A DEFINITION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
PURPOSE:
My purpose in writing this paper is to establish the difference between a spiritual gift and talents 'on loan from God' as Rush Limbaugh states it. Most believers have natural areas of strengths and areas of weakness; some of us are saddled with more weakness than strength.
INTRODUCTION:
I am going to present my viewpoint in accordance with the deduction of "Grace". I believe if a believer approaches any Bible doctrine it should be from God's Divine viewpoint. To observe an issue deductively, I think it is appropriate as long as the deduction derives from grace logic. If anything I write in this paper does not fit the deduction of grace logic, I am wrong. If in fact it fits grace logic I can assume I'm right. For further clarification I will define Scriptural terms at the outset for brevity sake. From this point on I will expect you will understand my understanding of these terms as I refer to them in context:
1. Love:
Love is Recognizing and accepting a relationship. No emotional connotation involved. Example: I love God based on my relationship with Him being my Father and my being His son. I love my brother based on our relationship first to the Father and then to each other. The full definition of love being simply "recognizing a relationship and acting accordingly" will, I expect, be understood by defining the other terms. I love other believer's based on their relationship to Jesus Christ as a joint heir; so how I treat my fellow believer is how I treat our Lord Himself: I love unbelievers based on my relationship to Jesus Christ, because I am part of my big brother's, the Lord Jesus Christ's family, I must act as a family member, and that includes respecting all human beings as God's creation. As a believer I am a son of God, But as many as received Him [Jesus Christ], to them He gave the authority to become the children of God [and remain children]. Even to those who believe on His name (John 1:12 translation mine). Therefore, God is my Father too; the unbeliever does not have the authority to call God Father, he can only call Him God, because he does not have a relationship with Him as a family member.
2. God:
God is Father, creator, designer, and sustainer, Righteousness Infinitum, the first Person of the Godhead, of the same eternal essence homo ousias as the Son and Holy Spirit.
3. Son:
The Lord Jesus Christ is, Redeemer, Atonement, reconciliation, Advocate, Justification, Propitiation, Expiation, Righteousness Infinitum; He is of the 'same essence' homo ousias as the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Son is very God of very God. He is different from the Father and Holy Spirit in that He is also Man [by His incarnation], and He is different from man in that He is God. He is truly the God Man.
4. Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit Enlightener, Enabler, Comforter, Encourager, And Righteousness Infinitum. The Holy Spirit is of the same essence homo ousias as the Father and the Son.
5. The Word:
The Word is God's Inspired Word to man, communicating His Divine Viewpoint and Character; therefore, it is impossible to even consider God apart from His Divine Word. His Words are what He says about Himself, so He is His Word. You cannot separate God from His Word. In order to be able to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, [the first command Jesus gave us] you must first know Him, and it is impossible to know Him outside of His divine Word. God has revealed Himself in nature, but I have yet met a man that has become a Christian, or has come to know God as our Father by the things that God created; true, all men know God as creator of this infinite universe, but a person must look to the Word of God in order to come to know Him, and His Son as Father and Savior. For the believer, the Word of God is the provision God gave to believers for our entire spiritual needs.
6. Grace:
God's Grace is the Undeserved, unmerited Divine Riches of God's favor. God is the active Agent in every believer's life, and the believer is the responder, the passive agent, and the recipient of God's Divine action. God acts, the believer responds in a positive or negative way, it is completely volitional. Grace is all that God has done for man, by reconciling Himself to man, through the substitutionary death of His Son on the Cross, in order to have a divine personal relationship with man as the believer's Father. We cannot understand correctly anything about God, without first understanding God's wonderful Grace.
7. Joint Heir:
A joint Heir is being Adopted sons and daughters with all the rights and privileges of the only begotten Son of God. All heirs are loved by the Father with an equal love He has for the Son. All that the Father does for His children He does with Love and Grace; God never acts toward a family member out of anger; He always acts towards us with love, even when He takes us to the wood shed, He does it to perfect us, and never to punish us; He already punished Christ on the Cross for us. God chastises us, as a human father does his son, but never for the purpose of getting even with us, only to draw us closer to Himself.
