Charismatic
Gifts
The Witness of the Early
Church
Dr. David Paulsen
One of the most frequent criticisms of
those who believe the miraculous gifts are for today has been this: The age of
miracles was confined to the time of the apostles, and ceased thereafter, or
after the writing of the last New Testament book. But what does the evidence
say? Was the post-apostolic church conscious of itself as being
“post-charismatic” as well?
Let’s project ourselves back to about the year
150 A.D. From this period we have The Martyrdom of Polycarp, a document
written shortly after the events it describes. This moving account includes
reports of visions and miracles in connection with Polycarp’s last days and
death. Or take The Shepherd of Hermas, one of the most popular of 2nd
century Christian writings. The Shepherd as a whole claims to be a
supernatural vision and teaches, among other things, how to distinguish between
true and false prophets in the author’s own time.1 The
possibility that prophecy as such has passed from the scene is not even
considered.
It is undeniable, however, that there was
less prophecy in the church during the 2nd century than there had been in
apostolic times. And so we have the rise of the schismatic movement known as
Montanism, which particularly emphasized prophecy and tried to revive it. But what were the arguments of mainstream Christians
against Montanism? That the prophetic gift was no longer to be expected? Nothing
of the kind. Rather, the standard arguments were that the Montanists prophesied
in the wrong manner and that their behavior was objectionable.2
Looking at the mid and late 2nd century apologetic
literature, written in defense of Christianity to non-Christians, a similar picture
emerges. Justin Martyr was the most important apologist of his time and wrote about
150-160 A.D. He speaks of the “miracles which also now are taking place by
His name,”3 and remarks that “among us, even to the
present day, prophetic gifts (charismata) exist.” 4 And on exorcism, these are his words: “Many of our men, the Christians,
throughout the whole world and in this your city (Rome), are exorcising many
people possessed by demons in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under
Pontius Pilate. They healed and still at present are healing these people who were
not healed by all other exorcists and those who use incantations and charms, putting
out of action and driving out the demons who oppress these persons.”5
Tertullian, writing about 200 A.D., shows even
more confidence than Justin Martyr in asserting that exorcism is very much in evidence
among Christians in his own day. He cites particular cases in which demons were
successfully driven out.6 In his famous Apology he goes so far as to
fling out a challenge to the pagans: “Bring forward a demon-possessed
person, and you will see that the demon is subject to the powers of Christian
exorcists.”7
Perhaps the most striking evidence of all
that charismatic gifts continued in the church after the apostles is from
Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons in the late 2nd century. Irenaeus is of particular
importance for several reasons.
First, he has such a richly developed
doctrine of salvation by grace that he often sounds more Lutheran than many
Lutherans. He is immersed in Scripture and attests that most of the books in
the New Testament canon were already recognized as canonical in his time.
Irenaeus is solidly within the mainstream of the Christian tradition and ranks
as the greatest theologian of the 2nd century church. He also
manifests a fine pastoral instinct. Writing about 185 A.D. in his treatise Against
Heresies he says: “And also in His name those who are truly His disciples,
having received grace from Him, use it for the benefit of the rest of humanity,
as each one of them has received the gift from Him. For some drive out demons certainly
and truly, so that those who have been cleansed from evil spirits believe and are
incorporated into the church. Others have foreknowledge of what is to come, and
visions, and prophetic utterances. Others heal the sick through the laying on
of hands, and render them healthy. And now, as we have said, even the dead have
been raised, and have continued with us many years. And why say more? It is
impossible to speak of the number of gifts (charismata) which the church
throughout the whole world, having received from God in the name of Jesus Christ,
who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, is using each day for the benefit of
the pagans, not deceiving anyone, nor making money from it. For as she has
freely received from God, she also ministers freely.” 8 Later in the same treatise Irenaeus writes, “We hear of many
brethren in the church having prophetic gifts, and speaking in all different kinds
of tongues through the Spirit, and bringing the secrets of people into the open
for the common good, and explaining the mysteries of God.” 9
Considerations of space forbid us to
continue our survey much beyond the 2nd century, though the evidence for the charismata
continues to be considerable even after 200 A.D. But Augustine (354-430
A.D.) deserves special attention for several reasons. Luther esteemed Augustine
more highly than any other early Christian father because of his teachings on
grace. According to a noted historian, Augustine is probably the single most
influential Christian theologian of all time after the New Testament writers.10
Furthermore, he is important because
during his ministry as bishop of Hippo in North Africa, Christianity had become
the established religion of the Roman Empire and our entire present day New
Testament canon had been acknowledged, at least in the Western Church. These
factors, in the opinion of some, certainly did cause or should have caused
charismatic gifts to cease, even if they had not already ceased after the apostolic
age.
