The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

I. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

A. Gifts of the Holy Spirit are miraculous abilities given to men to accomplish a purpose for God in the church.

B. Examples of these

C. Word of wisdom

D. Ability to use what has is known; application of God’s message

E. Word of knowledge

F. Revelation of God’s message either directly or calling the knowledge to the remembrance of the Christian

G. Faith

H. All Christians have faith and without it no one can please God, Heb. 11:6 This seems to be an extra measure or special endowment of faith.

I. Healing

J. The ability to cure diseases as a proof of Jesus’ ability to cure the ultimate disease of the soul—sin

K. It was not used for the convenience and benefit of Christians generally

L. Paul’s thorn in the flesh – 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 (Reference)2 Timothy 4:20 – Paul left Trophimus in Miletus sick

M. Miracles

N. Signs of wonder and amazement not otherwise categorized here Possibly exorcism and perhaps the ability to raise the dead

O. Prophecy

P. 1 Corinthians 14:3-5 – Greater than tongue speaking for it edifies

Q. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 – Convicts the unbeliever when the secrets of his heart are revealed

R. Like Nathanael, John 1:46-50 Not generic prophecy but the unbeliever’s spiritual needs are addressed

S. Discerning of spirits

T. There is a need to determine what is truth and what is error1 Corinthians 12:3 – One test of the spirit

U. Tongues (Brief—a later lesson will cover it in detail)

V. Not meaningless babble or ecstatic utterances

W. Speaking in languages foreign to the speaker

X. Acts 2:4-11 – They spoke in languages they had not studied but that the hearers could recognize1 Corinthians 14:10-11

Y. Interpretation of tongues

Z. The gift of tongues was useless without interpretation1 Corinthians 14:14-19

II. Origin and purpose of the gifts

A. Origin

B. When Jesus was on the earth He performed many signs as proof of His divine nature and message

C. John 14:9-11 John 20:30-31

D. Though not all obeyed, they could not deny His works

E. Nicodemus: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” –John 3:2 John 11:47;12:10-11

F. Jesus endowed the apostles with the ability to work miracles to prove the validity of their message

G. John 14:11-172 Corinthians 12:12 “Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.” His work through the apostles, Acts 4:7-10, 16

H. Purpose of the spiritual gifts to the church

I. Edification

J. 1 Corinthians 12:7 – Gifts are given for the profit of all1 Corinthians 14:3 – Edification and exhortation

K. Not to get people excited

L. In 1 Corinthians 12-14, there is nothing about getting people whipped up into a frenzy. Paul continually stresses the need of the gifts to direct them in the truth since the word of God, as we have it in the Bible, had not yet been completed. Most who seek spiritual gifts today do so for excitement in worship yet the Bible does not give one word to support this desire. Walter Chantry in Signs of the Apostles said, “He is not the Jolly Spirit but the Holy Spirit.” The emphasis is not on my joy in worship but my holiness in life.

M. Not to indicate a greater spiritual relationship with God

N. The Corinthian church was plagued with serious problems

O. They were divisive, (1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:1-4) They were puffed up against Paul’s teaching, 1 Cor. 4:18-21 Some questioned Paul’s apostleship, 2 Corinthians 10-13 They were arrogant concerning immorality in the church, 1 Cor. 5 They were taking their brethren to court, 1 Cor. 6 They abused the Lord’s supper, 1 Cor. 11 Some preached that Jesus was not raised from the dead, 1 Cor. 151 Corinthians 13:1-3 – Paul says one could have spiritual gifts but not have love; which would be useless

III. Should we expect those gifts today?

A. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

B. Love is superior because it will not fail. It will outlive all

C. Spiritual gifts will pass away, v.8 because they are only a partial help. When the perfect is come, the part will be taken away. After these are taken away, faith, hope, and love will abide, or remain. However, love is the greatest for it will outlast faith and hope.

D. What is the perfect?

E. Jesus

F. It cannot be Jesus for the perfect is a thing not a person Not “he who” but “that which” Also, if Jesus were the perfect, faith and hope would not outlive the partial revelation through spiritual gifts. Faith – Hebrews 11:1 – The evidence of things not seen. When we see Jesus we will no longer have faith in Him; faith will be realized. Hope – Romans 8:24-25 “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” So hope will end when we see the one we hope for.

G. Heaven

H. It is a “that which” but it will not allow faith and hope to abide. All will come to an end when heaven is revealed.

I. The completed word of God

J. Some translations provide a marginal note “complete” as an alternative meaning for perfect. It is a “that which” It will allow faith and hope to abide.

K. It is related to knowledge that edifies the church

L. We know in part; we prophesy in part. The completed word fulfills all that the spiritual gifts of prophecies, tongues, and knowledge provided temporarily.

M. Paul’s analogies are about spiritual maturity

N. 1 Corinthians 13:11 – the child

O. 1 Corinthians 14:20 – Paul wanted them to be mature2 Timothy 3:16-17 – Maturity and completion comes through the word

P. 1 Corinthians 13:12 – the mirror

Q. Numbers 12:6-8 – God spoke to Moses directly and not in mysterious visions, etc. With the spiritual gifts, there were a variety of means of revelation that would pass when the word was complete James 1:22-25 – We can know ourselves through the word

R. Passing on by the hands of the apostles, Acts 8:9-24

S. Simon saw that by the laying on of the apostles hands, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were given. Philip could do the wonders but could not give the ability to work miracles to others. Since the apostles died out, the ability to transfer the miraculous gifts of the spirit died with them.

T. Early writers attest to the passing of the gifts

U. John Chrysostom (347-407) “This whole place is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur but now no longer take place.” Augustine (354-430) “These were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit in all tongues..that thing was done for a betokening and it passed away.”

IV. How does the Bible accomplish the purpose that gifts once did?

A. The miracles of healing and other signs are recorded for our faith

B. We can read the testimonies of friends and foes of the gospel and they attest to the validity of the miracles though the foes would not believe. Those who think we need more since we have the revealed word would do well to heed the words of Jesus, Luke 16:27-31

C. Prophecy

D. Hebrews 4:11-13 - The word of God lays bare the secrets of the heart We edify one another from the revealed word

E. Testing the message of others

F. We can test the message of teachers by the word of God

G. Word of wisdom

H. Ability to use what has is known; application of God’s message

I. Word of knowledge

J. Revelation of God’s message either directly or calling the knowledge to the remembrance of the Christian

K. Faith

L. Romans 10:17 – Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Our faith grows as our knowledge of God’s word grows

M. Tongues – The word of God is available in nearly (possibly) every language in the world and the readers can recognize the power of its message

V. Conclusion: In the next few weeks we will studying the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, tongue speaking and healing, and the Holy Spirit and the Christian. I hope you will attend with us to explore these important Biblical topics.