Why do some christians believe that there is no need for prophets ?

Question

Prophets are Gods prescribed way of planting his seeds in the body and giving his instructions to implement his agenda. A prophet is a messenger
from God. Any preacher who speaks over a pulpit or mic is essentially prophesying since they are Gods messengers. The kingdom of God has ranks
just like the kingdom of Satan has ranks. Apostles vs.Principalities ,Prophets
vs.Powers ,Evangelists vs.Spiritual wickedness in high places, Pastors vs. Strongholds , and Teachers vs. The Rulers of Darkness. A major problem in the body is not only ignorance but we have no knowledge or Idea what anointing we posess. We are also Ineffective because we have no concept of rank like the kingdom of darkness does . They only fight their equals but we have teachers trying to fight principalities and we don't understand why we've made no progress.We don't know who we are and this is why we are being defeated.

Answer 1

I agree the men and women from the pulpits that are telling the truth, are God's prophets. It's the liars like the Smith's and the Russel's, we dont need.

Answer 2

I agree prophets are essential to the plan of God. (see Amos 3:7) But just as important is what makes them a prophet. It is not enough to just say you are called of God. It is not even just enough to prophesy correctly or even in accourdance with the Bible. A prophet must have authority.

Authority is a doctrine lost to nearly ever church in the world with the exception of two. The Catholic church claims athority through Petter or Paul, (having a brain fart) and the Church of Jesus Christ claims the renewal of prophetic authority through visitation of hevenly mesengers. No other denominatin makes such claims. Therefore all searching for the true church should begin there.

I find the answer following mine repulsive. To quote revelations in that context is obsurd. First we can find the same scripture in Deuteronomy not once but twice. Does that mean that everything taught after that has to be tossed out? (Deut 4:2 and Deut 12:32) No what it means is that we should not add to the prophetic words of those prophets. Moses and John. Second the book of revelations was written centurys before the Bible even existed and infact before John wrote the book of St. John. As well as before Paul worte his epistles. Therefore by his logic all of that must be tossed out. Anyone else see the obsurdity yet?

Answer 3

People don't believe in them for 2 reasons. They read the Bible out of context. Second, they have heard a "prophet" make a bad call. In other words, have been exposed to a false prophet/been hurt by it. Thus determine they are no longer in the world.

Answer 4

We all have access to the Holy Spirit. You should be following His guidance directly. There is no salvation apart from it.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is known as the unforgivable sin.

Answer 5

I believe there are prophets. I know one personally and as long as her prophecies come true and follow the Bible I will continue to consider her a prophet. However religions like mormons are full of false prophets.

Answer 6

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are blessed to be led by living prophets—inspired men called to speak for the Lord, as did Moses, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, and other prophets of the scriptures. We sustain the President of the Church as prophet, seer, and revelator—the only person on the earth who receives revelation to guide the entire Church.

Like the prophets of old, prophets today testify of Jesus Christ and teach His gospel. They make known God's will and true character. They speak boldly and clearly, denouncing sin and warning of its consequences. At times, they may be inspired to prophesy of future events for our benefit.

To learn more visit:
http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/heavenly-father-s-plan-of-salvation/god-has-a-plan-for-your-life

Answer 7

...Jesus answered that question... He said go into the World and make Disciples of all Nations... and...Gods work thru Jesus was complete on The Cross when Jesus Himself said. "It is finished".

Answer 8

i think christans follow paul more then jesus see jesus kept the law with old testament pork is not allowed but paul said it is allowed even jesus told to circumsised but paul said its not neserray

Answer 9

Here's the Doctrine on it, bear in mind the Book of Revelation specifically warns AGAINST ADDING TO OR TAKING AWAY FROM THE CANNON OF SCRIPTURE!!! Enjoy! John

DOCTRINE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
A. The Source of Spiritual Gifts.œ
1. All three members of the Trinity are the source of spiritual gifts.
2. God the Father as the source is documented in Heb 2:4. "God
[Father] also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by
various works of power, and by various distributions [of spiritual gifts]
from the Holy Spirit in accordance with His will."
a. God the Father uses the ministry of God the Holy Spirit for
giving spiritual gifts.
b. Distribution of spiritual gifts are made as a witness to the
strategic victory of our Lord Jesus Christ during the dispensation of the
Hypostatic Union.
c. God the Father is also the author of our portfolio of
invisible assets. The primary assets include escrow and computer (election
and predestination) assets. The secondary assets include volition,
production, Christian service, undeserved suffering, and the invisible
impact of the invisible hero. The personal assets include both temporary
and permanent spiritual gifts.
2. God the Son as the source of spiritual gifts is documented in Eph
4:7. "To each one of us, this grace has been given according to the measure
of the spiritual gift from Christ. Therefore, it [Old Testament Scriptures]
says, `When He ascended into heaven, He led a host of captives in a
triumphal procession from a state of captivity, and He gave spiritual gifts
to men.'"
a. There were two results of our Lord's ascension.
(1) The transfer of Old Testament saints from Paradise in
Hades to heaven.
(2) Spiritual gifts were distributed.
b. God the Son is involved in the initial distribution of
spiritual gifts which were temporary gifts, no longer extant. Today, it is
God the Holy Spirit who gives permanent spiritual gifts to us at salvation.
3. God the Holy Spirit gives to each of us at salvation a spiritual
gift as He wills, 1 Cor 12:11.

B. Definition and Description.
1. The Greek noun CHARISMA for spiritual gifts is based on the word
CHARIS, or grace. All spiritual gifts are a matter of grace! No gift is
given based on God's foreknown merit of the believer. CHARISMA is primarily
a Pauline expression, though it occurs once in 1 Pet 4:10.
2. Spiritual gifts are sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit to each
believer at the point of salvation. Therefore, a spiritual gift is never
earned, deserved, or developed through any form of emotional experience.
3. The gift given represents the wisdom of the Holy Spirit; remember
that when you object to your own or to someone else's. Your spirituality
has nothing to do with your spiritual life as such; i.e., you're not given a
more spectacular or visible gift if it's anticipated that you'll be more
spiritual, and you're not given a more "invisible" gift if it's anticipated
that you won't turn out to be much anyhow.
4. The initial distribution of spiritual gifts, from the day of
Pentecost for about twenty years, came from the Lord Jesus Christ and God
the Holy Spirit. He made the first distribution on the day of Pentecost,
ten days after His ascension, according to Eph 4:7-8. But since that time,
the Holy Spirit makes the distribution of all spiritual gifts, according to
Heb 2:4 and 1 Cor 12:11. In several passages, spiritual gifts are ascribed
to God without distinguishing which member of the Holy Trinity is the giver.
But today the Holy Spirit is the giver. 1 Cor 12:11, "But one and the same
Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as
He wills. This is one of the few New Testament references to the
sovereignty of the Holy Spirit.
5. Spiritual gifts are not earned, not deserved, not developed, and
not acquired through emotional experience. Your spiritual gift becomes
operational through normal spiritual growth.
6. From the standpoint of the Word of God, all believers have equal
privilege and equal opportunity from their computer assets. This means that
the distinction between believers in the eyes of God is never related to
appearance, personality, or any form of human or alleged spiritual
achievement.
7. The only distinction between believers can be categorized under two
concepts.
a. Spiritual growth. Some believers use their equal privilege
and equal opportunity and achieve phenomenal growth. Distinction among
believers on the basis of their spiritual growth is a result of their
motivation, volition, and priorities.
b. Spiritual gifts. The distinction among believers in spiritual
gifts has its source in the sovereign wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
8. God the Holy Spirit in His sovereign wisdom has provided different
spiritual gifts, so that some difference in modus operandi exists in the
body of Christ, just as different functions are assigned to different parts
of the human body.
9. The effectiveness of the spiritual gift depends upon two factors.
a. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the absolute concept of
experiential Christianity.
b. The degree of spiritual growth is the relative concept of
experiential Christianity. If you are growing spiritually, your gift will
function. Communication gifts can function to some degree even when a
believer is out of fellowship, because God honors the gift. But this only
applies to communication gifts, and is not a desireable situation.
10. Therefore, spiritual gifts only function inside the divine
dynasphere under the enabling power of the Holy Spirit and momentum from
metabolized doctrine, totally apart from emotion. Emotion neither
characterizes the filling of the Spirit nor the function of spiritual gifts.
As you have momentum from doctrine, your spiritual gift will function, even
without your cognition. But you will find yourself becoming involved in
things where your spiritual gift is functioning.
11. Spiritual gifts are the Father's witness to the saving work of
Christ, and to the strategic victory of our Lord in the angelic conflict.
They are distributed today by God the Holy Spirit under that concept
according to Heb 2:4 and Eph 4:8, though they were initially distributed by
the Lord Jesus Christ as a result of His ascension.
12. There are four prerequisites before we receive our spiritual gift.
a. We must have the imputed righteousness of God.
b. We must have the same life as Christ, eternal life.
c. We must have all of our pre©salvation sins forgiven.
d. We must be entered into union with Christ.
13. We do not know what our spiritual gift is until we reach the point
of spiritual self©esteem. Therefore, we have to advance in our spiritual
life before we recognize what our spiritual gift is. Those who do not
advance in their spiritual life never know what their spiritual gift is.
But when we reach spiritual self-esteem our spiritual gift will function
whether we know it or not.
C. There are two categories of spiritual gifts.œ
1. Temporary spiritual gifts were operational during the pre©canon
period of the Church Age, i.e., from circa A.D. 30, the day of Pentecost
when the Church Age began, to A.D. 96, the pre-canon period of the Church
Age. These spiritual gifts were sensational spiritual gifts like apostles,
prophets, teaching, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues.
2. Permanent spiritual gifts function from the completion of the New
Testament in 96 A.D. until the Rapture of the Church, whenever that occurs.
3. Temporary spiritual gifts only functioned during the pre-canon
period. On the day the Church Age began, there was no New Testament. So
temporary spiritual gifts were designed to take up the slack in the Church
Age until the New Testament Canon was completed and circulated, and the
mystery doctrine of the Church Age was reduced to writing.
a. Not one principle of the Christian way of life was ever taught
in the Old Testament. All mystery doctrine was taught in the New Testament;
none of it was ever taught in the Old Testament.
b. So the temporary spiritual gifts were designed to function in
place of the New Testament, and many of them were spectacular in nature.
4. On the other hand, permanent spiritual gifts function throughout
the Church Age, but are emphasized from the time of the completion of the
Canon.

