counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. And
now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he
appears we may be confident and unashamed before him
at his coming.

Jude 18-21
 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers
who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are
the men who divide you, who follow mere natural
instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear
friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and
pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as
you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring
you to eternal life.

Final Remarks
An excellent closing summary to this portion of our study is an
astute, articulate analysis by Southern Baptist scholar Dr.
Robert H. Culpepper from his work Evaluating the
Charismatic Movement: A Theological and Biblical
Appraisal:

The first task is that of seeking to discover if there is

any sound basis for distinguishing some gifts as
temporary and others as permanent. We should note
that this type of thinking has never been a part of
Catholic thought. Indeed, one of the prerequisites
for the canonization of a saint in Catholic life is that
there must be strong attestation that the person so
canonized has worked miracles. Catholics, they,
have not ordinarily rejected offhand the possibility
of contemporary miracles. Rather, they have tended
to think of the medium through which they operate
as being not ordinary Christians, but “saints” in
their special understanding of the word.

When we come to Protestantism, however, we find a

different picture. There is a tendency to stress the
temporary character of some of the gifts. One view is
that the purpose of the miracle or sign gifts was to
authenticate the Christian message in the days
before the completion of Scripture. Now that the
canon of Scripture has been completed, there is no
longer a need for further display of the miraculous
gifts. In the Pauline sense, they say, we no longer
have apostles and prophets in our day. Neither are
the gifts of miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation
of tongues, and discerning of spirits in evidence. All
these were temporary gifts never intended for the
permanent life of the church. Those who take this
view usually cite 1 Corinthians 13:8-9 in its
support. Here it is said that Paul maintains that
tongues and prophecy will pass away when the
perfect is come. They usually interpret “that which
is perfect” as referring to the Bible.

Another view is that the purpose of the special

supernatural gifts was the authentication of the
apostles. Thus, we are told, some of those upon
whom the apostles laid their hands received
miracle-working power, but they were not able to
pass this along to others. Miracles then inevitably
passed from the scene with the death of the apostles
and their disciples. In support of this view passages
that emphasize miracles as authenticating the
apostles are cited (Acts 14:3; Romans 15:18-19; 2
Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4). Those who take
this view sometimes assert that nowhere does the
New Testament tell us that we are to continue to
manifest the miraculous gifts. Sometimes the
proponents of this theory fuse it with the first view in
saying that the disappearance of the miraculous
gifts is not great loss to the church, because we now
have the complete Bible. To insist that the church
still needs miraculous signs today, they say, is to
overlook the finality of the Scriptures.

In at least one of these gifts the distinction between

the temporary and the permanent is valid. We no
longer have apostles today in the sense of those who
as witnesses to the resurrection and the recipients of
God’s primal revelation laid the foundation for the
Christian church for all ages (Acts 1:22; Ephesians
2:20). The recognition of this fact, however, does
not provide a solid basis for making the type of
broad distinction between the so-called miraculous
and nonmiraculous gifts that is outlined in the
theories described above. [Author’s note: I agree
there are not to be Apostles who have the authority
to write new Scripture or who are on a standing
with the 12, but there is another class, order, type of
apostle in the Bible that seems to be similar to a
church planting missionary who moves in powerful
gifts of the Holy Spirit. This type of apostle still
exists today in the church and has never dropped
out of the existence of the Church.]

It seems to me that these theories will not stand for

two reasons. First, they are not well grounded
biblically. It is poor exegesis to appeal to 1
Corinthians 13:8-9 in support of the idea that
tongues and prophecy are temporary, for in the
context of that passage “that which is perfect” refers
not to the completed Scriptures, but to the complete
revelation of Christ which will come when we see
him “face to face.” [Author’s note: F.F. Bruce, a
famous Evangelical scholar makes the exact point
in his commentary on 1 Corinthians.] A
misunderstanding is manifest also in the
interpretation of the purpose of miracles and
spiritual gifts that is expressed. Not only did the
miracles of Jesus bear witness to the fact that he was
the Christ, the bearer of the kingdom, but also they
gave expression to the compassion of Jesus. Such
compassion was manifest also inmost of the miracles
performed by the apostles thought the Spirit.
[Emphasis added] The New Testament affirms that
the new age has dawned, that the kingdom is a
present reality. If that is true today, we have no
basis for dismissing miracles out of court. Paul
speaks of the spiritual gifts that are in dispute as
having been given by the Spirit for edification of the
body of Christ. If those gifts served to edify the body
then, what basis do we have for thinking they could
not bring edification in our day? Some interpreters
who insist on the temporary character of the
miraculous gifts say that the New Testament
nowhere promises that these gifts will continue. This
argument can be turned around. Nowhere does it
say that they will not continue. Rather, the
implication is that they will, for, according to John
14:12, Jesus promised that his disciples would
continue his works and do even greater ones, and
Hebrews 13:8 says that “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever.”

