The gifts of the Holy Spirit were one of the most contentious parts of first century Christianity. It is still so twenty centuries later. By gifts of the Spirit, I’m referring to working miracles and outward signs. These gifts are enumerated by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. The most noted of them was speaking in tongues, but he included prophesying, miracles, healing, exorcism, and interpreting tongues. He also listed the more pedestrian ones such as wisdom, knowledge, and faith. This controversy has intensified with the Age of Enlightenment and its resulting skepticism. This controversy has produced factions in the church that are unhealthy and unbiblical.
These factions fall into two main camps: the charismatic and the anti-charismatic. Both these camps need to realize that they are both right and wrong. Each needs to recognize their arguments’ weaknesses as well as the opposing view’s weakness. Likewise, each needs to see the opposing view’s strengths as well as their own strengths.
In the name of complete disclosure, I’m from an anti-charismatic tradition. As a result, I view the charismatic claims with a good deal of skepticism, but I am open minded on the subject. I can recall with ease all the arguments about how the age of miracles had passed with the writing of the New Testament and the death of the Apostles. However, these arguments ignore one main issue, it is not up to us to dictate what God will and won’t do. If He chooses to give special gifts and signs, then He will without discussion.
This does not mean the church should readily accept the claims of special gifts uncritically. Paul’s list of special gifts includes testing spirits, and Jesus in Revelations commended the Ephesian church for testing prophets. The demand of proof from anti-charismatics is not a lack of faith but a desire to fulfil their duty to God. The charismatics should accept this without canker or questioning their brothers’ faith. They should joyously accept the inspection. Likewise, the anti-charismatics should avoid letting their skepticism turn into close minded character assignation.
There is a need for careful consideration for there are many false teachers who claim these special gifts to defraud. It’s to our discredit (charismatics and anti-charismatics alike) that we have left the job of exposing these charlatans to the cynical critics of Christianity. We should be the ones leading these efforts. We may wonder why gifts are bestowed, but I’m certain they were never meant to be a fund-raising gimmick.
Paul’s letters to the Corinthians gives us the main reasons for these gifts. They were first and foremost given to edify and spiritually strengthen the church. That’s why he hoped the Corinthians would seek prophecy first above all other gifts. With the canonization of the New Testament, prophesying is not as pressing of gift as it was in the first century. However, the more “mundane” gifts are greatly needed. Wisdom, faith, and understanding are always needed, but most of all love. Paul encouraged this gift above all others. It’s a shame that these gifts – which all Christians should aspire to obtain – are the most lacking and the most forgotten.
One more thought on special gifts. In I Corinthians 14:23, Paul states that if an unbeliever came to the church and saw the speaking in tongues, he would assume it was a congregation of madmen. Right before that, Paul said that such things were to be a sign to the unbeliever. This seems like a contradiction until you ask, “Who is the unbeliever?”
Consider the passage in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus, Peter, James, and John have just experienced the Lord’s Transfiguration (Matt 17:14-20). There’s a father that had asked the other disciples to heal his demon possessed son. When the disciples failed, the father asked Jesus if He could heal his son. Jesus got a little indignant over the “if” and said, “Anything is possible if you believe.” To which the father said, “I believe! Help me with my unbelief!”
It seems to me that healings, tongues, and miracles are not for the unbelieving cynic, but for the unbelieving Christian. These are a way of reassuring the wavering Christian that God is with him. It is there to help strengthen faith, not to be the foundation of faith. Signs and miracles should pass away when faith becomes mature.
To see an infant’s first steps are a wonderful and beautiful thing to behold. To watch the wobbling steps of frightened babe as he runs giggling into the security of a loving parent’s arms is one of the most precious sights on earth. However, it would be pathetic to see it still happening forty years later when the babe should now be grown up.
#GiftsOfTheSpirt, #MatureChristians