The Holy Spirit empowers believers with a variety of gifts to build up the Church. Unfortunately, there are detractors who do not believe this Biblical teaching and openly mock and deride such a concept. Such classical Cessationists believe and teach that God no longer gives Spiritual gifts, speaks to people, or performs miraculous deeds. Their camp recently unveiled a large "Cessationist" conference to be held next year, promoting this view. Not all cessationists are identical. Some believe that only certain gifts, which they term the "sign gifts," ceased to exist. They pick and choose certain spiritual gifts to accept among their church members, but often deny healing, physical miracles, the gift of tongues and prophecy, for example. That view is problematic and, in my view, untenable, requiring impossible feats of interpretive gymnastics to twist and bend Scripture to suit such a belief. If one of these folks ever claims to believe in miracles, know that they are most likely engaging in double-speak, classifying the salvation of a soul as a miracle, which it certainly is, but then denying all other types of miraculous occurrences.
What concerns me the most is that they have created a straw man to topple over by showing video clips of bizarre and wildly unbiblical activities occurring on the outermost fringes of the spectrum of Christian belief in an attempt to characterize ALL Continuationists, who believe in the perpetuation of Spiritual Gifts, as demonic weirdos. This tactic is uncharitable, inappropriate and untruthful. The Bible warns against people who possess a form of religion, but deny the power, thereof. Here is an overview of what Scripture teaches about Spiritual Gifts.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to
us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service in our
serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his
exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with
zeal; the one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness. -Romans 12:6-8
PROPHECY:
If prophecy, in proportion to our faith
Where are some places in our culture that you are
likely to encounter false prophecy? Perhaps television, bookstores, social media,
online news sources, blogs or magazines come to mind?
What types of false prophecy might you come
across? Making prophecies by the moon and stars, interpreting harbingers, etc?
All of these are forbidden in Isaiah 47:13-14 and Deuteronomy 18:10-14.
The gift of prophecy can be
controversial. Because there are so many opportunities for Christians to be
misled, I will give special attention to this gift and how it was used in the
first century. Prophecy is frequently defined as speaking with divine authority
about the past, present or future.[1]
Because the canon of Scripture is
closed, there will be no more prophecies given about the end times. Outside of
the book of Revelation, future prophecy was rare in the Post-Resurrection New
Testament and when it was given, it was never given for personal profit or
selfish gain. Acts 11:27-30 records an event where a prophet named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit
that there would be a severe famine. The disciples from Antioch responded
by sacrificially giving so they could send relief to the people of Judea.
Another manifestation of the gift of
prophecy is the ability to preach the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31 records that the disciples prayed and God gave
them tremendous bravery through the Spirit to proclaim the word in the face of
great opposition. The word prophet, or prophetes,
was used by the Greeks to refer to someone who could interpret oracles, or
prophecies. It is proper to apply this in a Christian setting to someone who is
gifted by the Spirit with the ability to understand, interpret and explain
Biblical prophesies well, especially with regard to how Old Testament prophecy
is fulfilled in the New Testament.
1 Corinthians 14:3 provides the
clearest definition of the gift of prophecy, showing how the helper and
counselor, the Holy Spirit, works through people:
The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
These words describe building the
church and the individuals in it by helping them to grow in Christian wisdom,
grace and the knowledge of our Lord. They describe coming alongside a person,
family, or church to offer helpful, persuasive and even corrective instruction
when necessary to guide people through difficult situations and keep them on
the right path. This passage also describes offering comfort and counsel to
someone in need with Biblical wisdom and insight for applying Scripture.
Brotherly support, instruction, correction, strengthening, comfort and love are
the purpose of this spiritual gift.
The gift of
prophecy is about being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It’s about
being teachable and being willing to say what God wants us to say and do what
He wants us to do to strengthen, build, correct and encourage the church.
SERVICE:
if service, in our serving
The gift of service, or ministry, is
the ability to assist others and meet their needs. It comes from the root word
for serving tables, because those who minister to the Body of Christ, serve and
take care of the body. Those with this gift feed the church, care for its needs
and look out for the interests of others.
