Dividing Lines | Spiritual Gifts
This series of studies is to help us determine where we stand on issues in the church today. Every topic has been of significant importance. Topics that are usually issues of separation for the 2 sides on opposing ends of the issue. Granted, there are genuine people on both sides of these issues but our goal is not to determine where we stand because of who stands where but to determine where we stand according to what we believe the Bible teaches concerning the issue. Today we want to look at the issue of Spiritual gifts. This issue has basically split the church of today right down the middle. We have a group that believes that the spiritual gifts have ceased entirely and we have a group that believes they have continued entirely. These two groups are known as cessationist[believing the gifts have ceased] and continuationist[believing the gifts continue.] Then there are smaller groups that lean one way or the other, being moderate in their view on the issue. I would say that I am a moderate cessationist. First, we need to know what the spiritual gifts are, that alone will clear up 80% of the confusion concerning this issue, this is in accordance with Paul's opening remark concerning the matter: 1 Corinthians 12:1 " Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." These gifts are laid out in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. Now the question is have these gifts ceased? Both groups shout across the great divide "Of course they have!", the other replies "Of course they haven't!" This sort of discourse has never profited either side, instead has gendered strife and more confusion. First, we should take a biblical view of these gifts and ask ourselves if what we see going on today even fits the biblical description of what people are claiming to be gifts of the Spirit. The word of wisdom and the word of knowledge isn't too often mentioned or abused, it seems that the abusers of these gifts only seem to be interested in the more miraculous gifts. These gifts are given to men by the Spirit, I believe the Spirit can make one wise and knowledgeable. The gift of healing has been seriously abused in the past century with the explosion of "Faith healers." Can God heal a person? He can. Are there people with this gift of healing, well there certainly was. We know many of the Apostles were bestowed with this gift and even today we are commanded in the book of James to come to the elders of the church and be anointed with oil and be prayed over when we are sick. In two instances I believe God has healed people in my family, the doctors had given serious altering reports and in both cases, the doctors were baffled at the follow-up report they gave. They couldn't find the mass they had x-rayed just two weeks earlier. Now I may be taken as a fanatic by some but I Believe God can steal heal people. I do not believe that people are bestowed with the Apostolic power of healing as they were in the apostolic age[before the completion of the Bible], more on that later. The working of miracles is a gift bestowed upon those in the Apostolic age as well and God still works miracles today. I have seen this abused to point of pure foolishness. I watched a documentary about people within the charismatic movement who went into the street to work miracles. They would pray for people's arms to grow longer, this is insanity and I wouldn't label it Christianity. Now, this sort of foolishness should not cause us to believe that God doesn't work miracles, he certainly can, but we shouldn't be looking for someone's arm or leg to grow an inch but for him to move in a situation that will otherwise be hopeless. He has worked miracles for me, practical, purposeful miracles. First, and most often overlooked, is the miracle of salvation. He changed a dirty rotten sinner into a child of God, that is greater than any miracle we could ever imagine, but beyond that, he has provided in miraculous ways. He gave me a passport on the same day I applied for it, he provided money for mission trips so fastly and abundantly that it was nothing short of a miracle. Men no longer have the Apostolic gift of miracles but we still have miracles. Prophecy is another that is abused. It is important to note that prophecy in the new testament is often quite different than what we saw in the Old testament. Prophecy in the New Testament does not always pertain to the foretelling of future events but often speaks of expounding Old Testament Prophesies but it can mean either. Prophets are only as reliable as their prophecies and all modern-day "prophets" make mistakes that are swept under the rug when they never come to pass. If a man is giving false prophecies then he is a false prophet. The apostolic gift of prophesying I believe has ceased but not the practical sense of God giving knowledge to an individual concerning prophecies. Discerning spirits is certainly one that Christians need in this very hour, we have been commanded to "try the spirits to see whether they be of God." [1 John 4:1] We were also told that there are seducing spirits and doctrines of devils that we should watch for[1 Timothy 4:1]. I believe we could contribute most of the confusion today concerning this very issue to a lack of discernment. Like the rest though I have seen it abused. I have been in services where the minister would stand and say things like "There's a spirit of adultery in this place!" As if God had given him the ability to know that there was some sort of sexual demon or spirit that perhaps the congregation had brought in with them, some months later it was revealed that he was having an affair. This sort of thing is not biblical discernment. Speaking and the interpretation of tongues are by far the most confused and misconstrued gifts. What we see today being called speaking in tongues is so far from what the Bible teaches that it should be evident that it is not what was happening in the Book of Acts or at the Church at Corinth. Speaking in tongues is defined on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:4-6 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. (KJV) They preached and many different people heard the message in their own language. In the Corinthian Church, there was a miraculous speaking in tongues but it was not a language of gibberish but were clear languages. That could be understood by an interpreter. Also, I would note that Paul's writing to Corinth concerning this Apostolic gift was a rebuke and not encouragement. Most of the people