Are the Gifts for Today

David T Gross

Dr. Marino

Theology 3

November 26, 1997

Are the Gifts of Holy Spirit for today?

Introduction to Paper

We live in a world that is in need of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. There is great need for power and signs and wonders to confirm the word. There church today is in a struggle, when we look at scripture and read passages like Acts 2, we wonder where the power is and even if that power is still available today. In this paper I hope to raise some questions to try to settle at least from what the Bible says. If the gifts are for today? This subject is very important not only to “Christians” but to those in need, if gifts like the gift of healing are not available as they were in the Bible then what are the options, If we have made a wrong decision about my theology at the foundation level then the practical issues will be effected. In this paper we will look at the different views concerning the gifts from Holy Spirit. First we will look at the cessationist view then we will look at the continuationist view, and then we will come to some sort of conclusion as to which view is better. It would be good to note this author does have a bias against the Cessationist view point, not against the people that hold them. I have had experiences that have settled my view, however in this paper I will put aside those experiences in order to be as objective as possible and focus on The Biblical evidence.

Cessationist View

First it is good to note that the cessationist are to the most part sincere Christians, who have been misunderstood. we will summarize the common view of a few cessationist first. And then look at there views in more detail.

Some cessationist believe that the question about the gifts is not if all the gifts have ceased but which ones, the main gifts to cease are those of the miraculous and of the “word gifts” tongues, words of knowledge, faith, etc... Romans 12:6-8;1 Corinthians 12:8-10;28-31 and Ephesians 4:11 “A full case of Cessation can not be made here..” (Gruden 42) )The author argues based on Ephesians 2:11-21 that the “Church is pictured as a construction project of God, the master architect-builder, underway in the period between the ascension and the return of Christ..” he also says that the apostles and the Prophets are the foundation of the church and the” presence of apostles and prophets in the history of the church is temporary. “(Gruden 43) because the authority of the apostles is not needed.

There next argument is that the cannon has been established, they say that the gifts belonged to the apostles and they are dead therefore because the apostles are dead the gifts have no person that they should be given to and therefore no longer exists. They say this because the canon is closed and they feel that the apostles have there only role in establishing that cannon. Gee said “the New Testament canon is completed and so ministry through spiritual gifts are no longer needed- we have the written word” (32) In Gruden’s book Gaffin says that those who maintain the continuation view of the prophetic gifts today are substantially at odds about these gifts especially there authority. There argument of this point seems to place the prophetic gifts are on the same level of the prophets, and since the cannon is closed. Any Prophecy would be adding to the word of God. 2 Cor. 12:12 and Heb... 2:4; Rev 22 “adding to words of this book” Rev Donald Bridge (169)

“The West minister Confession of faith succinctly express what evangelicals have always believed"...” The whole counsel of God, concerning all the necessary for his own glory, mans salvation, faith, and life, is set down in Scripture,...; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit of traditions of men. "this view has often been argued renders impossible and wrong-headed the search for prophets, for apostles, for Spiritual gifts and for miracles, such a quest becomes a rejection of the completeness of Scripture so says Chantry ‘Neo Pentecostals are seeking an additional word from God, a further source of truth for them the bible is not enough of the church

There next major argument is that of the historical evidence of the cessation of the gifts, they say that the early church once that the apostles died that the gifts stopped. They also point out to the church today and the “wackiness” of the gifts, Why would God speak through a person who is fallible when He has his established word. They point to the lack of historical response to the gifts, they say that the gifts are not in the same operation as they were in biblical times. (gee 10) Douglas Connelly said, “but they are no longer needed today because the world is now convinced of the truth of Christianity. “if these gifts are for today, then why are they not manifested and possessed by our great church leaders?” They also argue from the book of Acts that the number of gifts were decreasing... (Connelly 28). They also go farther and say that throughout different time periods God uses different means to accomplish His will.

B.B. Warfeild suggests that “certain gifts were clustered in association with periods of God’s revelation... Jesus and the apostles marked the final cluster... since revelation is now complete through God’s Son and God’s Word these gifts are no longer necessary. (Mallone 16) Another common argument from history is that of James 5 when James says to call the elders of the church to pray for the sick... There argument is that the person praying does not have the gift of healing but is only praying and asking God to heal therefore that gift is no longer in operation even in the early church the gift stopped. (Connelly 20)

They also argue from experience “ Having had a dozen persons in the congregation who speak in toungs,...I have had to come to some hard conclusions... It was obvious that they had a spiritual superiority complex... they are insensitive to the concept of Christian discipline... they are unteachable... tend to split churches... become church hoppers... I am convinced they do not have the Holy Spirit, They were possessed with a counterfeit, a fake, they were living on an ego trip, a manufactured religious high....” (Mallone 16)

There next argument is from 1 Corinthians 13:10-12, "But when that which is perfect is come, then 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. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." We should recognize the great breadth of this passage the perfect has come therefore we don’t need the gifts because the perfect has come and the word of God is perfect. So we see that there are four arguments against the gifts being for today: First there is no need because the cannon is established, second the gifts were only the apostles since there is no more apostles then there is no more gifts, third from History and bad experience, and finally from 1 Corinthians 13 and the “Perfect that has come” Now lets see how a Continuationist would respond to these arguments.