There are a variety of benevolence
ministries in the church where someone with this gift might serve. They could volunteer
to serve meals, operate a food pantry, supervise a loan closet or coordinate a
clothing ministry. They receive deep satisfaction and joy from serving others
and consider it a privilege to be able to do so. James wrote:
If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily
food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,”
but you don’t give them what they body needs, what good is it.” (CSB)
The Holy Spirit empowers people through
this ministry gift to show the love of Jesus by meeting people’s physical needs
so that their hearts may be softened to have their spiritual needs met.
TEACHING:
the one who teaches in his teaching
The gift of teaching is given for the
purpose of equipping others. Someone with this ability can explain difficult
things in a way that is easy to understand. A gifted teacher will be consumed
with the word of God and passionate about helping others to understand it.
Jesus forbids New Testament teachers from bearing the title Rabbi. Rabbis
collected disciples for themselves. But Didasko, Teachers, those with the gift
of didaskalia, make disciples for
Christ.
Teachers equip other believers for the
work of ministry. A teacher is probably someone who enjoys speaking in front of
people and leading discussions about the Bible. A Spirit-empowered teacher can
graciously correct brothers and sisters in Christ. A person with the gift of
teaching will love to study God’s word and have a burning desire to share what
the Holy Spirit has taught them with others.
EXHORTATION:
the one who exhorts, in his exhortation
The gift of exhortation is the
Spirit-empowered ability to call people into action. Someone with this gift can
recognize the giftings and callings in other people’s lives and call them into
service. Exhortation tells people how to respond to God’s word and apply it to
their lives.
An exhorter can stir others up,
spurring them on to love and good deeds. Exhorters strengthen and build up the
church, helping people to be courageous and unafraid. They plead with their
peers to become active participants in the ministry of the church, urging
others to serve and share the Gospel.
Those with the gift of exhortation serve
the Body of Christ by mobilizing and maximizing each part as the Holy Spirit
works through them to encourage, counsel and set ministry in motion. An
exhorter can get people out of their seats and into the streets to spread the
Gospel.
GIVING:
the one who contributes, in generosity
A person with the gift of giving is
generous with their resources, viewing them as a gift from God. We have some
people in our Sunday Morning Bible Fellowship with the gift of giving. They
feel like God has blessed them to be a blessing to others. When they hear of
someone in need, they do not hesitate to open their purses and wallets. In
fact, it gives them great joy to be able to help. Giving can also extend beyond
money to include time, resources, etc.
A giver might take pleasure in giving
money to support vital ministries. They probably give above and beyond their
tithe on a regular basis. They feel happiness from donating food, clothing,
money or other items to provide for those in need.
LEADERSHIP:
the one who leads, with zeal
Leadership in this usage refers to
those who watch over the church in a superintending role. This is someone who
presides over church affairs with enthusiasm and who goes before others,
setting a good example. These are people who look out for the well-being of
others and help them find their place of service and ministry in the church.
They protect against false teachers, guard the peace of the assembly and ensure
that believers are being equipped.
Leaders should be patient when others
make mistakes. They enjoy helping people to realize their gifts and use them to
their fullest potential. Their sights are set on fulfilling the Great
Commission and they lead others in that direction. They organize opportunities
for church members to grow, reach out, serve and share the Gospel. Leaders take
pleasure in watching others thrive and become successful. They find joy and
purpose in equipping others to be capable and confident.
SHOWING MERCY:
the one who does acts of mercy with
cheerfulness
Mercy and compassion are key aspects of
the character of God that are brought about in the lives of believers by the
Holy Spirit. Psalm 145:8 declares:
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love.
This gift goes beyond feeling sorry for
someone and moves people into the action of demonstrating kindness to those who
need it most. Mercy is the showing of compassion to drug addicts, prostitutes,
those who are imprisoned, drunks and others on the fringe of society. Mercy
extends God’s forgiveness to those who are being devoured by sin. Mercy looks
the most vile of sinners in the face, realizes but for the grace of God this
could be me, and then treats them with dignity, honor, respect and most
importantly love, the kind of love that tells them of the cleansing, healing,
restoring, forgiving power of Jesus and invites them to respond.
Romans 12:9-15 lists other abilities the
Holy Spirit brings forth in our lives:
FAITH:
Rejoice in hope; be patient in
tribulation
Faith is the opposite of despair, doubt
and despondency. The Holy Spirit fills us with hope and helps us to trust in
God. Faith enables us to endure difficult situations and to pray through them
with persistence.
