Colossians 2:9 (NIV) “For in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form…"
He ministered to the needs of humanity in a five-dimensional (and holistic) way. He was…
Hebrews 3:1 (ESV) … consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession
John 6:14 (ESV) When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
Luke 4:18 (ESV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news
John 10:11 (ESV) I am the good shepherd.
Mark 5:35 (NIV) While Jesus was still speaking …they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?"
Ephesians 1:22-23 (ESV) And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
It’s the Church that now is to embody the fullness of God the way Jesus did!
Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV) It was he [Jesus] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
APEST is reflected in creation as part of the general human experience.
Ephesians 4:8-9 (ESV) When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.
Society in general can be interpreted through the APEST grid:
Apostles – are those sent to pioneer something new.
Prophets – tend to be visionaries in a different sense, they often have a keen interest in issues of justice, environmental responsibility, or creative arts.
Evangelists – are particularly gifted at enthusing others about what they stand for, selling the significance of their work, company or product.
Shepherds – those with a special concern for seeing and affirming what is human within structures, create community and bring healing to others.
Teachers – those who are effective trainers and inspirers of learning, philosophers, thinkers, people who understand ideas and how they shape human life.
Ephesians 3:7 (NIV) I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
Ephesians 4:7 (ESV) But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Paul emphasizes “each one”!
Example: Although everyone isn’t a high T teacher, everyone has the ability to teach to one degree or another. Every parent is charged to teach their children.
Example: Although everyone isn’t a high P prophet, everyone has the ability to hear God’s voice and receive words, thoughts and pictures from Him!
The level at which these gifts are expressed in all saints (believers), compared to how they are expressed in ministers, or leaders, are different only by a matter of degree and capacity.
So ALL saints have the ability/gifting to teach to a certain degree; ALL saints have the ability/gifting to shepherd to a certain degree; ALL saints can evangelize to a certain degree; ALL saints can prophecy to a certain degree; and ALL saints have the ability/gifting to create, initiate & lead to a certain degree!
Everyone has a measure of grace (ability) in all five, allowing us all to minister effectively to our children, spouses, extended families, friends, fellow employees & others God places us in contact with!
By being able to mobilize ALL the saints in this, we can accomplish so much more!
Many have a greater measure of grace (ability) than average in one of the five, allowing them to specialize in that gift, and to minister with that gift to a larger sphere of people!
And from those ministers, there may be a few who God calls, gifts & tests for character, in order to take leadership roles in that particular specialty.
Ephesians 4:1 (ESV) I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called …
Where does this leave the other spiritual gifts named in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12?
Functioning in one’s calling requires drawing from additional capacities to carry out the task in various contexts.
Because of this God gives other support gifts to carry out the work he has assigned each person to do
So then Ephesians 4:11 is the organizing principle around which the other gifts listed are organized
Example: If I am a prophet, I will always be a prophet, but the context in which I function prophetically necessitates that I use the different tools on my belt: insight, prayer languages, dreams & foresight
Example: An apostle will generally have a natural bent for visionary leadership, but there are times when an apostle will need the gift of healing, administration, or encouragement to accomplish the task at hand!
Example: The evangelist can draw from the gift of faith, miracles, encouragement, etc.
1. The health of the church is at stake!
Ephesians 4:12-16 (ESV) … until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ ….
2. The mission of the Church is at stake!
How is it determined that someone rises from the saints level to the ministers or leadership level?
A minister or leader has as greater sphere of influence than a saint and therefore has potential for much good or much harm.
God has instituted three safeguards or requirements that suit a person for such levels of ministry and responsibility.
The Lord always determines our place in the Body.
But He doesn’t do it without confirming it to the Body.
Acts 13:2 (NIV) While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV) Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
As we already saw in Eph. 4, God gives the gifts in varying measure so that we can all be equipped in them – by OTHERS, in the Church!
Both aspects of the calling condition (God and Church) must be satisfied in order for someone to serve in a minister or leadership capacity.
Both aspects of the gifting condition (God and Church) must be satisfied in order for someone to serve in a minister or leadership capacity.
But there is a third requirement which neither the calling nor the gifting conditions can trump: it is CHARACTER!
1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NIV) Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap … 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
The level of character is determined by the Church! In fact, they are to TEST the individual.
The Church plays a role in all three requirements – Calling, Gifting and Character!
While Jesus ultimately determines our calling and gifting, character is something we ultimately determine, through learning correct responses in suffering and daily pressures, which God allows.
