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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | The gift of Tongues | 1 Corinthians | Grace and Truth | 49948 | ||
Holy Spirit still works miracles Every devout Bible student is aware of the fact that miracles have been employed by God in the divine scheme of things. By means of miracles, the creation and organization of the Universe were effected (Gen. 1; Psa. 3:6-9; Heb. 11:3). Additionally, when Jehovah commenced his process of progressive revelation, communicating his will to the human family, he documented the authenticity of the message with supernatural phenomena. Miraculous signs were designed to validate the written message (cf. Mk. 16:17-20). But the fact of the matter is, God is not exhibiting his power today in a miraculous fashion, and that is demonstrated by the following line of argumentation. 1. There is no occurrence in today world that even remotely resembles the kind of signs that are common to the New Testament record. Where is the person with an amputated body-part that has had such instantaneously and perfectly restored (cf. Lk. 22:51)? Where is the individual, four days dead, who has come forth from the grave (Jn. 11:44)? Who pays his taxes these days with funds recovered from a fish mouth (Mt. 17:27)? An examination of so-called modern miracles will reveal that they have virtually nothing in common with the type of signs described in the Bible 2. The allegation that the Holy Spirit is working miracles today is contrary to the explicit biblical teaching relative to the purpose for which miracles were given. As indicated earlier, signs were designed to validate the revelation of God1s will for mankind (Mk. 16:20; Heb. 2:2-4). When the revelatory process was concluded with the completion of the New Testament record, miracles were no longer needed, hence, passed away (see 1 Cor. 13:8-13). No one can consistently argue for miracles today without also contending that divine revelation is on-going, and the New Testament is incomplete. 3. The means for the reception of spiritual gifts in the Christian age are not operative today. Gifts, in the first century, were bestowed by means of Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 2; 10), and through the laying on of the apostles1 hands (Acts 8:17, 18; 19:6; Tim. 1:6). Since there is no Holy Spirit baptism today (Eph. 4:5; Mt. 28:19, 20), and as there are no living apostles, it is obvious that, so far as biblical evidence is concerned, no spiritual gifts are being given to believers today. 4. As suggested earlier, the New Testament explicitly affirms that the early church1s endowment with miraculous gifts was to be temporary; when revelation was completed, supernatural signs were to pass away (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 13:8-13). See Jackson, 1990, pp. 114-124. Direct operation in conversion Denominationalists frequently contend that the Holy Spirit, in a direct and mysterious fashion, operates upon the sinner in the process of conversion. In his debate with N.B. Hardeman, the celebrated Baptist preacher, Ben M. Bogard, affirmed: The Bible teaches that in conviction and conversion the Holy Spirit exercises a power or influence in addition to the written or spoken word (p. 7). If the Holy Spirit operates upon the soul of the sinner independent of the written Word of God, why is it that not a solitary Christian has ever been discovered in those locales where the gospel has not been proclaimed? Why is it that tribes in primitive regions know nothing regarding the Lord Jesus, apart from the influence of biblical revelation? This circumstance is inexplicable in light of the foregoing theory. Certainly it is true that the Holy Spirit is instrumental in the regeneration of those who are lost. But his influence is exerted through his revelation, the Holy Scriptures (see Eph. 6:17), and not apart from these documents. For example, it is by the Spirit that one is led to be immersed into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Correspondingly, it is through the word that this identical result is effected (Eph. 5:26). In the conversion process, which is symbolically designated as being born anew (Jn. :3), it is by the agency of the Holy Spirit that the begettal is initiated. Yet note this affirmation: Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God. (1 Pet. 1:22, 23). James declares: Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth (Jas. 1:18). With this fact, Paul agrees. The apostle describes the Corinthians as those who had been washed, sanctified, and justified by the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11); and yet, he could declare in the same epistle: I have begotten you through the gospel (4:15). Clearly, the Holy Spirit, in leading honest people to the Lord, exerts his influence through the gospel message. To affirm that something additional is needed for salvation, is to rob the gospel of its power in the redemptive process (Rom. 1:16). |
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2 | The gift of Tongues | 1 Corinthians | Reformer Joe | 49962 | ||
You (or the person you quoted) wrote: "Denominationalists frequently contend that the Holy Spirit, in a direct and mysterious fashion, operates upon the sinner in the process of conversion." So does the Bible: 'Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."' --John 3:5-8 "You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." --2 Cor 3:3-6 "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" --Titus 3:5 "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure." --1 Peter 1:2 You (or someone else) wrote: "If the Holy Spirit operates upon the soul of the sinner independent of the written Word of God, why is it that not a solitary Christian has ever been discovered in those locales where the gospel has not been proclaimed?" Because the Holy Spirit does not work independently of His word. Normally, those whom God regenerates are among those who hear his word: "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul." --Acts 16:14 " How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?" --Romans 10:14 The necessity of gospel preaching is not contrary to the regeneration by the Holy Spirit. It seems that the rest of your post affirms this. The Spirit works through His word to regenerate the sinner. That seems to be what your post is saying. Funny that my DENOMINATION believes that, too... --Joe! |
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