“Strangers to Fire: When Tradition Trumps Scripture,” an anthology published by the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship rebuts John MacArthur’s “Strange Fire” book and conference which took aim at the charismatic Christian movement and their use of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The book, compiled by 26 scholars, consists of two parts with the first half giving direct replies to John MacArthur’s “Strange Fire” and the latter with classic replies to cessation theology.
Cessationist Christians hold to the view that the supernatural gifts such as healing, speaking in tongues and prophesying were used as signs to confirm the validity of who Jesus and his followers were and that they are no longer necessary for the church. They also believe the position of Apostle no longer exists.
“What our [book’s] title says is that there are people out there who are strangers to the authentic fire and we’re saying that John MacArthur is stranger to the authentic fire of the Holy Spirit and of revival,” said Robert W. Graves, President of The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship.
Graves believes MacArthur, along with most cessationists, rely too heavily on their own tradition which prevents them from embracing what he believes to be “a proper interpretation of scripture” that acknowledges the supernatural gifts. Calvinism and reformed theology dominate the teachings of cessationists, which state that the supernatural gifts disappeared once the original twelve apostles died.
He also addressed some of the criticism for charismatic Christians and admitted that many in the movement abuse or fake the supernatural spiritual gifts, but doesn’t believe that’s the reason why some have chosen to be cessationist.
Original Post by Christian Post