Chapter 2.16
Gifts of
The Holy Spirit
1) Word
of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Special Faith, Different Healings,
Special Powers, Prophecy (foretelling), Discernment of Good and Evil spirits,
Speaking in an unknown language, Interpretation
of an unknown language,
2) Serving,
Prophesying (forth
telling), Teaching, Encouraging, Contributing,
Leadership, Mercy/Compassion, Evangelizing, Administration
Cessationists’ vs:
Continuationis
There is a debate by students
of the word concerning the gifts of the spirit; they fall into two
categories.
Cessationists
generally believe that the miraculous gifts were given only for the foundation
of the church during the time between the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day
of Pentecost and the fulfillment of God’s purposes in history, usually identified
as at the death of the last Apostle.
Continuationism believes that the miraculous gifts of the Holy
Spirit have been available for use by the church ever since the day of Pentecost.
Scientifically speaking, for most folks the Gifts of the Spirit are very
suspicious. Give me some evidence in a
box. Show me a video of the gifts in
action. Where’s the documentation? Let’s see some miracles; some blind seeing,
some lame walking, and the deaf hearing.
Out of 18 gifts, why are tongues the only one we hear about? Scientifically speaking, tongues are the
easiest to counterfeit; the easiest to fake.
The world screams; SHOW ME the evidence for today and I will believe. Since the gift of tongues is so
controversial, I will cover it last in its own chapter to give it proper space. I will do the same for Healing.
18 GIFTS of
the Spirit
God gave gifts to the believer
as signs and wonders to testify of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.[1]
The first 9
gifts noted are; A word of Wisdom, A word of Knowledge, Special Faith, Gifts of different Healings, Special Powers,
Prophecy (foretelling), The ability to discern between good and
evil spirits, Speaking in an unknown language and the interpretation of an
unknown language.[2]
The next 9
gifts noted are: Serving,
Prophesying (forth
telling),
Teaching, Encouraging, Contributing, Leadership, Mercy/Compassion, Evangelizing
and Administration. All the gifts are
given AS THE SPIRIT WILLS and
not as we desire.[3]
SIDEBAR: some students of the word deem the second set
to be Offices and not gifts; I will let you decide. It must be pointed out that the gifts were
what we call “in part” not the whole. A
word of Wisdom, not all wisdom; a word of knowledge, not all knowledge. In other words the gifts were given as the
Spirit “wills” for the purpose “at the time” it is needed; not for all
time. It was given once to the 70 Elders
of the OT and it happened to them no more.[4]
Out of the 18 gifts noted, for some reason we put speaking in tongues at the top of
the list? Perhaps because somehow we
seem a little holier and it’s the easiest one to counterfeit. There
are NOT TWO CLASSES OF CHRISTIANS; those who speak
in tongues and those that don’t. Nowhere
in the Bible does it say that when you are filled with the
Holy Spirit you WILL speak in
tongues. That’s just ASSUMPTIVE INTERPRETATION; it does say the
believer will receive a gift or gifts as the Spirit wills. You may have more than one gift. Scripture does not support someone having all
the gifts, but all the gifts are found or present in the body of believers.
The Spirit gives us Tools
It is “God’s will”
that we be equipped with the tools or gifts that glorify His Son. Until the filling of the Holy Spirit, the
Pastor was expected to possess all of the GIFTS. We were just spectators, today we have
the responsibility to use our gifts alongside the Pastor. With these tools we will be able to do the
same works that Jesus did; even greater (meaning more) works because
Jesus is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father. The ministry of Christ was only about three
years; we most likely have many more years that that to do even “more works”.[5]
The body of believers is complex and interdependent and not all have the
same role in the body. The Holy Spirit
gives special abilities or gifts as He “wills” for each situation. The spirit knows better than man which gift
should be utilized and when.[6] They are given “in Part” based on the situation;
they are not
given in whole; they are given for a specific period of time; not
forever.
On the “Day of Pentecost” God poured out
His Spirit and the believers received the gifts of the Spirit. Each believer had at least one gift, thus
making
GIFTS: Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Special
Faith, Gifts of Healing, Miraculous powers, Discerning of Spirits, Speaking in
Tongues and Interpreting Tongues.
Serving, Prophesying, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leading and Mercy.[8] We are told to desire and seek the best
gifts, however, they cannot be “achieved”, they are God given.[9]
A word about the gift
of “Helps” (Service) – You may not be
able to preach, teach or read the Bible out loud in public or even pray in
public, but you can be of “help”. This
can be through private prayer, counseling, handling business affairs or
promoting the kingdom of God. It may be
helping to park cars on Sunday, cleaning the Church, mowing the grass or
assisting in fund raising for missions.
My neighbor Buddy was a man that rarely spoke, but seemed to be ever
present working around the church and offering his labor in the community. His life was a
sermon to me.