8. The Church:
Briefly, all believers making up one body, one spirit, joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is not a building; the church is an ecclesia, that is, 'called out ones.' God has called out His church to be a separate unity unto Himself; the 'church' is not a corporate organization, the church is individual believer's in the Lord Jesus Christ, making up one body with Christ, and Christ alone as our Head; there are no authorities in the body of Christ, just family members, sharing and loving one another.
9. Responsibility:
Our responsibility is the privilege every believer enjoys to serve one another as joint heirs.
10. Purpose:
Our purpose as believers is an individual purpose, not corporate purpose. God called every believer to Sanctify [set apart] Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to every one who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15 - NASB). Christ commissioned the Apostles to go into the entire world and preach the 'Gospel of the Kingdom' to every creature; in this age of grace we are to be a witness of who and what Christ is and what He has done for us. We are to let our lights shine to the world that they might see Christ. If our lives are so conformed to this world, no one will be able to tell that we are His children. Winning the lost of the world is not a corporate responsibility, but an individual privilege. We are not commissioned to go into all the world, for if we were, we would be given the same equipment, Apostolic Gifts of the Spirit; instead our dear heavenly Father has given us His inspired Word to be our Guide and Comfort, along with the abiding relationship we share with the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
Throughout this paper as I use any of these terms above I will attempt to keep them in their proper context. Also I am not going into detail on any particular subject, as I am not qualified to exhaust any of them. I am going to apply grace logic to the interesting and much abused subject of spiritual gifts. I will use an outline form in order that you will be able to follow my train of thought with a minimum effort.
I. THE CHURCH.
The church, being the body of Christ, made up of all believers from Pentecost and the destruction of the Temple to the rapture or translation of the church. The two subdivisions of the church age 1) the early church and 2) the latter church. It is in this context that I will detail the spiritual gifts. It is clear from the Word that spiritual gifts are a reality, namely I Corinthians chapter twelve. I believe the first sub-division (early church) was from Pentecost to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem c70 AD, and the completion of the Scriptures. Most evangelical writers I have read refer to this first sub-division as the early church. The second sub-division being the latter church is from the destruction of the temple (obliterating all signs and types with it) and the completion of the Scriptures, until the rapture of the church, probably before the seven year tribulation period " The time of Jacob's trouble", which I believe will be the resuming of the stewardship of Israel.
II CHRISTIAN SERVICE.
I believe in our present dispensation responsibility (privilege) in connection with service is individual and not corporate, including evangelism. No responsibility is imposed on the church as a group, but on the body as individual believers making up the Body of Christ. "Service, like the gifts of the Spirit by whom service is wrought is individual. It could not be otherwise. The common phrase, 'the churches task' is, therefore, without Biblical foundation. It is only when individuals sense their personal responsibility and claim personal enablement that Christian work is done. On the other hand, there is no word written by implication would hinder believers from being associated in a common cause which may be for convenience considered in the light of a combined result. Relative to the mission of the visible church, Dr. C.I. Scofield writes, ' much is said concerning the (mission of the church). The church, which is the body, has for its mission to build itself up until the body is complete (Eph. 4:11: Col.2:19), but the visible church, as such, is charged with no mission. The commission to evangelize the world is personal, not corporate (Matt.28:16-20; Mark 16:14-16; Luke 24:47,48; Acts 1:8). So far as the Scripture account goes, the work of evangelization done by individuals called directly of the Spirit to the work (Acts 8:5,26,27,39; 13:2, etc.). Churches (Phil.4:15) and individuals (Acts 16:14,15; Rom. 16:6,23; 2-Tim. 1:16,17) on the work of these men, but there is no trace of any