Hey sweet friends,
I’ve been hesitant to write about this topic for a while, honestly. I know it can be divisive, and the last thing I want is to create division in the body of Christ. But after praying about it and having so many conversations with women who are genuinely curious, I felt prompted to share why I personally believe the spiritual gifts – including prophecy, healing, and tongues – are still active today.
Please hear my heart: this isn’t about being “right” or creating camps. It’s about exploring what Scripture teaches and sharing what I’ve experienced in my own walk with Jesus. If you hold a different view, I still love you dearly, and we’re still sisters in Christ.
What Does “Continuationist” Even Mean?
Simply put, continuationists believe that all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament – including what some call the “miraculous gifts” – continue to operate in the church today. This is in contrast to cessationists, who believe these gifts ceased after the apostolic era.
I want to be clear: both views are held by sincere, Bible-believing Christians who love Jesus deeply. This isn’t a salvation issue, but it is an important conversation about how we understand God’s work in our world today.
The Biblical Foundation That Convinced Me
Where Does Scripture Say They Stopped? This is probably the biggest question that led me to the continuationist position. I’ve read through the New Testament multiple times looking for a clear passage that says the gifts would cease after the apostles died, and I simply can’t find it.
The main passage cessationists point to is 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, where Paul mentions that prophecies will cease “when completeness comes.” But when I study this in context, Paul seems to be talking about when Christ returns and we see Him face to face (verse 12), not about the completion of the biblical canon.
Jesus’ Promise About Greater Works In John 14:12, Jesus makes this incredible statement: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
When I read this, I don’t see any expiration date. Jesus didn’t say, “You’ll do these works for about 70 years until the last apostle dies.” He connected it to believing in Him, period.
The Great Commission Context In Mark 16:17-18, the signs that Jesus says will accompany believers (speaking in tongues, healing the sick, etc.) come right after the Great Commission. Since we’re still called to make disciples, it makes sense that the signs confirming the gospel would still be needed too.
Paul’s Instructions for Ongoing Church Life When Paul writes to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts in chapters 12-14, he’s clearly giving instructions for ongoing church practice. He doesn’t say, “Do this until the apostles are gone.” Instead, he gives detailed guidelines for how these gifts should operate in regular church gatherings.
The Theological Arguments That Make Sense to Me
God Doesn’t Change Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The God who healed the sick and spoke through prophets in biblical times is the same God we serve today. Why would His desire to demonstrate His power and love change?
We’re Still in the “Last Days” Acts 2:17 quotes Joel’s prophecy about God pouring out His Spirit “in the last days,” and Peter applies this to what happened at Pentecost. Most Bible scholars agree we’re still living in the “last days” – the time between Christ’s first and second coming. If we’re still in that era, why wouldn’t the Spirit’s gifts still be active?
The Church Still Needs These Gifts Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12 that spiritual gifts are given “for the common good” and to build up the body of Christ. The church today faces the same needs for encouragement, direction, healing, and supernatural confirmation of the gospel that the early church did.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Now, I want to be really practical here because I know some of you might be thinking, “But I’ve never seen anything like what’s described in the Bible.”
It’s Not Always Dramatic When I think of divine healing, I don’t only think of dramatic wheelchair-to-walking moments (though I believe those can happen). I think of my friend whose chronic migraines disappeared after prayer, or the way God supernaturally provided healing for my daughter’s anxiety through both prayer and wise counseling.
Prophecy Often Looks Like Encouragement Modern prophecy doesn’t usually sound like “Thus saith the Lord” in King James English. More often, it’s a specific word of encouragement, a scripture that perfectly speaks to someone’s situation, or insight about God’s heart for a person that couldn’t have been known naturally.
Tongues Can Be Private Prayer Language While tongues can be a public gift requiring interpretation (as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 14), it can also be a private prayer language between you and God. Many believers I know have found this to be a precious way to pray when they don’t know how to put their struggles into words.
Addressing Common Concerns
“But There’s So Much Weirdness and Abuse” I get this concern completely. Unfortunately, there has been abuse and manipulation connected to spiritual gifts. But the solution isn’t to throw out the gifts entirely – it’s to pursue them according to biblical guidelines.
Paul didn’t tell the Corinthians to stop operating in gifts because they were doing it wrong. He taught them how to do it right. The abuse of something good doesn’t negate the thing itself.
“How Do We Know It’s Really God?” This is such an important question. Scripture gives us clear guidelines: everything must align with God’s character and Word, it should build up the church, and we should test everything (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21). If something contradicts Scripture or bears bad fruit, it’s not from God.
“What About Order and Structure?” Paul actually gives detailed instructions for how these gifts should operate in orderly ways in church gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:26-33). Being open to the Spirit’s gifts doesn’t mean abandoning biblical order – it means pursuing both together.
A Heart Check for All of Us
Whether you lean continuationist or cessationist, I think we can all agree on these truths:
- God is still powerful and active in our world today
- Prayer really works and God does answer
- We should earnestly desire to see God work in and through us
- Everything must be tested against Scripture
- Love should be our highest pursuit (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
Practical Steps If You’re Curious
If you’re interested in exploring this further, here’s what I’d suggest:
Study Scripture for yourself. Don’t just take my word for it or anyone else’s. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding as you read.
Find healthy examples. Look for churches or individuals who pursue spiritual gifts with biblical wisdom, accountability, and good fruit.
Start small and safe. You don’t have to jump into the deep end. Ask God to show you how He might want to use you to encourage others.
Stay humble and teachable. None of us have it all figured out, and we all need the wisdom of mature believers around us.
The Bottom Line
I believe God wants to work powerfully through His people today – not because we’re special, but because He is. Whether that looks like supernatural healing, prophetic encouragement, or simply the miraculous transformation of hearts, I want to be open to however He wants to show up.
My continuationist friends, let’s pursue the gifts with humility, wisdom, and deep love for the Word of God. My cessationist friends, let’s keep praying for God’s power to be displayed in our world, even if we understand the mechanism differently.
At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: to see Jesus glorified and people drawn into His kingdom. And whether through gifts that feel miraculous or through the “ordinary” miracle of changed lives, God is still in the business of doing the impossible.
What are your thoughts on this? I’d love to hear your perspective and continue this conversation in a spirit of love and learning.
Seeking Him together, Mish
For more resources on this topic, I recommend books by Wayne Grudem, Sam Storms, and Jack Deere for the continuationist perspective, and Thomas Schreiner and Alistair Begg for thoughtful cessationist viewpoints. It’s always good to read broadly and think deeply.
