Jon Ruthven

This book has arrived at a much needed time, especially with the arrival of John McArthur's "Strange Fire" conference and book.

Ruthven shows how the Protestants of the Reformation and afterwards, in their attempts to preserve what they believed were the true apostolic teachings against Roman Catholicism's abuse, went too far in supplanting the reality of God's supernatural works, especially in the area of direct, divine communication, with the intellectual pursuit of the Bible, in the show more search and experience of authentic salvation.

He shows that the difference between Jesus' message and that of the religious leaders focused on how one hears God, and posits it as the same difference that exists today between cessationist and pentecostal/charismatics. Ruthven acknowledges that even Pentecostal/Charismatics, to some degree, have fallen into the theological view where the experience of God is put behind, if not totally removed, replaced by an intellectual grasp of salvation.

As I understand him, Ruthven charges that traditional theology "avoids the emphasis of Scripture which is to communicate directly and obediently with God" (p.1).

The first section provides introduces the history of how modern Protestant theology developed this slanted view of Christianity that omits the experience of the miraculous.

In the second section Ruthven shows Protestant theology moved away from the Biblical emphasis of having "direct, immediate, prophetic communication with God." The author points out this communication with God is the central theme of the Old Testament.

In the third section, the author moves to show that "the experience of the prophetic Spirit - hearing God's voice," is the emphasis and goal of the New Testament.

The fourth section focuses on the ministry of Jesus specifically as the one who introduced, modelled, ratified, vindicated, bestowed, and became the New Covenant.

Finally, in the fifth section, the author discusses the failure of today's traditional theological education. He concludes that today's theological education "den[ies] the very Scripture it purports to defend, aspecially as the Bible centrally points away from itself too the experience of God in personal revelation and power" (p.310).

I find that this is too much of an important book for any minister of the Gospel to ignore, and one which needs to be placed in the hands of any cessationist pastor or teacher. Ruthven's "What's Wrong With Protestant Theology" convincingly challenges not only today's method of theological and ministerial education, but also summons every professing Christian denomination and institution to seriously test the soundness of what they believe by honest engagement with Biblical revelation as it clearly and plainly reads.

Ruthven, while reminding us that he is not advocating anti-intellectualism, is calling for a reevaluation of our critical core values and beliefs as believers in Messiah Jesus, a second-look into how we approach the Scriptures, and to realize that "there is nothing more crucial for the [C]hurch to 'stand mature and fully assured in the will of God' (Col 4:12) and to be able to proclaim the [G]ospel 'in demonstration of the Spirit and of power' (1 Cor 2:4) than our understanding of the central charismatice mission of Christ and our relation to it."

I cannot make any stronger a recommendation to read this book than to say, in similar words of Mordecai, that this book has been brought into our hands "for such a time as this". show less

An important book to read for both cessionists and continualists. His main point, as the author describes it, is that "the central issue of Christianity, the atonement of Christ and the believers' acceptance of that by faith, should be supplamented and strenghtened by the operation of continuing 'extraordinary' spiritual gifts" (p.xxi).

This book is a revision and expansion of an earlier edition by the same title.

The authur summarizes the history of cessationism the a little before the show more Jesus' time through our modern era with B.B. Warfield as the major influence. Using Warfield's polemic against the charismata, Ruthven presents a scholarly yet readable argument in defense of it and a coherent and Biblicaly based rebuttal of the cessationist view.

Ruthven cites Warfields major failure as confusing the sufficiency of revelation with the means of communicating and expressing it, and posits that "the charismata do not accredit the Gospel, nor do they replace the Gospel; rather the charismata express the Gospel" (p.11). Ruthven further contends that "miracles manifest the essential core activity of [Jesus'] mission; to displace the physical and spiritual ruin of the demonic kingdom by the wholeness of the Kingdom of God" (p.101).

In critiquing Warfield's cessationism, significant passages wherein the idea of the charismata is not readily evident are discussed and charismatic elements in these passages pointed out. Afterwards, in his final chaper discussing his summary and conlcusion, Ruthven points out those passages of Scripture text that reiterate the continuation of the charismata until the parousia.

Included are four appendixes thoroughly covering such questions in Scriptural passages as what is the so-called "Evidence" of the Spirit with respect to the book of Acts, Does Spiritual Gift of Apostleship Also Continue", Ephesians 2:20 regarding "foundational gifts", and "Isaiah 59:19-21 as the Programmatic Prophecy" in the book of Acts, adding how this passage in Isaiah has unfortuantely "received scant attention in both theology and biblical studies" (p.221, footnote 1).

As with his other book, "What's Wrong with Protestant Theology", I find this book to be an important edition too the debate over spiritual gifts and it seems to be the only scholarly resource to date, along with his previous aformentioned title, to have discussed the issue so thoroughly, coherently, and biblically.

There may be others who have covered the issue but none seem to have done so in such an intensive and broad way covering almost every facet of the debate. Most if the books I've read have been more on a personal level based on personal experiences, which is not in itself a bad thing or faulty; as one has said, "You can't argue with experience."

However, Ruthven's study is objective and based solely on Biblical revelation, experience aside. His appendix on Isaiah 59:19-21 in its relation to the Book of Acts was, for me, the most interesting and exciting investigation that brings to view the Kingdom of God and the ministry of Christ through the Spirit in a totally wonderfully new light.

This book is also a great scholarly resource for further study and review.

My one issue with this book is that in a couple of places, the Scripture referenced seems to be incorrectly cited. I suggest that in future editions, an editor needs to do a more thorough review of citations and make appropriate corrections. I also found this to be more of a problem with Ruthven's "What's Wrong with Protestant Theology" and would recommend future editions be reviewed for errors in Scriptural citations.

For the continualist, this book assists in strengthening and confirming one's instinctive trust in the charismatic ministry of the Risen Lord; and for the cessationist, this book will make serious challenges to what I see as an unwarranted and deficient understanding of God's work on the earth in an through the Church. show less

Alister McGrath disse em seu livro, “A Revolução Protestante”, que Jon Ruthven articulou o melhor estudo e refutação ao cessacionismo de B.B Warfield, considerado pai do rigoroso cessacionismo como majoritariamente defendido mundo afora por uma pequena parcela no cristianismo global. Larry Hurtado, por sua vez, disse que Ruthven apresentou uma análise notável e persuasiva contra o Cessacionismo despontando como o estudo definitivo sobre o assunto.