Character change always begins with confession and repentance for bad behavior and character (which is ingrained bad behavior).
Two aspects to the practicum:
A prayer sheet
Receive Prophetic Ministry
We need both the general principles and guidance of God’s Word AND the specific guidance of the Holy Spirit for specific situations!
1 Corinthians 12:8, 10 (ESV) For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit…to another prophecy…
1 Corinthians 12:8b (ESV) To one is given through the Spirit the…utterance of knowledge…
Acts 5:3-5 (NIV) Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.
How did Peter know? Word of knowledge given by the Holy Spirit!
1 Corinthians 12:8 (ESV) To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom…
Just because God reveals something to you doesn’t mean He wants you to share it!
Daniel 7:28 (NLT) That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.
1 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT) The same Spirit gives…the ability to prophesy.
Paul calls this the greatest gift BECAUSE of its impact:
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (ESV) But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
1 Corinthians 14:3 (NKJV) But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
Acts 21:10-11 (ESV) While we were staying [at Caesarea] for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”
Acts 21:3-4 (ESV) … we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
We must meditate on Scripture to hear God properly.
Nehemiah 7:5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles…
Acts 2:17-18 (NIV) In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
The Bible gives us general principles in the use of the gifts of prophecy:
1 Corinthians 14:33, 40 (ESV) God is not a God of confusion but of peace…But all things should be done decently and in order.
Note: “God is not a God of confusion but of peace…all things should be done decently and in order.
Note: “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets”
1 Corinthians 13:9 (ESV) We know in part and we prophesy in part.1 Corinthians 14:29 (ESV) Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.
1 Corinthians 13:9 (ESV) We know in part and we prophesy in part.
1 Corinthians 14:29 (ESV) Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.
Does it confirm or contradict Scripture?
Is the spirit in which it’s given condemning or grace filled?
Does it bring confusion or clarity?
Is it controlling and manipulative or is it done with humility?
1 Corinthians 14:29-32 (ESV) Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
Rules:
Do not say – “God told me to tell you…”
Remain humble, because we only know in part (1 Cor. 13:9)!
Say: “if this makes sense to you, use it; if not just ignore”.
Do not be corrective: it should be comforting and edifying!
Do not be directive: e.g. you should marry this one, move, take this job, etc.
Must be accountable to church leadership for all prophecies (Heb.13:17)!
At this level, the Body recognizes a person who:
Is very accurate and developed in these gifts
Is humble
Is submissive to Scripture
Is submissive to church leadership
The Bible teaches that God doesn’t heal everyone.
Though He healed MANY, Jesus didn’t heal everyone.
Though he healed MANY, Paul didn’t heal everyone.
Suffering can be redemptive
It can be for our own good
It can be for God’s glory
Matthew 14:13-14 (ESV) When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
John 11:4 (ESV) But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Matthew 9:23-26 (NIV) When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crow, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
1 Corinthians 11:29-31 (NIV) That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgement.
Matthew 15:28 (NIV) Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
a. It means that God is able to heal
Matthew 9:28 (NIV) “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they replied.
b. It means that God is willing to heal
Matthew 8:2-3 (NIV) A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
In Hebrews Jesus’ name means “saving” and “healing”Acts 10:38 (NLT) And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Matthew 11:12 (NIV) From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
James 5:14-16 (NIV) Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
1 Corinthians 12: 8-9 (NIV) To one there is given through the Spirit…gifts of healing.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV) Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Acts 3:6 (NLT) But Peter said, “I don’t have any money for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
Luke 11:13 (NIV) If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Mark 16:17-18 (NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe; In my name they will drive out demons... they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying
Minister as the Holy Spirit leads: confession of sin; inner healing; breaking bondages
Anoint with oil (James 5:14)
Lay hands on person and pray for healing
Stop and see if there is any change
End with a blessing
1 Corinthians 12:8, 10 (NIV) To one there is given through the Spirit…speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels.
1 Corinthians 14:18 (NIV) I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.
1 Corinthians 14:5 (RSV) Now I want you all to speak in tongues ….
Mark 16:17 (NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues
1 Corinthians 14:2,19 (ESV) For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit…But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:4 (ESV) The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself.
The fellowship of other believers is intended to build us up. (Rom 14:19)
Feeding on the Word of God also is also intended to build us up. (1 Pet 2:2)
We need BOTH! It’s a BOTH/AND!
The Spirit tells us we are to build ourselves up through tongues!
