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4000 E. Collins
Rd. “Preaching the Living
Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)” |
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DIFFICULTIES IN CHURCH WORSHIP (CH 11-14): THE USE AND ABUSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS (CH. 12-14) 1Co 12:8-10, 28-30 (11/30/11) Grace Bible
Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl
Hilbert I.
THE SPIRIT DISTINGUISHES TRUTH FROM ERROR (1-3) II. THE SPIRIT
HAS A VARIETY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS (4-10) A. Variety of
Gifts, Ministries, and Effects (4-7) B. List of
Spiritual Gifts (8-10; 28-30) 1. The Corinthian list includes (8-10): a) Word of Wisdom (8) - It was the temporary extra revelation of divine doctrine
(1Pe 4:11a) replaced now by the complete canon of Scripture (Deu 4:2; Pro 30:6; Rev 22:18). b) Word of Knowledge (8) - It was the temporary extra revelation of divine
truth applied in practical ways also replaced now by the complete canon of
Scripture (2Pe 3:15-16). c) Faith
(9) - If it is seen as a gift which enables miracles (1Co
13:2b), it is temporary. But if by the gift of faith is meant as a special ability to lay
claim on the promises of God in regard to God’s provisions and purposes, then
it is in use today (Act 6:15; also historical figures such as George Mueller
or Hudson Taylor. Cp. Rom 10:17; Col 2:6). This does not refer to saving
faith exercised in Christ. d) Gifts of Healing (9) - It was a supernatural enabling of one person to heal
another with physical infirmities in order to authenticate the messenger and
message (Mat 10:1; Act 3:6-8). God still heals, and he heals through the
prayers of his people (Jam 5:15). However, he does not heal anymore in this
dispensation through the spiritual gift of healing. e)
Effecting of Miracles (10) - It was the supernatural working of signs and wonders. Jesus and the apostles
performed miracles to confirm that God was working though him (Act 2:22; 6:8;
2Co 12:12; Heb 2:3-4). God still performs miracles, but not through miracle
workers. f)
Prophecy (10) - It was the spiritual gift to
receive divine revelation for the purpose of fore-telling and forth-telling
God’s truth (Act 11:28; 2Pe 1:20-21 cp. Deu 18:20).
Like apostles, prophets also laid the foundation of the church (Eph 2:20) and
probably has ceased due to the completion of canon. Some who agree that gifts
are both temporary and permanent see the gift of prophecy for today in the
sense of forth-telling but not fore-telling. The problem with this view is
that nowhere in the Scriptures are we taught that some spiritual gifts
diminish in capacity. Forth-telling could also said to be exercised through
the gift of pastor/teacher. g) Distinguishing of spirits (10) - It was the ability to discern the validity of supernatural
revelation in oral form (i.e. true prophet vs. false prophet cp. Act 13:10).
Today all believers are given discernment by the Holy Spirit through the
Scriptures (1Jo 2:27). Scripture provides its own test through which
believers can “test the spirits” (1Jo 4:1-2; 2Co 11:14-15; 1Th 5:21). h)
Various kinds of tongues (10) - It was the spiritual gift to speak in a
foreign dialect (Act 2:6-11 - dialektos) previously unknown to the
speaker, giving evidence of the Holy Spirit (Act 11:15-18; cp. 1Co 14:21-22),
and drawing attention to the gospel (Act 2:14ff, Peter probably spoke in
Aramaic the common language of Palestine). Tongues was another sign gift that has ceased (1Co 13:8). The Greek
word for “cease” comes from pauō and
means to cease from an activity or state, bring to an end, (Lk 8:24
“stopped”; Lk 11:1 “finished”; Ac 20:1 “ceased”). The verb “cease” (paúsontai) is in the middle
voice and means it will act upon itself to cease without some other agent
causing it to cease, i.e. tongues would cease when they accomplished their
purpose in the 1st Cent. …in general, in the middle voice, the subject
performs or experiences the action expressed by the verb in such a way that
emphasizes the subject’s participation. ….if there are tongues, they will
cease [on their own] (Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics 414, 422).