A second reason for rejecting the theory of the

temporary nature of the gifts is that there is good
evidence for believing that the Holy Spirit still
bestows his gifts upon his people when there is an
attitude of openness and expectancy. I once viewed
the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit as
temporary in design and expressed this view in an
article on “The Problem of Miracles” in the April
1956, issue of the Review and Expositor. [Author’s
note: This is the scholarly publication of Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.]
However, what I have seen, heard, read, though, felt
and experienced since then has convinced me that I
was wrong. When fact and theory collide, the better
 part of wisdom is to revise or discard the theory in
the light of the facts rather than stubbornly to hold
to the theory in defiance of the facts. In my judgment,
views of the temporary nature of the gifts should be
buried.59

Summary

In this section we have examined the (2b) Scriptural “leg” of

Warfield’s cessationist polemic by analyzing the nature and
application of his methodology of biblical interpretation. It
joins his concept of miracle (1) and historical methodology (2a)
in being flawed.

We conclude that the evidence is clear that B.B. Warfield’s,

cessationist, evidential view of the Charismata is fatally flawed,
and that the Charismata did not cease with the Apostolic age.

In addition, we have shown strong evidence that Warfield’s

own principles of interpretation - minus his cessationist
presuppositions - when honestly and consistently applied to
Scripture lead to this conclusion - that the function of the
charismata is to express the Gospel of the Kingdom and that
their continued operation is intrinsic to its full and complete
proclamation until Christ returns.

In the remaining lessons of this series, we will survey a history

of the operation of the charismata throughout Church history
which bear testimony to the conclusion that the gifts have
ceased, but continue as an expression of the Kingdom of God
on earth.

Endnotes
1Ibid. footnote 3, citing: B.B. Warfield, Counterfeit
Miracles, p. 3

2Ibid. footnote 5, citing: B.B. Warfield, Counterfeit

Miracles, p. 3

3Ibid. footnote 4.
4Ibid. p. 88, footnote 4, quoting and citing: B.B.
Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles, p. 239, n. 21

5Ibid. p. 87, footnote 5, quoting and citing: B.B.

Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles, p. 20

6Ibid. p. 84

7Ibid.

8Ibid. p. 89, footnote 2 citing: B.B. Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 185

9Ibid. p. 91

10Ibid.

11Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th

edition (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1996)

12Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata:

The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles
Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series
3 (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd,
1993, 1997) p. 93

13Ibid. p. 95, citing B.B. Warfield, “The True

Method of Procedure in the Interpretation of the
New Testament’, contained in a folio, MSS Material
on the New Testament, from an address to the
incoming students of Western Seminary for the year
1880-81, Alumni Alcove of Speer Library, Princeton
Theological Seminary, p. 34

14Ibid. p 94, footnote 3 citing: ‘True Method’, p. 19

15Ibid. p 93, footnote 3 citing: ‘True Method’, pl 10

16Ibid. p. 97.

17Ibid. p. 95-96, with quotations cited in footnotes

on pp. 95-96 by Ruthven referencing B.B. Warfield,
“The True Method of Procedure in the
Interpretation of the New Testament’, contained in a
folio, MSS Material on the New Testament, from an
address to the incoming students of Western
Seminary for the year 1880-81, Alumni Alcove of
Speer Library, Princeton Theological Seminary.

18Ibid. p. 95, footnote 3 citing: ‘True Method’, p.19-

22

19Ibid. footnote 6 citing: ‘True Method’, p.20

20Ibid. p. 96. footnote 2 citing: ‘True Method’, p.26

21Ibid. footnote 4 citing: ‘True Method’, p.29

22Ibid. footnote 5 citing: ‘True Method’, p. 30

23Ibid. p. 92

24Ibid. p. 99, footnote 4.

25Ibid. pp. 99-100, footnote 4, citing G. Aiken
Taylor, ‘Miracles—Yes or No?’, PJ 33.16 [14
August 1974], p. 9)

26Ibid. p. 101, footnote 3 citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 23 27Ibid. p. 99, footnote 4.

28Ibid. pp. 99-100, footnote 4, citing G. Aiken

Taylor, ‘Miracles—Yes or No?’, PJ 33.16 [14
August 1974], p. 9)

29Ibid. p. 101, footnote 3 citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 23

30Ibid. p. 100, footnote 1 citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 22

31Ibid. p. 100, footnote 2 citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 245, note 48

32Ibid. p. 106

33Ibid p. 106, footnote 3 citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 179

34Ibid., quoted in footnote 3 with citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 177

35Ibid. p. 106

36Ibid. footnote 4 citation: Warfield, Counterfeit

Miracles, p. 177-178

37Ibid. p 107

38Ibid.

39Ibid.

40Ibid. p. 108

41Ibid.