Jude 1:20 (NJB) But you, my dear friends, must build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:2 (NIV) For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts know the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
1 Corinthians 14:15 (NLT) I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand.
A person who prays in the Spirit is often directing that prayer toward impossible situations – convinced that all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23).
1 Corinthians 14:22 (NIV) Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
Acts 2:5-6 (NIV) Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
1 Corinthians 14:5 (NIV) I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
These parameters are for the Gifts of Tongues/Languages - stay in the “green”!
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (NIV) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
The proof of Holy Spirit fullness is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5)
Ephesians 5:18-21 (ESV) …be filled with the Spirit…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
1 Corinthians 14:38-39 (NKJV) …do not forbid to speak with tongues.
1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (NIV) If anyone speaks in a tongue…someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
Acts 2:4 (NIV) All of them…began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (NIV) To one there is given through the Spirit….the interpretation of tongues.
The Old Testament looked forward to a time when a greater empowering of the Holy Spirit would reach all of God’s people!
Joel 2:28-29 (NIV) I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
In the New Testament Jesus promised His disciples that they would receive His Holy Spirit in a fuller way too!
Acts 1:4-8 (ESV) … for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” ...” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you….”
Acts 2:38 (ESV) And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, AND you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Salvation should never be conceived of in purely negative terms – as if it consisted ONLY of our rescue from sin, guilt, wrath & death. Thank God it IS all of those things! But it also includes the positive blessing of the Holy Spirit!
1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV) For in one Spirit we were ALL baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks - slaves or free - and ALL were made to drink of one Spirit.
You don’t get the Spirit because you’re good and spiritual…
You get the Spirit so that you may become good and spiritual!
Romans 8:9 (NIV) If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
At salvation we are baptized with the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:4 (ESV) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit …
We are instructed to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV) Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
To worship & love God from the heart
To love & submit to one another
To be thankful in all circumstances
To overcome temptation & grow in spiritual freedom
To boldly witness
To receive spiritual gifts such as tongues & prophecy
To fulfill a particular calling or task
To be filled with joy, peace and hope
Luke 10:21 (NIV) At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit ….1 Peter 1:8 (NIV) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.
Luke 10:21 (NIV) At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit ….
1 Peter 1:8 (NIV) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.
To have the words to say when confronted or arrested for Jesus’s sake
To remain faithful in martyrdom
When submitting to and obeying God’s will for us
When drawing near God in prayer or worship
James 4:8 (ESV) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Personally asking for filling of Spirit in prayer
Luke 11:13 (NIV) If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
When others lay on hands and/or pray for us
2 Timothy 1:6 (ESV) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Ephesians 3:14-19 (ESV) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father …. 16 that … he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that … being rooted and grounded in [experiential] love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
It’s safe
So participants can focus on the right thing
Its symbolic meaning
Isaiah 59:2 (NIV) But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Ephesians 4:30 (ESV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
James 4:8 (ESV) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:6 (NIV) God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
1 Corinthians 4:9-10 (ESV) For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake ….
Physical experiences vary
Body loses strength, becomes immobilized
Feel unsteady
Feel no weakness
Standing in a trance
Consciousness varies
Emotional experiences vary
Weeping
Laughing
Peace and calm
Spiritual experiences vary Spiritual experiences reported:
Joy overflowing into laughter
Inner healing
Calling to service or ministry
Rebuke for sin
Intimacy and love
Deliverance
Physical healing
Hearing God for the first time
In MANY cases he comes in a gentle whisper like he did to Elijah
What to do while standing in line
Open hands to receive
Take a deep breath and relax
Ask the Holy Spirit for filling and gifts
What to do while lying on floor
Pursue the Lord
Wait for Him patiently
If you see black figures – report
What to do when you’re finished
Soak in His presence on a chair
Journal what God said and did
Try again
Matthew 13:19 (NIV) When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.
Galatians 5:25 (ESV) If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
2 Tim 1:6 (ESV) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands
1. Write down one thing from the Empower Ministers Retreat that impacted you the most:
2. Why was it so meaningful to you?
3. Ask the Holy Spirit what He wants you to know about what He did in your life this weekend. Is there a next step He wants you to take?
(Excerpts from “The Word & Power Church”by Doug Bannister: Appendix One)
1 Cor. 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
Some in the body of Christ hold a cessationist position about these gifts arguing that there are no miraculous gifts (prophecy, tongue and healing) of the Holy Spirit today. They believe these gifts were confined to the first century and were used at the time the apostles were establishing churches and the New Testament was not complete.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 12-14 to answer questions the Corinthians were having about the use and abuse of spiritual gifts in their fellowship encouraging them to love one another because love is greater than any gift (1 Cor. 13:8-13).
