Note: All of the articles below have a link to a downloadable PDF version at the end of each article.
by Wanda Shirk
Ulysses, Pennsylvania
I. Problems with the "orthodox" view - i.e. the view that "God the Holy Spirit" is "the Third Person of the Trinity," a person different from God the Father.
1. God and Jesus have personal names. The Holy Spirit has no personal name. This witnesses against the Spirit being a distinct person.
2. The Holy Spirit is not a distinctly different person from God in scripture, but Jesus is a distinctly different person.
3. The Holy Spirit is never addressed or prayed to.
4. The Spirit never has a will distinct from God the Father, as Jesus did (Matt. 26:39; Luke 22:42; John 6:38), nor does the Spirit have any other personal traits that establish the Spirit as a separate "person."
5. All the epistles of the scriptures open with reference to "God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." No Separate mention is made of the Holy Spirit. This would be a great slight to the Holy Spirit if the Spirit were indeed a separate and distinct "person" of the "trinity."
6. If Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is a different person than the Father, then "the Father" is not "the Father" in the trinity, for the Holy Spirit is the Father! The answer to this dilemma is simply to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is actually the Spirit of the Father Himself.
II. The Holy Spirit is the same person as God. It is God's own Spirit
1. I Cor. 2:11 - "Who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God" [Scripture quotes from NASB]. It is evident that as the spirit of a man is the man himself, so the Spirit of God is God Himself, not a separate person.
2. A person's spirit is his qualities, nature, and capabilities. The spirit of Elijah is not a separate person from Elijah, but the composite qualities, nature, and abilities of Elijah. Your spirit is the real you - your qualities, nature, and capabilities. Why would the Spirit of God be a "person" different from God Himself rather than God's own qualities, nature, and capabilities?
3. Matt. 10:20 - "For it is not you who speaks, but it is the Spirit of your Father [Luke 12:12 - "the Holy Spirit"] who speaks in you." The synoptic parallel shows that the Holy Spirit is the same as the Spirit of the Father.
4. Matt. 12:28 - "For if I cast out demons by the Spirit [Luke 11:20 - "finger"] of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." Obviously, the "finger of God" does not refer to a person separate from God, so "Spirit of God" should be understood similarly as another way of referring to God's own person.
5. The Spirit of God is equated with the presence of God in Hebrew parallelism:
Psalm 51:11 - "Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me."
Psalm 139:7 - "Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence?"
The Spirit of God = the presence of God. There is no separate person here.
6. The presence of the Holy Spirit is equated with the presence of God in the New Testament:
Acts 5:3,4 - In the story of Ananias and Sapphira, to lie to the Holy Spirit is equated with lying to God. They are the same person, not two different persons.
Acts 10:38 - "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him."
Conclusion: It is as much nonsense to make God into a Trinity on the basis that the Spirit of God is a "person" separate from God as to make you and me into two persons each because we each have spirit.
III. The Holy Spirit is the self-expressive, creative force, power, or energy of God. Just as a man's spirit is the man's self-expression, creativity, and energy. Some have called the Spirit an "impersonal force," but as God is a person, we might better describe the Spirit as the personal force or power through which God's activities are undertaken.
1. Creativity. As God is infinitely creative, so His Spirit imparts creativity. For example,
Ex. 35: 30-35 - "The Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri ... and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship to make designs for working in gold and silver and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. He has also put in his heart to teach, both he and Ohliab ... He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer ... and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs."
2. Inspiration. The Spirit of God gives ability to speak and write God's thoughts.
II Sam. 23:2 - "The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue."
Luke 12:12 - "The Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what ... to say."
Acts 1:16 - "the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David ..."
II Peter 1:21 - " ... men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
3. Power. The Spirit of God is equated with the power of God.
Luke 1:35 - "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you ... "
Luke 4:14 - "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit."
Acts 1:8 - "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."
Acts 10:38 - "God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power ... "
4. Spiritual Abilities. God's Spirit does tasks that are beyond human capabilities and provides wisdom and knowledge beyond human wisdom and knowledge.
I Cor. 12:7-11 - "To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit ... the word of wisdom ... the word of knowledge ... faith ... gifts of healing ... the effecting of miracles ... prophecy ... the distinguishing of spirits ... various kinds of tongues ... the interpretation of tongues. One and the same Spirit works all these, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."
5. Godly Qualities. The Spirit of God produces fruit that is representative of the nature of God.
Gal. 5:22-23 - "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
IV. "The Holy Spirit" or "[a] holy spirit"?
It is important to note that 46 of the 83 uses of the term pneuma hagion, holy spirit, in the Greek scriptures, do not have the definite article the. Almost all translations render all 83 uses as "the Holy Spirit," adding the and the capitalization, which is somewhat a matter of interpretation. For example, Stephen was "full of faith and (a) holy spirit" (Acts 6:5). Paul wrote of "righteousness and peace and joy in [a] holy spirit" (Rom. 14:17). Jude actually wrote about "praying in [a] holy spirit" rather than "praying in the Holy Spirit," (Jude 20), if we wish to translate more literally. The term "the Holy Spirit" is certainly valid in many places, but since the article the is used only 45% of the time, we should be careful about building a doctrine based on translators' suppositions in defining "holy spirit" in all contexts.
[Wanda Shirk, who majored in Bible at Wheaton College, IL, is an English teacher in Ulysses, PA.]
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By Richie Temple
Bible translators and scholars are not of one mind when it comes to how to write in English the Greek words pneuma hagion. Most write "Holy Spirit" but an ever increasing number are writing "holy Spirit" and some even "holy spirit." This comes from a growing awareness that the Greek words pneuma hagion are not used in the Bible to speak of a separate "person" of the Godhead as in the post-biblical Trinitarian sense - but rather as the power and presence of God himself. NT scholar Joseph Fitzmeyer explains:
In speaking of to pneuma, "the Spirit," Paul tends to treat it as it appears in the OT. There it is a mode of expressing God's outgoing activity and presence to the world and his people in a creative, prophetic, quickening, or renovating way ... This is also the basic meaning Paul attributes to to (hagion) pneuma [the holy Spirit] which is not understood yet as a personal being, distinct from the Father and the Son, as it was to become in later Christian trinitarian theology of the patristic period ... He may, indeed, personify the Spirit, that is to say, personify the activity and presence of the OT sense, but it is not yet conceived of as a person in his theology. It is for Paul a way of expressing the dynamic influence of God's presence to justified Christians, the manifestation of his love for them, and the powerful source of their new life in Christ (The Anchor Bible Series, Romans, p. 480).
Paul, of course, did not have the problem of capitalization since early Greek manuscripts were all written in letters of the same size. But the use of a capital "H" or "S" in English does not necessarily suggest that the Holy Spirit is a person any more than does the term Holy Scriptures. It can simply be a way of revering that which is "of God" or distinguishing the Spirit of God from the spirit of man.
Though some verses with the definite article may appear to speak of the Spirit as a person, or even to be a name for God himself, this is unlikely. Instead, the Spirit can be personified, just as the Word or Wisdom of God, and portrayed as God's agent in relating to his creation. As Raymond Brown states, the addition of the definite article,
should not lead the Christian reader to assume that either Matthew or Luke has developed a theology of the Spirit as a person, much less the Third Person of the Trinity (The Birth of the Messiah, p.125).
