Bible Question: Are you saying no Spiritual Gifts, or just speaking in tongues? What about the gifts listed in I Cor. 12? This is a new idea to me and I would like to understand.Thanks |
Bible Answer: Greetings pcooper! This is an edited version of my original response of 5-21-02 to the post you have referenced: For most of my life I was taught to believe just what Grace and Truth has written: "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." THANKFULLY, God was not limited by what I had chosen to believe about Him. He had to overtly "knock my socks off" (this got my attention!) several times before I could finally admit that I had been foolish to put up with the traditional teaching of men rather than depending upon the teaching of the Holy Spirit on the matter of spiritual gifts. Because I had refused to believe that God could no longer speak, except through His Word, I denied myself the privilege of hearing His voice and allowed doubt to reign. BIG MISTAKE! Those who profess to believe in the cessation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit have chosen to put God in a box - in reality, they are defining who THEIR God is and do not allow HIM to do the defining for THEM! (I think this falls into the category of "Thou shalt have no other gods before ME!") The spiritual gifts are alive and well today. "You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." James 4:2-3 In Christ's love, Mommapbs |