SERVICE IN THE SPIRIT
I. INTRODUCTION
This lesson addresses a sticky part for many Christians. They are happy to have been delivered from the judgment of Hell and glad that it is free. Being a disciple and serving, however, are quite different things. As stated in the previous lesson, some people believe that only preachers, deacons and teachers are called to serve. Some people want to kick back and wait for the train bound for Glory, while others think they do not have any gifts with which to serve. Others think that pew warming is a spiritual gift. This lesson should clarify much of the misunderstanding about service.
II. SERVICE IS IN THE SPIRIT, NOT THE FLESH
Zechariah 4:6
Then he answered and space unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
John 15:1-8
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (KJV)
Galatians 3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
The first thing that needs to be understood before one can fully serve the Lord is that the flesh cannot fulfill His will. It is not how powerful or mighty we are. Few of those types are ever saved. (ICorinthians 1:26-29) It is by His Spirit that His work and will is accomplished.
How hard does a branch on a vine work to produce fruit? Not at all! It just remains open to the vine and allows the vine to fill it with what the branch needs to bear fruit. The vine is the one that draws the nutrients out of the earth and passes it on to the branch. The branch need not be attached to the ground to survive and bear fruit. It needs only to remain attached and open to the vine. We also need to remain open to our Vine.
If we remain open to Him and abide in His presence daily through the Spirit, we will see fruit develop that we certainly did not work to achieve. Because it is by and of the Spirit, it will be sweeter fruit that lasts for eternity. Even at times when we are in despair and think we are not producing any fruit, we may actually be producing the greater fruit.
I remember once in college feeling down and doubting that I was growing at all. Then an older student came up to me to let me know he had seen a lot of growth in me in the last month. He told me he just wanted to exhort and encourage me. I was shocked, but happy that I was not as bad off as I thought. I did not see the fruit or feel like I was working for it, but it was there all the same. When we get to a state of consistent openness to God, we can ask what we will and the Father will be glorified.
We received power after the Holy Ghost came upon us at salvation, and because we were ignorant we walked in that power without stress for months or maybe longer. As we learned more about sin and righteousness we became more aware of our own sin. It is then we got into trouble. We thought we had to really struggle, strain and grovel to overcome our sins. When we got into that mode of thought we moved from walking in the Spirit to working in the flesh. We most likely saw our Christian life grow worse and doubted our salvation because sin seemed to be increasing instead of decreasing. That was because we started trying to keep ourselves saved and tried to fight sin in the flesh.
Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Clearly, working for salvation or to keep it is in the flesh and by the law. It cannot justify you before God? All the law and the flesh do for us is to give us knowledge of our condition as sinners. It brings condemnation, not salvation.
Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
It does not get much plainer than this. Paul, even as a lost Jew, was a much better man in the flesh than most of us. If no good thing dwelt in his flesh, then what chance do the rest of us have? There is no good thing in any of our flesh. Do you feel like a low down nasty stinking sinner? In the flesh, that is all you can be. At our very best in the flesh, we are useless, stinking; menstrual stained rags fit for burning. (Psalm 39:5, 11; Isaiah 64:6) Remember that when you are tempted to be proud. All that we can boast about is the Lord, His work in our life, and His gifts. (I Corinthians 1:31; II Corinthians 10:17;
I Corinthians 4:7)
Romans 8:3-4
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The law was not weak from God's perspective. It is spiritual and taught us our need for Christ. (Romans 7:7,14) The weakness was the inability of flesh to keep the law. Perfect obedience to the law was required; but because we could not do it, that which was appointed to be for life condemned and killed us! (Romans 7:10) Christ took on flesh and died for us so that sin could be condemned in the flesh. When we become one with Christ through the new birth, we no longer walk in the realm of the flesh and the law. Instead, we walk in the realm of the Spirit because we are dead to the law of sin and death. We cannot be condemned. (I Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:2,11; 8:1,2)
Romans 8:8
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The bottom line is that people place more emphasis on sins than they do sin. Sins are the outward expression of the sin nature. The sin nature came about by one sin. That sin was unbelief or lack of trust in God's Word. Adam and Eve eating the fruit was the expression of their sin of unbelief. (James 1:14,15)
What the devil did was conceive the thought of lust, which confused the issue and created unbelief or lack of trust in what God said. (…ye shall be as gods… Genesis 3:5) Unbelief or lack of trust leads either to forgetting what God’s Word says or adding to it or as in our day taking away from it. Eve added to the commandment not to eat, not to touch. With the touch, she saw that she did not die. This added to the unbelief and brought about their eating. Eating brought death. James was correct about temptation and death because the Holy Spirit inspired him.