It is meaning that matters - not capitalization - so this need not be a dogmatic issue. Let each use their own preference. Brown wisely concludes:
As for capitalization I follow recent Bible custom, without implying that a passage conveys either personality or a Trinitarian concept of divinity. Early English Protestant Bibles capitalized neither "holy" nor "spirit"; the Rheims Catholic edition capitalized both; the Authorized (King James) Version capitalized only "Spirit" until the eighteenth century (ibid.).
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by Chuck LaMattina
Chicago, Illinois
What is the church? Many of us are familiar with the child's game where you fold your hands together to form a building with a steeple, and say, "Here's the church, and here's the steeple, and open your hands to see the people." then having said that, you wiggle your intertwined fingers, to indicate the people inside. In the words to this little rhyme, the "church" is the building.
But it is not just children who think this way. Far too many adult Christians mistakenly believe that the "church" is a building. When I tell people that I am a minister for a Christian church, invariably the next question they ask me is, "Where is your church?" What they desire to know is what street the building is on.
I really do enjoy that question, however, because it gives me the opportunity to answer as I do. I respond by saying that on any given day my church is scattered all over the metropolitan Chicago area! Some are at the shop, some are at the office, some are working in medical facilities, some are at school, some are raising their children, but all are bearing witness for Christ.
The Christian church is not a building, it isn't even really an organization. The Christian church is a spiritual organism. It is people, who together compose the body of Christ. The church is made up of people who are bonded together, and enabled to contribute to one another by the gift of the holy spirit. Without the spirit of God dwelling within every believer, and energizing every believer, there would be no church. This is the point that the apostle Paul makes in the second half of I Corinthians 12.
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ (I Cor. 12:12 - all verses cited are from NKJV).
The point of this verse is simple. Your physical body is made up of many parts (or members), yet it is one body. Similarly, the church is made up of many individuals, with various God given abilities and functions, yet they all make up one spiritual body. In my estimation the last phrase of this verse is profound. In making this comparison, Paul might have said, "... as the body is one and has many members ... so also is the church." But he doesn't! He says, "so also is Christ." And the leap of logic that we are asked to make is that every believer together makes up the body of Christ! The church is not like the body of Christ, it is the body of Christ!
The first thing the verse above tells me is that we all contribute to one another. As we all participate and behave like true believers the world gets to see the life and power of Christ through us. Secondly, it tells me that we have Christ right here in our midst, right here and now!
If Jesus Christ were physically present with me at this very moment I would be thrilled to see him! I would want to listen to him, to talk to him, to serve him. It wouldn't matter one bit if I were asked to place a crown on his head or to wipe his feet. Yet, in all reality, he is present with us every time believers gather together. Together we make up the body of Christ. Therefore, the zeal with which we would serve Christ and the excitement we would have just to be with him, should be ours every time we are with one another! Let's go on to verse 13:
For by [or, more accurately, "in"] one Spirit [i.e. the gift] we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit (I Cor. 12:13).
Why are we one body? We have been baptized, or initiated, or immersed, in one spirit, into one body. It is the gift of the holy spirit, God's spirit in us, that makes us all one. All of us share the same life force of God, along with Jesus Christ. Filled with God's spirit we are forever united to the Lord as the Bible declares in the following verse.
But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him (I Cor. 6:17).
We all share the same spirit! The same life force that raised Christ from the dead, and declares him to be the Son of God with power (Rom. 1:4), is in us, and binds us together in him. It doesn't matter that we may be from different ethnic or religious backgrounds, or from different social classes, or even that we are male or female. The gift of the spirit unites us all into one body.
When we are born again into the family of God, when we become a part of the church, no one is at any advantage or disadvantage with anyone else. What we may or may not bring to the church due to our natural talents or social background are inconsequential. When we enter the church every believer is filled with the holy spirit of God, and every believer is given new supernatural abilities to share with the whole body of Christ. This makes us all valuable and necessary to one another, as the apostle Paul writes to the believers at Corinth.
For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if the they were all one member, where would the body be? (I Cor. 12:14-19).
The verses above lay out a scenario where believers in the church are belittling themselves because of what they perceive as a lack, of a difference on their part. Christians may say, "I'm not like so and so, therefore, I am not really a part of this group." This is self deprecation, due to a lack of knowledge of the goodness and wisdom of God. In God's wisdom we are all different, we all have a different function to play in the church, yet we are all essential, and are all a part of the body.
No believer should ever feel unimportant because he is unlike another. Using Paul's comparison, just because you are a foot and not a hand doesn't mean that you are disposable. I suppose we could all learn to walk on our hands, but why when God gave us feet? The tendency of our natural, fallen logic is to think that unless we are all the same we are valueless. But rather than complain about what we are not, we need to glorify God for what He has made us to be. Each of us has a gift of God's grace to share with one another and the Apostle Peter tells us it would be good to get busy sharing it!
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which god supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (I Pet. 4:10-11).
Whatever ability God has given to you, share it with his whole church, to the glory of God. In His wisdom, God has called you to a wonderful function in the church that only you can perform. God has equipped and commissioned you for the role you are to play!
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Rom. 12:4-8).
The thrust of this passage is for us to get busy serving in whatever capacity we are called. The tragedy in the church is not that we are all so different in personality or spiritual gifts, but that so few of us are actively sharing the special abilities that God has given to us. Many times the church is like a bus with the Pastor being the bus driver and the rest just going along for the ride. If anything we need to be like an orchestra with all of us doing our part under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God has called us to one body. We are unified "in Christ". But you can have unity in uniformity, or you can have unity in harmony! In uniformity the whole orchestra plays the trumpet, in harmony there are various instruments, with various parts to play, who together make wonderful music. What does it matter if you play the violin during most of the symphony, or you crash the cymbals at the very end? What is important is that you play, that you do your part to make the music great. The same is true in the church.
If we were all teachers, who would labor in prayer? If we were all especially adept at discerning of spirits and raced around casting out demons, who would encourage and who would show mercy? If we were all pastors, who would evangelize? The point is not that we all can't share God's Word, or all show mercy, or all cast out demons. But like the orchestra, someone must specialize in the violin, and someone must be skilled on the trumpet, and someone must learn percussion if the orchestra is to make its full impact. All of us need to think of ourselves as essential to the cause of Christ no matter the part we have in the church.
On the other hand, not a one of us should ever say to a believer with a different role, "I don't need you!"
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have not need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which we think to be less honorable , on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (I Cor. 12:20-26).
A Christian ministry or church usually begins when a man, or a group of people, see a need for a fellowship and to make known the gospel of Christ. They have a godly goal and vision. Soon others catch the vision and join. Now we have a movement, where everyone sees the goal and everyone plays their part. But if the people are not careful the movement soon turns into a machine churning out little cookie-cutter Christians who all talk alike, and dress alike, or all serve alike.
Far too often, rather than encouraging each person's uniqueness in the body of Christ, we discourage it. We want everyone to be on the same page thinking the same thoughts, acting the same way, and serving in the same manner. We say, "If you're not as into evangelism as we are then you are not a part of this thing." This is wrong! No believer, or group of believers, should ever say to another, "I don't need you," simply because God has called them to serve in a different capacity. For when we do, the church, the body of Christ, loses its God given vitality, it loses the ability to witness for Christ in various ways. When we cut others off, we have made the body of Christ an amputee!
