Faces of the Modern Reformers

In following the ongoing blogosphere discussion of cessationism vs charismaticism, it's interesting to look at some of the people involved in the larger discussion. Click on this link to see the faces (in caricature) of some leading reformed Christians.

Now just because they're reformed, doesn't mean that these men are also anti-charismatic, though a few (notably MacArthur) take the definite position that charismatic gifts are not for today. I don't think that John Piper or C. J. Mahaney, however, are dogmatic about charismatic gifts not being for today.

I admire all of these men for their dedication to serving God through their study and application of biblical truth to life. Still, I don't think that any one man or even a group of men, learned as they may be, is necessarily always correct in their interpretation of Scripture.

I'm sure that there may be disagreements, even among these men, on some points, though they approach the Scriptures from the Reformed tradition.

I admire the Reformed way of thinking for its deep probing into the Scripture, and for the bedrock commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture to teach authoritatively on all aspects of life. At the same time, the power of God to work supernaturally today is something that Pentecostal and Charismatics have sought after, and seemingly demonstrate, through healings and modern-day miracles.

My hope is that the careful thinking and scholarship that characterizes the men portrayed here in the modern Reformed movement would also be applied to the theology of the Holy Spirit, that the Spirit's work, though always mysterious and never under our control, may not be quenched, either by ignorance or unbelief.