Healings: We cannot
presuppose that the laying on of hands, or the anointing oil, or the persons
own personal faith heals. The healing is
from God alone; we are just the instrument.[10]
NOTE:
Gifts of healings is “plural” in the scriptures suggesting that there are
different kinds of healing. I desire and seek the gift of
healing CANCER as well as the Gift of the
Spirit of Discernment; the discerning of the
intent of a man’s spirit.
Speaking in Tongues; there is much
said today about the use and misuse of this
gift and was addressed by Paul in his letters to the church.[11] My reading of the scripture indicates that
the crowd “HEARD” the Disciples speak to them in their own “KNOWN” language which
the “SCOFFERS” didn’t
understand and just thought they were drunk.
There is much debate over
whether the miracle was an “Unknown” language spoken that the listener
understood or that the Disciples actually spoke in their “Known” language and
home town dialect; and even further debate; has the gifts ceased?
Prayer Language: About 35 years ago I found myself while in
prayer uttering words I did not understand.
I shared this with my pastor and he said it was a prayer language which
he also had.
Prophecy no longer exist
as PREDICTIVE prophecy as it did in the first Century of
Christianity. There are no new revelations, just new
illumination and enlightenment. There is
no new doctrine, just new direction. The
Bible word “Propheteuo” which means “To magnify
God”; “To speak of divine things” or even better “To Teach”, and has nothing to do with foretelling the
future, but of witnessing to the grace of Jesus Christ and magnifying His
name. So when you read in the NT
scripture of people “prophesizing” they are praising God’s name and TEACHING about His
attributes. You can now understand why
Paul wanted everyone to prophesy.[12] This is a better gift to seek and study than
tongues.
Sign Gifts and wonders are
the ones that attract the most attention. Healings, Miracles and Tongues attract the
most people; they are spectacular, fascinating and curious. While the one being healed believes their
restored health is a wonderful thing, the compassionate healing is actually
pointing back to proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
John
the Baptist
performed no signs, no miracles and no wonders, yet Jesus said that there was
no one greater than John the Baptist.[13] Miracles
are a SIGN to the pagan, the unbeliever; they are a “convicting
experience”. The miracle of
people speaking in tongues are a SIGN to the
unbeliever.
Can we operate with miracle spiritual gifts today? YES, as the HOLY SPIRIT determines. NOTE: Because we see very little of the gifts
displayed, most believe that the gifts ended with the Apostles. However, I do not find anywhere that the
gifts were recalled; in fact I find that they are forever.[14]
The Gifts will cease when Christ
returns.
It’s in the Book
[1] Hebrews 2:4 – God
testified of the Holy Spirit’s Baptism by gift signs
[2] 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 –
Gifts, wisdom, knowledge, special faith, healing, miraculous powers, Prophecy,
discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.
[3] Ephesians 4:11-12 – Gifts
or offices; apostles, prophets, evangelists, Pastors Teachers, Service --
Romans 12:6-8 – More gifts; prophesying, Service, Teaching, encouraging,
contributing, leading, mercy -- 1 Corinthians 12:28 - More gifts; miracles,
Healings, Helps, administration, Tongues
[4] Numbers 11:24-25 – The 70 Elders Prophesized once and no more
[5] 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 –
Many Gifts, Service, Workings; but One same
Spirit; -- John 14:12 – You will do even more works, you
have more time
[6] 1 Corinthians 12:12 – The
body of believers is complex and interdependent -- 1 Corinthians 12:11 – The
Gifts are given as the Spirit determines.
[7] Acts 2:1-13 – They spoke
in another language on the Day of Pentecost -- 1 Corinthians 14:22 – The
miracle gift of Tongues are a SIGN
for the Un-believer -- 1 Corinthians 14:5 – Everyone did not speak in tongues
-- John 14:13-14 – The gifts are Tools are to bring glory to the Father
[8] Romans 12:4-8 – Gifts; Prophesying, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leading,
Mercy -- Isaiah 11:2-5 – Wisdom, Understanding
Counsel, Might Knowledge and Fear
[9] 1 Corinthian 14:1 –
Eagerly desire to operate in the gifts that you have -- 1 Corinthians 12:31 – Desire the greater gifts. (The ones listed first)
[10] James 5:15 – It is God
that does the healing, we are His instrument
[11] Mark 16:17 – You can
desire and receive the gift of tongues -- Luke 11:11-13 – Seek the gift you
want.
[12] 1 Corinthians 14:39 – Be
eager to prophesy -- 1 Corinthian 14:1 – Desire the
gift of prophecy; Praise and Teach --
[13] Matthew 11:11 – John was
the greatest, but did no signs or miracles -- John 10:41-42 – John the Baptizer
performed NO miraculous signs.
[14] Romans 11:29 – GOD’S GIFTS
ARE IRREVOCABLE - 1
Corinthians 13:8-10 – When Jesus returns the gifts will cease
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