Is plowing a sinful act? Yes, according to Proverbs 21:4, if the wicked are doing it. Why? Because it is not done in faith of God. They attribute their crop to their own ability, to "Mother Nature" or a false deity, but do not give thanks to the true God. That makes it a sin. This sin is committed because of their root sin of unbelief or trust in the true God.
Can a Christian commit sin doing good things? Yep! Romans 14:23 says that "…whatsoever is not of faith is sin." A lot of Christian’s actions and thoughts are dictated by what their denomination or leaders say. Although the standard may be correct, this is sin to them because they are not acting out of personal faith. They may do it out of emotion, but without faith it is sin though the act itself is good.
How do I know this? I have seen people shout and yell Amen to something said in a sermon. If anyone asks them if such and such is so or right they will affirm or deny emphatically depending upon the issue. Then the preacher leaves and the new guy preaches something else and they shout Amen. Ask them about the same topic and they will now emphatically affirm or deny based upon what the current preacher says. That is not of faith and it is sin to them. They have not studied and have no real clue if it is right or wrong. They are going by hearsay and not by illumination or discernment of the Lord by His Word. (Job 42:5; 1 Tim 1:7)
Some people serve in capacities they are not called by God to serve in because someone pushed them into it. All the arguments may have sounded logical and even biblical. But if God did not tell them to do it specifically or as one of the general calls to all Christians, then they should not do it. It is sin to them because they are not doing it in faith to God. They are not helping anyone if it puts them in sin. They are hurting others and themselves. They should quit. Conversely, it is certainly sin to someone who is not doing what God has told him or her to do. Either way, the flesh is dictating action, and God is not pleased. (Hebrews 11:6)
III. SPIRITUAL GIFTS
I Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Rejoice in this! We were unjust! We had no way to God, but Christ took upon Him our transgressions, our stripes and brought us to God! Now, reckoning yourself dead in the flesh but alive in the Spirit, seek to use your gifts accordingly.
We will now look at various spiritual gifts, having learned the necessity of them to properly serve God. You may immediately see what your is gift. If not, there are ways to help you determine what your gifts might be.
Here is one list of the gifts. It is shorter than the one in Corinthians. We will deal with the other gifts in the Corinthian chapter. Many scholars believe it is shorter because by the time Romans was written, after Corinthians, certain spiritual gifts were no longer necessary. The establishment of the Church and writing of many of the scriptures had precluded them and so they will not be discussed here. Abuse of these gifts also may be a reason they were suspended.
During the Tribulation period, it is possible that these gifts as well as others will be brought back into use in Israel to bring them to Christ. (Revelation 11:3-12; 14:1-7) Those same issues are often abused by many today. We may have further discussion of this in a future discipleship class. Due to time restraints in this class, we will only identify and define them.
Romans 12:4-8
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
PROPHECY
4394 propheteia (prof-ay-ti'-ah); from 4396 ("prophecy"); prediction (scriptural or other):
KJV-- prophecy, prophesying.
4395 propheteuo (prof-ate-yoo'-o); from 4396; to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise
the prophetic office:
KJV-- prophesy.
4396 prophetes (prof-ay'-tace);
from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet:
KJV-- prophet.
A full understanding of the gift of prophecy requires a look at all three Greek words pertaining to the prophetic office and the gift accompanying it. We always think of someone who can predict the future when we think of the word prophet. However, if you look at the Old Testament prophets you will see that they spent more time as forth tellers than they did as foretellers. They were going forth to tell God's people His message, and their message was always "Thus saith the Lord!" At times, it was to predict the outcome of a battle or to give an extensive panorama of the future like the prophets Daniel or Ezekiel.
