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Link wrote:

I don’t need to do any exegesis. There is no reason to suspect the translators got it wrong. I am not arguing for anything but what the passage says. If you think the translators missed something, the burden of proof is on you.

Let us look at the verses.
Hebrews 2
3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5. For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

The verses say that the great salvation was first spoken by the Lord, and then confirmed by them that heard him with signs, wonders, divers, miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. The verse says nothing about whether signs wonders and miracles continued in the church after this. However, we know from other scripture that gifts of the Spirit, including the working of miracles, continued on in churches like Corinth and Rome. Since Paul was a foundation-layer in Corinth, and his reader’s had heard the Gospel from him and his co-workers, it is clear that they were not among those who had seen the Lord before the ascension.

To read cessationism into this passage is eisegesis. It is also illogical.

Btw, if you argue that the signs and wonders ceased, wouldn’t you also have to conclude that the great salvation ceased, or that the preaching of great salvation ceased?

Link,

The letter to the Hebrews is drawing a contrast between the message God spoke in times past through the prophets and in these last days through His Son. Chapter 2:1-2 makes a strong statement about "giving more earnest heed..." to this message because One superior to angels is here! Do not neglect this salvation! Verse 2 speaks about the role of the angels in the giving of the law and the punishment for breaking it. But now in verse 3 he's talking about so great a salvation which is quite a contrast to message given to Moses. Certainly something that we must not neglect. This salvation was first spoken about by the Lord and confirmed by those who heard him. (Note: "those who heard him" were the eye witnesses, the Apostles. The Apostles were witnesses of what Jesus said and did in His ministry, death, and resurrection and the writer to the Hebrews heard the gospel through them).

In verse 4 we read about God also bearing witness with signs, and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? These terms are used in the New Testament for special miracles that God used to demonstrate the authority of the Savior (Acts 2:22), as well as to certify the ministries of the apostles. By now you'd think that would be clear.

So after closer examination of these texts they actually support cessationism not your logic. So the burden of proof remains on you to show that the wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit were not just foundational to the church but an ongoing practice which we should expect to see in the church today. You also need to explain why church history doesn't support your view.



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The theological error of believing that special, verbal revelation or quasi-revelation continued beyond the time of the apostles is made equally by Roman Catholics (imputing inspired authority to papal "interpretations" and unwritten tradition) and Charismatics (teaching tongues and prophecy as gifts to be expected throughout the life of the church). Both the office of Apostle and the gifts which accompanied the ministry of the apostles (cf. II Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4) were intended to be temporary, confined to the founding of the church. To be an Apostle, it was required to be a witness of the resurrected Christ (Acts 1:22; e.g. I Cor. 9:1) and to be commissioned directly by Him (Gal. 1:1), thus restricting the apostolic office to the first generation of the church. Paul indicated that he was the last of the apostles (I Cor. 15:7-9); his successor, Timothy, is never given that title. By the later New Testament epistles we have no further mention or discussion of revelatory gifts like tongues and prophecy, for with the completing (bringing to its end or "perfection") of that which was "partial" - namely, the process of revelation - the temporary revelatory gifts of tongues and prophecy had to "cease" (I Cor. 13:8-10).

The Scriptures provide a complete word of prophesy eliminating the need for continuing special revelation today. Once the apostolic foundation was laid (Ephesians 2:20), the prophetic apostolic office and the need for additional special revelation ceased.

Our dominant goal should be that we might "guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to" us. (2 Timothy 1:14)


Wes

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts