Is there a place for “Prophetic” utterances in public worship? A dialogue with W. Grudem

Abstract

One of the major points of contention within Baptist discussion is the “charismata” or spiritual gifts that are in operation within the church. The contemporary charismatic movement has contributed to a renewed interest in the relevance of charismatic experience, both for the individual and for the church. As a result, theologians from within the movement have tended to be more experientially oriented in their treatment of gifts and ministries. Thus they have used Pauline material to legitimise recent experiences and movements within the church without consideration for the most important test of the biblical text and of its exegesis. The growth of the charismatic movement, however, gave rise to an acute need to find adequate answers for the phenomena experienced. The present study calls for an examination of charismatic positions on the cessation of the prophetic, which necessitates a dialogue with Dr. Wayne Grudem in order to arrive at an adequate theological position.