Most of the time, their job was to pronounce judgment on the nation of Israel because of their sin or to correct a king: for example, Elijah and Ahab or Nathan and David. Although Abraham was called a prophet, he never predicted the future as far as we know from Scripture. But he had God's ear, and when he prayed for people God listened. (Genesis 20:7) We have that same power to have God forgive people who have sinned against us. (Matthew 18:18; Acts 7:60) The ministry of these prophets, that of reproof, rebuke, exhortation, etc., was no different from what Paul spoke of in II Timothy 3:16,17.
These men were problem solvers and called in to correct false doctrine and carnal living. They were far different from the diviners, wizards, and witches that were and are prevalent. God's people were commanded to stay away from those folks, and practitioners of such were condemned to death. (Deuteronomy 18:10,11; Exodus 22:18)
A true prophet had to pass two tests. First, he had to be 100% correct on every prophecy. That was how you knew it was from the Lord. If not, the man was talking from his own flesh and the people were to ignore him. It did not matter if he prophesied a dire consequence for those who did not follow him. They were to ignore him. Please note that every prophet in Scripture had a hundred percent record. The same cannot be said of any that profess to have this gift today. 99.9% does not count. Miss one and you are a false prophet. (Deuteronomy 18:21,22) Though I could not find where the people were to kill the false prophet, it is a good assumption that some of them did die at the hands of an angry crowd. Even if they lived, I would not want to be the “prophet” that God did not send especially if they were not warning the people to repent, but were rather the soft speakers who comforted them in their sin. God had some plans for those lads and the people! (Jeremiah 23:20-22, Isaiah 30:8-14)
Secondly, he had better have been pointing the people to Jehovah or in our day to Jesus Christ. If he came in the name of another god, he was a dead man. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18-20) We are warned that the Antichrist would come with many lying wonders, and that many antichrists would come before him. (II Thessalonians 2:7-12) Today, many that hold false doctrines and what Scripture calls damnable heresies, claim to be prophets or have the gift of prophecy. Others blatantly call themselves witches. A third group calls attention to themselves and their glory while supposedly prophesying in the name of Christ. They are portraying them selves as a god or, even worse, as God. Some have committed the error of Balaam, leaving their primary calling of caring for the people of God and using the ministry to enrich themselves. Be careful, my Brethren! (I John 4:1-3; II Corinthians 11:12-15)
Now that the Scriptures are completed and we have the prophecy of Revelation, I do not believe that function of prediction is any longer a role of the prophetic office. I realize that some of my Pentecostal friends would disagree with me. In my experience none of the predictions that I have heard made ever came true. We had a ton of them about Y2K. We had preachers predicting the end of the world back in 1982 because of the alignment of the planets. Well, we are still here. It was also supposed to happen in September of 2000. I am writing this in December and this sure does not look like Heaven or the Millennial Kingdom to me. I have not seen any predictions about the election mess, but my suspicion is that many will show up after the fact, claiming to have been made and recorded months before the inauguration.
I believe that over the years we have been given illumination about books like Ezekiel and Revelation and even previews of coming events. Hitler was prophesied to be the Anti-Christ, and he did do many similar things to what we read about the antichrist. But he was not the one. Many preachers staked their reputations on that prediction during WWII. It is a shame that they sullied their reputation with such a thing.
Many today are making the same kinds of predictions. This makes both them and Christianity appear foolish. Christ said no one but the Father knows the day or the hour of Christ's return. In light of Christ’s words, it is nearly blasphemy to even attempt to figure it out. At the very least it is the height of presumption that you would be the only one God would tell. It is particularly foolish when He said that He would come like a thief in the night. What thief tells you he will be at your house at 9:00 p.m. on September 11, 2000? Would you not have twelve squad cars waiting for him? Jesus questioned if there would even be any faith left on the earth when He returned, much less a crowd waiting on Mount Olivet! (Luke 18:8)
I can with great confidence and authority tell you that there will be wars and rumors of wars and plagues and earthquakes in the last days. The Bible says it, and so I can say it without fear. I cannot tell you that New York will experience a powerful earthquake at 7:30 a.m. on January 1, 2001. Daniel did not even understand all the details of his prophecy because it was sealed. Ezekiel is very detailed as to what will happen to Israel and the various nations, but gives us no date or time. We are told to take no thought for tomorrow for sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.