corporate responsibility attached to the church, doubtless the local church may be called upon by the Spirit to separate individuals to that work, as at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3). (I believe this last statement concerning the local church is silly and has no Scriptural counterpart. Only if the spiritual gifts could be functioning in the latter church could this last statement regarding the local church be true). (Bible Correspondence Course, III 432). (Chafer's Systematic Theology Vol. IV pp.149-150) The above quote from Chafer is to point out individual responsibility; however, the philosophical conclusions drawn are at variance to my particular stand on spiritual gifts. I believe God is using individuals for His cause, but exactly how, when, where and to whom is part of the mystery of "Grace". The quotation from the Gospels and Acts concerning the Apostolic Commission "To go into all the world and preach the Gospel" was accomplished in the first generation (Rom.10). I have found that whenever the modern day theologian begins to compartmentalize evangelism to separate segments of the church they use their personal philosophies to accomplish their point of view. I believe what God is accomplishing through the church is beyond our awareness, in order that we don't take the glory for His work. We are exhorted to be studying the Word and presenting our bodies living sacrifices (2-Tim.2:15; Rom 12:1,2) not very center stage to say the least. Our responsibility is to God and our fellowship with Him personally. So what He can and will perform in and through us is part of the mystery of grace stewardship. If we are faithful in the commands of loving God, studying the Word, and loving the brotherhood unconditionally, God will accomplish his purpose. FACT. We don't need to take commissions out of context to spiritualize our responsibility. I am not against telling unbelievers about substitutionary-atonement; however, I believe God is accomplishing this beyond our self-effort and phony emotionalism.
III. THREE COMMANDS TO THE GRACE AGE CHURCH.
The three commands to the church are:1) study God's Word, 2) love God with all our heart, soul and mind, 3) and to love the brotherhood. If we are faithful in these commands grace will accomplish His Divine Will. If I love God, I will love my brother, and if I love my brother I will love God. To love God one must know God. By understanding the character of God we understand who and what He is and what He has accomplished for us, and that we are adopted into His eternal family with all the full family member status. It would be easy to continue this relationship doctrine, but suffice it here to say that to love God is to recognize and accept this eternal relationship. To love our brother we also recognize that we are joint heirs and fellow members and fellow partakers of the Divine Riches of Grace (Eph.3), and to love our brother saint is to recognize and accept such a relationship. How I view this relationship is how I view my relationship with Christ, my brother by means of adoption. My treatment of my brother is that I must treat him as I would treat Christ, and as a matter of fact, it is how I am treating Christ. My relationship with the Father is based upon substitutionary-atonement that Jesus Christ accomplished on my behalf on the cross. Christ died for me; therefore, I am morally obligated to be willing to sacrifice myself on behalf of my brother. If we are faithful in these things God will accomplish His desired goal. I don't need to be emotionally charged to go out and work for the night is coming. My grace logic is offended at the Madison Avenue public relation methodology to preaching the Gospel. The Word of God is "sharper than a two edged sword", and certainly God doesn't need the human wisdom of some emotionally charged public relation stooge to teach people how to be personal evangelists. We must be true to the Word and love God and the saints, and then God will complete in us His will. We must be willing and faithful in grace.
IV. ARE SPIRITUAL GIFTS OPERATIVE TODAY?
I believe that God designed spiritual gifts for a particular purpose in the early church. Before the destruction of the temple the gifts were operative in order to get the Word out and complete the New Testament. This was accomplished. The destruction of the temple with all its ramifications, and the completion of the Scriptures ushered in the second sub-stewardship of the church age dispensation. The early church in its infancy needed the spiritual gifts to temporarily assist them in their tasks. The grace age believer is to use the "two edged sword" as its only source to accomplish its purpose.