D. Distinctions and Spiritual Gifts
1. The temporary gifts of the apostolic age became the source of abuse
under two concepts.
a. While operative, there were some abuses.
b. Since they have been discontinued, people still claim to have
them. This is an abuse since they no longer exist. The Corinthian Church
was involved in some of these abuses.
c. The Corinthians emphasized and exalted spectacular gifts, and
related them to spirituality. Spectacular gifts are not spirituality, any
more than less spectacular gifts. Spirituality is not based upon spiritual
gifts; spirituality is based on the filling of the Holy Spirit.
2. Every believer has a spiritual gift in his portfolio of invisible
assets; this gift is given to him at salvation.
3. No matter how insignificant a spiritual gift may appear to you or
to others, it is essential for the function of the body of Christ; just as
every position on a team is important for the function of that team.
4. One principle has always been true: spiritual gifts, like any
other human activity, function under authority. No divine institution can
function without authority. Authority doesn't always exist in the person
who is most capable, or who is the best leader. Nothing in life is
effective without authority. Orientation to authority is the beginning of
virtue.
5. Spiritual gifts have their highest function in spiritual adulthood.
When a person has mastered the functions of virtue-love at gates #5 and #6
of the divine dynasphere, then his gift will function to the maximum.
Virtue©love includes personal love for God the Father at gate #5, impersonal
love for all mankind at gate #6, and occupation with the person of Jesus
Christ. Your spiritual gift will not function to the maximum before you
reach spiritual maturity, for its maximum function comes in spiritual
adulthood.
6. Spiritual gifts are said to differ in value, as we'll note in 1 Cor
12:28. While we have equal privilege and equal opportunity under our
computer assets, there are differences of modus operandi among believers in
the utilization of their spiritual gifts.
7. Spectacular spiritual gifts do not imply spiritual growth, superior
Christian experience, or Christian greatness. Greatness comes by advancing
to spiritual maturity and becoming an invisible hero. You can be an
invisible hero with a relatively unknown or apparently insignificant gift
and be just as great as a mature believer with a more visible gift.

