Michael S. Heiser on Continuation of spiritual gifts
Open in principle, cautious in practice
"I'm not in the Charismatic tradition... I'm in the 'cautiously open' category. I'm not a cessationist either." — Naked Bible 399. And: "I'm not your classic cessationist. I actually don't think the terms mean a whole lot anymore. They just don't allow nuancing."
THE POSITION
Rejects both labels as unhelpful while landing squarely in the cautious middle — God may do what he wants, the gifts are not withdrawn, and the machinery built around them by charismatic movements is what he objects to. He was a persistent critic of the New Apostolic Reformation without becoming a cessationist.
4 There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.
4 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Old Testament and Semitic languages scholar (PhD, Wisconsin, 2004), Scholar-in-Residence at Faithlife/Logos, and host of the Naked Bible Podcast. Argued that the Hebrew Bible assumes a real divine council of lesser elohim under Yahweh, and held that this reading defends rather than threatens the deity of Christ.
Cite this page
"Michael S. Heiser on Continuation of spiritual gifts", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/heiser/spiritual-gifts (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/heiser/spiritual-gifts).