The point of biblical prophecy is to provoke us to holiness. (I John 3:1-3) It is to provoke us to church attendance and the use of our gifts, especially as we see prophecies happening and the time of His coming nearing. (Hebrews 10:25) It is not so we can know what size sneaker the Antichrist wears or to figure out the technical possibilities of the mark of the Beast. It is not to titillate the mind, but to capitulate our spirit and will to His will that we might be used in the salvation and edification of souls.
So, what is the gift of prophecy or the prophetic office for today? I have just used it and I do not claim the gift of a prophet as some use the term. It is to clearly speak and define God's Word to His people. It is to point out error in the Church, false prophets and sin. Fundamentally, it is preaching. Paul places this office and the office of deacon in the same order here as he does in I Timothy 3. While a pastor is a prophet, we do have what might be called free lance prophets like evangelists and revivalists. They proclaim God's Word to win and revive people, to point out error and bring people to repentance.
It is the gift that Paul told every one to desire because it is used to edify, exhort, and comfort people. (I Corinthians 14:1-3) It is not always a judgmental word that comes from God. The key is that the message, whatever it is, comes from God! You must study to show yourself approved unto God; then when you speak you can speak as the oracle or as an utterance of God. (I Peter 4:11) Plainly, you say, "Thus saith the Lord!" because you received it from His Word by the illumination of His Spirit. That is a true prophet!
(Because there is much confusion over that gift, I went into great detail and commentary.
I will try for a bit less commentary about some of the others.)
MINISTRY
1248 diakonia (dee-ak-on-ee'-ah); from 1249; attendance (as a servant, etc.); figuratively (eleemosynary) aid, (official) service (especially of the Christian teacher, or technically of the diaconate):
KJV-- (ad-) minister (-ing, -tration, -try), office, relief, service (-ing).
1249 diakonos (dee-ak'-on-os); probably from an obsolete diako (to run on errands; compare 1377); an attendant, i.e. (genitive case) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specially, a Christian teacher and pastor (technically, a deacon or deaconess):
KJV-- deacon, minister, servant.
This is the other office of the Church. The word can also be used for a person who has the servant spirit. As you can see, it is the word from where we get the term deacon. A deacon is a servant of the Church. He is not an assistant pastor. He is not the pastor's supervisor. He is not the pastor's personal valet. He is a servant of the whole Church.
The first deacons were appointed by the people to insure and supervise equitable food distribution to the widows supported by the Church. (Acts 6:1-6) Because this needed to be done by men of character, men full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom were chosen. They were not picked because they were good ol' boys or one of Granny Smith's boys. They were not chosen because they were good businessmen. They were men of spirituality and spiritual wisdom. Out of that first group we have the first martyr, Stephen and an evangelist, Philip. This attests to their spirit, character, and wisdom.
Paul tells us clearly in I Timothy 3:8-13 that those who hold this office have a great responsibility and honor. Their qualifications are almost as detailed as the pastor's qualifications. They are to have their own house in order, if they hope to help keep the Church in order. Because of their public role, their wives even have to be of good character. There is much truth to the proverb that behind every great man there is a great woman. A deacon or a pastor that has a rowdy wife who is prone to gossip will have a hard time fulfilling his ministry. He can be the holiest man on the planet, but if he does not have a wife that supports him and loves the Lord, he is all but finished.
What naturally follows the above discussion is the issue of deaconesses. In the Old Testament, the wives of a prophet were called a prophetess though they did not exercise the gift or hold the office of a prophet. If you want to call the wife of a deacon a deaconess by that same concept, then that is fine. In a sense, it shows the oneness of a married couple. However, the offices of deacon and pastor are only to be held by men. The wives support and may even assist their husbands, but they are not office holders. In fact, it is wise for a deacon or pastor to take his wife with him when he is ministering to a single woman or when there is the possibility that a husband might not be home. All Christians are ministers or servants; however, the Lord mandated that men would hold these two offices. A full exposition of this subject cannot be done here, but may one day be handled in a separate discipleship class.
TEACHING
1321 didasko (did-as'-ko); a prolonged (causative) form of a primary verb dao (to learn); to teach (in the same broad application): KJV-- teach.
1319 didaskalia (did-as-kal-ee'-ah); from
1320; instruction (the function or the information): KJV-- doctrine, learning, teaching.