All of us need to recognize each others' special grace gift of God. We need to encourage each other to function to the maximum of our potential for the glory of God. Likewise, when one of us hurts we should rush to heal, and when one is honored, we should all rejoice. Finally, Paul writes,
Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way (I Cor. 12: 27-31).
In the church, in the body of Christ, God has sovereignly assigned a role to every believer. He determines the capacity in which we serve, and when and where. Even though we can all manifest the gift of the spirit in many ways, God determines who may have a special gift in one or more of the nine areas in which the manifestation profits us. In the process of our gathering together for fellowship, God determines when the spirit will be energized. When we gather as the body of Christ, not everyone in the church functions as an apostle, not everyone is a teacher, not everyone speaks in tongues in a worship service or interprets. But this does not make anyone more or less valuable than anyone else.
Despite our different abilities, we should all desire the best gifts. We should all desire to bring what is best to the church. And what is the best? The best gifts are those which are the most needed at the time. If the church is in need of physical healing, gifts of healing would be the best gifts. If we needed more knowledge, then we would need a teacher.
Yet, Paul says that there is even a better way than simply desiring the best gifts, and that is walking in love.
Love never fails ... (I Cor. 13:8).
When we are all walking in the love of God, our eyes will be open to every need and every possibility that is before us, and we will be motivated to act. Love never fails!
Many times people ask, "How can I know what my special gift is to the church?" The best answer I can give is to find a need and get involved. Have a desire to serve and walk with your eyes open. Then act on what God has put on your heart. What idea has God inspired in you? Act on it. Who needs prayer? Pray for them. Who needs mercy? Give it. Where is there a need for someone to administer, to lead, to give financially, to witness? Get involved! As you begin to serve, God will show you your special place and open doors of opportunity for you to give. As the wise writer of Proverbs says,
A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men (Prov. 18:16).
The church is not a building or a business organization. The church is the body of Christ composed of many people who are filled with the spirit of God and minister to one another, and to the world, all to the glory of God.
[Chuck LaMattina is the pastor of Grace Fellowship Church of God in Front Royal, Va. His books are available from Amazon.]
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by Bill Wachtel
Wenatchee, Washington
The title of this article is a term used by Bible students and is based on the word "cease" in I Corinthians 13:8 (KJV). In that text the Apostle Paul is talking about the supernatural "gifts" [Gr. charismata] of the Spirit - this being the main theme of I Corinthians chapters 12-14. These gifts are set out in I Corinthians 12:
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will (I Cor. 12:7-11 KJV).
The term "cessationism" is used to denote the teaching that those gifts, or manifestations, set out above have now "ceased". This school of thought teaches that with the death of the apostles - or shortly afterwards - such gifts were no longer needed and were, therefore, taken away from the church. Some think that by the end of the first century the charismatic gifts became inoperative, and thus they should not be sought by anyone today. If cessationism is correct, any charismatic gift that is claimed to be from God in modern times must be regarded as fraudulent, the result of error or deception.
A close look at Paul's statements in I Corinthians 13:8-10 makes it clear that in fact he did expect the gifts to cease someday. The question, then, is not whether the gifts would cease, but when! Cessationism, as a teaching, declares that they have already ceased and are not to be expected any more. On the other hand, Christians whom some call "charismatic" believe that the gifts were intended to continue throughout the church age and that both New Testament and church history demonstrate that this is so. For believers who demand Biblical proof, only a sound exegesis of the relevant texts can provide satisfaction. Although the subject of the charismatic gifts is controversial, sincere truth-seekers and "Berean" (Acts 17:11) types of Bible students will not allow anyone's prejudices or abuses of truth to keep them from arriving at valid conclusions.
Since it is in I Corinthians 13 that the term "cease" is found in connection with charismatic gifts, it must also be in the same text that we find some clue as to the time of their ceasing. In the context, Paul is declaring that faith, hope and especially love are superior to the gifts. By comparison, the gifts are temporary and imperfect. He envisions a time when these transitory gifts will no longer be needed and will "pass away" (v. 8). He states that "when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears" (v. 10 NIV). Or as the KJV renders this, "When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." Such gifts as "knowledge" and "prophecy" are described as being "in part" (v. 9).
Paul says that now "we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am known" (v.12). We have here a contrast between what is "now" and what is "then." The "then" is obviously future to the time Paul wrote those words; a time when he says he will know "fully" and will see "face to face." Again, the question is: when is this future time?
We have already seen that verse 10 describes it as a time of perfection, or "when that which is perfect is come." We may ask ourselves at this point whether the Bible ever mentions a future time of perfection which will allow believers to know things "fully;" to know even as they themselves are known; to see "face to face" and no longer a poor reflection as in a mirror (and the mirrors of Paul's day were crude indeed!). In fact, there is such a mention in Scripture. In Hebrews 11 - the celebrated "faith" chapter - the writer concludes with a promise of the future perfection of believers - from both Old and New Testament periods (Heb. 11:39-40). In context, the obvious reference is to the future resurrection, the resurrection that will be "better" than the ones in Old Testament times (v. 35).
Paul knew that at the future resurrection he would be made like Christ (Phil. 3:20-21). He knew that all the believers will share Christ's "glory" when he "appears" (Col. 3:4) the "second time" (Heb. 9:27) to bring them salvation. If this is not the future time that Paul was thinking about in I Corinthians 13, when he and all other perfected believers will "know fully," will know as they are "known," and will "see face to face," we must certainly wonder what other time could have been in his mind!
It is at this point that some cessationists have theorized that what Paul had in mind was the soon-to-be-perfected New Testament. They believe that when the New Testament stood complete, around the end of the first century, the "perfect" had arrived and that the charismatic gifts were no longer needed, and so "ceased." This ingenious theory sounds plausible and has many supporters. The problem it faces is that there is nothing in the context to suggest that Paul has such an idea in mind.
On the other hand, there is clear evidence in the context to support the view that Paul is thinking about the future perfection and resurrection of the saints - at Christ's second coming. In fact, chapter 15, following immediately after the three chapters on the charismatic gifts, is totally occupied with the theme of resurrection! This writer is convinced, therefore, that I Corinthians 13 does not support the cessationist view, but rather the view that the gifts were intended to continue throughout the present age, until the return of Christ and the resurrection of His people.
[Bill Wachtel was formerly President of Oregon Bible College in Oregon, Illinois and has helped pastor a number of churches. He is now retired and pursuing a wider writing and teaching ministry]
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by Richie Temple
Cary, North Carolina
The subject matter of I Cor. 12:1 - 14:40 is, in the Greek, ton pneumatikon. These words which literally mean "spirituals" can be translated "spiritual persons", "spiritual gifts", "spiritual manifestations" or, more generally, "spiritual matters." The primary focus of this section of scripture is on how "spiritual people" are to properly utilize the manifestations of the Spirit in the gathered church or fellowship (i.e., ekklesia) of believers. Surely, there can be no real doubt that Paul expected these spiritual manifestations, or gifts, to be manifested in the lives of Christian believers until the time of Christ's return. In the interest of clarification of some of these terms we offer some comments by Gordon D. Fee, Professor of New Testament at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. Fee, who is a firm believer in the present availability of spiritual gifts, is widely recognized as one of the leading NT scholars in the world today. Highly recommended are his books on the subject of the holy Spirit including: The New International Commentary on the NT: The First Epistle to the Corinthians; and, God's Empowering Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul (Hendrickson). Following are some of his comments on the subject of "spiritual matters":
I think it is fair to note that if there is one thing that differentiates the early church from its twentieth-century counterpart it is the level of awareness and experience of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Ask any number of people today from all sectors of Christendom to define or describe Christian conversion or Christian life, and the most noticeable feature of that definition would be its general lack of emphasis on the active, dynamic role of the Spirit.
It is precisely the opposite in the New Testament. The Spirit is no mere addendum. Indeed, he [it] is the sine qua non, the essential ingredient, of Christian life. Nor is he a mere datum of theology; rather, he is experienced as a powerful presence in their lives. Whatever else may be said of the early church, it was first and foremost comprised of people of the Spirit [Gordon Fee, Gospel and Spirit, p. 111, Hendrickson].
The Term "Spiritual Gifts"
Speaking in regards to the term "spiritual gifts" in I Cor. 12:4-11, etc.:
Given the flexibility of language ... one should probably not overanalyze the different words used to describe the individual activities of the divine persons: "gifts," "services," "workings" [v. 4-6]. They are simply three different ways of looking at what in v. 7 Paul calls "manifestations" of the Spirit. This is supported by the fact that both "gifts" and "workings" occur again in the list [of v. 8-10] (associated with "healings" and "miracles" respectively).
[In v. 7-10] what "each one" is given in this case is not a charisma [gift], but a "manifestation of the Spirit." One should not make too much of the change of words, as if the following items would be wrongly called "gifts" because they are now called "manifestations." Most likely, the change reflects Paul's own emphasis throughout these chapters, which is on the Spirit himself, not on the "gifts." Thus each "gift" is a "manifestation," a disclosure of the Spirit's activity in their midst [Gordon Fee, God's Empowering Presence, p.163-164].
Thus, it seems evident that for Paul the manifestations of the Spirit listed in I Cor. 12:8-10 are also called "gifts" because each "manifestation" is "given" to the believer.
Speaking in Tongues
Speaking in tongues is certainly the most controversial of the manifestations of the Spirit listed in I Corinthians 12:8-10. However, what the Bible has to say about it is quite clear - at least for those who are willing to look at what the text says in an unbiased manner. As in all biblical subjects we have to let the text speak for itself and not pre-judge the issue. Certainly, this manifestation has been greatly abused in many charismatic circles but that does not detract from God's original intent for its godly usage in prayer and praise.
Paul's actual term is "different kinds of tongues." Enough is said in I Cor. 12-14 to give us a fairly good idea as to how Paul himself understood this phenomenon. (1) Whatever else, it is Spirit-inspired utterance; that is made plain by I Cor. 12:7 and 11 and 14:2. This in itself should cause some to speak more cautiously when trying to "put tongues in their place" (usually meaning to eliminate them altogether) in the contemporary church. Paul does not damn tongues with faint praise, as some have argued, nor does he stand in awe of the gift, as apparently the Corinthians had done - and some contemporary proponents of tongues do. As with all Spirit-empowered activity, Paul held it in high regard in its proper place. (2) The regulations for its community use in 14:27-28 make it clear that the speaker is not in "ecstasy" or "out of control." Quite the opposite; the speakers must speak in turn, and they must remain silent if there is no one to interpret. Therefore the mind is not detached; but it is at rest, and thus fruitful. (3) It is speech essentially unintelligible both to the speaker (14:14) and to other hearers (14:16), which is why it must be interpreted in the assembly. (4) It is speech directed basically toward God (14:2, 14-15, 28); one may assume, therefore, that what is interpreted is not speech directed toward others, but the "mysteries" spoken to God. (5) As a gift for private prayer, Paul held it in the highest regard (14:4, 5, 15, 17-18; cf. Rom. 8:26-27; Eph. 6:18) [ibid., p. 889-890].
Interpretation of Tongues
This manifestation of the Spirit requires only a few words of explanation:
This is the obvious companion to "tongues," precisely because of the unintelligibility of the latter. Although this term could mean something close to "translation," it can also mean "to put into words"; in this context it probably means to articulate for the benefit of the community what the tongues-speaker has said. The evidence from 14:5, 13, and 27-28 indicates (a) that this, too, is a "Spirit-inspired" gift of utterance and (b) that it may be given either to the tongues-speaker or to another [ibid., p. 173].
Prophecy
This manifestation requires a good deal of comment and I will allow Fee to speak for himself:
(a) Although prophecy was an especially widespread phenomenon in the religions of antiquity, Paul's understanding - as well as that of the other NT writers - was thoroughly conditioned by his own history in Judaism. The prophet was one who under inspiration of the Spirit spoke to God's people (e.g. Mic. 3:8). The "inspired utterance" came by revelation and announced judgment (usually) or salvation. Although the prophets often performed symbolic acts, which they then interpreted, the mainstream of prophetic activity, at least as it came to be canonized, had very little to do with "ecstasy," especially "frenzy" or "mania." For the most part the prophets were understood only too well! Often the word spoken had a futuristic element, so in that sense they also came to be seen as "predictors"; but that was only one element, and not necessarily the crucial one.
(b) With the outpouring of the Spirit at the end of the age, the early Christians understood the prophecy of Joel 2:28-30 to have been fulfilled, so that "prophecy" not only became a renewed phenomenon, but was also potentially available to all, since all now possessed the Spirit in fullness (cf. Acts 2:17-18). This especially fits what we learn in the Pauline letters. It appears to have been a widespread phenomenon (cf. I Thess. 5:19-22; 2 Thess. 2:2; Rom 12:6).
(c) The evidence in I Cor. 14 indicates that it consisted of spontaneous, Spirit-inspired, intelligible messages, orally delivered in the gathered assembly, intended for the edification or encouragement of the people. Those who prophesied were clearly understood to be "in control" (see 14:29-33).
(d) Although some people are called "prophets," probably because they were frequent speakers of "prophecies," in I Cor. 14 the implication is that it is a gift widely available - at least potentially - to all.
(e) Although the prophetic tradition of the OT probably lay behind Pauline understanding, at no point does he understand the prophet to be speaking anything other than an ad hoc word [i.e. words spoken to specific situations]. This is evidenced by the fact that for Paul it must be
"weighed" or "tested." Thus, there is never any sense that a prophetic word was to be raised to the level of "inspired text."
(f) There is no Pauline evidence for the phenomenon known in contemporary circles as "personal prophecy," whereby someone prophesies over another as to very personal matters in their lives. Where such might appear to be the case (e.g. I Tim. 1:18; 4:14), there is community affirmation (testing?) by way of the laying on of hands of the elders. Otherwise prophecy seems to be a strictly community affair, for the sake of the community's corporate life [ibid., p. 169-170].
[See Fee's books for his insightful comments on the other manifestations, or gifts, of the Spirit]
**
by Chuck LaMattina
Chicago, Illinois
There is a true story told about a man named Ira Yates, who owned a sheep ranch in Texas during the 1930’s. It was during this decade that the United States and much of the world, was going through a great financial depression. Even though Mr. Yates owned a sheep ranch, he found it very difficult to make a living. With little money for food and clothing for his family, like a lot of other people at the time, Yates and his family survived on a government subsidy.
Day after day as Yates grazed his sheep, he worried about how to pay his bills and care for his family. But then one day, a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and convinced Yates that there might be oil on his land. They asked for permission to do a test drill and Ira Yates agreed. As they began to drill, at 1,115 feet they hit a huge oil reserve. That first well came in at over 80,000 barrels a day! Translated into today’s market value, that’s about three million dollars a day from that single well. That was only the beginning! More wells were found and some were more than twice as productive as the first one.