In his commentary on 1 Co. regarding
tongues John Chrysostom (345-407) writes, “This whole place is very obscure:
but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and
by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer takes
place.” (Hom. 29.1). i)
Interpretation of tongues (10) - It was the
spiritual gift with the ability to interpret an unlearned, common language
expressed through tongues in the assembly (1Co 14:27). Such a gift had to be
present in order to allow speaking of tongues. If this one biblical rule were
applied today, 98% of all tongue-speaking would cease. 2. The additional Corinthian list
includes (28-30): a) Apostles (28) - It was a foundational office
and spiritual gift that was revelatory
(Gal 1:1, 12), confirmatory (2Co 12:12), declaratory and foundational (Eph
2:20; Ro 16:25; Act 2:42; 2Pe 3:2; Jud 1:17). The
office of apostleship was commissioned by the resurrected Christ (Act
1:21-22). There was no succession of the office and spiritual gift of
apostleship after the death of the last apostle at the end of the 1st
Cent. b) Teachers (28) - It is a
spiritual gift that gives the capacity to study and communicate the truths of
God’s Word (cp. Act 18:24-28). All believers are to teach in one way or
another through discipleship (Mat 28:19-20 cp. Tit 2:1-5) and spiritual
leadership (1Ti 3:2). It is a sign of maturity (Heb 5:12) and the Holy
Spirit’s ministry (Joh 14:26; 1Jo 2:27). c) Helps (28) - It is the
spiritual gift that has the capacity to serve faithfully behind the scenes,
in practical ways, to assist in the work of the Lord, encourage, and
strengthen others spiritually (Act 6:1-4; 1Co 16:15-18). All believers are
exhorted to serve and be servants (Mar 10:45; Mat 20:26-27; Phil 2:5-8). d) Administrations
(28) - It is the spiritual gift to organize and administer with such
efficiency and spirituality that not only is the project brought to a
satisfactory conclusion but it is done harmoniously and with evident blessing
(Tit 1:5). All believers are exhorted to be diligent over the areas and
individuals that God has placed in their sphere of ministry (Pr 6:6-11; Eph
5:16; 2Ti 2:2; Ac 20:28; 1Ti 3:4-5, 12). 3. Other spiritual
gifts mentioned outside 1 Corinthians: a) Rom 12:6-8 (1) Exhortation
(8) - It is the spiritual gift that gives the ability to encourage,
comfort, and admonish in a variety of capacities (Act 4:36; 15:35-41; 2Ti
4:11). All are believers are to encourage one another (1Th 5:11; Heb 10:25). (2) Giving (8) - It is the
spiritual gift that gives the capacity to give of his substance to the work
of the Lord or to the people of God consistently, liberally, sacrificially in
such a way that spiritually blesses the recipient (Act 4:35-37 cp. Act
5:1-11). All believers are exhorted to give regularly (1Co 16:2a),
proportionately (1Co 16:2b), generously (2Co 9:6), purposefully, not
grudgingly, and cheerfully (2Co 9:7-8). (3)
Mercy (8) - It is the spiritual gift that has
the ability to see the needs of all kinds, including sickness and
afflictions, and be internally and externally moved to compassionate action
(Mat 14:14; 15:32). All believers are exhorted to exemplify mercy and comfort
(2Co 1:3-4), possess compassion (Col 3:12), and not grow weary in ministering
to the needs of others (Gal 6:9-10). b) Eph 4:11-12 (1) Evangelists
(11) - It is the spiritual gift that enables the special
proclamation of the gospel with clarity and creativity (Rom 1:16; 15:20; Act
21:8). All believers are commissioned to Evangelism (Mt 28:19-20),
ambassadors of Evangelism (2Co 5:18-20), and co-laborers in the church’s
ministry of Evangelism (Acts 2:47). (2) Pastors
/Teachers (11) - It is the spiritual gift that gives the ability to
shepherd through teaching the Word of God (Heb 13:20; Mar 6:34; 1Th 2:7-13).
Grammatically, it combines pastor and teacher together (“teacher” is anarthrous and without the conjunction de).It would
be someone whose passion, emphasis, and ministry is to study and expositionally
teach God's Word in the local church in order to equip and edify the saints
(Eph 4:11-16; Joh 21:15-17). |
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