The author wrote this study nearly thirty years ago; a more recent study on this topic may be seen in an essay posted at the end of this chapter.
Chapter 22
THE TEMPORARY GIFTSINTRODUCTION
Baptists have historically believed that there were some spiritual gifts (and offices) that belonged to the infancy of the Lord's church. This was a natural result of their stand on the Bible. They held it to be their "only rule of faith and practice." This position has also been held by orthodox protestants.
On the other hand Catholicism and the majority of the cults have always claimed to possess miraculous gifts. Inspired prophets, new revelations, and miraculous healings and signs have always been boasted by these groups; 1n recent times a religious movement dubbed the "charismatic renewal" has made claims that the miraculous gifts are being restored through its agency. This movement is now interdenominational and has experienced tremendous growth.
As the modern emphasis upon miracles is surveyed, one wonders if the way is not being prepared for the coming of the Antichrist (II Thessalonians 2:8-12). His coming will be during a time of great emphasis upon the miraculous (Matthew 24:24, 7:22-23). It behooves the people of God to examine everything by the searchlight of God's Word. I. THE NINE TEMPORARY GIFTS.
In I Corinthians 12:8-10, we have nine gifts listed that were the peculiar possession of the apostolic churches. These gifts (as with the office of apostle and prophet) were temporary. Our plan is to first define these gifts and then to prove that they were not given by God as a permanent endowment. A. The word of wisdom.
This was the ability to supernaturally make decisions or speak, not on the basis of study or forethought, but through the direct work of the Holy Spirit on the mind (Acts 6:8-10; Matthew 10:19-20). (Why do those who claim to possess this gift hire lawyers when involved in litigation?) B. The word of knowledge.
This was the ability to know facts and comprehend situations by virtue of a direct revelation from the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-10; II Kings 5:25-26). C. The gift of faith.
This is what we would call "miracle-working" faith (I Corinthians 13:2, Acts 3:1-9). This faith was not possessed by all saints, but was sovereignly bestowed by God as He saw fit (I Corinthians 12:11). It must not be confused with saving faith which is common to all saints. D. Gifts of healing.
This was the ability to heal at will (Acts 9:32-35). Healing was performed as a Sign (John 10:38; Acts 4:29-30). E. The working of miracles.
This was the ability to do miracles as a sign or confirmation that one's message was from God (Hebrews 2:3-4). F. Prophecy.
This was the ability to receive and to convey to others messages or doctrines that came by direct revelation from God. The Bible was written by prophets. G. Discerning of spirits.
This was the ability to discern whether those who claimed to exercise spiritual gifts were of God or of Satan. The early churches did not have a completed New Testament by which to examine the teachings of professed prophets. H. Tongues.
This was the supernatural ability to speak in languages that had not been acquired by study (Acts 2:1-11). This was done as a sign. (I Corinthians 14:22). I. Interpretation of tongues.
This was the ability to supernaturally interpret for those who spoke in tongues (I Corinthians 14:27). II. FACTS THAT PROVE THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF THESE GIFTS.
In this section we wish to offer proof for the assertion that some gifts were temporary. In saying this, it needs to be understood that we are not trying to prove that God no longer heals, does miracles, or leads and illuminates His people. Every Christian rejoices in a prayer-hearing God. There is a difference however in God healing in response to prayer and in a man having the gift of healing as a sign. What we are asserting is that those gifts that were for the purpose of authentication or revelation were temporary. Let us now look at some of the reasons why this position is indeed true. A. The early churches had special needs.
The apostolic churches very obviously had some needs that are not found in churches today.
1. They did not have a complete New Testament, therefore they stood in need of various Divine revelations.
2. They needed signs to authenticate the revelations thus received (Hebrews 2:3-4).
None of the reasons given by modern Charismatics for our supposed present need of these miraculous gifts is Biblical. They assert that these gifts will make the church more spiritual, but the gifts did not necessarily have that effect on the apostolic church (Compare I Corinthians 1:7 with I Corinthians 3:1-3). They claim that as God's people still get sick, so we still need gifts of healing. This of course reveals a failure to understand that the gifts of healing were to act as a sign to unbelievers. God still heals according to His own will but not as a sign. There is no Scriptural reason why churches with a complete and totally authenticated New Testament need these nine miraculous gifts. B. The testimony of church history.
Church history confirms the teaching that these miraculous gifts were confined to apostolic times (Hebrews 2:3-4). John Chrysostom (345-407 A.D.) the famous preacher from Antioch said concerning I Corinthians chapter 12, "This whole place is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer take place."
The Charismatics claim that carnality and lack of faith were responsible for the gifts being lost. This however contradicts several facts:
1. The church at Corinth was carnal (I Corinthians 3: 1-3) yet they had an abundance of gifts.
2. Gifts are sovereignly bestowed by God (I Corinthians 12:11). If they ever ceased it was because it was God's will that they cease and not because saints lacked faith.
3. Christ has always had sound churches who would have received these gifts had they been available (Matthew 16:18). C. The testimony of the Apostle Paul.
In I Corinthians 13:1-13, Paul is revealing the importance of love and its superiority over the gifts. In proving the superiority of love he states some interesting truths concerning the temporary nature of the miraculous gifts. Let us notice some of these facts.
1. In I Corinthians 13:10, a basic principle is annunciated. We are told that the incomplete will be done away with by the coming of that which is perfect. The incomplete revelation of verse 10 is obviously the miraculous gifts (vs. 9), and we believe that the Bible is that which is perfect. This being so then verse 10 would obviously teach that the completed New Testament canon would supersede and bring to an end the miraculous gifts. Some have tried to avoid this logic by making "that which is perfect" refer to the coming of Christ. This interpretation is to be rejected for the following reason:
a. "Perfect" is applied to a neuter object. It is hard to believe that Paul would refer to Christ as a "that."
b. The context is not dealing with Christ's return but with the differing degrees of completeness in revelation:
(1) Partial Revelation - Spiritual Gifts (vs. 9)
(2) Complete Revelation -God's Word
(3) Scripture must be interpreted according to its context.
c. In James 1:25 the Bible is spoken of as "perfect."
2. In I Corinthians 13:11, we have it insinuated that miraculous gifts were for the infancy of the church.
3. In I Corinthians 13:8-13, Paul seems to compare the relative permanence of faith, hope, charity, and the miraculous gifts.
a. Charity never fails (vs. 8), It is a grace that we will enjoy even in Heaven during the ages to come.
b. Faith and Hope are abiding when compared to the miraculous gifts (vs. 13, 8-10). Let it however be remembered that charity is still superior to faith and hope for both of these will be done away with at the return of Christ (Romans 8:24). c. The miraculous gifts were only temporary (vs. 8). They are not eternal like charity neither will they continue till the return of Christ as will faith and hope. CONCLUSION
Once the real purpose of the miraculous gifts is understood then the student should have no problem in understanding their temporary nature. There are in churches today no gifts that involve a direct revelation from God. Likewise as the sign gifts were given to vindicate new revelations they also have ceased. Those who believe that these gifts are still in operation cannot say: "The Bible is our only rule of faith and practice." To them the Bible is an open-ended revelation. Scriptural churches on the other hand believe that the Bible is God's finished revelation.
"God's Final Word." =================
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