carrying on the nonsense we see today are not even following the guidelines Paul lays out, and of course they are not because what they are doing is not what Paul was addressing in the first place. Nowhere in the scripture will you find these violent outbursts of unrecognizable gibberish. Although you will find it in other mystic religions, what is happening today in the name of Christianity is more akin to what has been more commonly reported among people possed by devils and not the Holy Spirit. This should be especially concerning considering the warning given to us about seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. It is my personal belief that the seducing spirits are at work in the music of these sorts of places and the doctrines of devils are at work in the teachings and searching for spiritual experience rather than the revealed truth of the Spirit, The Word of God. At best, these outbursts we see today are the results of people who have been worked into an emotional frenzy by the music they have been listening to, or worst case scenario they are operating in another spirit. Concerning tongues[languages] today, I believe God gives some gifts to be able to speak multiple different languages and also to interpret but like the rest of these, I believe the Apostolic nature of this gift has ceased. Concerning the "tongues of angels," Paul speaks of, I would point your attention to a careful reading of that verse 1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." [1 Corinthians 13:1] He said though I speak or as if to say "if I spoke with the tongues of men and angels it wouldn't profit me without charity." He is not saying he does, he says if he were able to it wouldn't profit him without charity. Also, I would note that it is said that this tongue of angels, from a Jewish understanding, spoke of our ability to speak to God from our heart, not an audible language. Assuming that this is some sort of audible unknown heavenly language is nothing more than an assumption. I would also note that every time you hear angels speak in the Bible they speak the language of the people they are speaking to. Even when Isaiah and John had their heavenly visions and heard the angels crying Holy, Holy, Holy they heard it in Their own language, not in some mysterious unknown language. Now let's be clear, the working of the Holy Spirit has not ceased but what has ceased is the Apostolic age. God is still able to do what He wants when he wants, and with whom He wants but what he did for the Apostles in the time before the scripture was completed should not be expected or looked for. The Book of Acts and the Corinthian Church and all the Scripture was written in an age when there was not a complete revelation of Jesus Christ. There were gifts of revelation given in that time that is no longer needed because God's authoritative revelation was completed in the Scripture. These gifts spoken of in 1 Corinthians I believe are still valid but not in the apostolic nature. God can still gift men with wisdom and knowledge and heal people and give people the ability to speak multiple languages but The Scripture fulfills the need for the Apostolic nature of these gifts. Paul illustrates this in Ephesians: Ephesians 2:19-20 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (KJV) The foundation for the church has been laid by the Apostles and Prophets, The Scripture. The Prophets giving us the Old Testament and the Apostles giving us the New Testament. The Cornerstone of this foundation is Jesus Christ. This perfectly illustrates the scriptures. Like every wall is measured back to the first cornerstone, so does the Old Testament point forward to Him and the New Testament points back to Him, Christ is the central focus of all the scripture. This foundation has been completed and it should not be tampered with. The Apostles finished the foundation of the Church, John laying the last stone in place with the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The office of Apostle has ceased and the gifts and signs of the Apostolic age have ceased with them. The work of the Spirit in the church has not ceased but the gifts of revelation have because God's revelation, The Scripture, is complete. The purposes that these apostolic gifts served are now served by the scripture. Apostles were validated by their Apostolic gifts and revelations. Now God's men are validated by whether or not they are faithful ministers of the Word. God revealed to Paul the mysteries of the Gospel by special revelation. God reveals the mysteries of the gospel to us now through His word. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by The Word. Knowledge comes by God's word, wisdom comes by God's word, discernment comes from knowing God's word. All of the special revelations needed in the times before there was the completed scripture have been replaced by the completed scriptures. I like to think of it like two workers, you have a man from a temp service who comes and fills a position while the official employee finishes his training. When the official employee has completed his training the temporary employee goes away, there's no need for him any longer a more qualified man is there to fill the position. Peter said this concerning revelation from God. 2 Peter 1:16-21 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (KJV) Peter tells of his eyewitness account of when God revealed Jesus Christ to them on the mount of transfiguration. He seen and heard and experienced a miraculous revelation from heaven. Then he goes on to say that we have a more sure word of prophecy, that being the prophecy of the scriptures. Peter values the scriptures over his eyewitness account of revelation from heaven. Paul does the same thing in Galatians: Galatians 1:8 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (KJV). The Gifts of the apostolic age were for the purpose of completing the foundation of the church, The Scriptures and now that the foundation is complete, we no longer have a need for Apostles or Apostolic gifts. As I said before this does not mean that the work of The Holy Spirit is done. He is here reproving the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. He is inhabiting the church and empowering the church. He is giving men callings and abilities to edify the church. Our preaching ought to be in the power of the Spirit and our lives ought to be lead by the Spirit. What I believed has ceased is the Apostolic age and Apostolic gifts not the working of The Spirit.
Comments