GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BODY OF CHRIST: PART TWO

If you haven't read my previous articles on prophecy and signs, please read them now.  I'll wait...

Now, in this article, I will continue this discussion by focusing on areas where I have seen misunderstanding of certain gifts.

TONGUES

Might as well start at the deep end...

All you have to do is read the read the Acts of the Apostles to see that speaking in tongues was part of Christianity.  I'm not going to get into the controversy over whether or not tongues are for today.  I have already studied and researched that issue for my myself, and decided that they are for today.  Not only that, they are needed.

The first thing I need to point out is the tongues I am speaking about are languages that are unknown to the speaker.  How can someone say something in a language they know nothing about?  Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1 mentions tongues of men and angels.  We are well aware that humans have thousands of languages.  Apparently, angels have multiple languages too, but we don't know how many.  We don't need to know that.  What we do need to recognize is that the ability for someone to speak an unknown tongue does does not come from one's own mind, but it happens through a miracle.  Before I discuss this miracle, I need to address other issues.

Most of the confusion I see about tongues relates to their uses.  Not many realize that tongues have more than one or two uses.  But they are there in black and white in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 14.

In verses 2 and 13 through 17, Paul talks about tongues used in prayer.  First, he states that one speaking in tongues speaks to God.  Later, he talks of one blessing or thanking God in tongues.  But people around him won't be able to understand what is said.  As a matter of fact the one speaking in tongues doesn't know what he is saying.  Paul said that when he speaks in tongues this way, his spirit is edified, but his mind is unfruitful.  Why is his mind unfruitful?  Because his mind doesn't know what he is saying.  But he decides to pray with both his mind and his spirit.  This is why Pentecostal and Charismatic people talk about tongues as a prayer language.

So the first use of tongues is for a private prayer language.  The other uses of tongues are public.

The next use of tongues is to deliver a message to a local gathering of believers.  These messages need to be interpreted so the hearers will be able to understand what was said.  A message in tongues with interpretation equals a prophecy.

The next use of tongues is provide a sign to unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:20 - 25).  We see an example of this in the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost.  The disciples had gathered in the Upper Room for the feast when they began to speak in tongues.  A crowd heard them outside, and they wanted an explanation of what and how this was happening.  Peter preached a short sermon, and 3 thousand got saved!  If you read Peter's message carefully, he pointed out how the speaking in tongues was a fulfillment of prophecy, and Jesus was able to fulfil the prophecy because He was risen from the dead.

Now, most of the remaining confusion I see concerning tongues relates not to what they are used for, but how to use them.  When it comes to prayer, the choice is yours when to start and when to stop.  For the other two uses, the choice is mainly up to the Holy Spirit, but you still have a choice.

In 1 Cor. 14:26 - 33, Paul gives practical instructions for the use of the gifts during disciples' meeting.  His emphasis is on orderly conduct so that all may be edified.  Towards the end, he indicates that those who speak, can still choose not to speak, in the interest of the benefit of all present.

I have more to say, so I will have to save that for Part Three.

ABOUT THAT TEN COMMANDMENTS THING...

I was thinking about that the other day, the move to put copies of the Ten Commandments in courtrooms, school rooms, and other public places.  I know many people got behind it because they are concerned about crime and the "moral breakdown of society."  They think that putting the Ten Commandments up in public view would remedy that.

Others opposed it because they saw it as an attempt to impose religion on people through government effort.

While I can see truth on both sides, I have often considered other aspects of this issue.

Of course, the Ten Commandments are found in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, which is the Bible of the Jews.  The Ten Commandments have been at the heart of Judaism for thousands of years.

Most of the people backing the Ten Commandments have been Christians.  But, I wonder how the Jews feel about having God's word to them posted by government institutions...

The earliest Christians were Jews, but since the Second Century, most have been, and are, Gentile.

As Paul pointed out in his letter to the Christians in the Roman province of Galatia, Gentile Christians are not under the Law of Moses.  So, why do Gentile believers want the government to post Jewish commandments in government institutions?

Moses received the Commandments while on a mountain.  Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount early in His ministry.

The letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus is better than Moses, the angels, and the Law.  He brought us a better priesthood, a better covenant, and made a better sacrifice for our redemption.

In light of this, what if the Body of Christ focused on the Beatitudes instead of the Ten Commandments?

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BODY OF CHRIST: PART ONE

If you haven't read my article on prophets and prophecy, please read it now.  I'll wait...

Now read the following Bible passages:

1 Corinthians chapters 11 - 14

Romans 12:1 - 14

Ephesians 4:1 - 14

Ok, now that you have the proper background, let's get started.

A major reason we see a large number of false teachers and false prophets in American Christianity today is a lack of understanding about the purpose of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, both individually and collectively.

The Purpose of the Gifts

The core of Paul's teaching on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit is in 1 Cor. 12.  But the context begins in chapter 11, where he gives instructions for the house gatherings they held.

In the first century, disciples did not have worship services like we do today.  They didn't own buildings for worship and instruction.

They met in homes instead.  They would have a community meal, much like a potluck dinner, have a time of worship, and then a teaching from an elder.  The elder could be the host, but could have been any other elder from the congregation.