Have you ever been going through a difficult or
traumatic situation and someone came alongside you bringing hope and comfort? Have
you ever needed to lean on someone who had faith in times when you were
doubting?
A person with the gift of faith can share their
confidence and trust in God with others in moments of the most crucial need. They
trust that God cares about His children and that He actively responds to
prayer. A person with special faith might fervently believe that God will heal
someone or they might be confident in the hope that He supernaturally protects
us when we pray and ask Him to. Faith is often expressed through prayer. Those
with this gift believe that prayer can change any circumstance to bring glory
to God and they impart their faith to others.
PRAYER
Be constant in Prayer
Prayer is intimate communication with God through
the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. This gift is available to all Christians
the moment we believe and cry out to Him. To be constant means to pray without
ceasing, to be faithful in prayer, to be steadfast and devoted to prayer. Ephesians
6:18 encourages us to pray this way:
Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay
alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. (CSB)
A life of Prayer is about consistently seeking
and asking God. It is about sincerely seeking His will and persistently asking
Him for what we need and earnestly desire.
Intercession is when we pray for others and on
their behalf. I have witnessed occasions when the Holy Spirit laid a certain
person or family on someone’s heart to pray for them. When the praying person
followed up, they found out that the person was injured or a family member was
in the emergency room. They prayed with the Spirit. Any time a person suddenly
pops up in your thoughts and you feel concerned for their well-being, you
should pray because the Holy Spirit may be leading you to do so. Often times, when
praying for someone who is sick or injured, the Holy Spirit will guide us as to
how to pray and what to pray for. He does the same thing when we pray for
wisdom, for guidance and over various aspects of our lives. We need to open our
hearts and listen when we pray.
Those who are gifted in prayer have an essential
role in the church. They pray as the Holy Spirit guides them to ask for
protection, resources and provision for their church. They pray for leaders to
have wisdom and souls to be saved. They pray for families, children and
communities. They pray for peace and safety. They pray over all aspects of a
church’s ministry and for its members. We might only truly know in eternity how
great their impact was.
Some believers are skillful and gifted prayer
warriors with a rich and vibrant prayer life, others have a lot of growth still
ahead of them, but all have access to this special present. Prayer is the
master key that releases us from the chains of fear and opens the door to
receive God’s blessing. Gifts from the Holy Spirit, such as healing and
miracles are the result of Faith expressed through Prayer. Wisdom from the Holy
Spirit comes to us in times of prayer. The word pray means to ask. Prayer is about seeking God’s will,
His purpose, His plan, His power and His presence in our lives.
HOSPITALITY:
Seek to show Hospitality
The Holy Spirit specially equips some
people with the ability to make others feel welcome. They strengthen the bond
between believers by developing a sense of belonging. They remove anxiety,
helping people to feel comfortable and relaxed, putting their minds at ease. Someone
with the gift of hospitality finds pleasure in providing fellowship and
comradery in a way that is warm, and friendly, like family. They create an
environment where people feel wanted and appreciated.
These gifted servants might enjoy hosting
gatherings in their home. They seek to include people outside of their normal
peer group. They might invite someone who just moved to town over for dinner or
hold a weekly Bible study in their living room. Hospitality can be extended to
both unbelievers and believers. It can aid in both outreach and fellowship.
Providing a comforting atmosphere for a funeral meal or planning a welcome
dinner for a new pastor are examples of this. We are all called to be
hospitable, but someone with this gift can take a leading and teaching role.
EMPATHY:
Rejoice with those who rejoice;
weep with those who weep
Empathy is the ability to put yourself
in someone else’s shoes, view a situation through their eyes and come alongside
them with compassion & understanding. This gift is also meant to help bring
peace and harmony to the church. An empathetic person can see things from
another’s point of view and reason together with them in a brotherly way.
This gift often works hand in hand with
showing mercy. It is a special gift to not only be able to sympathize with
someone going through a hard time, but to also be able to help.
1 Corinthians 12: 1-30 introduces
additional spiritual gifts.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties
of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To
each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. -1
Corinthians 12:4-7
Here are some additional gifts found in
verses 8-11 and 28.