42Ibid. p. 109

43Ibid. p. 109

44Ibid. p. 112-188

45Ibid. p. 114

46Ibid. p. 113, footnote 1 citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 28

47Ibid. pp. 112-113, footnote 1 citation: Warfield,

Counterfeit Miracles, p. 26

48Ibid. p. 113

49Ibid. p. 115

50Ibid. pp. 114-115, footnote 2

51Ibid. p. 119
52Ibid.

53Ibid.

54Ibid.

55Ibid.

56Ibid. p 121

57Ibid.

58Ibid p. 116, footnote 2.

59Ibid. p. 125
 CHAPTER 17
HEALING AND THE GLORY OF GOD
LESSON GOALS
1) To gain a Biblical understanding of the Glory of God

2) To examine the Glory of God as it relates to signs and

wonders, miracles and healing.

3) To look at how Jesus Glorified the Father, and manifested

the Father’s Glory.

4) To consider the place of the Glory of God for today as it

relates to our own walks.

INTRODUCTION
In this session we will be discussing the Glory of God as it
relates to moving in signs, wonders, the miraculous, and
healing. To emphasize the reality and significance of what we
are going to discuss, I would like to share some current
testimonies from ministries experiencing the Glory of God and
the miraculous.

Illustrations:

• Heidi and Mark in Mozambique: the Shamans and

the Muslim cleric’s conversion

• Doug Oss in Utah: the instantaneous healings

 • Raleigh, North Carolina: The Glory Cloud

KEY INSIGHTS
The Glory: Gaining A Biblical Understanding
O. T. Word Study of the Hebrew Word for
Glory
This word study is condensed from Brown-Driver-Briggs
Hebrew and English Lexicon, Hendrickson Publishing, 1996.

‫(דוֹ בכ‬kabōd): adjective, glorious, noun, abundance,

honor, glory
abundance, riches Gen. 31:1, Is. 10:3; 61:6; 66:11, 12 Na.
2:10 Psalm 49:17, 18.
honour, splendour, glory of God, glory, in historic
theophanies: to Moses Ex. 33:18, 22;
for theophanies of the Exodus 16:7, 10; 24:16, 17; 40:34,
35 Lv. 9:6, 23 Nu. 14:10; 16:19; 17:7; 2:6, cf. 2 Ch. 5:14 = 1
K. 8:11, 2 Ch 7:1, 2, 3; so Ezek., Ez. 1:28; 3:12, 23
 CHAPTER 18
HOW THIRSTY ARE YOU?
LESSON GOALS
1) To ask yourself the question: How thirsty am I?

2) To receive a powerful impartation of the Holy Spirit in

response Jesus Christ’s call to all who are thirsty to drink from
the spring of the water of life!

INTRODUCTION

Revelation 21:6

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will
give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of
life.

In this session Randy Clark will be sharing testimony and

stories to make you thirsty for more of God! The following
passages are central to his sharing:

Revelation 21:1-6

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there
was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now
the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with
them. They will be his people, and God himself will be
with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from
their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or
crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am
making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down,
for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me:
“It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning
and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink
without cost from the spring of the water of life.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—

whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all
given the one Spirit to drink.

John 7:37-39

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and
said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to
me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture
has said, streams of living water will flow from within
him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who
believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the
 Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been
glorified.

IMPARTATION
This session of our Healing School is an opportunity for you
to drink freely from the spring of the water of life! Come thirsty
and expecting!
MEET THE LEADERS OF GLOBAL AWAKENING
Randy and DeAnne Clark are the founders of Global
Awakening, a ministry focused on restoring and training up
God’s children to affect the world. Randy feels called to be a
fire-lighter, bridge-builder, and vision-caster for the church
body. As such, Randy and DeAnne serve a growing network
of churches and ministries, crossing denominational lines to
build relationships and enable leaders to walk in righteousness,
humility, and the power of the Spirit.

Randy’s heart is to see the supernatural power of God

displayed in all people through healing, impartation, and
abundant love. Learning to live supernaturally and follow
Christ’s example will enable us to do the works of Christ while
destroying the works of the devil. Through national and
international meetings, Randy urges believers to understand
that ministering healing must become a common occurrence in
all our lives - not something simply relegated to clergy. Central
to Randy’s ministry is the understanding that God not only can
but also desires to use ordinary people to do extraordinary
things. Randy has been purposed to impart passion for Jesus,
as well as gifts of the Spirit and practical ministry tools. His
training includes a Masters of Divinity from Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary.

A worshipper, DeAnne’s great passion is to see everyone

utterly abadoned in worship. Her insight, leadership, and
intercession on behalf of The Apostolic Resource Center of
Global Awakening are a priceless cornerstone to the ministry.
Randy and DeAnne reside in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
They have four children, Joshua (and daughter-in-law Tonya),
Johannah (and son-in-law David), Josiah (and daughter-in-law
Allie), and Jeremiah.