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Commentary on "Spiritual Gifts and Prophecy"
Day 3: Monday, January 12, 2009
The lesson begins by introducing two views in Christianity. The first group believes that the gifts are divided between sign gifts and edifying gifts. The sign gifts were only needed to give the apostles “credentials”, and ended with the apostles. The second group teaches that all the gifts are present in the church until the Lord comes.
The study continues by stating that Paul teaches that the gifts will be in the church until Jesus comes, but that spiritual deterioration had caused the gifts to largely disappear. When the reformation occured, many gifts were restored, but the gift of prophecy was not given. It would be manifested later in the remnant church.
Problems
The simplification of the views held in Christianity to only two views is misleading. In just one church you can have a much broader spectrum of views on what gifts are active and how those gifts are used. John MacArthur is quoted to support the viewpoint that the sign gifts are not given now, but he only represents the Reformed view—and not all Reformed Christians agree with him, inculding well respected pastor John Piper, who states that all the spiritual gifts are present today.
The next problem is the statement that spiritual gifts largely disappeared during the third and fourth centuries. These are the years leading to the decree of Constantine that made Christianity the state religion of Rome. This unsupported claim denies the clear teachings of scripture:
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (I Cor. 12:7–11).
This Bible passage states that every Christian is given the manifestation of the Spirit. The particular gift is chosen by the will of the Holy Spirit, and that same Spirit empowers each gift. To say that spiritual gifts disappeared is also stating that Christianity died. But that also goes against the Bible:
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).
The idea that God restored some spiritual gifts at the Reformation, but not prophecy since none of the Reformers claimed to be a prophet is false. The gift of prophecy is misunderstood by the writer of the lesson. According to Revelation 19:10, the “spirit of prophecy” is “the testimony of Jesus”. The Reformers were using the gift of prophecy when they called the church out of the errors of legalism and false doctrine to follow the Gospel of Jesus.
The ending statement that the prophetic gift would be manifested again in the remnant church is not supportable by the Bible. The text the lesson gives as support is Revelation 12:17:
“Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus…”
The testimony of Jesus is just that—the words and witness of Jesus as found in the Gospels or as declared by His followers.
Finally, the notion that there is an end-time remnant church is not found in scripture. As stated above in Matthew 16:18, the church was built by Jesus and it will continue until the end. There is no Biblical support for an end-time “remnant” church with new or renewed blessings from the Holy Spirit.
Summary
- Spiritual gifts have never died out. They are given and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
- The Reformers exhibited the gift of prophecy by declaring the words and witness of Jesus, and by calling the church out of the errors of legalism and false doctrine.
- There is no Biblical support for an end-time “remnant” church with new or renewed blessings from the Holy Spirit.
Copyright 2009 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised January 11, 2009. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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