E. Temporary Spiritual Gifts. The temporary gifts were operational during
the pre-canon period of the Church Age, circa A.D. 30 - A.D. 96. Temporary
gifts were designed to take up the slack for the beginning of the Church Age
until the New Testament was completed and circulated, and until the mystery
doctrine was reduced to writing. A list of the temporary spiritual gifts
follows in order of merit.
1. The gift of apostleship. (See the Doctrine of Apostleship.)
2. The gift of prophecy was not a national leader like that of the Old
Testament prophets. This gift was second in order of merit, and is so
listed in 1 Cor 12:28. It is also mentioned in Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:10, and
14:1-40 where it is presented in contrast to the gift of tongues.
a. Old Testament prophets were national leaders, especially in
times of crisis. In times of prosperity, he was the final authority on
Bible doctrine. However, this gift is not related to national leadership.
Many of the Old Testament prophets were great national leaders, e.g.,
Elijah. Isaiah dictated the correct foreign policy that saved Israel. But
those with the gift of prophecy in the Church Age were not national leaders;
they only functioned within the realm of the Church.
b. The gift of prophecy included a message of divine guidance or
a warning of judgment, or a prediction about the immediate future. In Acts
11, Agabus the prophet predicted the famine and depression to come. In Acts
21:10-11, he warned Paul not to go back to Jerusalem.
c. Prophets had a limited teaching ministry related to
contemporary events; that's why they are called "prophets and teachers" in
Acts 13:1.
d. Males with the gift of prophecy recorded in Scripture.
(1) Agabus, Acts 11:27-28, 21:10-11.
(2) Others included Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and
even Paul, according to Acts 13:1. Judas and Silas had the gift, Acts
13:32.
e. Acts 21:19 presents a problem, because the four daughters of
Philip the evangelist are said to "be prophesying" in the present active
participle. However, they did not have a spiritual gift. So we must
distinguish between people permitted by God to prophesy, and those who had
the spiritual gift of prophecy. No record of their prophecies is ever
given, and obviously they did not have the spiritual gift of prophecy.
f. In exercising the temporary spiritual gift of prophecy, the
prophet must receive his message from God, or he must declare God's will to
someone in terms of prophecy, i.e., in terms of future events. The prophecy
must be doctrinally accurate.
g. Because of the tremendous amount of eschatology in the New
Testament epistles, it is quite obvious that the writers who were apostles
also had the gift of prophecy.
h. The gift of prophecy warned about judgment on sin, indicated
the will of God regarding current events, and predicted future events during
the apostolic age. But the gift did not extend into the postcanon period
because of the doctrine of historical trends. Every function of the gift of
prophecy during the pre-canon period is fulfilled by the doctrine of
historical trends during the postcanon period. By metabolizing doctrine,
you become your own prophet.
i. With the completion of the canon of Scripture in A.D. 96 and
its gradual circulation, temporary gifts of communication ceased to exist;
they were replaced by the permanent communication gifts of evangelism and
pastor©teacher.
3. The gift of miracles is found in 1 Cor 12:28; 2 Cor 12:12.
a. This temporary spiritual gift was designed to authenticate and
certify communication gifts during the apostolic age. This gift was used by
an apostle, a prophet, a pastor-teacher, or an evangelist as a credit card
to certify that he had that communication gift. The person who had a
communication gift could perform a miracle at will. This was the sign that
he was from God.
b. Today, no one has the gift of miracles, since the completion
of the canon of Scripture. The greatest miracle in all of history is the
power of Bible doctrine in the life of the positive believer who makes
doctrine his #1 priority.
c. People tended to lean on miracles during the apostolic age,
resulting in terrible apostasy. Whenever someone had a problem, instead of
using and applying Bible doctrine, they just waited around for a miracle.
So that miracles became the basis for leading many into apostasy, even
though it was legitimate at that time.
d. While no believer today has the gift of miracles, God still
performs miracles if He chooses to do so. But they are not performed by any
human through a spiritual gift.
e. Of course, Satan has a clever system for duplicating miracles.
But there is no such thing as an intermediary between you and God for the
performance of miracles. There is no ceremony; there is no system of prayer
for miracles. Believers who practice this today insult God, regarding Him
as a genie.
f. The easiest thing God can do for a human being is to perform a
miracle. This is because it does not require any cooperation or positive
volition from a person; it only requires a decision from the sovereignty of
God and the use of His omnipotence.
g. The greatest demonstration of God's power toward mankind today
is the fulfillment of His protocol plan through the believer's consistent
residence inside the divine dynasphere, under the enabling power of the
Spirit, and momentum from metabolized doctrine, utilizing his very own
portfolio of invisible assets.
h. God never designed miracles to alleviate suffering.
Otherwise, our Lord would have been remiss in not healing everyone when He
was on earth. Miracles were designed to focus attention on the power of God
and the Word of God, to focus attention on the man (or Messiah) with the
message. The fact that miracles often alleviate suffering is incidental to
the point; it is an after-the-fact result. The greatest thing in life is
not a miracle, but Bible doctrine resident in your soul.
i. Miracles are sovereign and personal, never in the hands of a
human being during the postcanon period of the Church Age.
j. Paul performed miracles, indicating that he had the gift of
apostleship; therefore he was given a hearing. Whenever our Lord performed
a miracle, it was always in relationship to His message. The message of
doctrine is infinitely more important than any miracle that has ever
occurred.
k. All the hocus-pocus in the false function of miracles today is
designed to call attention to man. It's an ego trip. It is an arrogant
person trying to control and influence a lot of dumb sheep. Miracles are
not the issue today. The very fact that people want, ask, and pray for
miracles means they do not begin to understand the true greatness of God's
power, the greatness of His plan and the portfolio of invisible assets. No
one in the Church Age has the power to heal you via a miracle.
4. The gift of healing is mentioned in 1 Cor 12:9, 28, 30.
a. Just as miracles was designed to authenticate the person, so
healing was designed to focus attention on the message of apostles,
prophets, pastors, and evangelists before the New Testament was completed
and circulated.
b. Miracles authenticated the person; healing certified the
message. So they were different, though they both had the same connotation
in that they dealt with supernatural phenomena. A man with the gift of
miracles could perform a miracle at will, anytime he chose to do so, and he
could heal as well. In fact, people could just touch Paul and they were
instantly healed.
c. Healing as a spiritual gift does not exist today, for it
ceased with the completion of the Canon. Any healing today must come
directly from God, and not through any delegated human authority or
intermediary. Normally, healing is performed through medicine or even a
tranquil mental attitude so that the body can heal itself.
d. Healing is not a question of God's power. Healing is not even
a matter of someone's faith. It is the wisdom of God's sovereign will in
individual situations. God heals today only in special cases in which He
has a special purpose, such as extending your life so that you can learn
doctrine. But no person has the right to take any credit, should such
healing occur. The credit lies with the wisdom and sovereignty of God.
e. Paul had the gift of healing. It was used as a credit card to
establish his apostleship, since he murdered more Christians in the first
century than anyone else before the great persecutions began. Acts 19:11-12
tells of the spectacular nature of his healing gift, for a person only had
to touch Paul to be healed instantly.
f. But once Paul's apostleship and message was established and
generally accepted, God withdrew the gift of healing from him since it was
no longer needed. We know this because Paul could not heal two of his
closest friends. He solicited prayer on their behalf, but he could not heal
them. One was Epaphroditus in Phil 2:27, the other was Trophemus in 2 Tim
4:20; Paul had to leave Trophemus behind because he could not heal him.
g. There is true healing that occurs when a demon possessed
person experiences the demon leaving his body; such a person is then
"cured." This method is used by Satan to establish false teachers.
5. The gift of tongues. (See the doctrine of Tongues.)
a. The gift of tongues was designed to warn the Jews of the
coming of the fifth cycle of discipline by evangelizing them in Gentile
languages, cf. Isa 28.
b. Tongues was the first of the temporary gifts to be removed
70 A.D.
6. The interpretation of tongues is in 1 Cor 12:10, 30, 14:26-28.
a. When anyone stood up in a church and spoke in tongues,
presenting the Gospel to Jewish unbelievers who were present (Jews whose
native tongue was a Gentile language), the rest of the congregation could
not understand what was said. They thought the man speaking in tongues had
gone off his rocker; he didn't even know what he was saying.
b. So the one with the gift of interpretation of tongues stood up
and explained what was said by the one who had just spoken in tongues. This
gift was designed for the rest of the congregation so they would know the
one with the gift of tongues was not crazy.
c. The gift of tongues never functioned without the gift of
interpretation of tongues also functioning. The gift of interpretation of
tongues was the ability to translate the message of the one speaking in
tongues.
d. Today any alleged speaking in tongues or interpretation of
tongues is either a psychological malady of an emotional reject or demon
activity. The EGGASTRAMUTHOS demon who possesses an unbeliever controls
that person's vocal cords, causing him to "speak in tongues."
7. The gift of knowledge is found in 1 Cor 12:8, 13:8. With this
gift, you had instant cognition of mystery doctrine. This was a spiritual
gift whereby you knew a Church Age doctrine without studying it, for there
was as yet no New Testament canon in writing to study. This knowledge was
provided directly by God the Holy Spirit who inserted previously unknown
doctrinal information into a person's right lobe as epignosis. In other
words, the gift of knowledge functioned totally apart from the function of
operation Z.
8. The gift of wisdom is found in 1 Cor 12:8. This gift accompanied
the gift of knowledge, as the ability to explain and apply the mystery
doctrine taught by the gift of knowledge. So some taught the mystery
doctrine; others taught the application of that doctrine. Today, wisdom
comes with spiritual adulthood only. No believer before reaching spiritual
self©esteem has wisdom.
9. The gift of exhortation is found in Rom 12:8.
a. Before the canon of Scripture was completed and circulated,
the spiritual gift of exhortation was necessary. This was the temporary
gift of counseling, comforting, warning, and advising.
b. The Greek word used for this gift was PARAKLESIS which means
comforter. But today, the Holy Spirit is the PARAKLESIS. We have the
permanent indwelling of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, the ministry
of the Spirit in teaching, metabolizing, and applying doctrine. Hence, with
the completion of the New Testament, this temporary gift was no longer
necessary.
c. Today you can do these things for yourself in spiritual
adulthood. Beginning with spiritual self©esteem, you counsel yourself; you
comfort yourself; you warn yourself; you advise yourself. However, there is
still a place for these things in the ministry of the pastor-teacher.
d. Of course, we can always learn from people. Anyone who is
honest with you is your friend.
10. The gift of discerning spirits is found in 1 Cor 12:10. This was
the spiritual gift for the detection of false doctrine. With the completion
of the canon of Scripture, this gift was no longer necessary, since the New
Testament contains true doctrine and thereby exposes false doctrine.
11. The gift of faith is found in 1 Cor 12:9. This must be
Å¡distinguished from the faith-rest drill.
a. This was a special spiritual gift before the New Testament was
completed, whereby a believer demonstrated faith in a group which was being
persecuted or was under some special pressure. Everyone would be moaning
and groaning and complaining about some circumstance, and this believer
would exercise great faith in deliverance or in confidence in God, and
encourage that group to depend upon the Lord.
b. This person would exercise his gift of faith on behalf of the
group, either to comfort them with promises and doctrine, or to announce
that a deliverance was about to come. If a group of believers were about to
go to the lions, and one of them stood up with the gift of faith and said,
"I'm trusting the Lord that we'll all be delivered," they would all be
delivered and none of them would go to the lions.
c. The New Testament didn't exist, so there were no promises to
claim and no doctrine to apply. This gift was provided in lieu of having
New Testament promises and doctrines, so that the faith-rest drill could
function.
12. 1 Cor 13:8-10 explains the temporary function of certain spiritual
gifts, "Virtue-love is never phased out; but if prophecies, they will be
discontinued; if tongues, they will be terminated; if the gift of knowledge,
it will be discontinued. For we know in part [gift of knowledge], and we
prophesy in part [gift of prophecy], but when the perfect comes [New
Testament Canon], then the partial [the temporary spiritual gifts] will be
discontinued [abolished, phased out, withdrawn]."

