Bible Question:
Dear iydubb: Would you be so kind to give a scripture reference that says we are to ask for gifts of the Holy Spirit? agape justme |
Bible Answer: Hello Justme! Forgive me for jumping in for iydubb. It’s true there are no verses which tell us to “ask” for the “spiritual” (the word “gifts” in I Cor. 14:1 is not in the original Greek text). But you may be interested to learn we are requested/commanded to desire and covet them. 1 Cor.14:1 says: "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." (KJV) The Greek verb here for "desire" is "zeloo". According to Vine's Expository Dictionary it means "to have a zeal for, to be zealous towards, whether in a good or evil sense." The same Greek word is translated 1) "covet earnestly" in I Cor. 12:31: "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way;" 2) "covet" in 1 Cor 14:39: "Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues."(KJV) In all these verses the verb under discussion is in the “imperative mood”, that is, the mood of command or entreaty. It expresses the appeal of one person’s will (in these instances, God’s) to another person’s will (man’s). This same imperative mood is found in the verbs of Mt. 5:44 “love your enemies”; Mt. 6:6 the phrases “enter into your closet” and “pray to your Father”; Mt. 11:28 “Come unto Me”; Jn 6:20 “be not afraid”; I Thess. 5:16: “Rejoice evermore”. God has requested/commanded us to love our enemies, enter into our closets and pray, come to Jesus, rejoice always, not be afraid, ANDarnestly desire/covet the spiritual, the best gifts, and to prophesy. But whether or not we CHOOSE to do any of these is totally up to us. Also, in one of your other posts of May 25, you stated that the gifts of tongues was the least of the gifts. How do you justify that statement? Even if it is the least of the gifts, how ungrateful a child I would be to refuse it on that basis. I truly don't understand why God's kids don't want all - great or least - He has for them. |