Continuationist View

Continuationist believe that the gifts are as much available today as they were during the apostles time. The first argument is the fact that the gifts function were not limited to only the apostles but there were also for the “body of Christ” Ephesians 4:10-14, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,..." Was the gifts only for the apostles, the scripture does not say that they are it does not state that the gifts stop, rather it states that the gifts are for the building up on the Body of Christ too and therefore still are available, So we can see that it is possible to still have apostles though the role may have changed, the gifts should therefore be available for the whole Body of Christ.

Missionaries are like apostles, in planting churches, we also see that overseas miracles and gifts are the norm not the exception, God continues to confirm His word by signs and wonders. Acts 2:39, "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" As far as the cannon being closed, it is, but the gifts are not only for establishing the cannon, but rather the reaching of the Lost, 1 Corinthians 1:27, "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;" 1 Corinthians 2:1, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God." ... 1 Corinthians 2:4, " but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:" We see in: 1 Corinthians 14:2-6, " For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God:... howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. That the gifts are to edify, and to exhort and to comfort, stuff the church still needs. We also see that it prophecy edifies the person and the church and Paul says to do it. “...edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Some of the other needs may be the following: Speaking in other languages (Acts 2:42-43). specific revelation (Acts 5:1-11; 11:27 cf. John 16:8; Acts 16:6; 20:23).

Building up the body (Rom 12:3-18; 1Cor 14:22-25). Prayer (Rom 8:26; 1Cor 14:2, 14-15;James 5). Worship/singing (1Cor 14:15;Col 3). Blessing (1Cor 14:16). Comfort (Rom 8:26; 1Cor 14:31), etc... (Class notes 30)

Matthew henery commented on 1 Corinthians 8-13 and said “Thus shall we think of our most valued gifts of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us. there only will it be perfected. So the argument of the “perfect already coming is not valid because it is not clear that the perfect has come and if it has not come it would seem we still need the gifts.

There argument from experence does not hold much water because just becuase one has seen a bad example of the gifts does not mean that the gifts do not exists not more. If some people missuse the gifts it is only because there has not been proper teaching on the matter, most of the time people whoo operate in the gifts are truly seeking God.

The argument from Ephesians 2:20 presumes that the apostles are the foundation along with the prophets of the church, but did not Jesus say to peter that on the revelation of the knowledge of the “you are the christ shall I build my church” further more when one builds the house the foundation is still there it does not cease to be after the builder one who made the foundation dies? The fact that the church was founded on the gifts does seem to suguest that the gifts are still to be operating.

The argument from History of the Cessation of the gifts is weak because many leader after the apostles did mentiont the gifts, people like: “Irenaeus, Gregory of Nazianzus;Vincent Ferrer;John Wesley;Dwight Moody; E.M. Bounds;Samuel Brengle;Samuel Chadwick; Lewis Sperry Chafer; Oswald Chambers; Charles G, Finney;

Jonathan Goforth; A.J. Gordon; S.D Gordan; James H. Mconkey; F.B Meyer; G. Morgan; H.C.G Moule; Andrew Murray;Ruth Paxson; Evan Roberts; A.B Simpson; Charles Spurgeon; Hudson Taylor; R.A Torrey... “(Choy 1-6) Other people in the twentheth century like Kathrine Kulman and Oral Roberts; have shown that the gifts are for today; people like Benny Hinn have had dramatic results depending on the gifts of Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Based on the Biblical evidence that the gifts are still available for today it is my conclustion that the gifts are still available to be used by the church, in order to edify to exort and to confort those in need. We still see many needs that the Church has tries to fix on there own power but have failed, we must depend on Holy Spirit and the gifts He still gives. To grieve the Spirit is wrong, and to say that the Gifts are from the devil is coming real close to blasphemeing Holy Spirit. He is a real part of the trinity to denie His power to give his church Gifts is to deney God His soverenty. To hold to a Cessationist view is to say that the gifts are not needed, that by experence one does not see Holy Spirit giveing gifts, to say God is a respector of persons, why not then just leave christianity, for one day we will all have to answer to God for the theology we had about Him. If He says depart from me I never knew you... it will be bad. It is better to choose “wrongly” from Biblical evidence than to say no gifts are available from spotty evedence when they are available.