Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?

Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful engagement of the issues; courteous in tone
Review: As with the other 4 view books, the editors lets 4 scholarly authors state their views concerning 1. Baptism in the Holy Spirit 2. whether some gifts have ceased 3. discussion on specific gifts, especially the controversial "sign gifts" 4. practical implications for church life and 5. dangers of author's position. A scholary, though not easy read, which considered views of the gifts today. The book does not talk about specific gifts but provided good views to the reader to decide for themselves about the use of gifts in the church today based on the scriptural evidence. Along with the Bobby Clinton book, probably the 2 best books on the Spiritual Gifts in print.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!!
Review: Before reading this book, I was already established in my belief in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, God certainly opened my eyes and my heart throughout the course of my reading. I believe that it is imperative, as believers, that we know why we believe what we believe and be able to back that up with scripture. These four authors encouraged and challenged me to dig into the Word of God and to seek His face. I came away from this book with a greater appreciation and respect for the Body of Christ and was reminded that in the end we will all be together in unity.

Rating:
Summary: Take up and read
Review: I did not find this book overbalanced on the charismatic side, as one Amazon reviewer suggested. On the contrary, I feel that Richard B. Gaffin was a very wise choice for a representative of the cessationist viewpoint. His arguments move away from flimsy prooftexting and he engages well with the biblical evidence. He avoids the virile tone towards continuationists that many others on his side of the debate have exhibited, and relies on good argumentation and scholarship rather than just anti-charismatic rhetoric.

Similarly, those propounding a continuationist view of spiritual gifts raise some interesting points, Sam Storms giving the most compelling arguments in its favour.

This book will provide an excellent introduction to the current debate, and will be far more helpful to cessationists and continuationists alike than the many other books in the genre which exhibit a much more partisan, even hostile approach.

Rating:
Summary: A Fair Treatment of the Major Issues...
Review: I really felt that this book is a good overview to all the major issues surrounding this debate, though I felt that the book could have been better in a couple ways.
1) The Open but Cautious representative wasn't representative of most of the evangelical world, in my opinion. Gaffin was right when he said Saucy was "more cautious that open". I think they should have gotten someone a little farther removed from cessationism to argue that point of view.
2)It's probably just me, but I personally think that Grudem himself should have written the defense of the third wave P.O.V.
Other than those minor contentions, and the apparent inability for the authors to grasp some of the other arguments that were being presented, this work is an excellent introductory work that should be read by all who wish to seriously engage in the miraculous gifts debate.

Rating:
Summary: Review of the entire Counterpoint Series
Review: I'm going to apply this commentary for the entire Counterpoint Series published by Zondervan Publishing Company. My compliments to that company for creating this series. I initially purchased "Four Views on the Book of Revelation" but soon realized it was only one in a series. I got so much out of that volume, that I decided to purchase the entire set to study and keep for reference. My spiritual growth has been remarkable as a result. Seminary students and professionals would probably enjoy this series, which seems geared for them. But this series is also excellent for those college-educated laypeople who feel inclined to enhance their understanding of Christian theology. That is, with one caveat: Buy a decent theological dictionary to refer to at first. It probably won't get used much after about the third book you choose to read, but initially you will be need it to be confident of some of the terms used among advanced theologians. Then, the Counterpoint series will give you a full understanding of many different concepts and concerns of the Christian faith which have been applicable from early on until the present. I've learned a lot, and the only way I think I could do better is if I were enrolled in Seminary. A list of all the titles I am aware of from this series is:

Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?
Five Views on Law and Gospel
Five Views on Sanctification
Four Views on Hell
Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World
Four Views on the Book of Revelation
Three Views on Creation and Evolution
Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond
Three Views on the Rapture
Two Views on Women in Ministry

Rating:
Summary: It is NOT "Unfair to the Holy Spirit"
Review: The reviewer who criticized this book overlooks one fact: the cessationist position canNOT be defended from the Scriptures. Read Doug Banister, THE WORD AND POWER CHURCH. Able NT scholars like Craig Keener and Gordon Fee, who are Pentecostals/Charismatics, know that despite the fact that the gifts seem to operate in less power or frequency than in the first century (at least in this country), honest exegesis of the relevant texts cannot support the cessationist position. Bring on all the Norman Geislers you wish -- their position is scripturally untenable.