To top it all off, after the oil had been pumped for more than forty years, a government test of just one of the wells showed it still had the potential to put out 125,000 barrels a day, and the once poor sheep rancher, Ira Yates, owned it all. Once Yates worried how to pay for food and clothing, all the while he was sitting on a treasure he never knew was there.
Now, this story is an apt illustration of how many Christians are sitting on a spiritual treasure infinitely more rich than a thousand oil fields. That treasure is the gift of God’s holy Spirit. This gift dwells deep within the heart and soul of every child of God. Too many Christians live frustrated and fruitless lives, simply because they do not know the vast power and resources that belong to them in the gift of the holy Spirit. Psalm 62:11 boldly declares,
God has spoken once; twice I have heard this:That power belongs to God (Ps. 62:11).1
The dictionary tells us that power is the ability or capacity to perform effectively to gain specific results. Psalm 62 tells us that God has all the power and resources necessary to carry out His will to gain specific results. Power belongs to God! In the light of this truth, it is amazing to read what Jesus Christ said to his disciples shortly before his ascension into heaven.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
Jesus Christ promised his disciples that they would receive power, godly, divine power, through the holy Spirit. And this promise was not just for that select group of people. This promise is for everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what the apostle Peter proclaimed at the feast of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection of Christ.
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. (Acts 2:38, 39)
Has the Lord God Almighty called you? Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Then the promised gift of the holy Spirit is yours, and so are all the rich resources of God that are in this gift!
The Bible tells us that those who are led by the Spirit, are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). We are told that we are regenerated, or born again by the Spirit and made heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7). The Word of God tells us that every Christian can manifest the Spirit for the common good of the whole church (1 Corinthians 12: 7). We are also told that this promised holy Spirit seals us for the day of redemption. It is the guarantee of our future inheritance of glory (Ephesians 1:13). And it is the Spirit that provides us with godly strength in our inner man (Ephesians 3:16).
Within every Christian there is a power that will enable us to make a grand moral transformation (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18). Deep within every believer there is a rich resource from which we can produce the divine qualities of love and joy and peace (Galatians 5:22, 23). And deep within every child of God, there is in the gift of God’s Spirit, a unique blending of spiritual abilities making us all capable ministers of the gospel and effective witnesses for Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). If we are ever going to live lives of godly power and wisdom, it is essential for us to have a solid biblical understanding of the gift of the holy Spirit.
Unfortunately, there is almost no aspect of the Christian life that is so misunderstood! The truth about the holy Spirit has been muddied by misleading Bible translations, faulty interpretations, and by man-made religious traditions. In addition, the evidence and power of the Spirit in the lives of many believers has been stunted by emotional fears, and by extremely bizarre ungodly activities wrongly attributed to God’s Spirit. In this book, my goal is to give you as much clear truth concerning the Spirit as I can. My purpose is not to simply fill your head with theological knowledge, but to set your heart on fire, and give you the confidence needed to experience this gift in your life. For as we experience the Spirit we can appropriate the salvation gained by Christ into our lives.
What is the holy Spirit?
So, what is the holy Spirit?2 The holy Spirit is the very life force and power of God in action. In the book of Genesis, we have the first occurrence of the word “Spirit” and this will give us an indication of its usage and meaning. In Genesis we read,
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:1-3).
In verse 2 we read that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” In other words, God’s Spirit was in action, moving intensely, and with purpose over the cosmos. God was about to begin the great work of bringing life and order and form to His creation. The Hebrew word for “Spirit” in the Old Testament is the word ruach. In the New Testament it is pneuma. The root idea running through both of these words is the idea of an invisible but highly effective force. It is a power of force that can be exerted in varying forms and manifested in many ways. We get our English word “pneumatics” from the Greek word pneuma. Pneumatics has to do with operating something mechanically by the force and power of air. Air is invisible, but it can be a force with incredible power! The manager of a granite quarry in North Carolina was quoted as saying, “We supplied all the granite for the municipal building in New York City. We can lift an acre of solid granite, 10 feet thick, to almost any height we desire for the purpose of moving it…We can do it as easily as I can lift this piece of paper.3
How did they do it? Pneumatically, with air! If you contain air in hoses and put enough pressure behind it, it will drive a hammer through concrete, stop a train pulling over one hundred cars, or move an acre of solid granite, 10 feet thick, anywhere you want! In Genesis 1:2 the Spirit of God moved over the cosmos, and when God said, “Let there be light”, there was light. That’s powerful!
The Spirit of God is the very essence of God. It is His very life, His character and power. It is His life force in manifestation and action. Thus from the first use of Spirit the testimony of the Scriptures is that it is God’s invisible, divine power manifesting itself. In Genesis it brought order and life to creation. Lets look at two other similar sections of Scripture, one from Job and the other from the book of Psalms.
By His Spirit He adorned the heavens…(Job 26:3)
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. (Psalm 33:6)
The word “breath” in Psalm 33, and the word “Spirit” in Job 26, are both translated from the Hebrew word ruach. By the Spirit of God, by His invisible divine power, all the galaxies in the universe were set in their place! And what God has done in the universe, He desires to do by His Spirit for every man and women today. God, by His mighty Spirit desires to bring order and life and fruitfulness to our lives.
The Spirit of God is the very life force of God. It is all that He is. And though we cannot see this Spirit, we can see its power and influence. We can see its manifestation. For example in Genesis we read that the Spirit of God made Joseph wise to discern Pharaoh’s dream.
And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. (Genesis 41:38, 39).
In Exodus 31, God’s Spirit gave a craftsman by the name of Bezaleel great artistic skills for the building of the Tabernacle.
Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying; “See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. (Exodus 31:1-3)
In the book of Judges, God’s Spirit gave the leaders of God’s people power and strength, and wisdom.
When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel…the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel. (Judges 3:9, 10)
And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him [Samson], and he tore the lion apart…(Judges 14:6)
God’s Spirit also inspired His prophets to speak for Him.
But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgressions and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8)
These are just a few examples of how God’s holy Spirit was understood and how it was manifested in the Old Testament. But it is when we come to the New Testament, that we gain a clearer understanding of what the holy Spirit is. Let’s begin in Luke with a record concerning the conception of Jesus Christ.
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born, will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35)
In this account the angel tells Mary that she will bear the Son of God. And then he tells her the means of conception: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.” We have here a vital piece of information about the nature of the holy Spirit. The two terms “Holy Spirit” and “power of the Highest” do not refer to two different things, but to one and the same thing: God’s power in action. The phrase “power of the Highest” defines the term “Holy Spirit. Simply stated, Christ was conceived by the power of God and, as the Gospels show, all that he did in his ministry he also did by the power of God’s Spirit (Acts 10:38).
The truth is, that in the gift of the holy Spirit believers have power from on high. In the gift of the Spirit, God’s empowering presence is in us giving us vast resources to live all of life with godliness and spiritual victory. The holy Spirit is not simply a nice little sidelight to the Christian faith. It is at the heart and soul of what it means to be born again. This gift is what marks us off as God’s special people, distinct from the rest of humanity (Romans 8:8, 9, 15, 16).
