Spiritual Gifts Are for Today
- Theology
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Baker Academic (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
A Scholar and an Evangelist Examine the Evidence Do spiritual gifts such as prophecy, healing, and tongues still belong in the church today, or did they quietly expire with the apostles? In Spiritual Gifts Are for Today, noted New Testament scholar Craig S. Keener teams up with global evangelist and pastor Daniel Kolenda to answer that question head-on, drawing on rigorous biblical scholarship and firsthand accounts from around the world. In this book, you'll discover ● why cessationism--which claims that certain spiritual gifts have died out--rests on tradition rather than Scripture; ● how the book of Acts, Paul's letters, and Jesus's own ministry point to gifts meant to last the entire church age; ● compelling testimonies of healing and prophecy from global Christianity set alongside careful biblical exposition; and ● a clear, respectful response to common objections. Keener and Kolenda make their case plainly: The full range of spiritual gifts, including prophecy and healing, remain valid today. Nowhere does Scripture teach that any gifts will cease before Christ's return; to argue otherwise is to elevate a postbiblical doctrine above Scripture itself. Balancing biblical exposition with stories from around the world, this book builds a comprehensive case for continuationism-- the idea that all spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible may continue beyond the early church. Keener and Kolenda show that Scripture presents special divine activity as valid for the entire course of the present age. Whether you're a pastor, a student of pneumatology, or simply curious whether spiritual gifts still have a place in today's Christian life, this book offers an answer grounded in both Scripture and lived experience.
Endorsements (4)
“There is a long history of Christians wondering if miracles are to continue. These wonderings are complicated by the reality that even most of those who do embrace the continuation of such Spirit-empowered actions do not themselves participate in such miracles and have not witnessed them. Stories of others bolster their sagging belief. In this book we have a full disclosure of the reality that God has continued to work marvelous deeds. Accompanying that history is a dismantling of the arguments for cessationism. This book will be a gold mine for class discussions and pastoral care.”
“Craig Keener continues to amaze. Anyone who can write a four-volume technical commentary on a single book of the Bible (Acts) and have it all worth reading is already astonishing, but Keener carries on a vibrant charismatic spiritual life on top of that. He has already provided the most comprehensive collection of documented contemporary miracles in his two volumes on that topic. Now he and coauthor Daniel Kolenda expand the scope to include numerous examples of prophecy, tongues, and the like, in service of a detailed rebuttal of John MacArthur's Strange Fire, all based on careful exegesis of Scripture and a study of Christian history. The charismatic gifts, like all the others, are still with us today and will be until Christ returns. Keener and Kolenda have surely written the definitive disproof of the view that these gifts were only for Bible times. From this point onward, cessationism really needs to cease!”
“Craig Keener and Daniel Kolenda's Spiritual Gifts Are for Today offers readers a most-welcome and much-needed treatment of a controversial topic. In place of dogmatic and dubious assertions, readers will find a carefully thought-out, exegetically defended study of the relevant passages of Scripture that make their case. Recommended reading!”
“Quite frequently, when I finish a book, I'm left asking questions that it did not address. It is incredibly frustrating. This applies not only to books defending the contemporary validity of all spiritual gifts but also to those that affirm what is known as cessationism. I'm happy to say that this book by Keener and Kolenda is as comprehensive as any I've read on the subject. They closely examine every relevant biblical text. They explore and unpack every theological issue that comes up in the debate between continuationists and cessationists. They respond to every question that cessationists are inclined to ask and provide cogent answers to the objections that are often raised. And they do all of this and more in a charitable and Christ-like spirit. In addition, their treatment of the issue in church history is superb, and the many verifiable healings they describe are remarkably effective in building one's faith and stirring us all to pray fervently for the sick. This is now the go-to text on this subject. I've never been inclined to say that a book is so thorough that nothing more can be said on the topic, but I can't imagine anyone adding to the exhaustive contribution that Craig and Daniel provide us in this volume.”
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