The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Apologetics

Do not give in to the tendency to look at the Bible as an encyclopedia. Answering such people is typically difficult due to the fact that doctrine is established from "The Analogy of Faith", i.e., comparing Scripture with Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. Rarely will you find the proverbial 'silver bullet' that will slay the error. And, the truth is, "A man with a doctrine is no match for a man with an experience!"

What you are looking for is contained in several areas of study, e.g., the divine inspiration of the Bible, the formation and close of the canon, the purpose of the ecstatic gifts and how they fit into the formation of the Church, the authority of ALL of divine revelation, etc., etc. Typically, those who promote a non-cessationist position are not given to objective truth but rather emotionalism so trying to offer a rational argument from the Bible is often an exercise in futility. If you haven't learned already, hopefully you will... You need to make a judgment whether to engage someone on a particular topic or to shake the dust of your sandals and walk away. Even the Lord Christ, who had all wisdom, told His disciples "Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit."