Dr. Michael Brown and Pastor Doug Wilson explain the rationale behind the two views
By Anne Kerhoulas
The charismatic church is the fastest-growing movement of Christianity today. It seems clear that people are drawn to the power of God at work today through the Holy Spirit. But for many Christians and evangelical denominations, the gifts of the Spirit that mark the charismatic church—prophecy, tongues, and healing—are believed to no longer exist, having ended with the apostolic age.
In this podcast for Unbelievable, Doug Wilson, the pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and Michael Brown, the host of "The Line of Fire" radio show, take a deep dive into Scripture to examine whether or not the gifts of the Spirit should be used and pursued in worship today.
Wilson takes the view that the gifts of the Spirit ceased at the closing of the apostolic age (a belief called cessationism), while Brown, a charismatic, argues that Scripture doesn’t say anything about certain gifts given to believers coming to an end. This podcast explores various scriptures, biblical theology, and interpretation to help believers understand the differences between these two stances.
Christian Union believes that the gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today. Through training and study, ministry faculty are prepared to develop and teach students about important topics like the charismatic gifts and how to walk and grow in them. By God’s grace, many, many students have received healing, encouragement, and deliverance from spiritual afflictions and experience freedom in Christ and deeper communion with Him.
Listen to the full podcast here.
