(There are two articles on this page)
Spiritual Gifts
by Micky Galloway
Are the spiritual gifts that are described in the New Testament still with us today? We live in a time when there is an explosion of what is called the charismatic movement. We see this made popular by some TV evangelists who teach that the Holy Spirit is today baptizing people and that they may receive various spiritual gifts. Just about every denominational body has been permeated with this teaching and unfortunately the Lord's church has been affected by it as well.
The apostle Paul deals with this subject extensively in I Corinthians 12 and continuing through chapter 14. These spiritual gifts are enumerated in I Corinthians 12:4-10, “For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another (divers) kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues.” No one who understands the Scriptures could deny that there were spiritual gifts, but our question is whether or not these gifts are still with us today.
THESE SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND THEIR RESULTS ARE NOT REPRODUCIBLE TODAY. No one today who claims spiritual gifts can do what those during the first century did who had spiritual gifts. For example those of the first century raised the dead (Acts 9), or instantly healed the sick and the lame (Acts 3), so that others were compelled to say, “indeed a notable miracle hath been wrought though them … and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16). One who believes that men possess these powers today usually finds one of two things to be true. The one who claims these powers is a fraud or he fails in his attempt to do the same things that were practiced in New Testament times.
THE PURPOSE OF THESE SPIRITUAL GIFTS HAS BEEN SERVED. The purpose of these gifts was to confirm the word spoken by inspired men to be true. Hebrews 2:2-4 says, “For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.” Mark 16:19-20 also says, “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen.” Many have no conception as to why the Holy Spirit endowed people with spiritual gifts. These argue that the purpose was to get rid of all suffering among God's people. Some argue that a part of Christ's atonement was physical, and that the gifts were given so that no Christian would ever have to suffer disease or sickness. The purpose was not to eradicate sickness and disease. In fact many Christians of the first century suffered physical ills. Paul had a thorn in the flesh and besought the Lord three times that it might be removed, yet the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (II Corinthians 12:7-8). Epaphroditus was sick and almost died, yet Paul did not miraculously heal him (Philippians 2:25). Timothy had a chronic stomach problem and was told, “Be no longer a drinker of water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities” (I Timothy 5:23). Spiritual gifts were not used to relieve their suffering. Much rather, these gifts confirmed that the words spoken were from God.
THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS WERE IMPARTED BY THE LAYING ON OF THE APOSTLES' HANDS. Philip was preaching in Samaria with much success (Acts 8). He was “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). He could perform miracles. Even Simon who had practiced sorcery was impressed with his miraculous ability (Acts 8:13). Yet, it was necessary for Peter and John to come from Jerusalem to Samaria to impart these gifts (Acts 8:14). Why couldn't Philip do this? Though he was an evangelist, he was not an apostle. Simon who had practiced the magical arts was well qualified to determine whether or not things done by Philip were genuinely miracles. But Philip could not give these gifts to others. “Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given …” (Acts 8:18). In Acts 19 after the apostle Paul had baptized certain disciples of John into Christ the text says, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6). The means of conferring these gifts has now passed away. It is interesting to note that though the apostles were the mediums of conferring these gifts, it was the Holy Spirit who determined what gift was to be received. I Corinthians 12:11 says, “but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.”
SPECIFIC TEACHING IS REVEALED THAT THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS WERE INTENDED TO BE TEMPORARY. I Corinthians 13:8-10 says, “ . . . but whether (there be) prophecies, they shall be done away; whether (there be) tongues, they shall cease; whether (there be) knowledge, it shall be done away.” There is no question this passage teaches that these gifts would cease. But when would they cease? The writer goes on to say that these gifts that provide partial revelation would be done away when, “that which is perfect is come.” What is “that which is perfect” ? Though Jesus Christ is perfect (Hebrews 4:14-15) that is not the context of I Corinthians 13. Understanding that these gifts provided partial revelation, they ceased when the completed revelation (“that which is perfect”) became a reality. James describes the completed law of Christ as “the perfect law, the law of liberty” (James 1:25). As these spiritual gifts were to cease, faith, hope and love would abide.
Spiritual gifts did exist during New Testament times, but the Scriptures teach that these have served their purpose and are not practiced today.