F. Permanent Spiritual Gifts.
1. Introduction and Identification.
a. Permanent spiritual gifts function in the body of Christ
throughout the entire Church Age, but they are emphasized as functioning
from the time of the completion of the New Testament until the Rapture.
Permanent spiritual gifts were operational before the completion of the
Canon in most cases, and they will continue to function until the Rapture of
the Church.
b. While temporary spiritual gifts were phased out with the
completion and circulation of the New Testament, permanent spiritual gifts
will function in the body of Christ until the end of the Church Age.
c. If you have personally believed in Jesus Christ and received
Him as your personal Savior, you have a permanent spiritual gift. The
question is: what is your spiritual gift? There are no exceptions; every
believer is given a spiritual gift at salvation.
d. The initial distribution of spiritual gifts was made by the
Lord Jesus Christ after His ascension and session, according to Eph 4:7-11.
e. Thereafter, at salvation, God the Holy Spirit sovereignly
distributes spiritual gifts according to His perfect, eternal, and infinite
wisdom. One of the forty things you received at salvation, and one of the
seven ministries of the Holy Spirit at salvation was His sovereign act in
giving you a at least one spiritual gift. This is taught in 1 Cor 12:7, 11,
18 and 28.
f. The category of spiritual gift which you possess is not a sign
of spiritual superiority, growth, or inferiority. Spiritual gifts are a
matter of the sovereign wisdom of God the Holy Spirit. You are not better
or worse than anyone else by virtue of your spiritual gift.
g. The effectiveness of your spiritual gift depends upon two
categories of experiential sanctification.
(1) The absolute concept, which is the filling of the Spirit
or life in the divine dynasphere.
(2) The relative concept, which is a matter of your
spiritual growth or lack of it.
h. A distinction must be recognized between natural abilities or
talents and spiritual gifts. Your natural abilities are related to your
physical birth and genetics; spiritual gifts are related to regeneration.
2. There are three categories of permanent spiritual gifts.
These are categorized according to the means of their identification.
a. Communication gifts must be identified because they demand
maximum preparation. There are two permanent communication gifts: the gift
of pastor-teacher and the gift of evangelism, and any combination thereof
related to missionary function. "Missionary" is not a spiritual gift; it is
a function of the body of Christ. The communication gifts used out in the
field are pastor-teacher and evangelism; non-communication gifts are used in
the field as well.
(1) The communication gifts are given to male believers
only, and they are given totally apart from human merit.
(2) From His wisdom related to His omniscience, God the Holy
Spirit always over supplies. There are always more men with the gift of
pastor-teacher than there are men who will actually use it.
(3) These two communication gifts must be recognized as soon
as possible, because it takes a tremendous amount of preparation to function
effectively under the wisdom of God. This preparation requires many
different things, e.g., military service and extensive academic training (to
include five to eight graduate years).
(4) Identification is not simple, because it demands
persistence in the perception of doctrine. It is not connected with
emotion. No feeling should lead or guide you; you have to know from
doctrine, and have confidence from that knowledge. If you identify your
gift too late for proper preparation, don't be concerned because God uses
that gift in many other ways.
(5) After the individual male recognizes his spiritual gift
and prepares for it, then the Bible demands that some local church recognize
his spiritual gift through the ritual of ordination. Eventually, some local
church will recognize him by calling him to be their pastor.
b. There are spiritual gifts that the pastor of a local church
must identify among members in his congregation, i.e., the gifts of
administrative leadership, which must be possessed by church officers and
some deacons, especially the chairmen of standing committees.
(1) Half of the responsibility of this spiritual gift is
specified in 1 Cor 12:28 by the noun KUBERNESIS, which means administration.
The ability to administer in the local church is not necessarily the same as
the ability to administer in business, in the military, or in bureaucracy.
(2) The other half of the responsibility of this spiritual
gift is found in Rom 12:8. The present middle participle of PROISTEMI,
which means leadership.
(3) The two words together, KUBERNESIS and PROISTEMI, means
administrative leadership.
(4) Although the prevalent tradition is for the congregation
to vote for deacons and church officers, it is really the job of the pastor
to identify these gifts among men in the congregation and to appoint them as
church officers. These men are responsible for the function and
administration of a local church. No local church can function without
deacons. The gifts of administrative leadership definitely carry authority.
c. There are permanent spiritual gifts which function
automatically without spiritual growth, and they can function without
identification by the possessor. In other words, you can have a spiritual
gift which will function without your cognizance of exactly what it is.
(1) Like all spiritual gifts, these are also sovereignly
bestowed by God the Holy Spirit at salvation. They depend upon the filling
of the Spirit plus spiritual growth for their function.
(2) Once the believer reaches a certain stage of spiritual
growth, his gift functions automatically without identification.
(3) These spiritual gifts function with maximum efficiency
when the believer attains spiritual adulthood. These do not have to be
identified, although with spiritual growth from this doctrine, many may come
to recognize their spiritual gift.
(4) These spiritual gifts are the most necessary part of the
body of Christ. They include: the gift of service/ministry, the gift of
helps, the gift of mercy, and the gift of giving.
3. Permanent spiritual gifts include the following. It is not implied
that this list is exhaustive; however, it is categorical. Therefore, this
list represents the entire concept of permanent spiritual gifts.
a. First in order of merit: the gift of pastor-teacher, Rom
12:7; 1 Cor 12:8; Eph 3:7-13, 4:11-16. This is the highest communication
gift extent in the Church Age today. There is no higher spiritual gift. It
is given to male believers only and is designed to function primarily inside
the local church. (See the Doctrine of Pastor©Teacher.)
(1) The pastor is not an administrator; he is a policy
maker. One of his titles, as found in Eph 4:11, says he has the
responsibility of seeing that the policy of administration lines up with the
Word of God, that it is a policy that fulfills the concepts of the New
Testament. But he himself does not involve himself in administration.
(2) No pastor should ever have anything to do with the money
in the church nor with the building and how it functions. Administration is
not the pastor's responsibility.
b. The gift of evangelism is also a communication gift, Eph 4:11.
(1) While the gift of pastor-teacher communicates the whole
realm of doctrine inside the local church, the gift of evangelism is
designed to communicate the Gospel outside the local church.
(2) The male believer with the gift of evangelism has the
God©given ability to communicate the Gospel in a manner that holds the
unbeliever's attention. This is the spiritual gift by which people will
gather or assemble to listen to the presentation of the Gospel. These
unbelievers will give attention and listen to the evangelist, where they
would not listen to anyone else.
(3) While listening to something "religious," the unbeliever
has a tendency to be on his guard and resentful. But all of this is
overcome by the spiritual gift of evangelism while communicating the Gospel.
(4) The evangelist exercises his spiritual gift in a group
of unbelievers. His gift is designed to reach the unreachable with the
Gospel message.
(5) The gift of evangelism has the ability to teach and
express the Gospel so that unbelievers will listen and have a clear
understanding of the issue of salvation; i.e., that faith in Christ means
eternal life, and that rejection of Christ means eternal condemnation.
(6) Often an evangelist will have a speaking talent that
goes with his gift, but it is actually the gift that provides hearing from
the unbeliever. When this spiritual gift functions, the unbeliever will
listen to the Gospel almost by compulsion.
(7) The man with this gift is sensational in his
communication of the Gospel to the unbeliever. He is a sensational speaker
with a sensational personality; this is necessary in order to get a hearing
from unbelievers. Such a person can hold the attention of unbelievers.
(8) Pastors do not have this gift, but they are mandated to
do the work of an evangelist in 2 Tim 4:5, "Do the work of an evangelist."
(9) All believers are mandated to evangelize in 2 Cor 5:19.
This is because, as a royal ambassador, every believer represents God before
the human race. Therefore, it is necessary to personally witness for Christ
and give the message of reconciliation as opportunity presents. So the gift
of evangelism must be distinguished from personal witnessing, which is the
responsibility of every believer.
(10) Therefore, three categories of believers are mandated to
communicate the Gospel.
(a) The function of the spiritual gift of evangelism is
the sensational approach.
(b) The function of the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher is merely an accurate communication of the Gospel under the ministry
of God the Holy Spirit, 2 Tim 4:5.
(c) The function of every believer, 2 Cor 5:19.
(11) Every evangelist must learn doctrine from his own
pastor©teacher.
c. The gift of administrative leadership, sometimes called the
gift of governments, is found in Rom 12:8 and in 1 Cor 12:28.
(1) This is the gift of administrative leadership, because
it has delegated authority from the pastor. Rom 12:8, "He who leads must do
so with diligence." 1 Cor 12:28 also mentions this gift under the word
"governments" or "administrations." The two Greek words from these two
verses, KUBERNESIS and PROISTEMI, describe the two parts of this gift. It
entails both authority and leadership and the function of administration.
(2) This spiritual gift is held by deacons, those who
fulfill administrative responsibilities on missionary boards; leaders of
Christian service organizations; those who lead and administer the training
of children in the local church; church officers and chairmen of standing
committees or other organizations within the local church. Apparently, this
gift is given to men only.
(3) Men with this administrative leadership spiritual gift
must chair the various committees in the local church; such as the church
office committee, finance committee, membership committee, missionary
committee, nursery committee, prep school committee, property committee, and
ushers committee. (Those who serve on committees must have the gift of
ministry or service.)
(4) So there are two kinds of deacons: those with the
administrative leadership gift and those with the service administrative
gift, called the gift of ministry or the gift of service.
(5) It is the responsibility of the pastor to identify men
who have this gift and appoint them into the appropriate slot. The pastor
who fails to do this eventually becomes the loser himself. The very
existence of this gift emphasizes the fact that the primary responsibility
of the pastor is not administration.
(6) The gift of administration, then, is linked to the
function of the local church. One important distinction must be made. A
person can be great in administrating some business or organization, but
that does not necessarily mean he has this spiritual gift.
(7) The gift of administration calls for more than simply
effective administrative function. It is a spiritual gift which is
sensitive to the needs of the local church and how they are best
administered.
d. The gift of ministry or service is found in Rom 12:7. The
Greek noun DIAKONIA is translated "ministry" in the KJV; or "service" in
better modern translations. (Some confusion arises because DIAKONIA
resembles DIAKONOS, which though transliterated "deacon," actually refers to
the gift of administrative leadership.)
(1) DIAKONIA is a spiritual gift of service given to both
men and women. DIAKONOS is an office in the local church, held by a man
serving on the deacon board. The KUBERNESIS is the one with administrative
leadership over the board.
(2) This gift (DIAKONIA) functions in the administration of
the local church. It means ministry or service; it does not refer to the
office of deacon in the local church. This gift is given to men and women.
(3) Those who have this spiritual gift should serve on
committees and in specific administrative functions in the local church, on
mission boards, in Christian service organizations. The deacon, who is the
chairman of the committee, has the gift of administration. Those who serve
on the committee have the gift of ministry or service. This makes for
effective, administrative function in the local church.
(4) This spiritual gift is strictly administrative without
the leadership function provided by the Holy Spirit.
(5) Rom 12:7, "If service, then serve within the framework
of the gift of service."
(6) The spiritual gift of service or ministry is one of the
more common spiritual gifts among men; it also includes some ladies. It is
from this gift that so many things are done in the local church.
(7) Although women cannot have the first three spiritual
gifts, they can have this spiritual gift. This explains the feminine form,
"deaconess," in Timothy. No woman has the gift of pastor-teacher, the gift
of evangelism, or the gift of administration. But this shouldn't keep
ladies from teaching children, from personal witnessing, or from functioning
in the administration of the church if they have the gift of service.
e. The gift of helps is found in 1 Cor 12:28. Possessed by
thousands of believers, this gift is very important. It is this gift that
makes the royal family tick. It is the most sustaining gift, and it
provides the real stability in a local church.
(1) This spiritual gift functions by helping and ministering
to the sick, the afflicted, the handicapped, and the helpless. It is held
by men and women.
(2) This gift is a marvelous thing to behold. It is this
gift which functions by visiting the sick and those in hospitals. It is not
the pastor's responsibility to call on the sick. But for those who have the
spiritual gift of helps, this is their great and magnificent function. This
is the spiritual gift that really undergirds all the other spiritual gifts.
(3) This gift is synonymous with the gift of "giving aid,"
as it's translated correctly in Rom 12:8. It can be extended inside or
outside the church; it can function to both believers and unbelievers.
(4) Possibly one difference between the gift of ministry or
service and the gift of helps is that ministry or service functions within
the church, whereas the gift of helps functions both inside and outside the
local church.
f. The gift of showing mercy is found in Rom 12:8. Showing mercy
is a virtue under grace, but the gift of showing mercy is quite different.
(1) Rom 12:8, "He who shows mercy must always do so with
cheerfulness." This implies that if you have the gift of mercy, you will
automatically show mercy, but you won't necessarily like it without virtue.
So this verse commands that virtue accompany the function of this spiritual
gift. People often show mercy under the virtue of grace. But this is
actually a spiritual gift.
(2) This gift might be synonymous with helps, except that it
extends primarily to the afflicted, to the persecuted, and to those who are
victims of tyranny among believers and even unbelievers. Therefore, it is
perhaps more dramatic than the gift of helps.
(3) In the time of the writing or Rom 12:8, it was dangerous
to help Christians who were imprisoned or under persecution. Hence, this
spiritual gift is always related to courageous acts of mercy.
g. The gift of giving must be distinguished from the individual
believer's responsibility in giving.
(1) Rom 12:8, "He who gives with generosity."
(2) This is a special spiritual gift given to both rich and
poor for the extravagant use of their earthly possessions in providing for
the needs of both believers and Christian institutions, such as the local
church, missions, Christian service organizations, to the destitute and
needy, and to those who are financially helpless.
(3) A very false doctrine prevalent today is that you must
give all your money through or to the local church. In other words, if you
give to any people in need, but not by means of the local church, it really
isn't true giving. That is a lie from the pit of hell! You have a right to
give your money directly to any number of organizations or people in need,
and it is legitimate Christian giving.
(4) Tithing commanded in the Old Testament was taxation.
(5) Spiritual giving in both the Old and New Testament never
has any percentage attached to it. Spiritual giving is first of all a
mental attitude, one you can have though impoverished.
(6) You can still have this mental attitude even if you're
not able to give because of the superseding mandate from the Scripture: to
provide for you family. Before you give to the local church, you have a
responsibility to provide for your family! If a person has the spiritual
gift of giving and he has a family, he is limited in how he can use his
spiritual gift.
(7) A person with the spiritual gift of giving will give
sacrificially. There are two types of believers who have this gift: rich
and poor. If they have this gift, they will give sacrificially. For the
gift will function when they reach a certain stage of spiritual growth, even
though they may not know they have the gift. But remember, by and large
with most of the spiritual gifts, you don't have to identify the gift; you
simply have to grow in grace and it will function automatically.
(8) Those who are single, and those who are wealthy and have
already provided beautifully for their family, have no problem in giving
sacrificially. This gift of giving is giving sacrificially.
(9) If you have the gift, God will provide for the poor and
for the rich to give sacrificially. But this is a spiritual gift which
relatively few seem to have. If you do not have this gift, then God only
requires that you have the mental attitude of a desire to give whether you
are able to give or not.
h. These are a few of the spiritual gifts extent today. This
does not imply that these are all of them. So where do you fit in? How do
you read yourself into the picture? The answer is very simple. Unless you
have the gift of pastor-teacher or evangelism, you do not have to know what
your gift is. In fact, you may not ever discover your gift until there is
momentum and spiritual growth in your life.
i. You will know your spiritual gift by the time you reach
spiritual adulthood, because by that time it should be functioning and
operational. Without spiritual growth, your gift will not function; you're
just a dead battery.

