Open but cautious
A view held among orthodox Christians
A position on spiritual gifts that does not rule out prophecy, tongues, or healing today but does not seek or practise them, and tests any claim carefully.
Also called: open-but-cautious
What it means
Many churches do not fit neatly into cessationist or continuationist categories. An open but cautious church does not believe Scripture rules out the miraculous gifts today, but it is not persuaded that they are commonly given, and it does not make them part of its worship. It is wary of claims to new revelation and stresses the sufficiency of Scripture.
Such churches test any claimed gift against the Bible, as the apostles command. They expect worship to be orderly and edifying, and they are slow to accept reports of prophecy or healing without careful examination. In practice their worship often looks much like a cessationist church's.
This position aims to hold together openness to whatever the Spirit may do and a firm commitment to Scripture as the only rule of faith and life. It is a view held by faithful Christians.
In Scripture
Do not quench the Spirit or despise prophecies, but test everything and hold fast to what is good.
Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, because many false prophets have gone out.
When prophets speak, the others are to weigh what is said.
Everything is to be done decently and in order.
The Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to see whether what they heard was so.
Where it comes up
On this site: Spiritual gifts
Related terms
CessationismA view held among orthodox Christians
The view that the revelatory and sign gifts, such as prophecy, tongues, and gifts of healing, ceased with the apostles once Scripture was complete.
ContinuationismA view held among orthodox Christians
The view that all the spiritual gifts in the New Testament, including prophecy and tongues, continue in the church until Christ returns.
Sufficiency of ScriptureHistoric orthodoxy
Scripture contains everything we need to know for salvation, faith, and life, so nothing needs to be added to it.