A teacher should teach. If a person has the gift of teaching, they will be able to take a person from what he knows and lead him into what he does not know. While some of the dynamics are the same, remember the flesh cannot accomplish the Lord's work. Someone who might be a secular schoolteacher may not have the spiritual gift of teaching. They may have the talent of teaching, but it may not be their spiritual gift. This gift relates specifically to doctrine and spiritual teaching. This why a pastor is to be apt to teach or able to teach. This is one reason a woman is not to be a pastor. A pastor is to be apt to teach and a woman is not to teach. (1 Tim 2:12) That should be sufficient for the issue, but not in our argumentative and politically correct age.
EXHORTATION
3874 paraklesis (par-ak'-lay-sis); from 3870; imploration, hortation, solace:
KJV-- comfort, consolation, exhortation, intreaty.
An exhorter is someone who always has the right words to say. They can comfort or console someone. They know how to intercede in an argument and make peace. They can encourage someone by saying what they need to hear because that person may not be able to see clearly due to grief or confusion. They are the beseechers. They can plead better than any lawyer can, and it is not for their gain. It is out of a sincere love for the Lord and the person with whom they are dealing. Paul said that the book of Hebrews was a word of exhortation. You walk away from them feeling stronger than before they arrived. We owe these folks more than they know!
GIVING
3330 metadidomi (met-ad-id'-o-mee); from 3326 and 1325; to give over, i.e. share:
KJV-- give, imparticiple
572 haplotes (hap-lot'-ace); from 573; singleness, i.e. (subjectively) sincerity (without dissimulation or self-seeking), or (objectively) generosity (copious bestowal):
KJV-- bountifulness, liberal (-ity), simplicity, singleness.
The one with the gift of giving just gives and it never hurts, unless he cannot give enough. He makes no big deal about it. There are no conditions or catches to his giving. He sees the need and gives what is needed or what he can. After that, he may know other givers that he can bring in to complete the project. He never tires of giving and may be hurt if an opportunity to give is not shared with him. It is a rare gift. Many give, but not with the consistently or hilarious spirit of the one with the gift of giving. God loves this kind of giver. It may be because he has the same heart as God. (II Corinthians 9:7)
RULING / ADMINISTRATION
4291 proistemi (pro-is'-tay-mee); from 4253 and 2476; to stand before, i.e. (in rank) to preside, or (by implication) to practise:
KJV-- maintain, be over, rule.
4710 spoude (spoo-day'); from 4692; "speed," i.e. (by implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness:
KJV-- business, (earnest) care (-fulness), diligence, forwardness, haste.
the first century Church had elders who helped guide the Church. The Senior Pastor and Associate Pastor, as we call them, might be called the teaching elders or the ones who minister in the Word and doctrine. (I Timothy 5:17) The other elders might be described as Assistant Pastors in our time. Presbyterians and some others still call these positions elders.
The titles are not important. Their role was to rule or oversee the local Church, making sure that all the spiritual needs were met while the Deacons care after the physical needs. This is consistent with what is sometimes called The Jethro Principle. (Exodus 18:13-24) They are to be diligent about their role. This was not a position for a lazy man that had to be closely monitored or supervised. He had to be in gear and about his business.
MERCY
1653 eleeo (el-eh-eh'-o); from 1656; to compassionate (by word or deed, specially, by divine grace):
KJV-- have compassion (pity on), have (obtain, receive, shew) mercy (on).
2432 hilarotes (hil-ar-ot'-ace); from 2431; alacrity/cheerful willingness:
KJV-- cheerfulness.
Mercy is a great gift to have. We live in a world of needy and hurting people. Those who are drawn to the hurting and needy have the gift of mercy. They seem to seem to be on a radar frequency for these types of folks. They are always attuned to what they need and have a means of providing it. They can weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, but they are closer to those who weep. (Romans 12:15) They cheerfully seek out the hurting and they always seem to be online and on time with their compassion. You will not have to seek them out when you are hurting. They will find you, just like Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
APOSTLES
I Corinthians 12:28-31
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Now we come to the passage where there is much contention among believers. We will not talk again about prophets or teachers. Governments speak to the same things as the rulers in Romans 12. Helps would consolidate giving and mercy since the word denotes relief and both of those are relief ministries. Exhortation could also fall under helps.