G. The Function of Spiritual Gifts, Rom 12:4-8. This passage tells us how
the gifts should function, using an analogy to the human body.
1. Verse 4, "For just as we have many parts [many spiritual gifts] in
one body [royal family of God], and all parts do not have the same
function." All believers do not have the same spiritual gifts. The Holy
Spirit distributes different spiritual gifts to each of us at salvation,
just as a coach might assign players to different positions on a team.
2. Verse 5, Ë
Ë"so we, who are many are one body in Christ, and each part
[every spiritual gift in the body] belongs to all the others."
a. While we all have equal privilege and equal opportunity as
members of the royal family, the Holy Spirit assigns different spiritual
gifts to us. The one with the gift of pastor-teacher belongs to all of you.
You all have many different gifts which belong to him. We all belong to
each other. We cannot separate from each other and be effective. We are
all members of the same team!
b. Spiritual gifts are the basis for the team concept in the
royal family. Your spiritual gift determines what position you play on the
team. No matter how inconspicuous or insignificant your gift may seem to
be, you are on the team and your gift is just as necessary as any other
gift. Your insignificant gift is needed just as much as a spectacular gift.
c. Don't ever have a bad mental attitude about your less
spectacular spiritual gift, because you are resenting the wisdom of God the
Holy Spirit. All gifts function under the enabling power of the Spirit
inside the divine dynasphere only. Effectiveness of function is determined
by your spiritual growth.
d. So how should your spiritual gift function, once you've gained
some momentum, and once it begins to function with or without your consent?
3. Verse 6, "We have different gifts according to the grace given to
us. If the believer's gift is prophecy, let him prophesy in proportion to
his doctrine." This was a temporary gift. There was no sense in trying to
use the gift of prophecy unless you had doctrine so that your prophecies
were accurate.
4. Verse 7, "If his gift is the gift of ministry [or service], let him
function in the sphere of his service. If his gift is the gift of teaching
[pastor-teacher], let him teach." In other words, don't try to be something
you're not. You're great in functioning within your own spiritual gift. If
you try to do something else, you fall flat on your face. Scripture doesn't
say the pastor-teacher is to run absolutely everything; that's ridiculous.
He is to oversee that the policies line up with the Scripture; he should
know that much. But he delegates everything. The pastor who doesn't
delegate cannot study and teach.
5. Verse 8, "If it is the gift of exhortation, then let him counsel
and comfort. If it is the gift of giving, let him give generously. If it
is the gift of governments [administration], let him govern with diligence.
If it is the gift of showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
a. In other words, stick with you gift! Don't get ambitious and
try to be something you're not. God the Holy Spirit gave you your gift.
His wisdom is perfect; therefore, stay with your gift.
b. If you have the gift of giving, though God will provide the
means to give, your giving is sacrificial. This is different from all
believers giving as a part of the privacy of their priesthood. If you have
the gift of giving, then as you grow spiritually you'll find yourself being
unusually generous and perhaps sacrificial. But you don't have to give to
the local church; you can give to Christian service organizations or to
missionaries.
c. The gift of governments or administration is not necessarily
the ability to administer in business or be an good executive in business.
The person with this spiritual gift is able to function as an executive or
to function as an administrator in a local church. He is sensitive to the
needs of that local church, whereas in a business, he would not necessarily
do well.
d. Those who need mercy are generally the unattractive people in
life, and especially unattractive to the one giving the gift of mercy.
Therefore, this is an obscure gift, because it is being nice, kind,
thoughtful, and loving toward someone with whom you have a natural
antagonism. Doing it "cheerfully" means without any rancor, without any
thought that "this person is a jerk and brought this on himself."