The miraculous gifts such as tongues and prophecy will cease “when perfection comes.”
Cessationists argue that “perfection” refers to the completed canon of Scripture.
They believe that the first-century church needed these miraculous revelatory gifts because the Bible was not yet complete, and when God completed the scriptural canon, these gifts were no longer needed and passed away.
Non-cessationists believe that “perfection” refers to the second coming of Christ. They believe that these gifts are intended for the present church age but will no longer be needed when Jesus Christ returns.
The majority of biblical interpreters have concluded that “perfection” refers to the second coming of Christ and not the completion of the canon.
Paul says that when the perfect comes, we will see God “face to face.” The phrase “face to face” is used in the Old Testament to mean seeing God personally.
Paul says that, for us, when perfection comes, “I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” The Scriptures help us know many things, but it could not be said that we know God fully because of them. God will be known fully to his people when his Son returns.
It is doubtful that when the Corinthians read this letter, the concept of a closed canon would have occurred to them. A far more common theme in Scripture is the return of Christ. When Paul pointed his Corinthians readers to a future day when they would see Christ’s face to face, they are far more likely to have thought of Christ’s return.
The most reasonable interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 says that Paul is teaching that the gifts will cease when Jesus Christ returns.
B.B. Warfield, a professor at Princeton Seminary, wrote a book in 1918 called Counterfeit Miracles. Warfield taught that the purpose of these gifts was to authenticate the apostles as trustworthy bearers of doctrine; when they died, this authenticating power died with them.
The major problem with Warfield’s argument is that its conclusion does not follow from its premises.
Major premise: The apostles, as the foundation of the church, experienced unique wonder-working powers to authenticate their ministry.
Minor premise: The apostles are dead
Conclusion: No one experiences wonder-working power in ministry today.
While it is true that the apostles had unique miraculous powers and it is true that they are dead, it does not logically follow that no other Christians can experience the miraculous gift. Jack Deere points out how flawed this reasoning is when applied to church planting. We could say:
Major premise: Only the apostle’s planted churches in Acts
Minor premise: The apostles are dead.
Conclusion: No one should plant churches today.
All that is needed to refute this view from a scriptural standpoint is to find examples of non-apostolic Christians using the miraculous gifts in the New Testament such as:
Mark 9:38-39: An unknown man casts out demons in Jesus name\
Luke 10:9: Jesus commissions seventy-two disciples to preach and to heal
Acts 9:17-18: Ananias heals Paul
Romans 12:6: Paul refers to the gift of prophecy in Rome, a church not yet visited by an apostle.
I Corinthians 12:8-10: Gifts of healing and miracles are experienced in the Corinthian church without an apostle present.
Galatians 3:5: Paul refers to the Holy Spirit who “work[s] miracles among you.” The “you” is plural and must refer to the entire congregation, which was not led by an apostle.
1 Thessalonians 5:20: Paul demands that the Thessalonians not hinder the prophetic gift.
The list of miraculous gifts experienced by non-apostles in the New Testament grows much longer when we include tongues.
This argument is concerned with protecting the Scriptures as the final and authoritative revelation of God’s inerrant Word.
The history of the church records numerous spurious groups that plunged into heresy when they became unanchored from Scripture.
The charismatic movement has been criticized as seeming to equate “a word from God” with scriptural authority
This argument would be true if the New Testament gift of prophecy were like Old Testament prophecy in its authority. If Paul would have gifts to speak for God just as authoritatively as Isaiah or Jeremiah did, then we would agree that those gifts have passed away. God is not writing new Scripture today.
New Testament prophecy is not equal to Scripture in authority, and no responsible non-cessationist claims that contemporary prophetic gifts have such authority
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:26 “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” Clearly, Paul did not mean that people were speaking with Old Testament prophetic authority! If so why did Paul demand that these revelations be tested by the assembly?
In the New Testament, the word reveal is not always used in reference to Scripture. It can simply mean “divinely prompted guidance of direction.” Paul says that “God will make clear” to the Philippians the nature of their attitude (Phil. 3:15). Paul prays for the Ephesians “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelations, so that you may know him better.” (Eph. 1:17)
Pressing this argument to its logical conclusion, one would have to do away with the illuminating, guiding ministry of the Holy Spirit altogether, for these would compromise the sufficiency of Scripture.
First Response: Even if it would be proved that the gifts passed away in the history of the church, this does not prove that God will not grant them again.