WORDS of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE:
For to one is given through the Spirit
the utterance of wisdom to another the utterance of knowledge according to the
same Spirit
Colossians 2:3 tells us that all of the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ Jesus. Through the Holy
Spirit inside of us, we have access to that wisdom and knowledge. In chapter seven
we learned that one type of prophetic ministry involves giving comfort, wise
counsel and advice to help people through difficult situations. One of the ways
that God accomplishes this is by giving us the ability to speak words of wisdom
and knowledge.
Knowledge, or gnosis, refers
to facts. A word of knowledge could mean that a person recalls the teachings
and principles of Scripture, or remembers a passage of the Bible that applies
to a specific situation. Any knowledge found in the world through natural
revelation or through special revelation in Scripture can be supernaturally
given to a believer or brought to our attention at just the right moment.
Knowledge refers to all good and proper learning of the Bible and all subjects.
God helps us to be perceptive and understanding in all situations. Jesus told
the disciples that when they were persecuted and brought before authorities,
not to worry about what they would say because the Holy Spirit would tell them
what to speak.
God may reveal special knowledge to a
person about how to reach or minister to another. He might give us something
specific to pray for when it comes to healing a physical injury or medical
condition or mending a familial relationship. I can attest that He has guided me
about how to pray for any variety of situations and needs when I was listening
and sensitive while praying for someone.
Wisdom, or sophia, refers
to the proper application of knowledge. To be wise is to be prudent, to show
discretion and to be skillful in managing things. A wise person has the ability
to use and apply knowledge. In the same way that Solomon was made wise by God,
we are given great wisdom and decision-making ability through the Holy Spirit.
All Christians have access to that level of wisdom.
Words of Knowledge and Wisdom are
important ministries:
A word spoken in due season is like apples of gold in
settings of silver. –Proverbs 25:11
A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a
timely word! –Proverbs 15:23
The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are
instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word. –Isaiah 50:4
Words of Knowledge and Wisdom refresh
us when we are worn out and beat up by the world. They comfort our hearts and
set things in motion
Messages of Knowledge and Wisdom are
used to give guidance and wise advice to benefit the church and encourage
believers. God equips people to guide churches and individuals through times of
crises, to minister well and to prepare for the future. These words help us to
make good decisions and remain strengthened in our resolve.
I appreciate the rendering of this gift
as Utterances of Knowledge and Wisdom
because it is a spoken gift. This is a gift that the Holy Spirit gives us
to share with each other by speaking uplifting words into each other’s lives.
He might lead us to share the Gospel with a stranger and give us just the right
words to say. He might give us the perfect words of comfort to someone who is
hurting or encouragement to someone with doubts.
This gift can partner with the gift of
exhortation to recognize someone’s gifts and call them into action.
The Holy Spirit can use us to lovingly
give counsel, correction or advice to a brother or sister in Christ. He might
urge us to speak up about an important course of action for the church, to
offer correction or to lead in a new positive direction.
Ministry should be Spirit-empowered and
Spirit-led and to do that, we need to become sensitive to God’s leading. Part
of the role of the Holy Spirit as our Parakletos,
is to counsel, lead and guide us as we serve God and minister to others. Reflect
on these Old Testament verses which anticipate the coming of the Spirit:
You guide me with your counsel… -Psalm 73:24a
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should
go. I will counsel you with me eye upon you. –Psalm 32:8
And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying “This is
the way, walk in it…” –Isaiah 30:21a
Sometimes, the Spirit might lead you to
help someone you see in need, or guide you into a divine appointment, an
opportunity to minister to someone in need and share the love of God with them.
The Spirit can also work through us to
affirm one another and spur each other into action. I have received words of
encouragement, comfort, up-building and strengthening from other believers on
many occasions.
The ministry of encouragement is truly
valuable to the church and when we are tuned in listening to the Spirit
speaking, we can be a source of strength and courage to other believers. Words
of knowledge and wisdom that come through the Spirit are going to be anchored
in God’s word, giving counsel to help people through difficult times,
delivering loving correction and speaking encouragement into their lives. The
Holy Spirit can speak wise advice and counsel through any believer at any time,
so remain alert, be sensitive and when you feel His prompting, Speak Up!!!