I have noticed whenever our modern theologians speak of spiritual gifts they do a lot of "supposing" and "assuming" to get their philosophical point of view accepted. I pointed out earlier grace deduction being applied with grace logic equals truth. A good example of this assumption type teaching is when teachers will separate the spiritual gifts into two categories, 1) temporary gifts and 2) permanent gifts. I find this completely unacceptable if I am to understand this doctrine. One such theologian, John Walvoord, does this very astutely in six categories. He commonly uses human experience to substantiate his position on the gifts. It has been my experience that observing other men is the most illogical method to obtaining truth. In his book "The doctrine of the Holy Spirit" Walvoord states his position on spiritual gifts in this manner:
1. First, spiritual gifts are revealed to be given sovereignly by God, and as such, they are not properly the objects of men's seeking. It remains true, of course, that proper adjustment in the spiritual life of the believer is essential to proper exercise of his gifts, but spirituality itself does not bring spiritual gifts. The question has been raised whether spiritual gifts are a part of the original bestowal of grace accompanying salvation, or whether they are a subsequent work. The Scriptures give no clear answer, but from the nature of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which occurs at the moment of new birth, and the resultant placing into the body of Christ, it would be reasonable to infer that spiritual gifts are bestowed at that time in keeping with the place the believer has in the body of Christ, even if these gifts are not immediately observed or exercised. (I contend they cannot be observed today, nor have I ever observed, or heard anyone making an honest claim to having a spiritual gift). Accordingly, spiritual gifts probably attend the baptism of the Holy Spirit, even though their bestowal is not included in the act of baptism. In analogy of natural as seen in the natural man, it is clear that all factors of ability and natural gifts are latent in the newborn babe. So, also, it may be true for spiritual gifts in the one born again. In both the natural and spiritual spheres, it is a matter of proper use and development of gifts rather than any additional gifts being given. (This last statement is very confusing as to what I perceive a spiritual gift to be. He seems to contradict what he is teaching on Sovereign bestowment. I think at this point it would be appropriate to differentiate between gift and talent. A man can become a very good orator with enough practice, especially if he had the natural ability in his intellect to do so. Upon listening to one who has just delivered a masterful sermon we have the tendency to say, "what a gifted man" or to hear an accomplished singer that has spent all his life developing his vocal instrument sing a classic, we say "what a wonderful voice, he must be gifted". I believe that a spiritual gift is perfect as the Spirit that imparted the gift is perfect and would, therefore, be perfectly bestowed and perfectly engaged, as the Spirit has never made a mistake. Perfection has no need of development. The imparting of the gift and the exercising of the gift are co-perfect. The believer would be infallible in the exercise of the gift, grace logic. He (The Holy Spirit) is perfect, therefore, His gifts are perfect and do not need to be developed. The Spirit knows to whom He bestows His gifts. When Paul and the other apostles and whoever was the recipient of a gift, exercised their gift (s), they were infallible).
2. Second, it may be observed that every Christian has some spiritual gifts. (I have only met a couple of believers that have claimed to have a gift. One claimed to pray in an unknown tongue, and the other claimed he could speak in tongues. Eventually I was able to get one of them to admit he was probably just having an emotional experience, he wasn't sure). According to the Scriptures, "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to profit withal" (ICor.12:7), and "all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will" (ICor. 12:11). Christians are "members in particular" (ICor. 12:27), and "are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another" (Rom. 12:5). (Mr. Walvoord goes on with other statements about the gifts under this heading, but I think they apply to the early church before the temple was destroyed).
3. Third, it is clear that the gifts differ in value. (This point helps me substantiate the point of which period the gifts belong). While there is equality of privilege in Christian faith, there is not equality of gifts. According to I Corinthians 12:28, "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." In the nature of the various gifts, some are more effective and essential than others. Paul contrasts the gifts of prophecy and the gift of tongues with the words, "I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied" (ICor. 14:5); and again, "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue"
(ICor.14:19).