Miracles, Tongues and Healings
by Chris Simmons
There are a variety of spiritual gifts described in the New Testament. We read in I Corinthians 12:7-10, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.” The previous article establishes the purpose for and the temporary nature for these spiritual gifts. That is, they existed until the “perfect” and completed revelation came (cf., I Corinthians 13:9-10; James 1:25). Despite this truth, many today continue in their desire to want to believe that various spiritual gifts still continue to exist today. In particular many want to believe in continuance of miracles, tongues and healings. We need to accurately understand what the Holy Spirit meant by these terms and compare the truth to what is claimed to take place by people today.
The word “miracles” comes from the Greek word “dunamis” which simply means “force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself)” Strong's Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. This word is most often translated in the New Testament as “mighty works”, “power”, “strength” or “miracles” and is where we get our English word “dynamite”. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words defines the word “miracles” as a word “…used of works of a supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents and means.” Thus we understand that miracles represent specific exhibitions of God’s power that are outside of the scope of “natural agents and means.” Many today refer to a loved one’s recovery from an illness or disease as a “miracle”, when in fact what took place was simply the body’s natural means to heal or the response of the body to medicine or other medical treatments. Biblical miracles were indisputably beyond the scope of “natural agents and means.” Notice the miracle performed upon the lame man in Acts 3:6-8. The one who could not formerly walk was not now staggering, limping or relying upon instruments such as a cane, but rather was observed “walking and leaping.” The miracle was convincing, conclusive and undeniable. Those who opposed the teaching the apostles did could do or say nothing about the miracle that took place, “the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16). Such undeniable, conclusive and complete miracles truly indicated during the first century that such came from God (cf., John 9:33).
Extremely popular today is the idea that people can still speak in tongues. But what exactly was the spiritual gift of “various kinds of tongues” and how does that differ from what is claimed to be performed today? First look to Acts 2:4-11, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and marveled, saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.’” Notice how that when the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to “speak with other tongues”, that these tongues represented real discernable languages that those present could hear with understanding. Speaking in tongues was never demonstrated to be babbling, jabbering or carrying on in indiscernible language.
Additionally, specific directions were given to those who were blessed with this spiritual gift in the New Testament in the context of I Corinthians 14:6-29. God imposed strict guidelines upon the exercising of the gift of speaking in tongues. It should be done by two or three at the most and done “in turn” (verse 27). The tongues spoken were to be real, discernable and “clear” languages as we read in Acts 2:11 and also in I Corinthians 14:9-11. Also, there was to be one who can interpret and if there wasn’t, the one with the ability to speak in tongues was to “keep silent in the church” (verse 28).
The Holy Spirit in I Corinthians chapter 14 sets the purpose of these stipulations concerning tongues. One, so that “unbelievers” would not deem those with such a gift to be “mad”( verse 23). Two, so that God is glorified and worship is directed towards Him (verses 24-25). Third, so the “other man”, and all in the church would be edified and grow (verse 5, 12, 17, 26).
Regarding miraculous healing in the New Testament, there are several things we need to understand. As noted earlier from the lame man who was healed in Acts chapter 3, the miraculous healing was complete and not a minor improvement in the person’s physical condition. It was instantaneous, as we read of the woman healed of a “hemorrhage” that “could not be healed by anyone” else who later told others “how she had been immediately healed” (Luke 8:44, 47). Miraculous healing was not limited to specific conditions but in fact included “every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23). Miraculous healing in the scriptures was not limited to certain people but in fact, God’s power was able to heal “all who were ill” (Matthew 8:16). Thus, Jesus healed regardless of whether they had faith in Him, as exemplified by the slave of the High Priest in Luke 22:51 who had his ear healed by Jesus. Jesus healed even when it was not even known who healed the person, such as with man who was healed in John 5:1ff who “did not know who it was” who healed him (verse 13). These characteristics of miraculous healing are not true of those who purport or claim to do such today.
The purpose for miracles, tongues and healings has long ago been fulfilled when God’s word had been fully revealed to man. Let us therefore love, treasure and diligently study that word which was so overwhelmingly attested and confirmed through such indisputable signs and wonders and miracles.