Miraculous Spiritual Gifts
When we consider the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, the most important Biblical passage to consider is 1 Corinthians 12-14. These three chapters contain the most complete discussion of this topic in the Bible.
Because of the current conflict over this doctrine, every Christian should prayerfully study this section of Scripture. As Christians we should do all things according to the Bible. God's Word must be the basis for what we believe: not man's opinion, not our feelings, not our understanding.
For our lesson, let us concentrate on one section from these chapters. 1 Corinthians 13 is the great love chapter of the Bible. Beginning with verse 8, the Apostle Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit begins to compare love with the miraculous spiritual gifts.
Verses 8 and 9 read, “Charity (i.e. love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.''
This passage makes it clear that the miraculous gifts being practiced by the early Christian Churches would come to an end. They were not permanent. Love lasts forever, but these other gifts are temporary.
Paul tells us why they are temporary. They are incomplete. They do not provide us with a complete picture of what God wants us to know. In the next verse Paul tells us when they will end and then in verse 11 he illustrates what he is saying.
Paul wrote, ``But when that which is perfect is come, than that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.''
This is the area in which controversy comes. What was Paul speaking about when he said ``when that which is perfect is come?'' Paul has just been talking about knowledge. What is our source of perfect knowledge? What can we trust to be absolute truth? What is perfect and complete?
It would be good to consider what the book of James tells us. In James 1:22-25, we are told, ``But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh in the PERFECT law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.''
James tells us that God's Word is perfect. It is our source of perfect and complete knowledge: all that God wants us to know about spiritual matters. James also compares God's Word to a mirror.
Back in 1 Corinthians 13, the next verse, verse 12 says, ``For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face (i.e. clearly): now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.''
When Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church, the New Testament was not complete. There was much that they did not yet understand. Once the Bible was completed, after John wrote Revelation, the perfect Word of God was complete. No further revelation is needed.
The miraculous spiritual gifts were used in the first century of Christianity to prove who was of God and who was not. Two men might visit the Church at Rome. Both say that they are teaching the truth. Yet what they say may disagree. The Church did not have the New Testament to study to know who was telling the truth. How could they know?
The one to whom God had given the power to do miracles was the one telling the truth. Maybe, he was an unlearned man from Galilee, but he would start talking in Latin. Maybe, there would be someone sick present and he would heal them. These signs would prove that he was preaching the truth.
Once the New Testament was complete these miracles were no longer needed and they ceased. We do not need them today. We have God's perfect Word.
Because of the current conflict over this doctrine, every Christian should prayerfully study this section of Scripture. As Christians we should do all things according to the Bible. God's Word must be the basis for what we believe: not man's opinion, not our feelings, not our understanding.
For our lesson, let us concentrate on one section from these chapters. 1 Corinthians 13 is the great love chapter of the Bible. Beginning with verse 8, the Apostle Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit begins to compare love with the miraculous spiritual gifts.
Verses 8 and 9 read, “Charity (i.e. love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.''
This passage makes it clear that the miraculous gifts being practiced by the early Christian Churches would come to an end. They were not permanent. Love lasts forever, but these other gifts are temporary.
Paul tells us why they are temporary. They are incomplete. They do not provide us with a complete picture of what God wants us to know. In the next verse Paul tells us when they will end and then in verse 11 he illustrates what he is saying.
Paul wrote, ``But when that which is perfect is come, than that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.''
This is the area in which controversy comes. What was Paul speaking about when he said ``when that which is perfect is come?'' Paul has just been talking about knowledge. What is our source of perfect knowledge? What can we trust to be absolute truth? What is perfect and complete?
It would be good to consider what the book of James tells us. In James 1:22-25, we are told, ``But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh in the PERFECT law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.''
James tells us that God's Word is perfect. It is our source of perfect and complete knowledge: all that God wants us to know about spiritual matters. James also compares God's Word to a mirror.
Back in 1 Corinthians 13, the next verse, verse 12 says, ``For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face (i.e. clearly): now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.''
When Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church, the New Testament was not complete. There was much that they did not yet understand. Once the Bible was completed, after John wrote Revelation, the perfect Word of God was complete. No further revelation is needed.
The miraculous spiritual gifts were used in the first century of Christianity to prove who was of God and who was not. Two men might visit the Church at Rome. Both say that they are teaching the truth. Yet what they say may disagree. The Church did not have the New Testament to study to know who was telling the truth. How could they know?
The one to whom God had given the power to do miracles was the one telling the truth. Maybe, he was an unlearned man from Galilee, but he would start talking in Latin. Maybe, there would be someone sick present and he would heal them. These signs would prove that he was preaching the truth.
Once the New Testament was complete these miracles were no longer needed and they ceased. We do not need them today. We have God's perfect Word.
posted by David Frank Wilson | 4:20 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home