Sometime during the meeting a time would come for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I capitalized the word 'gift' there because Paul in Romans mentions other gifts, and he says nothing about those gifts coming from the Holy Spirit, I wanted to draw some distinction between the two.  I'm sure the HS has a role in them.

Paul does say that we are to exercise them according to the grace given to us (Rom. 12:6).  What is the grace given to us?  The New Birth!  So, maybe we can call these Grace gifts...

No matter how we receive these gifts, Paul is clear about one thing: the gifts are for the benefit of the Body of Christ (Rom. 12: 4 - 5; 1 Cor. 12: 12 - 31; Eph. 4: 12 - 17).

In contrast, today we see too many "ministers" using gifts to exalt themselves in the eyes of others.

I have more to say, but I have given you enough to ruminate on while I prepare part two.

The Latest Rumor out of Hollywood

Some screenwriters are planning on quiting their union, and starting up a street gang instead.  They plan to call themselves the 'Scripts.'

Hmmm, Martians?

If there were marshes on Mars, and people lived in those marshes, would they be called marshian Martians, or Martian marshians??

PROPHETS, PROPHECY, AND PROPHESYING.

I see a lot of confusion about these topics.  While this article is not going to go in depth, I hope it brings some clarity.

Throughout history, prophecy is the speaking or delivery of messages from the supernatural realm.  It mostly has been redarded a form of divination, a means to gain information about future events, or the outcome of planned events.  When one was curious about such things, they would seek out a prophet, a seer, a fortune teller, or a shaman, or some other kind of mystic.

Prophets in Christianity

We do see prophets in the Bible, in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Are prophets in the Bible the same as they are outside the Bible?  Yes and no.  In the early OT books, people viewed all prophets the same.  But the further we look forward through the Scripture, the more we see God speaking through His prophets, men who spoke only for Him. Those who spoke their own thoughts, or thoughts of unclean spirits, were exposed as false prophets.

Now, I am speaking in generalities here, because to provide chapter and verse for every act or word of an OT prophet would require a book.  We already have that Book; we just need to read it and pay attention.

God used the OT and NT prophets primarily to provide direction to His people.  Sometimes that meant information about upcoming events, but it often came down to one word: REPENT!

In the NT, things start out the same.  John the Baptist came preaching a message of repentance.  He preached it to the people.  He preached it to priests and Pharisees.  He preached it to King Herod.  The only one he didn't preach it to was Jesus.

After Jesus rose from the dead, things changed, even for prophets.  God still uses them to give direction.  However, the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul has given clarity.  After the Gospels, the prophets spoke to the body of Body of Christ.  When prophesying to believers, the guideline is now this:

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.  1 Cor. 14:3 NASB.

So, if you hear someone prophesying, or preaching, and their messages do not edify (build you up), exhort (tell you to do the right thing), or console (remind you of God's grace when things go wrong) anybody... Well, I'm not going to say they are a false prophet, but you will be right to not believe what they say, no matter what title they may hold, or how many visions, dreams, or angelic visits they claim to have had.

PROPHETS TODAY?

The previous paragraph brings up a point of controversy: Does the Body of Christ have prophets today.  Many believe not, but I do.  I could go into the Scriptures predicting restoratation, but I will leave that for another article.

I will address one question relating to this issue: do we need prophets today?

Jesus served as a prophet.  During his life, the Old Covenant was still in effect.  Through His life, death, burial, and resurrection, He fulfilled the requirements of the Old Covenant to establish the New one, which granted access to everyone, and not just the Jews.

In the time between His resurrection and ascension, He served as a prophet of the New Covenant.  So, He was the last OT prophet, and the first NT prophet.  Since Christ has the preeminence in all things (Col. 1:18), some say He is the last prophet they need.

But, the real question is: Is He the last prophet His Body needs?

Remember (or go back and read for yourself in John 13:26 - 17:26), what Jesus said about sending the Holy Spirit:

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now...  John 16:12 - 15 NASB

We do see prophets in the Acts of the Apostles.  So the ministry of prophets was a real thing back then.  The early saints must have needed them.

But do we need them today?  Look at the news and social media.  Preachers accused of, and even arrested for, sexual or financial offences. False doctrines proclaimed from pulpits and over the airwaves, allowing for occultic practices to come into worship services and the personal lives of believers.  Shrinking attendance and donations lead to staff layoffs.  Even popular Christian singers have become embroiled in scandal.  Scandal has even touched a church related university.

Quite a number on ministers today claim to be prophets.  I doubt the validity of most of them.  WHERE ARE THE TRUE PROPHETS?

In The Very Early Days of Rock & Roll...

Many bands that later became famous started out playing in nightclubs.  Some of those clubs were owned by the Mafia.

Also, some of those bands changed members, so the lineups they became famouswith were not always the lineups they started with.  So, some musicians never became famous, even though they were once part of a famous band.

This one band had put on an awful show at one mob owned club, due to the antics of a couple of members.  The manager of the club swore to get them.

But, he didn't want to use any of his own hitmen.  He heard that one member of a rival band had a reputation as a tough guy.  So, the mob boss hired him to do the job.

The mob boss also had connections with the police and the press, so it never got reported.  If it had, the headline would have read, MOB KILLS TWO BYRDS WITH ONE STONE!