4. Fourth, as I Cor. 13 bears witness, in order for spiritual gifts to be profitable they must be used in love. Spiritual gifts in themselves do not make great Christians. Their use in the proper way motivated by divine love, which is the fruit of the Spirit, is effective and bears fruit to the glory of God. (I am rather amused at the term "great Christian", I am sure that Mr. Walvoord could give me a definition, but I am not too sure I would be impressed or accept such. It is this judgment of Christians that is at the root of such trite statements that such and such is a "spiritual giant").
5. A fifth feature of spiritual gifts is that certain gifts were temporary in their bestowal and use. It is clear that the great body of Bible loving Christians does not have all the spiritual gifts manifested in its midst as did the early apostolic church. (Here we go, I wonder what spiritual giant made this decision? I don't want to sound too caustic, but that last statement is highly subjective and seems to assume a great deal. If there is one thing I have learned as a Christian it is not to rely on human experience. Whenever a person sets himself up as an authority, he expects people to accept whatever he says in relation to the Word to be truth). On the other hand, certain gifts clearly characterize the entire dispensation.
6. A sixth and concluding feature of spiritual gifts, which is of great importance, is the evident contrast between spiritual gifts and natural gifts. While God may choose men of natural ability, it is clear that spiritual gifts pertain to the spiritual birth of Christian rather than their natural birth. The qualities of the spiritual gifts are not evident in the individual before his salvation. Spiritual gifts must not be regarded, then, as an enlargement of natural powers, but a supernatural gift bestowed in keeping with the purpose of God placing that individual in the body of Christ. It may be frequently observed that individuals with little natural talent are often used mightily of God when those with great natural talent, though saved, are never similarly used. (I guess it's true if Mr. Walvoord says so. I haven't changed my thinking yet. I still think if a man thinks he has the supernatural gift of pastor-teacher and sets himself up as an authority rather than as a humble brother serving by teaching doctrine, he has studied and learned, to other brothers and sisters, he is playing Russian Roulette with his future rewards. We believers are all one body, members of one Spirit, commanded to edify one another in a spirit of gentleness and concern, one non-gifted brother sharing what he has learned with other non-gifted brothers, no more no less. If we carry this gifted concept too far we would logically conclude "Apostolic Succession." If we have the authority in our supernatural gift, we would be infallible in the exercising of the gift, which would be a miracle in itself, and if we had this miracle we would also have the other miracles of casting out demons, healing the sick, making the lame walk, causing the blind to see, and finally raising the dead. Where does it all end? A solution to all of this is to separate the various gifts into two categories).
V. THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
I must again quote from Mr. Walvoord's book, "The Holy Spirit", used as a textbook in many Bible Schools. "An examination of the 15 spiritual gifts revealed in the New Testament will disclose considerable differences in the character of the gifts. Certain gifts are clearly the possession of the church today as exhibited in their exercise in gifted men throughout the present dispensation. (Let me guess, your one of them, correct, Mr. Walvoord? Practice makes perfect. Let's not get caught up in a beauty contest. What is impressive to one is not necessarily impressive to another. Notice the words clearly, exhibited and gifted. With enough practice I am sure I could impress even Mr. Walvoord into thinking I was gifted). There is little doubt that some men today have (1) the gift of teaching (2) the gift of helping or ministering (3) the gift of administration or ruling (4) the gift of evangelism (5) the gift of being a pastor teacher (6) the gift of exhortation (7) the gift of giving, and (8) the gift of showing mercy. In contrast to these, as their individual exposition will demonstrate, stand other spiritual gifts known by the early Christians, which seem to have passed from the scene with apostolic period. (Seem to have passed, sure sounds certain. I believe they all passed and we should now be about our certain commissions of "loving God, studying the Word, and loving our brothers. We don't need a supernatural gift to accomplish these, just His supernatural Word and the proper discipline of rightly dividing and applying it). Some of the gifts are claimed by certain sects for today (Bingo!) whose neglect of the Scriptural instruction for the use of these gifts in it is a testimony to the spurious quality of their affected gifts. Among these temporary gifts the following can be named: (1) the gift of apostleship (2) the gift of prophecy (3) the gift of miracles (4) the gift of healing (5) the gift of tongues (6) the gift of interpreting tongues (7) the gift of discerning spirits." (The confusing and subtle problem with this claim of temporary/permanent gifts is that when someone who is well known and respected in the 'spiritual' circle agrees with our position on the last seven gifts, we get all aroused and pumped up spiritually and say "amen" without thinking it through logically, and we accept the first premise of the eight permanent gifts.