It is through the Spirit of God that the love of God floods our hearts (Romans 5:5). The Spirit of God gives us new abilities (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and a new sense of security as to our salvation (Ephesians 1:13, 14). The gift of the Spirit is our “Helper” enabling us to be all that God has called us to be, and to do all that he has called us to do. The holy Spirit is God dwelling in His people, in fulfillment of His promise:
“And I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (1 Corinthians 6:16 quoted from Leviticus 26:12; Ezekiel 37:27)
Throughout the rest of this book we will be exploring what the Word of God says about the gift of the Spirit. And we will discover how to utilize this gift in the best possible way, for the blessing of our lives and for the glory of God.
[Chuck LaMattina is the pastor of Grace Fellowship Church of God in Front Royal, Va. This article is adapted from Chuck LaMattina's book The Power of the Holy Spirit. This and his other books are available from Amazon.]
Footnotes
All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted are from the New King James Version (NKJV).
This work will use the term “holy Spirit,” with a small “h,” instead of printing “Holy Spirit,” which Bible translators have used to denote the third person of the Trinity. The Bible teaches that there is only one God, and one person who is God, and that is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The holy Spirit is the Spirit of God himself.
Billy Graham, The Holy Spirit, Word Books, Waco, Texas, pg. 24
**
by Steve Santini
Westfield, Massachusetts
As Christian believers we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. When the holy spirit convinced us of our need we called out to the Lord Jesus Christ and we believed that God had raised him from the dead. At that moment we were changed forever - all things became new. As Paul said, we were "regenerated" and, as John and Peter said, we were "born again." Our hearts were set free to live this new life in Christ - having been born of the Father before the foundation of the world.
Can we take of the residue of the old knowledge of good and evil to live this new life? The written word provides the answer. Although the Galatians had begun by the spirit they were turned in their minds to this slain nature and corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Their minds were diverted to believe that of their own selves they could form systems to attain Christ. These systems or programs became the standards by which they judged themselves. They ended up biting and devouring each other. The cross of Christ became of no effect and Christ was not being formed in them.
Jesus said, "New wine must be put in new wineskins." How then are our mental faculties made new? Through the holy spirit Peter provides one cord of truth when he says, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit ..." (I Pet. 1:22 KJV).
In Paul's epistles many cords of this truth are woven together. In Romans 12:2 he uses the passive voice for the verb "transformed" to indicate that the action of transforming is taken upon the subject "ye". In Ephesians 4:23, a pivotal verse between the old nature and the new, he uses the dative case of the noun in the phrase "in the spirit". Without the given preposition in the text the phrase is better understood to mean "by the spirit." Thus the soul, of which the mind is a part, is purified by submissively hearing the truth through the spirit. Hereby, we "work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13).
Throughout the written word patterns of truth are interwoven to display the all truth of the living tapestry of the sufferings and glories of Christ. One central pattern is the holy spirit's functional relationship with Christ. Jesus Christ promised that the comforter or holy spirit would come to testify of him (15:26). The comforter would receive of Christ and show it unto Jesus' followers thereby glorifying Christ. He would not speak of himself but only of Christ (John 16:13-15).
With the coming of Jesus Christ the work of the holy spirit become vivid. It was the work of the holy spirit that brought forth Jesus Christ in the womb of Mary. It was by the holy spirit that Elizabeth confirmed that it was the Lord's Christ in Mary's womb. It was the holy spirit that revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. It was the holy spirit that descended on Jesus as a dove when he was baptized of John that revealed whom he was. It was the holy spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness to face the devil's temptations, his final test as to whom he was. And, it was the holy spirit upon Jesus "without measure" that made him known.
It was important to Jesus that his followers know whom he was. He asked them shortly before he went to Jerusalem to be crucified whom they said he was. Peter responded correctly when he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Likewise, Jesus made it clear that this had been revealed to Peter by the spirit and that it was upon "this rock" that the church was to be built (Matt. 16:16-18).
As Jesus finished the last supper and walked with his apostles and disciples to the place where he would be taken for crucifixion, he spoke the foundational truths of the coming mystery of godliness. He told them to believe he was in the Father and the Father was in him. And he asked that if they couldn't believe on his words to believe for his works' sake. Moments later as he walked forward he said that he, who was in the Father, was to be in them and that they would know it on the day he lived (John 14:19-20).
During this time with them, Jesus also taught them on five occasions either the purpose or the character of the holy spirit who was to dwell in them. The holy spirit was to guide them into all truth, to teach them all things, to testify of Jesus Christ, to reprove and to be "the spirit of truth" or "the comforter." In short, the holy spirit was with them and would be in them.
On the day of Pentecost, Jesus Christ ministered the gift of the holy spirit from the Father. Through the holy spirit the twelve apostles were taught, empowered and set apart to proclaim Jesus Christ, the foundation stone of Israel. Years later Stephen, at the end of his declaration to the leaders of Israel, proclaimed, "ye do always resist the Holy Ghost ... " He was subsequently stoned to death. Here the Father's exclusive calling for Israel to become a nation of priests was summarily rejected. As the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen were laid at the feet of one Saul of Tarsus the Father's building program began its expansion from the foundation stone of Jesus Christ laid in Israel.
It was given to Paul as a wise masterbuilder to take this foundation of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected in Israel and build upon it with height, depth, breadth and length. Paul showed that the church was raised through the heavens into its position in the ascended Christ where each member is crucified, resurrected and seated together in him. This consummate, inclusive plan without boundary or separation - where all are one in Christ - is the mystery hid in God from before the foundations of the world. Thus, the best wine is saved for last.
The holy spirit is guiding us day by day into this all truth of Christ's habitation. Now from faith to faith, from patterns of things seen to the unseen of the heavenlies, we move from our faith in him to his faith in us. In him, who is in the Father, we have our life, being and movement. The holy spirit is receiving of him and is writing on our hearts the life of Christ within. In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and through the holy spirit he shares that part of himself that is needed to individual souls. In this manner our humble hearts grow together in the knowledge and understanding of ourselves in Christ and Christ in us. In this way Christ is formed in our souls and he is ever living through the new creation of his body.
[Steve Santini publishes his own newsletter Ekklesia in Westfield, MA]
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By Scot Hahn
Cary, North Carolina
I am one among the many growing number of Christian believers who practices the Spirit inspired manifestation of speaking in tongues. For my life speaking in tongues is a wonderful blessing and a precious gift. Though speaking in tongues has suffered a great deal of criticism from both scholars as well as the church at large, this is really no wonder. Anything (especially a spiritual phenomenon) which begins to raise eyebrows tends to draw a quick and terminating blow from those who wish that things be left the way they are. God however has been the instigating force from the beginning of the Christian church in inspiring this great gift and the same is true today.
It is my conviction that the Bible has plenty to say in favor of this manifestation of God's Spirit. And, I also would go so far as to say that the Bible has nothing at all demeaning to say about speaking in tongues - as long as it is done in a "fitting and orderly way". Speaking in tongues is a gift from God and should not only be allowed but expected where there are believers.
Unfortunately, misconceptions about speaking in tongues abound. Many people have learned what they know about speaking in tongues from the charismatic and sometimes frenzied Pentecostal type churches in which this manifestation of the Spirit has come to light. Based on some of the stories that I have heard and read as well as experiences I have had in certain of these churches I can sympathize with those who would rather this gift be left a mystery. Speaking in tongues has traditionally been associated with churches that also carry out such unbiblical practices as being slain in the spirit, snake handling, uncontrollable laughing and shouting as well as other "strange" happenings. It is not my concern, however, to speak about the misconceptions but rather to examine some of what the Bible itself has to say about this gift and hopefully in the process make clear the fallacy of some of these misunderstandings.