The big differences in this list are the gifts of apostles, miracles, healings, and tongues. We will never get all this covered in this lesson. It will have to be definitions and short commentary. This will have to be a discipleship class all it's own and it may take two or more to do it.
652 apostolos (ap-os'-tol-os); from 649; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ["apostle"] (with miraculous powers):
KJV-- apostle, messenger, he that is sent.
These lads are the original twelve disciples who were with Christ minus Judas. Judas was replaced by Matthias. (Acts 1:26) Paul was then selected by the ascended Christ on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:1-6) Paul called himself one that was born out of due time because he did not meet all the same qualifications as the others. (Acts 1:21,22;
I Corinthians 15:8,9) He was the last apostle. After these 13 died there were no more apostles and there are none today. A visitor called my preacher friend an apostle, but she was wrong. A prophet, maybe, but he was not an apostle.
MIRACLES
1411 dunamis (doo'-nam-is); from 1410; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):
KJV-- ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
I thoroughly believe that God performs miracles today. I do not have a lot of stock in those who are called miracle workers. My biggest issue is that they turn the Holy Spirit into a sideshow act that performs miracles at 9, 11 and 1. I do not see that type of activity in the New Testament. Jesus performed most of His miracles on an as needed basis as part of His daily routine. The blind man cried out as Jesus passed by. (Mark 10:46-52) They were in a place where people were hungry and He performed the feeding of the multitude. He passed by the widow of Nain and raised her son. (Luke 7:11-15) In Acts 5, Peter was busy winning people to Christ, and it is said that people came by hoping that just his shadow might touch some of them. Later many people came with sick people and they were healed, but it does not look like it was the travelling show that they brought them to for healing. It was the Church.
I know that God has healed many marriages and brought sanity to a drugged or alcoholic mind. People have survived accidents that should have killed them. Can God use a man of God to bring about a miracle in answer to that man's prayer? Yes, indeed He can. He can do all things and anything He wants. I also know that there are deceivers and charlatans in the world.
We may not see as many miracles as we could because we are not expecting them. Others may see things that are not miracles. If they are not in accordance with the Word, they are not of God. We may also miss miracles because we are looking for the flashy ones. I believe that pastors, evangelists and revivalists have the gift of miracles in that it takes a miracle to get people saved, backsliders to return to the Lord, and people to become disciples. When those things start happening, then many more miraculous things begin to happen in hearts, homes, churches, and countries. Paul used the same word translated here as miracle (dunamis) for the preaching of the Gospel. (Romans 1:16) The Gospel itself is a miracle and powerful. If one is one gifted with the ability to deliver that message in power he has the gift of dunamis or miracles.
I have heard that some have raised cats from the dead and supposedly someone in the jungles of Borneo that cannot be confirmed. I have yet to see miracle workers raise someone from the dead that is certified by an atheistic doctor on the main street of Dallas or anywhere else. When I see that and people running through Children's Hospital or healing the crippled children I have passed by in Wal-Mart with my heart breaking because I cannot heal them, I might believe the gift is active today. I will be doubly assured if they leave the collection plate someplace else when they do it.
Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (KJV)
HEALING
2386 iama (ee'-am-ah); from 2390; a cure (the effect): KJV-- healing.
Well, that is plain in the Greek. In the miracles, I talked some about healing. I believe in healing. I believe in James 5. I also have these verses.
Philippians 2:26-30
26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.
Paul had the gift of healing, yet he says that God has mercy on this man. (Acts 28:8,9) Epaphroditus was allowed to go through an illness and nearly die before he was healed without the use of Paul's gift. God had a reason for this that He has not chosen to reveal, but I do not think it was because of lack of faith on either Paul's or Epaphroditus' part.
Dr. R. A. Torrey would not have considered himself either a Charismatic or a healer, but people he prayed for were healed. I have seen people healed where prayer was the only answer for their healing while others that were prayed for died. My Pentecostal friends would have to admit that they lose some patients. God is still sovereign and if He chooses to use an illness to bring someone home, it is His right to do so.