H. The Team Concept of Spiritual Gifts, 1 Cor 12:1-14.œ
1. Just as every team as certain positions, so the body of Christ has
spiritual gifts. Every operational spiritual gift is necessary for the
advance of the body of Christ.
2. 1 Cor 12:1, "Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I do not want
you to be ignorant." This emphasizes the importance of epistemological
rehabilitation.
3. 1 Cor 12:4, "There are a variety of spiritual gifts, but the same
Holy Spirit."
a. The source of spiritual gifts is the sovereignty of God the
Holy Spirit, who gives the believer his gift at salvation on the basis of
HIS decision, not ours. Our spiritual gift is a matter of the wisdom of the
Holy Spirit; it is not a matter of any personal merit. We do not acquire,
attain, earn, or deserve our spiritual gift. In fact, we would not even
know what to order if we had a choice.
b. All spiritual gifts depend upon two factors for their
effective function.
(1) The filling of the Spirit, or residence inside your very
own palace, the divine dynasphere.
(2) Momentum, or spiritual growth, from perception,
metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine. This is called
epistemological rehabilitation or cognition of doctrine.
4. 1 Cor 12:5, "There are a variety of ministries [services], but the
same Lord." There are many different kinds of Christian service, and many
opportunities for Christian service. All believers are serving the same
Lord, but all believers do not serve in the same way.
5. 1 Cor 12:6-7, "There are different kinds of activities, but the
same God works all of them in all persons. Furthermore, to each of us is
given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good [team, body of
Christ]." The manifestation of the Spirit in view here is in perception, in
virtue, and in spiritual gifts. Every spiritual gift contributes to the
common good of the body of Christ.
6. 1 Cor 12:8-10, "To one there is given through the Spirit the gift
of wisdom, to another the gift of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another
the gift of faith by the same Spirit, to another the gifts of healing by
means of the same Spirit, to another the gift of miracles, to another
prophecy, to another discerning spirits, to another the gift of tongues, to
another interpretation of tongues." The spiritual gifts listed are all
temporary. They were mentioned because many had been abused in the local
church at Corinth.
7. 1 Cor 12:11, "All these spiritual gifts are the work of one and the
same Spirit; He gives them to each believer just as He determines."
8. The concept of one body, 1 Cor 12:12, "For even as the body is one
[one royal family] and has many parts [spiritual gifts], and all the parts
of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is the Christ."
a. Certain parts of the human body are prominent; others are
hidden. So it is with spiritual gifts; some are obscure, others are
obvious.
b. The baptism of the Spirit at salvation entered every believer
in union with Christ, and made us all members of the royal family of God.
9. How did we become royal family? 1 Cor 12:13, "For by means of one
Spirit we were all baptized [baptism of the Holy Spirit] into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks [no racial discrimination], whether slaves or free
[no social distinctions], and all were made [caused] to drink one Spirit."
a. There are no human viewpoint distinctions. There is no racial
discrimination or social distinctions. Once you believe in Jesus Christ,
you must regard yourself as a person, having no superiority or inferiority
complex. You are a member of the royal family with equal privilege and
equal opportunity. You are arrogant, if you are preoccupied with yourself
in terms of inferiority or superiority.
b. Drinking illustrates faith in Christ at salvation, the time
when the baptism of the Spirit occurs. All kinds of people can drink, but
the drinking process is the same for all. Drinking is a non-meritorious
procedure which everyone can do. So also, faith is common to all members of
the human race as a non-meritorious system of perception.
c. "Drinking of One Spirit" is the fulfillment of our Lord's
invitation on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jn 7:37-39, "Now
on the last day, the great day of the feast [Tabernacles], Jesus stood up
and shouted saying, `If any person is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, "Streams of living water
shall flow from within him."' But this He spoke about the Spirit, whom
those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit was not yet
given, because Christ was not yet glorified."
d. So in a passage about spiritual gifts, it is fitting that
drinking should be used as analogous to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, in
which moment we receive our spiritual gift.
10. 1 Cor 12:14, "Now the body [royal family] is made up not of one
part, but of many parts [spiritual gifts]." The body is a unity but it has
many parts.