VI. CONCLUSION:
In concluding my position into a rational concise structure I have borrowed an outline on spiritual gifts from one of my brothers and one of many Bible teachers, Dave Graves. He used a very logical approach in his outline on the gifts using the format the nature of the gifts, the conditions for the gifts, and the results of the gifts.
I THE NATURE OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
A. Spiritual gifts were infallible when exercised (ICor. 12:7). All spiritual gifts are perfect as the Spirit is perfect. Whenever a believer would exercise his Spirit endowed gift, it logical follows that the exercise would be infallible, even though the one exercising the gift is never infallible.
B. Spiritual gifts were empirical as opposed to being theoretical. Whenever a spiritual gift was in operation it was verified by the one who experienced the gift, it was not left to idle claims, (Acts 2:7).
C. Spiritual gifts were arbitrary and supernatural. A gift is a "manifestation of the Spirit" (Acts 12:7), given as the Spirit wills without regard to the human talent, character, or intellect of the one who received the gift.
D. Spiritual gifts were personally comprehended. When a person possessed a gift it was not a mystery to him, he understood what his gift was and what its function was to be.
E. Spiritual gifts were certifiable by fellow Christians.
F. Spiritual gifts were temporary, given only to the first and last churches.
G. Spiritual gifts were universal, all the saved possessed at least one.
H. Spiritual gifts were peculiar; nothing said or done was extra-Scriptural.
I. Spiritual gifts were antagonistic to the world, they always drew persecution.
J. Spiritual gifts were compensatory, made up for an incomplete Word.
K. Spiritual gifts were public, for outward display.
II. THE CONDITIONS FOR SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
A. Israel with its temple must be in the land in unbelief.
B. The great commission must be instituted i.e., the call to Israel to come out of the land, be washed (baptized) of their national sin, and re-enter trusting in Christ as soon coming King.
C. Satan must be free to publicly demonstrate to all, "the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church".
D. The church needs three and one half years of protection by the Holy Spirit. This is done publicly to antagonize Satan and the world with the Gospel countdown to the Second Advent.
E. When the "Abomination of Desolation", the destruction of the temple, and the "Diaspora" occurs, conditions will no longer be for spiritual gifts, for they will again be lifted.
III. THE RESULTS OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
A. Israel will once again be called upon to come out of the land, be baptized of their national sin, and re-enter in support of Jesus Christ as the soon to return Messiah. They will refuse.
B. The church will be universally gifted by God's Holy Spirit, (Joel 2 and Acts 2) and many will turn from the faith.
C. Those left in the church will once again publicly declare the "Gospel of the Kingdom" to all the earth with the emphasis being a precise chronological countdown to Jesus' return.
D. Satan and company will be released from restraints to be allowed to publicly demonstrate faith in Christ will endure.
"I believe the church on earth existing between 'Temples' possess no gifts of the Holy Spirit. The sole ministry of the church is to assemble, at least weekly, as members of God's dearly beloved family to edify one another on the most holy faith. Also to relax about any literal satanic attack. It is his doctrine of no God that must be resisted. This short paper was designed to state my viewpoint on the gifts of the Spirit and not to change someone's mind as to their purpose. Every believer has the God given right to interpret the Word of God as he or she wills. The thing that impresses me on correct Biblical exegesis is that my eternal rewards hang in the balance. We will all be accountable for use and misuse of God's Holy Word.
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