Speaking in Tongues in Acts
The book of Acts contains three records (Acts 2:4, 10:44-46, 19:5-6) in which Christian believers spoke in tongues. By reading over these records in context and drawing out a few points we can get some good ideas of what speaking in tongues meant for the first century believers. In Acts chapter 2 we find a group of believers including the twelve apostles gathered in celebration of the Feast of Pentecost. Not long before this Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead. What was probably most fresh in their minds was his instructions to them after he had been raised from the dead about what to do once he was "taken up to heaven". Acts 1:4 records some instructions he gave them at this time, "On one occasion while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." It is in Acts 2 that we find this promise fulfilled.
When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
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. Utterly amazed, they asked: 'Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?...we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!' Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, 'What does this mean?" (Acts 2:1-12)
Then Peter gives the explanation,
This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people...".
So here where we find the first record of believers speaking in tongues it is clearly understood to be evidence that the promised holy Spirit has been given to the believers in Jesus Christ. The followers of Jesus had received God's Spirit and the reason the people around them knew it was because they were speaking in tongues. Something else which is important to note is that the crowd that came together in bewilderment described this speaking in tongues as "declaring the wonders of God".
The next time we run across speaking in tongues explicitly being mentioned in the Book of Acts is when Peter is visiting the centurion Cornelius. Peter, in opposition to the Jewish regulations of his time, goes to visit this gentile family in response to a vision he has received. In verse 42 of chapter 10 Peter is in the middle of laying out the "good news of peace through Jesus Christ":
'He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.'
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God (Acts10:42-46).
Here again we find speaking in tongues as the evidence of people receiving the holy Sprit. Later as Peter is reporting to the brothers back in Jerusalem he explains what happened at Cornelius' house like this:
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized without he Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God? (Acts 11:15-18).
Again it was by the speaking in tongues that Peter and the other circumcised believers knew that the gentiles had been accepted by God and given His Spirit.
Acts 19:1-7 is the last time in Acts that speaking in tongues is recorded. Paul is coming into Ephesus and he runs across some disciples,
and asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'
They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'
So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?'
'John's baptism,' they replied.
Paul said, 'John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all."
Here again the believers speak in tongues when they receive the holy Spirit. In all three of the examples in Acts when people speak in tongues it is the evidence that they have received the holy Spirit and are accepted by God.
Speaking in Tongues in I Corinthians
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians contains a great deal of information about speaking in tongues. However, we need a little background information on the church in Corinth before we can understand some of the things Paul has to say about speaking in tongues in chapters 12-14. In these chapters Paul is probably addressing some abuses in regards to speaking in tongues as well as other abuses which caused confusion and disorder in the Corinthian church.. His greatest concern for the believers in Corinth is that when they come together they be edified,
Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church (14:12).
Paul stresses the importance of diversity within the local group of believers which is the body of Christ in that region:
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many (12:14).
God has arranged the (different) parts in the body just as he wanted them to be (12:18).
(the different) ... parts should have equal concern for each other (12:25).
He also explains that the only way in which the church will be edified and the different members of the body will contribute to the well being of the whole is if they exercise their spiritual gifts in love (Ch. 13). Now that we have seen some of the goals Paul has in addressing the Corinthian church we will be better able to understand some of his comments to them about speaking in tongues.
To begin with, in chapter 12 Paul lists speaking in tongues as a manifestation or evidence of the Spirit in one's life. This is in complete agreement with what we learn from the Book of Acts, but Paul has more to say about the matter.
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 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. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening , encouragement, and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 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 (14:1-5).
Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts try to excel in gifts that build up the church. For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving. You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue (14:12-19).
In all of these verses Paul is speaking about what should go on as they gather for fellowship. Paul is not concerned that there are those that speak in tongues. In fact, Paul desires that all of them speak in tongues (vs. 5) because he himself knows what a great blessing it is (vs. 4, 18). What Paul is saying is that speaking in tongues in the gathered assembly without an interpretation of what you are saying to God is not useful for building the others up that are present because they cannot tell what the speaker is saying. This is his main concern in this section. He ends by encouraging them
... do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything must be done in a fitting and orderly way (vs. 39-40).
It is obvious throughout I Corinthians that those who speak in tongues are in total control of this manifestation of the Spirit. They can speak in tongues at will and they can refrain from doing so as well. The Spirit does not "take them over" and force them to do anything. This is precisely why Paul can give them instructions about the proper use of this manifestation. Godly order is not achieved when the church gathers and people speak in tongues without an interpretation of what they are saying. Therefore, unless they interpret what they have spoken in tongues they should remain silent in the church fellowship.
So then, the manifestation of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, is desirable for one's life if it is used properly. This would include the speaker speaking by himself in order to praise God with the Spirit because this brings needed edification to the individual himself. This would also include speaking in tongues in the gathered assembly if there is an interpretation so that the church may be edified as well.
So, as we have seen from all of these sections of scripture speaking in tongues does not seem to be the exception in the first century church. Instead, speaking in tongues was widespread in the early church and was clearly considered to be evidence of the giving of God's Spirit to his people. Speaking in tongues is also desirable within the parameters of decency and orderliness because it is edifying for the individual who speaks to God with prayer and praise in the Spirit. In summary, for anyone who has not experienced this manifestation of the Spirit the New Testament serves as a guide showing that it is available to those with the Spirit and that it is also a great blessing to their lives. To those who have experienced this gift the New Testament serves as a guide to how it is to be properly manifested both in one's private prayer life as well as within the church fellowship.
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by Mark Coomer
Every believer is guaranteed an inheritance - the inheritance of the Kingdom of God - which will be bestowed at Jesus Christ's return. This future inheritance is guaranteed by the seal with which God now marks each Christian - the Holy Spirit:
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, which is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory (Eph.1:13,14).
The Holy Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until we, who are God's possessions, are redeemed by Him and granted administrative positions with Messiah in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 5:10; Tim. 2:12; etc.).
Ancient Israel Anticipated the Spirit
Many years before the Holy Spirit sealed each believer, God promised Abraham and his offspring this inheritance. God gave Abraham's descendants, the Israelites, a sign to watch for, so that they would know when their inheritance was near. This sign would be the Spirit of God poured out on all those who obey God:
And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire, and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors [remnant] whom the LORD calls (Joel 2:28-32; cp. Ezek. 36:25-30, 39:29; Isa. 32:15, 59:21; Zech. 12:10).
God revealed to the prophet Joel that "in those days" before the "Day of the LORD," the day of Israel's deliverance and redemption into its inheritance, He would pour out His Spirit on the minority of Israelites, the remnant, who faithfully serve Him.
Every descendant of Abraham understood that his inheritance would include eternal life in an age of permanent peace and prosperity under God's rulership in the land which He had promised to give them. According to the prophet Joel,
Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias. Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations (Joel 3:17, 18, 20).
We can easily understand why faithful Israelites eagerly awaited the arrival of God's Spirit in preparation for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus' Disciples Receive the Spirit
But the sign did not appear until after Jesus, their Messiah, had ascended into heaven about two thousand years after the promise to Abraham. The Apostles and others who followed Jesus were the first to be filled with the Holy Spirit on the Jewish feast of Pentecost:
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).
