John Owen on Continuation of spiritual gifts
No, they ceased with the apostolic age
These extraordinary gifts, differing not only in degree but in kind from all those of the ordinary ministry of the church, are not at present by any pretended unto; and if any should make such a pretence, it would be an easy matter to convince them of their folly.
THE POSITION
Cessationist as to the present, and argued from office rather than from a proof text. Apostles, prophets and evangelists were extraordinary offices constituted by an extraordinary call, extraordinary power, extraordinary gifts and extraordinary employment; since no one can now be called as they were, the offices lapsed and the gifts serving them lapsed with them. Owen grants that miracles, healings and tongues were gifts held without office, and that these too were given for a season while the churches needed them.
28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
7 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
The most formidable English Puritan theologian: Dean of Christ Church and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford under Cromwell, later a nonconformist pastor in London. This entry rests on The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (1647), The Doctrine of Justification by Faith (1677), Pneumatologia and the Discourse of Spiritual Gifts (1674), and the Two Short Catechisms (1645), read in the Goold edition of the Works.
Cite this page
"John Owen on Continuation of spiritual gifts", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/owen/spiritual-gifts (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/owen/spiritual-gifts).