Augustine’s attitude toward miracles undergoes
a noticeable shift in the course of his life and ministry. In his early
treatise “On the True Religion,” written during monastic seclusion
shortly after his conversion, Augustine de-emphasized contemporary miracles,
arguing that the time for at least some miracles had passed.11 At this time he was still strongly under the influence of
Neo-Platonic philosophy and meditation, in which miracles are basically irrelevant.
But after many years of intensive Biblical study and pastoral ministry, he stresses
contemporary miracles much more than previously, even making efforts to have them
publicized. While asserting that speaking in tongues no longer occurred in his
day,12 Augustine, in the last book of his great
work The City of God, cites a long series of miracles which he insists
had occurred in his own time.13
Elsewhere, he asserts that
contemporary miracles are so numerous that he cannot know all of them nor
enumerate those he does know.14
According to Augustine, these miracles (mostly
healings) took place primarily in answer to prayer, or, more often, in connection
also with the remains of martyrs.15
What conclusions can we draw from this very
brief and incomplete survey? It is true that the evidence of Church history can
never have the force of Scripture. But the evidence that we have cited makes
the dispensationalist argument that miracles ceased at a certain point in
history extremely dubious, to say the least. This is so especially in view of
the widespread nature of the evidence and the fact that some of the most striking
evidence, especially that of Irenaeus and Augustine, comes from precisely the most
outstanding, the most evangelical, and the most representative of the early
Church’s spokesmen.
That the charismata declined in the
early church is apparent. But a clear cutting off point is nowhere discernible.
If the dispensationalist position is true, then the early church was deceived,
and on a massive scale.
FOOTNOTES
1). Shepherd of Hermas, Mandates 11.
A translation of the Shepherd of Hermas is available in The Ante-Nicene Fathers
(ANF), American reprint of the Edinburgh edition revised by A. Cleveland Coxe, Buffalo,
1884-1886, Vol 1. The Martyrdom of Polycarp is translated in the same volume.
2). Eusebius, The Ecclesiastical
History, with an English translation by Kirsopp Lake, 2 Vols. in the Loeb
Classical Library, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1926, 5:14-19.
3). Dialog with Trypho 35. (ANF, Vol.
1, 194-270).
4). Ibid. 82
5). Second Apology 6:4-6. (ANF, Vol.
1, 159-193).
6). To Scapula 2:9; 4:5. (ANF, Vol.
3, 105-108).
7). Apology 23:4, 6, 16. (ANF, Vol.
3, 17-55).
8). Against Heresies 2:32,4. (ANF, Vol.
1, 315-578).
9). Ibid. 5:6,1.
10). Jaroslav Pelikan, The Emergence
of the Catholic Tradition (100-600), The University of Chicago Press, Chicago
and London, 1971, p. 292.
11). On the True Religion 25:47. The
writings of Augustine have been translated in the following series: A Select
Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, New York, 1887-1902 and The Fathers of
the Church, New York, 1947.
12). Retractions 1:12,7.
13). The City of God, 22:8-10.
14). Retractions 1:12,7.
15). While the latter means is not in
accord with the typical Biblical pattern, there is a Biblical precedent in 2
Kings 13:20-21. On the whole subject of Augustine and miracles, see F. van der
Meer, Augustine the Bishop, tr. by Brian Battershaw and G.R. Lamb, Sheed and
Ward, London and New York, 1961, pp. 527-557, and Peter Brown, Augustine of
Hippo, University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1967, pp.
413-418.
Dr. David Paulsen
3022 No. 1 Commonwealth Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205
Editors Notes:
1. Since the Bible doesn’t specifically say that the
Spiritual gifts are available for the Church today, some leaders in the LCMS insist
on the following logic: When one thinks he may have experienced/witnessed a
gift he must be willing to say that such judgment was only his human opinion
and he could be wrong . . . it could even be of the Devil. Would that logic
have been received by the early church Fathers as valid?
2. For another resource about the early church and the
Holy Spirit’s power and gifts, see “Fanning The Flame” listed on page 7.