HEALING:
to another gifts of healing
Any time someone is healed of a disease
or injury God should be given the glory. I believe the gift of Faith is
intentionally listed right before healing, because faith and God’s goodness are
key factors. When an individual or group of people pray over someone who is
sick and that person gets well, it was a gift from the Holy Spirit. Any
believer can pray for someone to be healed and God can respond to that prayer.
A person or group of people with great faith might frequently pray for someone
to be healed and then see God respond by making the person well. Healing is a
gift from God and He should receive all of the glory. James wrote:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of
the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
the Lord and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. -James
5:14-15
This verse indicates faith on the part
of the person seeking healing to call for the elders and a group prayer that
prevents any single person from taking credit or seeking glory for themselves.
The laying on of hands in prayer is frequently associated with healing. The
power to heal comes from the Holy Spirit, not from ourselves. When we lay hands
on someone and pray, the healing power of the Holy Spirit flows through us and
into them. The Holy Spirit can give a gift of healing through the prayers of
any believer or group of believers. God’s word shows us that this happens when
we pray in faith.
I have witnessed countless situations
in my life where people were prayed for and received healing and recovery. I
have known of genetic diseases being cured, internal injuries healing up and
remarkable recoveries from illness, all as a result of prayer.
When I was a sophomore in high school,
my nose was shattered in an accident at baseball practice. I lost a shocking
amount of blood and the coach who was with me was concerned I was going to
bleed out. I asked that coach, who was involved with our Fellowship of
Christian Athletes group, to pray in agreement with me that the bleeding would
stop. We prayed and the blood flow was immediately quenched like a faucet being
turned off.
MIRACLES:
to another the working of miracles
A miracle is something that defies the
natural order of things. When God chooses to act in a supernatural way for the
benefit and well-being of people that is a miracle. When a person has been
given a terminal diagnosis and they suddenly get well against all odds and
medical reason that could be considered a miracle. The apostles worked miracles
just as Jesus did. We should not use the word miracle lightly. A victory by a
sports team is not a miracle. A surprise financial benefit might be a great
blessing to a family in need—but that is not a miracle. Turning water into
wine—that was a miracle. Giving a blind man sight—that was a miracle. We should
not deny true miracles when they happen, but we should not use the word loosely
either. We should exercise wisdom and discretion when we hear reports of
miracles. Though, as I mentioned above, I am aware of genuine, verifiable
medical miracles.
DISCERNMENT:
to another the ability to distinguish
between spirits
A person with the gift of discernment
or distinguishing between spirits can sense selfish or harmful motives. They
will quickly recognize false teaching and false teachers and discover doctrines
of demons.
Paul wrote that he did not want us to
be unaware of the devil’s schemes. Someone with this gift will be skeptical of
someone who is trying to take advantage of other believers. A discerning person
will realize when someone is trying to deceive them by speaking half-truths.
They will be wise to discover plots to trick the church or individuals into
making bad decisions.
Someone with the gift of discernment
will also be aware of times the Holy Spirit is moving in a unique, powerful or
special way. They can tell the difference between a genuine move of God and what
is merely the strong influence of a slick, fast talking leader. They can
discern pure intentions and sense the presence of ulterior motives.
The gift of discernment enables a
person to notice when someone is twisting Scripture or pulling it out of context
in order to mislead or manipulate. A person with this gift might often be
called “divisive,” because they make waves and break illusions, but in reality,
these are the people who keep the church from being torn apart by false
teachings. It has always been false teaching, doctrines of demons, that causes
division in the church and problems between brothers and sisters. The gift of
discernment is given to help the church recognize smooth talking, divisive,
false teachers and to keep the TRUE church unified.
TONGUES/LANGUAGES and INTERPRETATION:
to another various kinds of tongues,
to another the interpretation of
tongues
We have learned that on the day of
Pentecost, as believers spoke, each person in the crowd heard them speaking in their own language. Words were spoken in one
language but heard in many languages, or dialektos.
Because of this supernatural miracle, the Gospel was able to be shared. This is
the only occasion in Scripture where such a hearing miracle is recorded, though
God could do it again if He wanted to.