We also have a date issue here. The Book of Romans was written in 57AD, three years after I Corinthians. It does not list the gift of healing. Philippians was written in 64AD and it looks like Paul's gift was in some way limited. Is this a part of what Paul was saying in I Corinthians 13:8-13? Possibly, it is. I still believe in James 5, but there are times when even that does work. I preached a six-point sermon on why we are not always healed. We are not healed:
1. Because of sin. I John 5:1-3,14; Acts 5; I Corinthians 11:30; II Chronicles 21:19-20; Isaiah1:6; II Samuel 12:14-15
2. Because God desires to glorify Himself. John 9:1-3; II Corinthians 12:7-10; John 11:1-4;
3. Because we refuse to seek God. II Chronicles 16:12; II Kings 1:2-8
4. Because we disobey natural laws. Deuteronomy 23:12-14 (Plagues - Middle Ages); Genesis 1:29
5. Because we are faithless. James 5:14,15- failed? Maybe I John 5:16 is the answer. Isaiah 38:1-8 (Meds or Miracle?)
6. Because it is our time to die. II Kings 13:14, Compare Isaiah 38:1-8 to I Kings 14:13
The bottom line is that God still heals miraculously. God also uses medicine to accomplish healing. It does not appear that the gift is active exactly like it was in the early Church, but the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man still availeth much. (James 5:16) There are a lot of fakes about and we must be careful that all things are done decently and in order, which is why the local Church should be the place where James 5:14,15 should be exercised without a carnival or mercenary atmosphere.
(I Corinthians 14:40)
TONGUES
1085 genos (ghen'-os); from 1096; "kin" (abstract or concrete, literal or figurative, individual or collective): KJV-- born, country (-man), diversity, generation, kind (-red), nation, offspring, stock.
1100 glossa (gloce-sah'); of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired): KJV-- tongue.
Finally, we come to the gift that Paul said was the least of all, but gets the most notoriety. Least in that it appears last on the list. and Paul seems to be ranking these gifts in order of primacy, especially since he said that prophecy is the primary gift that we should seek. It is also least in that it serves no use for edifying the Church, but can puff up the possessor or edify him alone if there is no interpretation.
As you can see from the two Greek words for diversity and tongues, we are talking about languages. I did a study on this topic. Everywhere that the term tongue or tongues is used in both the Old and New Testament, outside of the books of Corinthians, the clear context shows that we are speaking about languages or the literal fleshly member. There is no reason to believe it is any different in Corinthians, but some adherents to the tongues phenomena wish to make it so.
Often, they emphasize the fact that it is an unknown tongue. Although I am of Germanic descent, outside of a few words and phrases German is an unknown tongue to me. If I woke up tomorrow speaking it fluently, I might be experiencing the biblical gift of tongues. It is unknown naturally to the possessor of the gift, but it does not mean it is unknown to any man.
Communication would be a needed thing for the Gospel to spread throughout the world. It would take a great deal of time for someone to learn all the necessary languages, and they had no language schools as we have now for missionaries. Even if you learn a language, there are often different dialects. Just think about the varying forms of English here in America, Britain and Australia. The business language of the day, Koine Greek, was good to know, but in some areas it may not have been spoken. Today, the business language of the world is English.
In order to expedite the spread of the Gospel, God gave a gift that would break down the barrier of language that He set up back at the tower of Babel. In Acts 2:7-12 the audience on the Day of Pentecost was astounded that they heard the message in their native languages or tongues. There are approximately eighteen different languages mentioned. There were at least a hundred and twenty people in that room when the Holy Spirit was poured out. To prevent total chaos some may have spoke the same new tongue as each other, but it would be possible to have 120 languages represented in that room. We are not told exactly, but we are told of at least eighteen.
To the Galilaeans that were doing the speaking, these would certainly be unknown tongues. Even if they had done business with some folks from some of these areas, they would not be speaking as a native. I took two years of French in High School and was good enough to help third and fourth year students after I quit taking the course. I guarantee you that if I had traveled to France, it would have taken two sentences or less for a native to know that I was a foreigner.
I was passably fluent in Thai, but not like I was born there. I met one woman in Thailand that spoke better English than most of us. I was embarrassed, but she would be picked out immediately in the States as a foreigner because she spoke it too perfectly. Judges 12:4-6 tells us that not saying a word correctly can get you killed. This is why the miracle grabbed the attention of those in that audience. Every nuance and idiom or slang was perfect, as if the disciples were homeboys of everyone there.