Second Response: History does not prove that the miraculous gifts passed away
Stanley Burgess wrote: “Before John Chrysostom (A.D. 347-407) in the East and Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430) in the West, no church father suggested that any of all of the charismata were intended only for the first-century Church.”
The Patristic era (A.D. 100-600) - an early second-century document, The Didache, was written to ministers. It exhorted the church to “permit the prophets to give thanks as much as they desire” and then proceeded to give instruction on how prophetic utterance were to be tested.
Justin Martyr (ca. A.D. 100-165) reminds fellow Christians in a letter that “many of our Christian men… have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving the possessing devils out.” Irenaeus (ca. A.D. 130-202)
Origen, writing in the third century, reported that signs and wonders validated the proclamation of the gospel: “The Gospel has a demonstration of its own….this….method is called by the apostle the “manifestation of the Spirit and of power:” of “the Spirit” on account of the prophecies, which are sufficient to produce faith in anyone who reads them…and of “power”, because of the signs and wonders.”
The Latin theologian Hilary of Poitiers (4th C), affirmed that the miraculous gifts were operating in his day: “The gift of the Spirit is manifest…where there is …the gift of healings, that by the cure of disease we should bear witness to His grace…or by the working of miracles…or by prophecy…or by discerning of spirits…or by kinds of tongues, that the speaking in tongues many be bestowed as a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit: or by the interpretation of tongues.”
Augustine, (late 4th + early 5th C) believed that the gift of tongues was not given to the church in his day, but that the gift of miracle was: “…many miracles were wrought, the same God who wrought those we read of still performing them….”
The Medieval Era (600-1500) - Colette of Corbi (d.1447) founded a convent and earned a reputation of one through whom God worked in miraculous ways. The Lives of the Saints tells us that the Duchess of Bourbon believed that she resuscitated the dead and comments that”…the fame of the miracles and labors of the carpenter’s daughter was in every mouth.”
The lives of the saints are filled with stories of the miraculous. Modern-day Protestant scholarships tends to discredit these accounts as legends, but this reactionary approach to church history betrays modernist presuppositions about what sorts of things could and could not have happened in a saint’s life.
One other example of the presence of gifts during the period is the Scholastic mystical theologian Joachim of Fiore (d.1202), who wrote in his theology of the Holy Spirit that the Spirit spoke through prophets and the gift of tongues is imparted by the Holy Spirit by means of the imposition of hands.
The Reformation and the Modern Era (1500 to present) - It is widely reported that the Reformers did not believe in miraculous gifts therefore it is somewhat surprising to find Martin Luther writing the following advice to a pastor who sought his counsel in ministering to a sick man: “I know of no worldly advice to give. If the physicians are at a loss to find a remedy, you may be sure that it is not a case of ordinary melancholy. It must, rather, be an affliction that comes from the devil and must be counteracted by the power of Christ and the prayer of faith. Accordingly you should proceed us follows…Graciously deign to free this man from all evil, and bring to naught the work that Satan has done in him….Then, when you depart, lay your hands on the man again and say, These signs shall follow them that believe; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
In this century D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes: “There is evidence from many of those Protestant Reformers and Fathers, that some of them had a genuine, true gift of prophecy…anyone who is prepared to say that all this ended with the apostolic age, and that there has never been a miracles since the apostles…gives the lie… [and] is to quench the Holy Spirit.”
This view teaches that miracles happened in the days of Moses and Joshua, during the time of Elijah and Elisha and in the time of Christ and the apostles
The major problem with this argument is that a great number of supernatural events occur outside of these three periods. What is more, even if it is shown that the miraculous decreased at certain times, there may be other reasons for the decline, such as rebellion and sin.
Suggesting that in three periods of redemptive history, miraculous phenomena were more prevalent than at other times does not prove that miraculous phenomena in other times were nonexistent, nor does to prove that an increase in miraculous phenomena could not appear in subsequent phases of redemptive history.
The problem with this objection is that it fails to consider who Jesus’ audience was. Mathew 16 shows us that the “wicked and adulterous generation” referred to were the Scribes and the Pharisees who came to test Jesus by asking for a sign. Jesus was rebuking hard-hearted unbelievers who mocked him with this request. Notice the greater frequency with which Jesus compassionately responded to a request for a miracle.
Significantly, Acts 4:30 relates that the apostles and the early disciples prayed for signs and wonders to follow their preaching ministry. Paul, rather than discouraging his readers from seeking the miraculous gifts, told them to desire them eagerly (1 Cor. 14:1). John writes that “many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.” (James 2:23). Then he reinforces the positive role of signs in proclaiming the gospel: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31).