I. The Abuse of Spiritual Gifts, 1 Corinthians 12:15-21.œ
1. There are two abuses of spiritual gifts.
a. The attempt to perpetuate temporary gifts of the pre-canon
period into the postcanon era. Many times people have tried to perpetuate
into the postcanon period some temporary spiritual gift, like healing,
miracles, tongues, or the interpretation of tongues. That's an abuse of
spiritual gifts.
b. The second problem is that of arrogance or inferiority. Many
believers are arrogant because their spiritual gift is more obvious in its
function. Others are in a terrible state of inferiority, thinking that
because their spiritual gift is not obvious and doesn't function in front of
people, they are second-class Christians. But there's no such thing as a
second-class Christian.
2. 1 Cor 12:15-21 describes this abuse. This is a part of the
dissertation on the body of Christ, the royal family of God, in which
distinctions are made only where our spiritual gifts are concerned.
Remember that when it comes to our privileges and opportunities, we all have
equal privileges and equal opportunities from our portfolio of invisible
assets.
3. 1 Cor 12:15, "If the foot should say, `Because I am not the hand, I
am not part of the body,' it is not, for this reason, any the less a part of
the body? No."
a. Brother foot had an inconspicuous gift. Brother hand had a
conspicuous, spectacular gift.
b. Some people have an inferiority complex because their
spiritual gift isn't spectacular. Some who have spectacular spiritual gifts
suggest and imply that they are greater believers because they have this
gift. Behind all this is the erroneous assumption that you earn, deserve,
or merit your spiritual gift. In reality, it is the wisdom of God the Holy
Spirit.
c. Spiritual gifts are not issued on the basis of spiritual
growth or spiritual advance. Those with less spectacular gifts are not
spiritually inferior to those with an ostentatious gift.
d. This passage was to correct the abuse resulting from
Corinthian arrogance which said, in effect, "you're not really saved until
you speak in tongues." Or, "you're not really saved until you exercise some
spectacular and emotional function in life."
e. The royal family of God, when it comes to spiritual gifts, is
a team. Each part is necessary. So whether you are a lady or a gentleman,
you are important in the royal family of God. Your spiritual gift is your
position on the team. It was sovereignly bestowed to you by God the Holy
Spirit at salvation, and your spiritual gift is just as important as anyone
else's.
f. The different spiritual gifts generally fall into just these
two categories, foot or hand. The foot represents the gifts not so obvious,
the behind-the-scenes gifts, like the gift of helps or service. The hand
represents the spectacular gifts. Among the temporary gifts, these would
have been tongues, the interpretation of tongues, healing, and miracles.
These were prominent, dominant, and well-known, along with the gifts of
apostleship and prophecy. But the many behind-the-scenes gifts are just as
important for the modus operandi of the royal family.
g. If you as a believer have an inferiority complex, there is
either something vitally wrong with your understanding of doctrine or with
your function in your experience. There is no place for an inferiority
complex!
h. On the other "hand," those with spectacular gifts are no
better than those with hidden gifts. You're not more spiritual because you
have a spectacular gift. An evangelist, especially one well-known, is often
thought to be deeply spiritual and far greater than others. But this is not
necessarily true. The same is true of a pastor-teacher. Neither the pastor
or evangelist is necessarily any better as a Christian than anyone else.
What differentiates them is simply that their spiritual gifts are exercised
in public, while other believers' spiritual gifts are exercised in private.
The actual spiritual advance of any believer really belongs to the privacy
of his priesthood; it is really no one else's business. Every believer must
live his own life as unto the Lord and before the Lord.
i. So the only differences among believers are determined by
their spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts have nothing to do with the natural
inferiorities or superiorities that are assigned to race, to social,
business, professional, or academic life, to athletic ability, to
personality, or to human attractiveness or ugliness.
j. Conclusion: you are just as much a part of the body of Christ
if your spiritual gift is exercised in private!
4. Verse 16 brings in two other factors to repeat the idea, going from
parts of the body to parts of the face. "And if the ear should say,
`Because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body,' it is not, for that
reason, any less a part of the body? No."
a. The ear refers to the congregational gifts, in contrast to the
communication gifts. The use of the ear is very appropriate as a reference
to the congregation. For no one ever grows spiritually without listening to
Bible teaching.
b. Since the ear is generally unnoticed, it refers to the various
unseen congregational gifts, like the gift of helps or the gift of mercy.
These hidden gifts are very important.
c. The eye represents the communication gifts, like pastor-teacher or evangelist. While speaking, the communicator must look you in
the eye. Again, the use of the eye is very appropriate. For by looking,
the communicator can easily gauge the response to his message.
d. The point is that many believers develop an inferiority
complex and arrogant dissatisfaction because they do not have a
communication gift. Timothy even faced this problem with certain women in
his congregation.
e. Spiritual gifts do not determine the status of experiential
sanctification. Experiential sanctification, or the spiritual life, has two
concepts, absolute and relative.
(1) The absolute concept is being filled with the Spirit or
life in the divine dynasphere, versus being carnal in cosmic one or two.
(2) The relative concept is the stage of your spiritual
growth or retrogression.
f. Those believers with communication gifts are not superior to
those believers with non-communication gifts. Those with communication
gifts do have superior authority which is built into the gift. But their
superior authority does not imply a superior spiritual life.
g. The superior spiritual life results from consistent residence
inside the divine dynasphere, under the enabling power of the Spirit, and
momentum from metabolized doctrine.
5. Verse 17, "If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing
be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?"
a. In other words, if everyone had communication gifts, believers
could not listen and learn doctrine. Hence, the royal family of God would
be composed of spiritual morons.
b. Furthermore, if everyone had communication gifts, the royal
family would be in a state of inordinate competition. There would be no
authority for teaching Bible doctrine, and therefore no function of
operation Z at gate #4 of the divine dynasphere.
c. The sense of smell refers to the non-spectacular action gifts,
such as service, helps, mercy, and giving, which in their function are
almost evanescent. But these are just as important as the spectacular
gifts.
6. Verse 18, "But in fact, God has arranged the parts of the body
[distribution of spiritual gifts], every one of them, just as He willed."
a. Spiritual gifts are distributed according to the sovereignty
of God, not according to the merit of any particular believer.
b. There is no excuse for a superiority complex because you have
an ostentatious spiritual gift. In fact, a spectacular spiritual gift does
not in any way indicate a superior spiritual status.
c. There is no excuse for an inferiority complex because you have
an obscure spiritual gift. In fact, an obscure spiritual gift, like helps
or mercy, does not indicate an inferior spiritual status.
d. Whatever spiritual gift we have is a matter of the sovereignty
of God. Therefore, we cannot complain about our spiritual gift. It is the
will of God, not ours. We did not earn it, deserve it, or work for it. It
is strictly the function of the sovereignty of God.
7. The principle of spiritual gifts.
a. All spiritual gifts are necessary for the function of the body
of Christ, and they require faithfulness in the execution of the protocol
plan of God for their proper function.
b. Some spiritual gifts have to be recognized by the possessor,
that is, the communication gifts, because they require extensive training
and preparation.
c. Other spiritual gifts, however, do not have to be recognized
or identified, since they function automatically under spiritual growth.
d. All spiritual gifts function in maximum effectiveness under
spiritual adulthood, beginning at spiritual self-esteem.
e. Regardless of spiritual growth, no spiritual gift can function
apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we have the mandates
of Eph 5:18 and Gal 5:16.
f. There are two categories of arrogance related to spiritual
gifts.
(1) The superiority complex because of the possession of a
spectacular gift.
(2) The inferiority complex because of the possession of an
obscure spiritual gift.
g. Since the Holy Spirit assigned these spiritual gifts at
salvation, there is no place for human merit, or assigning any greatness or
arrogance to your spiritual gift.
h. Under computer assets, every believer still has equal
privilege and equal opportunity for the fulfillment of the protocol plan of
God and the distribution of his escrow blessings for both time and eternity
regardless of whatever spiritual gift he may possess.
8. Verse 19, "In fact, if they were all one part, where would the body
be?" All spiritual gifts are necessary for the function of the body of
Christ as the royal family of God.
9. Verse 20, "Now there are many parts [spiritual gifts], but one
body." Regardless of spiritual gift, every believer is royal family of God
with equal privileges and equal opportunities under his portfolio of
invisible assets. The only differences are personnel differences, the third
category of assets in the portfolio of invisible assets.
10. Verse 21 takes up the case of brother eye with a visible spiritual
gift (like apostleship, prophecy, miracles) and brother hand, who has some
invisible or less sensational spiritual gift such as administrative
leadership. "The eye [a believer with a sensational spiritual gift] cannot
say to the hand [a believer with an invisible spiritual gift], `I do not
need you!' And the head [Jesus Christ] cannot say to the feet [a believer
not using his spiritual gift], `I do not need you!"
a. In other words, no pastor is an island to himself. No pastor
can function effectively in the communication of Bible doctrine without the
function of administrative gifts.
b. The head refers to our Lord Jesus Christ, as in Eph 1:22,
4:15, 5:23, and Col 1:18.
c. The feet here refers to the invisible or non-spectacular
gifts, such as the gifts of service, helps, giving, showing mercy. Even
Jesus Christ cannot say to the least of all spiritual gifts "I do not need
you!" He cannot say to any part of the body, "I do not need you!"
Therefore, every spiritual gift has significance in the body of Christ.
d. We live in a time of the greater, better spiritual gifts. We
live in a time when the spiritual gifts have more meaning, more power, more
impact, more worldwide influence. But the spiritual gift does not work
unless the Holy Spirit is your mentor.
11. 1 Cor 12:22-25 teaches the importance of obscure spiritual gifts.
Some believers have invisible spiritual gifts, but they are the most
important spiritual gifts. They often receive less honor and recognition,
yet they are the more honorable and the more necessary. God gives great
honor to the members of the royal family who do not have visible spiritual
gifts. God gives greater honor to those believers with invisible support
gifts. Verse 23, "and [when we understand this principle of necessary
spiritual gifts] those members of the body which we are subjected to
critical thinking erroneously judged as less honorable], on these we bestow
more abundant honor, and our less presentable members came to have greater
presentability."
a. Those members subjected to critical thinking is an attack on
the team and the position some person plays on the team. It is a subjective
opinion based on prejudice rather than fact.
b. The person subjected to this critical thinking is important to
the team as much so a the person being critical of him.
c. Believers with non-sensational spiritual gifts (the less
honorable members) received more abundant honor when the canon of Scripture
was completed. It was a total reversal. Greater honor is bestowed on the
believer with less sensational spiritual gifts during the postcanon period
of the Church Age than on the believers with the sensational spiritual gifts
during the pre-canon period.
d. The invisible hero is the greater power in the body of Christ,
just as the invisible parts of the human body (like the brain, heart, lungs,
kidneys) are the greatest parts of the human body.
e. The power of the invisible gifts of helps and administration
cannot be overrated. They make it possible for doctrine to be taught and
sent all over the world. You should never have to drive people in the