We have also learned that something
special happened on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon a group
of Jews living in the Promised Land, on a second occasion when the Holy Spirit
first came to the Gentiles and on a third and final occasion when the Holy
Spirit filled a group of Jews living outside of the Promised Land. On each
occasion they were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues as a sign of
equality to demonstrate that God loved them all and considered them His
children. There is no other record in the Bible of an individual or group of
people speaking in tongues when they were saved. For this reason, I believe these
were special situations with a purpose and are not the normal Biblical
experience or the normal Christian experience. It is incorrect to say that
speaking in tongues is the sign of a person being saved or the one and only
sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Speaking in Tongues is, however, a
valid spiritual gift.
Paul confirms that not all Christians
speak or pray in tongues when he discusses the gift further in 1 Corinthians
14. He also teaches that when a person miraculously speaks or prays in another
language they are speaking to God and not to men.
The Bible seems to indicate that some
people may have the ability to allow the Holy Spirit to pray through them even
if they don’t understand the words. This shows a complete submission to God’s
purposes, trust in Him and a desire for His will to be done. Paul prayed this
way and also in his own language with understanding. Some people call this a
private prayer language. I know people who pray this way when they are praying
for healing for another person and in their private prayer lives.
I also know people who listen to the
Holy Spirit’s prompting or consult Scripture about how they should pray and what
to pray for with understanding. Paul indicates that praying in the Holy Spirit
builds an individual up. I believe this occurs by connecting with God through
prayer in a very intimate way.
Praying in a tongue is one thing. I
have been in situations where group prayer was taking place and people were
praying out loud, sometimes all at once and some in tongues. In principle, I
have no problem with that, though sensitivity to visitors is advised. I was
once visiting churches with a friend and a woman near us blurted something out
in a weird tongue. He wouldn’t visit any more churches with me after that.
Delivering a message in front of the
church in a tongue is a different situation. Paul encourages anyone who speaks
in tongues (glossa) to ask God for
the gift of Interpretation so that the whole church can be built up. No one
should speak in a tongue during a gathering of the church unless there is
someone there to interpret. While multiple individuals might have ascended to
the platform to teach in the ancient synagogues and early Christian gatherings,
most churches today do not conduct meetings that way. It would be considered wildly
inappropriate for someone to shout out something in the middle of a service in
a known language. How much more outrageous would it be to interrupt in a
language no one understands? I have sat through a few terrible moments of bad
teaching in my life and if God were to choose to interrupt a service and get
people’s attention with a message in another language, then that is His
prerogative. But it would need to be given with permission, decently and in
order. No one should ever just stand up and shout something out in an unknown
language. The Bible teaches that God is the author of peace, not confusion and
that the spirit of prophets is subject to the prophets. That means that if God
truly wants to speak a message in another language through a person, then that
person will have the discernment to deliver the message in a way that sows
peace, not chaos and the interpretation will bring clarity, not confusion.
The gift of interpretation is usually
under-stood to mean the supernatural ability to understand a spontaneous message
given by the Holy Spirit in another language, though it can also apply to
interpreting for someone who has come into the assembly speaking their own
foreign language that no one understands.
I will admit that, sometimes, when I
hear someone who thinks they are praying in tongues, I think they are probably not.
Babbling nonsense syllables with lots of repetition like babababa or
nuhnuhnuhnah, is not speaking in tongues. Repeating something you think is a
word over and over again is not speaking in tongues. Speaking in a tongue is
supernaturally talking in another complete language with intelligible speech. I
have never spoken or prayed in tongues, but I will be respectful of those who
believe they have this gift. I believe it is a sin to forbid missionaries or
seminary professors from using this gift. Verse 39 orders us not to forbid
speaking in tongues.
Mostly, I believe we have missed out on
the greater point. On the day of Pentecost, the curse from the Tower of Babel
when languages were confused was reversed for the sake of good communication
and spreading the Gospel. Based on what I've learned about cognates and ancient
languages, I am convinced that tongues were loosened and speech impediments
were removed for many who were present that day and that the ability to
properly pronounce other languages was a new gift to the early church. They
weren’t supposed to use it to show off, but rather to build up the church. If
someone comes into the assembly speaking a different language, they should only
be allowed to do so with an interpreter so that all may hear and
understand.