Yes, the gospel alone is enough to save, for it so the “power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom, 1:16).
In arguing that the postmodern church will be more effective when the Word goes forth with power, is the Word of God devalued?
This exactly what the apostles themselves expressed! They prayed for God to confirm their gospel with works of power. If signs and wonders did not devalue the Word forcenter the apostles, why would they devalue the Word now?
No one has ever preached the Word more power powerfully than the apostles. Yet God chose to confirm his words through them with attesting sighs and wonders. The argument is frequently made: “The apostles needed that in the first century. Those gifts passed away because the church didn’t need them anymore.” The suggestion that the church does not need them anymore implies that the apostles needed more help than we do in preaching the gospel! If the apostles, with their tremendous spiritual gifting and ministering to a world that was still filled with eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ, needed the help of signs and wonders, don’t we need them, too?
The work of God’s Spirit is always counterfeited by the enemy. The scriptural approach is to learn to discern between true and false prophets. Texts such as Matthew 7:15-17, 2 Peter 2:1-22, and 1 John 4:1-6 guide the church to distinguish the false prophet from the true prophet. The Bible says there will be false teachers in the end times. Does that mean we should abandon the gift of teaching for fear of being deceived? Jesus did warn his followers to beware of deceiving false prophets who teach error and work false miracles. The fact that Satan can counterfeit a true ministry of the Spirit should not result in rejecting that ministry of the Spirit.
The line of this argument says that the gifts are not discussed much in the epistles and that, in the letters written toward the end of Paul’s life, we do not find Epaphroditus, Timothy, or Trophimus being supernaturally healed.
This is an argument from silence, which is the weakest kind. Paul does not speak about his gift of celibacy in the later epistles either. Is one therefore to assume that he lost it? Not much can be proved from silence. The epistles do refer to miraculous gifts in Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Galatians 3-5, Ephesians 4:1-16, and 1 Thessalonians 5:20. Moreover, there is no explicit command in the epistles to evangelize. Should one conclude that by the end of the century the apostles have stopped witnessing? Just because Paul did not heal the three men he mentions in the prison epistles does not mean he lost his gift of healing. The scripture simply does not say why they were not healed.
The greatest problem with this argument is that a contrast narrative literature with didactic literature. The book of Acts is narrative literature whereas the epistles are letters written to churches dealing with specific problems. When the problems related to gifts, as in Corinth, the epistle addressed it. Otherwise there was no reason for the gifts to be mentioned. Furthermore, Paul was in prison when he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. These letters will obviously not be filled with stories of Paul working miracles-Paul was locked up!
It has already been affirmed that Jesus and the apostles ministered with extraordinary power. It does not follow from this that believers today cannot minister with these gifts at all. While present-day believers may not witness with the kind of power, they continue to witness. The same is true of these gifts: they may not be used with the power displayed by the apostles, but they are still used.
There does seem to be a distinction between the apostolic gift of healing and the gifts of healing mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. These gifts of healing may be of lesser intensity, which would account for the difference between apostolic and modern miracles. Samuel Storms writes: “It is repeatedly argued that the extent and intensity of apostolic signs, wonders and miracles has not continued unchanged throughout church history. I agree. But this would only prove that the apostles operated at a level of supernatural power unknown to other Christians, something virtually everyone concedes. It has no bearing, however, on the question of whether the miraculous gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 are designed by God for the church in every age.”
Overcome by the Spirit by Francis MacNutt
Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deere
The Beauty of Spirit Language by Jack Hayford
The Holy Spirit and You by Dennis Bennett
The Nearly Perfect Crime by Francis MacNutt
The Permanent Revolution by Alan Hirsch and Tim Catchim
The Power to Heal by Francis MacNutt
The Word and Power Church by Doug Banister
Take time to go through each of the following prayer points.
Write out a prayer to God, giving Him praise for His generosity! Not only do we have forgiveness of sins, but we also receive His Spirit – and ALL that comes with His ministry!
Ephesians 5:20 (ESV) … giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s once again invite God to show us if there are areas in our life “blocking the flow of the living water of God’s Spirit.” Write them down and confess.
1 Peter 2:1-2 (ESV) So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Invite God to show you any steps on how to give more room for the ministry of the Spirit and His gifts in your: 1) own life 2) church/ministry. Such steps could include teaching, demonstrating, equipping, intercession.
