Athanasius of Alexandria on Continuation of spiritual gifts
C.296 – 373 · GREEK FATHER
READ IN A PRIMARY SOURCEAFFIRMS°
Yes, the gifts continue
On the Incarnation 48.3
THE POSITION
He stakes the argument of the whole apologetic on miracles happening in his own day and invites the reader to test it: use the sign of the cross in the presence of oracles and magic and see what follows. Demons flee, oracles have gone silent, magic is nullified — and he says flatly this is not words but experience.
5 OTHERS HOLD THIS
No, they ceased with the apostolic ageVODDIE BAUCHAM · CALVIN · CHRYSOSTOM · JONATHAN EDWARDS · JOHN MACARTHUR · JOHN OWEN · JUSTIN PETERS · R.C. SPROUL
Open in principle, cautious in practiceAUGUSTINE · M. HEISER · TIM KELLER · LUTHER · GAVIN ORTLUND
See all 23 figures on continuation of spiritual gifts →ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Defender of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism through repeated exiles. On the Incarnation is his central work on why God became man.
10 OF 15 POSITIONS QUOTED
Everything Athanasius holds →Cite this page
"Athanasius of Alexandria on Continuation of spiritual gifts", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/athanasius/spiritual-gifts (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/athanasius/spiritual-gifts).