Curious bystanders gathered around as Peter explained that this event fulfilled the expectations which the prophets had instilled in Israel since ancient times.
This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
'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.
I will show wonders in the heaven above and on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' (Acts 2:16-21).
Peter declared that this outpouring of the Spirit was the sign for which Israel had long been waiting. The last days of this age had arrived at last. Israel's promised inheritance which would accompany the day of the Lord, was near.
Jesus Prepared Israel to Receive the Spirit
Peter naturally knew the meaning of these things since he was a student of Jesus Christ. Jesus' basic teaching was that the Kingdom of God, the coming age of Israel's deliverance, was near at hand. Throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus was constantly preparing his people to receive the soon-coming Spirit of God about which the prophets had spoken:
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me. And let him drink, who believes in me. As the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:37-39, NIV margin. See also John 3:3-10; 4:21-26; 7:37-39; 14:15-26; 16:7-15; 20:22-23; Acts 1:8, 2:33).
Jesus declared that he was the prophesied Messiah of Israel who would administer the Spirit to those who believe in him. But the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus had not yet ascended to the right hand of God in Heaven, from whence he would pour out the gift.
After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus gave his disciples final instructions concerning the coming Kingdom of God. He reminded them of that which he had spoken so often before, that is, God's promised gift of the Holy Spirit:
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4,5; cp. Lk.24:49).
A few days later, on the day of Pentecost, Jesus poured out the Spirit (Acts 2:32, 33) just as he had promised.
"Even the Gentiles" Receive the Spirit
The Apostles knew that the gift of the Holy Spirit, the pledge of their future inheritance, had arrived in the final days of this age, before the great Day of the Lord, when God would usher in His Kingdom. What they did not understand until some years later, however, was that God had planned to include the Gentiles among the inheritors of this Kingdom. This secret was revealed to Peter. While preaching to the Gentiles, he observed them receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in the same manner as the Jews had at Pentecost years before. He later reported this experience to the church in this way:
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them [Gentiles] as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the gift he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God? When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life" (Acts 11:15-18).
To the Jewish believers, "repentance unto life" meant repentance with a view to gaining life in the coming age of Israel's restoration when Messiah would rule the earth from Jerusalem.
After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them:
"Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the nicks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are" (Acts 15:6-11).
Notice carefully that before the introduction of Gentiles into Christ, the doctrine of salvation by faith, without the yoke of the law, is already firmly in place. The believers who had accompanied Jesus during his earthly ministry knew that "the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). God no longer makes any distinction between Jew or Gentile believers. The Holy Spirit is given freely to all who believe Jesus' Gospel of the Kingdom (Mk. 1:14, 15). The "blessing given to Abraham" is now available to the Gentiles through faith:
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (Gal. 3:14).
The "blessing given to Abraham" is "the land God gave Abraham (Gen.28:4). The believing Gentiles also received the "promise of the Spirit," which is the token of inheritance with Israel. The Apostle Paul, who had received from Christ a special ministry (oikonomia, Eph. 3:12) to the Gentiles, explained this to them clearly:
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, which is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:13, 14).
Gentiles also are now included in Christ when they believe. As a result, they too are counted as Abraham's children, and they too will receive the same inheritance according to the same promises. Paul the Apostle expresses it this way:
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3:29).
The "last days" of the Holy Spirit
One question remains: If the coming of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the "last days" before the Day of the Lord spoken of by the prophet Joel, why have nearly two thousand years passed without the establishment of the Kingdom of God? Why hasn't the sun "turned to darkness and the moon to blood?" Once again Peter has the answer:
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:3, 4, 8, 9).
These words, written by Peter near the close of his life, remind us of the command he gave to those who believed his words on that day of Pentecost long ago, when they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter answered:
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
May this be our counsel also to those who inquire about our faith.
[Mark Coomer has written an excellent research paper entitled The Church: The Israel of God which he will be glad to mail to anyone interested. He can be reached at: Mark Coomer, P.O. Box 2292 Evansville, IN 47728 or by e-mail at: mscoomer@evansville.net ]
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by Scot Hahn
Many of us derive much value and motivation in life from the feeling of being accepted by others. Whether it is a group of peers, colleagues or even those on an online social media site, the idea that we are welcomed and included gives us a sense of self-worth. Although we experience satisfaction when we have been judged by people to be worthy of their association, it is important to remember that the judgement of other people is based on a very limited understanding of who we really are and is oftentimes subject to any wind of change that blows our way. In contrast, God judges and approves of us based on his unlimited knowledge of what others cannot see, “For man looks at the outward appearance but the LORD looks upon the heart” 1 Sam. 16:7. Ultimately, it is this acceptance by God to be included among his people and to be part of his great plan for the ages that gives our lives meaning and purpose.
We see the great difference in the significance of God’s acceptance over and against man’s illustrated in one of the most powerful and influential events recorded in the Book of Acts. Beginning in chapter 10 God prepares his representative, Peter, and Peter’s soon-to-be audience, the Roman centurion Cornelius and his household, for the great revelation that through the gospel God includes people into his plan based on his knowledge of their heart, not on ritual observance or external factors. He does this through a series of visions and divine visitations that set the stage for Peter’s proclamation to a group of Gentiles of the message of salvation through Christ which we pick up on in verse 34,
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
We are witnesses of everything he did in the county of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen...He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. (Acts 10:34-46 NIV)
It is important to remember that from the viewpoint of the Jewish people at this time a Gentile could only be accepted as a part of God’s people by undergoing certain external rites, including circumcision and the observance of dietary restrictions, so that any person could clearly see the change take place. But in this groundbreaking instance, God begins to fulfill his age-old promise to Abraham that “in him all nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 18:18) by giving the holy Spirit to Cornelius and his household simply because they believe the message spoken by Peter. There is no prior outward ritual to be observed or formal induction to be performed. God knows their hearts and gives his approval.
This naturally causes astonishment in the Jewish believers present who hear the Gentiles speaking in tongues and praising God because they know without a doubt that God has given them his Spirit. Likewise, there is perplexity among the other circumcised believers back in Jerusalem when they hear the report. In chapter 11 Peter is questioned about his willingness “to go the uncircumcised people and eat with them” so he recounts to them the whole story of how God was at work to open the door for the Gentiles to believe. In verses 15-18 we see Peter explain the inner working of his mind as he tries to make sense of the incident as well as the conclusions which the other Jewish believers draw,
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if he gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think I could oppose God?”
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
Here for all to see is the incontestable truth that God has opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles based on the faith that is in their hearts.
As the years went by and the number of Gentile believers greatly increased, opposition continued to arise, especially among the Jewish believers, regarding exactly how it is that one is to be accepted as being truly one of God’s people. In Acts 15 we observe how the issues were resolved by an appeal back to this first occurrence of the outpouring of God’s Spirit on the Gentiles. In verse 5 we pick up,
Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe that it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Although the passage of time has rendered irrelevant some of the matters which faced the first-century church concerning the composition of God’s people, one great truth continues to shine forth from this account. Being approved by man, while of some value, counts for little when compared with being embraced by God. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have received God’s gift of holy Spirit and know of its powerful manifestation and life-changing influence. God has accepted us. At present we find fulfillment in our lives through understanding this truth; moreover, as we look ahead we know that the gift of the Spirit now is but a foretaste of all the glory that is ready to be revealed to us at the return of Christ.
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