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Table Talk
Are Spiritual Gifts for Today?
One of the
most controversial subjects facing Christians today involves the
question of spiritual gifts. There exists a great divide among
bible-believing evangelicals whether those gifts mentioned in such
texts as Romans 12: 3-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; and, Ephesians 4: 7-16
are presently functioning in the Body of Christ at large. Especially
under question are the "sign" gifts or supernatural gifts
of faith, miracles, healings, tongues, and interpretation of
tongues.
In spite the presence
of gift-based ministries of Pentecostals, charismatics, and third
wave churches around the world, a number of evangelicals (called by
some, cessationist) continue to argue that the exercise of
spiritual gifts as evidenced in the first-century Church were neither
necessary nor functional after the New Testament canon had
been completed. In other words, the gifts of healing as well as the
other charismata ceased at or near the end of the first
century A.D.
While the motive of the cessationist is admirable in that they
emphasize the absolute completeness of Scripture and the proclamation
of the Word above all else, are they correct in their analysis? If
they are, what then or to whom do we attribute those manifestations
of the Spirit in the aforementioned gift-based ministries? Then,
what do we do with testimony of Church history especially during the
six centuries after the apostles died and the canon of Scripture
closed?
To what do we attribute miracle within the Roman Catholic and
Eastern churches?
It seems, given the great weight of evidence, there must be good,
sound explanations of the phenomenon in question. Those on both sides
of the debate agree that the phenomenon exists; what is being
contested is the source of the experience. Simply put, one
can not write all of this witness off as counterfeit or satanic!
Neither can we appeal to an experience or miracle, no matter how
great, as the sole judge of the source of that event. Our task as
thinking, responsible Christians, is to, as the Apostle Paul
admonished in 1 Thess. 5: 21, "test all things, hold fast to
that which is good.".
How then, do we test the source of spiritual gifts and their
validity in the church today? Where do we begin? The answer is, as
it must always be, test all things, all experience, and all doctrine,
by God's Word, the Bible. It alone, is our objective,
authoritative standard!
The
Bible and Spiritual Gifts
Anyone reading the
Old testament and the New Testament in particular should have
no problem discovering not
only numerous examples of miracles
in the form of healing, prophecy, tongues, etc., but clear
instruction on the functioning of spiritual gifts in the church
(e.g., the book of Acts, the Gospels, Romans 12: 6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11,
28-30; 13; 14; and Eph. 4:7-12). As miracles attest or authenticate
that God has communicated supernaturally His message (generally
through His messenger, i.e., Prophet or Apostle) either through the
spoken word or the written word. So too, spiritual gifts were
bestowed upon the church both as a witness to the unbelieving world
and for empowerment.
There can be no doubt as Owen has so eloquently pointed out that
the power of communicating these gifts was granted unto the Lord
Jesus Christ as mediator, by the Father, for the foundation and
edification of his church, as expressed in Acts 2:33; and by them
was his kingdom both set up and propagated, and is preserved in the
world.
It might also be pointed out that both miracles and spiritual gifts
were given to the infant church for its inevitable conflict with the
forces of darkness. As in their day, we should not be surprised as
the Apostle Paul writes in his second epistle to the Corinthian
church, that Satan can counterfeit and imitate spiritual gifts (2
Cor. 11: 1-15).
Having said the
above, what are the gifts of the Spirit and how do they function in
the Body of Christ? Briefly summed up they are: Romans 12:6-8:
prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing, leading,
and showing mercy; 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10: wisdom, knowledge,
faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking
in tongues, and interpretation of tongues; 1 Corinthians 12:28:
first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then
gifts of healing, helpful deeds, administrations, and different kinds
of tongues; Ephesians 4:11: apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors/teachers; and finally, 1 Peter 4:9-11: hospitality,
prophecy, and service.
It is not the purpose
nor scope of this discussion to give details regarding the individual
functioning and place of gifts among believers in the church.
Suffice it to say the lists mentioned above serve to illustrate the
diversity of gifts within the body of Christ and are meant to
function for the common good of all Christians within a given body.
The Scriptures clearly support the contention that the gifts of the
Spirit were part and parcel of the normal functioning of believers in
the early church and therefore rests its case. The questions which
immediately follows are one, do the gifts continue in post-apostolic
times and if they do is there sufficient evidence for this? and two,
does the Bible itself teach the discontinuance of gifts at the close
of the canon of Scripture?
Gifts
Present in Post-Apostolic Times?
In answer to this
question we need to first emphasize that scholarship differs
regarding the witness of church history. As mentioned above,
evangelical scholars such as B.B. Warfield, Robert Gromacki, Richard
Mayhue, and Donald Burdick take the position that the charismata
ceased no later than the close of the New Testament canon.
Conversely, evangelicals such as Stanley Burgess, Wayne Grudem,
Ronald Kydd, and Howard Ervin, to mention a few, argue that not only
does history support the perpetuity of spiritual gifts, but would
argue that the Bible makes no clear injunction as to their
discontinuity.
While it is difficult to access or make sense of this divide among
evangelical scholars, it seems apparent that there is a witness of
strong charismata in the church up till A.D. 200 and in the
half century following this date, there appears to be a decline in
their use. Moreover, following about A.D. 260, there is no more
evidence of charismatic experience, at least up until A.D. 320 and
following.
What about the
question of whether the Bible, itself, speaks of a discontinuance of
spiritual gifts? Generally speaking, most argue this point based on
Paul's statement in 1 Cor. 13: 10 which states: "But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away." The argument rests on the reference to "perfect."
Proponents of this argument state that this is a reference to the
closing or completion of the New Testament canon. However,
contextually, this is a very weak argument. Most evangelical
commentaries today, stay true to the text and admit this is a
reference to the Second Coming of Christ, not to the completion of
the canon of Scripture!
Again, there are a number of reasons cessationists argue against the
continuation of spiritual gifts but lack biblical support. It seems
most scholars simply rely on their theological bias rather than
presenting strong biblical injunctions against the continuance of
sign gifts.
It is the opinion of
this writer that if there are injunctions regarding spiritual gifts
they are with reference to their proper functioning within the body
of Christ (e.g. 1 Cor. 13,14). Moreover, the Apostle clearly spoke
with force to those who wished to "quench the Spirit"
admonishing believers not to repress or prohibit the operation of the
charismata in the church (1 Thess. 5:19-22)! Unless those who
hold the cessationists view are prepared to cut this portion of
Scripture from their Bible (along with many others), this injunction
has meaning and purpose today as it did when first given!
Conclusion
It
would be impossible to do justice on the subject of spiritual gifts
in a brief study as we have presented it here. However, it seems
rather evident that evangelicals will continue to debate this issue
and where one finds himself or herself is strictly a matter of
conviction. The Bible never weighs one's salvation on whether
true biblical gifts are functioning today in the church! While there
are obvious warnings given in Scripture as to their function and
importance among believers, we need not forsake fellowship with those
who may disagree with us on this issue. One thing the Bible is clear
about and that is we are one fellowship, members of the invisible
church, Christ's Body. It would behoove us to get alone with
each other and treat each other, demoninational and theological
differences aside, as Christ would have us treat one another!
Dan
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