I had a Seminary professor who was
incredibly gifted with languages. He could read, speak, understand and teach
multiple languages fluently and most importantly, could explain what words
meant. He clearly had a gift that could only have come from the Lord.
I will be charitable and loving toward
my fellow believers who pray in tongues and try not to underestimate the
importance of that gift. I personally believe that the primary ways the gifts
of tongues and interpretation are manifested in the church today is in the
ability to learn, pronounce and speak other languages for spreading the Gospel
and in the ability to see patterns in language and to study, understand,
interpret and explain God’s word for the benefit of others.
HELPS:
helping (verse 27)
A person with the gift of helps is able
to perceive the needs of others and to know how to embrace them, walk alongside
of them and help them. This might mean providing for a need, assisting in a
difficult situation or noticing something that others missed.
The Holy Spirit empowers some believers
to notice people who might be in need, hurting, neglected, lonely or
discouraged. The Spirit also empowers them to know how to help and find the
means necessary to do so. This could be providing for physical needs such as
food or clothing or completing repairs at no charge. It could mean providing
support and assistance to someone’s ministry efforts. It could mean finding
someone a ride to church, providing help with groceries, assisting a single mom
with childcare or mentoring a young believer with questions. This gift is about
perceptiveness that leads to action.
ADMINISTRATION:
administrating (verse 27)
The government or administration of the
church comes from the word for steering a ship, kubernesis. My Papa served in the U.S. Navy in the aftermath of
World War II. One of his jobs was as an assistant Helmsman. The Helmsman is the
one who mans the steering wheel. He told the story of a time when he was on
duty and heard an unfamiliar voice behind him giving specific and detailed
instructions with regular changes in course and direction. After an uncertain
period of time, he was relieved of duty and given the rest of his shift off. As
he turned around, a man who was either the Captain or the Executive Officer put
a hand on his shoulder and told him well done son, you just steered us through
a mine field.
In the same way those men watched their
instruments for danger, the church is given overseers, like the lookout on a
ship, sitting up in the crow’s nest to watch out for trouble on the horizon. An
administrator, or helmsman, is responsible for steering the ship, the church,
in the right direction, maneuvering it around obstacles and guiding it through
perilous waters. He helps to plot the course and keep the church going in the
right direction. He watches out for trouble, protects from danger, guides the
church to make wise decisions, and encourages us to take wise actions and reach
our goals—sharing the gospel and making disciples.
Conclusion
When the Roman Empire abandoned believer's baptism and began baptizing infants and enemies, telling them they were Christian, the practice of true Biblical Christianity fell by the wayside as a form of powerless, unregenerate, cultural Christianity came into prominence. It was during this time that the pages of history became devoid of the miraculous. Spiritual gifts, healing, prophecy and other such displays of the supernatural power of God seemed to cease. Cultural observers decided that God himself had taken the gifts away or stopped bestowing them, when in reality, I believe that many people were not experiencing the power of God because they were not truly saved and filled with His Spirit, or were poorly taught and immature disciples.
Now, here is the turn, the foundation for the belief of cessationism lies outside of the boundaries of Scripture. It is, itself, a form of adding to and subtracting from God's word. It is form of religion that denies the power of God. 1 Corinthians 14:39 commands the following: So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. Cessationism is a sin and a heresy because it defies the clear teaching of Scripture.
In the same way that the human body has
many parts, all of great importance, the Holy Spirit continues to give members of the Body
of Christ a variety of Spiritual Gifts, each with an important function. We all
have different gifts, but are equally important as brothers and sisters. All of
the gifts are sent by God for the well-being of the whole church. No gift
should be banned and no one should be mistreated or favored on the basis of
their gift.
God has given us different gifts, but all are important. No one should ever be arrogant because of their gift. All of the gifts are interconnected like the hand is connected to the arm. They work together in beautiful harmony. For example, Teaching equips believers to use their gifts. Exhortation calls and directs those gifts into service. Giving provides the means for Service. Faith is evidenced through Prayer. Empathy is put into action through Showing Mercy.
Our gifts are meant
to serve, equip and help one another as the Holy Spirit ministers through us
bringing harmony to the church. We should humbly employ our gifts for the
benefit of others.
Memory
Verse: As
each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s
varied grace. -1 Peter 4:10
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