Some use I Corinthians 13:1 as a reason why their particular utterance cannot be understood as a human language. They say that they are speaking the language of angels. Paul is using hyperbole to get his point across that love is far greater than tongues. It follows I Corinthians 12:31, where Paul says that he would show the Corinthians a more excellent way. Because it is flashy, everyone wanted that gift in those days. I believe that not a few new converts in the last eighty years have sought it at least one time.
I Corinthians 14:21-25
21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
Verse 21 tells us that tongues were prophesied and to whom this sign was given.
Isaiah 28:11-12
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear
This was a dual prophecy in that it portrayed Israel being conquered by a foreign power in Isaiah's time. (Isaiah 33:19) It was also a sign to the Jews that their Messiah had arrived. The rest that they were seeking was in Him, if they would hear it. We know that as a nation, they did not, but a remnant believed and the Church age that would be predominantly, a Gentile age, began. (Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12) Both were indications of judgment. In the Old Testament, the Jews lost their freedom. In the New Testament, they lost their birthright to be the sole spokesmen of God and possessors of His gifts. Jews are now saved through Christ and placed into His Church. The old covenant is passed away. There are still many promises to the Jews that God will fulfill in the Millennium. He still loves them and He will reach them.
Tongues are not a sign to those who believe, but for unbelievers. From the context of the prophecy and the fact that the Corinthian Church was a Gentile Church, it was for unbelieving Jews. I maintain that if there are no unbelieving Jews, or one whose primary language is other than that which is spoken by the congregation in the service, then the use of tongues is unbiblical. It is an evangelism tool for those kinds of folks and not a normative part of a worship service. Even in a worship service, there are to be no more than three users of the gift. They must take turns and have another person give the interpretation to be sure it was of God and not the flesh. Otherwise, they must be quiet. (I Corinthians 14:26-33) That goes for preachers as well. Hmm, we can have three sermons in one service and folks fuss about one long one. How about three twenty minute ones?
Prophesying or preaching is for the edification of the Body. If unbelievers or ones unlearned come in and hear everyone speaking a different language, it will seem like chaos and madness to them. When everyone speaks the same language, teaching, preaching and testifying of Christ and the sinfulness of man, the heart of the unbeliever will come under conviction by all that he or she hears. His conscience is judged by what he hears from everyone and he will fall on his face in repentant worship of God, agreeing that you have spoken the truth because the Holy Spirit in you has used God’s truth to win the person.
This is about all we can cover in this lesson. So much for a short commentary. To close this out, I had best speak to I Corinthians 14:39. I would never forbid biblical tongues, but I would call down anything else that did not meet the criteria. However, I covet to prophesy and if I were you, I would heed Paul's exhortation and do the same.
I hope that you saw yourself in one or more of these gifts. Speak with the pastor if you are still unsure of your spiritual gift. He will help you determine that gift, develop it, and give you a place to exercise it. You have one and maybe more. You are not to hide it in the earth. God gave it to you because this Body of believers and the world needs it and you. Be blessed and fulfilled as you use that gift!
Homework
Don't just answer put the Scripture reference with your answer.
1. It takes all my power and might to do the work of the Lord. True/False.
2. As a branch I must struggle and groan to receive life from the Vine. True/False.
3. Although my Christian life began in the Spirit, I must now perfect it by the flesh. True/False.
4. God only uses the wise and noble for His service, which is why He called so many of them. True/False.
5. I am basically a good person deep down inside. True/False.
6. The law was weak in itself, which is why God replaced it with the Gospel. True/False.
7. Paul says that the gift of prophecy is the least of all gifts. True/False.
8. Everyone should covet the same gifts because we are all created equal. True/False.
9. All saved and spiritual people speak in tongues. True/False.
10. Batting .500 is a great average for a prophet. True/False.
11. A deacon runs the Church and hires and fires Pastors. True/False.
12. Only deacons are servants and only pastors are ministers. True/False.
13. If it hurts to give, I have the gift of giving. True/False.
14. I am not smart or talented so I probably do not have a spiritual gift. True/False.
15. If hurting people seem attracted to me, I may have the gift of mercy. True/False.
16. Our Pastor is an apostle! True/False.
17. God always heals everyone that is sick. True/False.