spiritual life. Bible doctrine is the greatest single incentive in the
spiritual life. Love for God and doctrine is far more powerful than any
other incentive in life.
f. Care for one another means the function of the unique virtue-love of the Church Age. This is a love that is not trying to seduce
someone, trying to use others.
g. Spiritual leadership must have great humility and that great
humility must be related to virtue-love. No spiritual leader is objective
without virtue-love, humility, fairness, justice, righteousness.
12. Verse 26-27 teaches the importance of teamwork in spiritual gifts.
a. 1 Cor 12:27, "Now you are body of Christ and each members of
His parts [individual members of the body of Christ]." You are the highest
form of team situation that has ever existed.
b. 1 Cor 12:28 mentions the old team in the pre-canon period of
the Church Age. We are the new team in the postcanon period.
13. Verse 28-30 teaches the perspective of the diversity of spiritual
gifts during the pre-canon period of the Church. Certain men were given the
spiritual gift of teaching what would eventually be in writing in the New
Testament. This was not the same spiritual gift as that of pastor©teacher.
The spiritual gift of apostle, prophet, teacher (some had the ability to
teach the content of the New Testament prior to it being written), a worker
of miracles, healing were all temporary spiritual gifts for the pre-canon
period. They were all sensational, but temporary, spiritual gifts. The
same is true for the gifts of tongues, and interpretation of tongues. None
of these are the greater spiritual gifts of the postcanon period of the
Church.
14. Verse 31 is a transitional verse into the doctrine of Virtue-Love,
as the answer to any apparent inequalities in spiritual gifts. 1 Cor 12:31,
"But keep on seeking the greater gifts [the invisible impact of the
postcanon period of the Church Age], and yet I point out to you for your
benefit a way of life beyond all comparison [our spiritual life]."
a. The sensational, temporary spiritual gifts of the pre-canon
period were not the "greater gifts" mentioned in this context (apostleship,
tongues, prophecy, interpretation of tongues). Many theologians consider
the temporary to be the greater spiritual gifts, but they are not the
greater spiritual gifts. The greater spiritual gifts are permanent
spiritual gifts of the postcanon period of the Church Age.
b. The sensational spiritual gifts belong to the pre-canon period
of the Church Age (30-96 A.D.). These gifts provided the New Testament
verbally before the New Testament was written.
c. The greater spiritual gifts belong to the postcanon period of
the Church Age. The sensational spiritual gifts of the pre-canon period
were designed for the communication of the New Testament before it was
written. 1 Cor 12:29-30 lists the temporary, sensational spiritual gifts of
the pre-canon period of the Church Age.
d. The spiritual team today does not have the sensational
spiritual gifts. We have greater spiritual gifts that do not have to be
sensational. We have spiritual gifts with more power than the sensational
spiritual gifts. We have the spiritual life of our Lord Jesus Christ with
invisible, dynamic impact for Christ.
e. The greater spiritual gifts are formed by the baptism of the
Holy Spirit, directly related to the unique spiritual life of Jesus Christ
in hypostatic union. The most powerful influence in history comes from the
permanent spiritual gifts.
f. You cannot seek the greater gifts, if the greater gifts were
temporary. Therefore, the greater gifts were not temporary, but the
permanent spiritual gifts of the postcanon period of the Church Age.
J. 1 Cor 13.
1. Outline.
a. Verse 1, Vulnerability to Failure.
b. Verses 2-3, The Two Premises.
(1) First premise if you do not have virtue-love, you are
nothing.
(2) Second premise if you do not have virtue-love, you gain
nothing.
c. Verse 4-7, The Characteristics of Virtue-Love.
d. Verse 8a, The First Conclusion.
e. Verses 8b-12, The Parenthesis.
f. Verse 13, The Final Conclusion.
2. 1 Cor 13:1, "If I speak with the languages of mankind and angels,
but I do not have virtue-love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging
symbol."
a. No human being ever learned an angelic language. We do not
witness to angels verbally. This is an assumption by Paul because he is
introducing a hypothetical case against the sensationalism of temporary
spiritual gifts. This is a working hypothesis, using probable circumstances
to explain the importance of virtue©love as the unique phase of the
spiritual life of the Church Age. The reference to the languages of angels
is a working hypothesis to assign the true value of tongues as a temporary
spiritual gift to emphasize the fact that it has no validity apart from the
spiritual life of the believer who used it. Even if you could speak in the
language of angels, which we cannot, or converse with the gods, this would
not be of any use to you. We can live spiritually without being
sensational, but we cannot live spiritually without virtue.
(1) When we have a personal sense of destiny, it is
primarily related to personal love for God. This is love on a much higher
plain than love for other people. We have no right to an inferiority
complex, because we are royal family of God in union with Christ. There are
two areas of God's happiness: sharing the happiness of God and occupation
with Christ. This is where we should be. If we are not there, we will make
ourselves miserable, and we will never understand that we have a
responsibility to God, which must always be first in our life.
(2) People are not going to pat us on the back when we
advance to maturity and receive blessing by association. It will be
invisible to them and to us. It is invisible impact. If we get our eyes on
people, we are on our way down spiritually.
b. The verb LALEO is a hypothetical present tense, which is part
of the pictorial present, and is used for action in progress hypothetically.
Paul produces the action as a hypothesis for establishing a principle
related to the spiritual gift.
(1) No spiritual gift can function apart from the spiritual
life, and no spiritual life can function apart from having the information
necessary to live that life, and using it, and growing up. People do not
really have any God awareness, because they know nothing about Him. What
God has given us is far greater than our stupid demands from God. We will
never have any happiness until we share the happiness of God.
(2) In the pre©canon period of the Church Age there were
three sensational spiritual gifts of communication used as illustrations in
this passage: tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. The gift of knowledge was
to present doctrine that had not yet been reduced to writing by an apostle.
(3) Paul focuses on tongues because it was such a
spectacular spiritual gift. The attitude of associating spiritual greatness
with tongues was based on the Greek culture. The Greek culture was ecstatic
utterance related to emotional activity of the Phallic cult and religious
mysteries, which the Greeks practiced.
c. The dative plural of manner from the noun GLOSSA means
languages. "If I speak with tongues" refers to Gentile languages, not
unintelligible sounds, and not the ecstatic sounds of the Greek Phallic
cult. Why was tongues a legitimate spiritual gift for forty years from A.D.
30-70?
(1) The negative purpose of the spiritual gift was the
fulfillment of the prophecy in Isa 28:11-12, quoted in 1 Cor 14:21 with the
conclusion given in 1 Cor 14:22, "For this reason tongues are a signal, not
to those who believe, but to [Jewish] unbelievers." Tongues was a sign to
the Jewish unbelievers as the warning of the approach of the fifth cycle of
discipline and the destruction of the Jewish nation, Lev 26:27-38; Deut
28:49-67. The prophecy of Isa 28:11-12 indicates that Jews will be
evangelized in Gentile languages as a warning of the approach of the times
of the Gentiles. The times of the Gentiles begins with the fall of the
Jewish client nation in 70 A.D.
(2) The positive purpose was to evangelize Jews and
proselytes with positive volition at the point of God consciousness in their
own languages on the day of Pentecost.
d. The only motivation for the spiritual life, for anything
related to Christianity, for whatever you do in this life, the only mental
attitude that gives you a dynamic advantage over everyone else is personal
love for God. We are not motivated by rewards for time and eternity, but by
personal love for God.
e. The sounding brass was used by a peddler, when he rubbed two
pieces of metal together to draw attention to himself. The clanging symbol
was used in the temples of the phallic cult and it was sound without
meaning. Sound without meaning is love without virtue. Hence, it
represents emphasis on self rather than on the message. This is the
description of noise without power drowned in emotion without thought,
meaningless and mindless irrationality.
3. 1 Cor 13:2, "And if I had the gift of prophecy, and I knew all the
mysteries and all knowledge; and if I had all faith, so that I could remove
mountains from one place to another place, but do not have virtue-love, I am
nothing."
a. Three temporary sensational spiritual gifts are mentioned here
by way of illustration prophecy, knowledge, and faith. They are introduced
in a hypothetical protosis.
b. The temporary spiritual gift of prophecy provided parts of the
information, which would be contained in the New Testament. Matthew, Luke,
John, Paul, Peter all had this spiritual gift and all wrote part of the
information of prophecy.
c. The temporary spiritual gift of knowledge was understanding
the mystery doctrines of the Church Age before they were written into the
canon of Scripture: the indwelling of each member of the Trinity, the
filling of the Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit, the sealing of the Spirit,
the thirty-nine irrevocable absolutes given to us at salvation. These are
called mystery doctrines in Rom 16:25-26; Eph 3:1-10, 5:32, 6:19; Col 1:25-26.
d. Faith here is a temporary spiritual gift in contrast to the
four stages of the faith-rest drill as we have in the post-canon period of
the Church Age. This spiritual gift did not actually have the power to move
a mountain, but is hypothetical to demonstrate the spectacular nature of the
temporary spiritual gifts. Paul is using a deliberate hyperbole here to
emphasize the sensationalism of these temporary spiritual gifts. This
hyperbole is used for an obvious and intentional exaggeration, a rhetorical
figure of speech to dramatize the hypothetical case and add extravagant
emphasis on the temporary spiritual gift of faith in contrast to the faithªrest drill. The gift of faith is identified with other temporary spiritual
gifts, 1 Cor 12:8-10. This hypothetical case is designed to show us that
even if we had such a spiritual gift, it would be no good unless we had the
right motivation of personal love for God.
e. The motivation for everything in your life must be virtue-love. None of these temporary spiritual gifts would ever be anything
without the right motivation. This principle is carried into the spiritual
life of the Church Age. Virtue-love of the spiritual love is the greatest
motivation and power in all human history.
f. We are nothing unless we have virtue-love, because it is the
motivation for growing in grace, and the motivation for the honor code of
the spiritual life, and the motivation for the execution of every command in
Scripture. Virtue-love is the power of the spiritual life. If we do not
have this virtue-love, we are nothing in the spiritual life. Without
virtue-love we are nothing though we have everything. (The predicate
accusative neuter Attic Greek word OUTHEN is used here, not the Hellenistic
and Koine Greek word OUDEN. OUTHEN is dramatic. Note that the predicate
accusative neuter is used with the nominative masculine verb EIMI.)
(1) The word "nothing" emphasizes the failure of human
agenda in rejection of God's agenda. If we follow our agenda rather than
God's agenda, we will never have the perfect happiness available to us.
(2) Emotional sins of arrogance replace the power of God the
Holy Spirit as our mentor.
(3) The only true motivation that comes when God the Holy
Spirit is our mentor is virtue©love.
(4) Failure to rebound means that we create a tragic flaw in
our own life. The tragic flaw means that the supreme court of heaven will
nail us sooner or later.
4. 1 Cor 13:3, "Also if I give all of my possessions to feed those who
are in need of help, and if I deliver over my body that I may boast, but I
do not have virtue-love, I gain nothing."
a. The working hypothesis now changes from sensational gifts to
spectacular self-sacrifice, which is useless and not a part of the filling
of the Spirit.
(1) The first spectacular good deed is sacrificial giving to
the poor. Some people genuinely sacrifice all of their wealth to help the
poor. This is what Barnabas did in Acts 4:34-37.
(2) This is an honorable and generous deed, but without
virtue©love produced by the filling of the Spirit, it is dead works.
(3) Some of the Corinthian believers failed to use rebound.
Therefore, they had such quilt that they thought the only way they could get
rid of the guilt was to give away everything they owned to the poor.
(4) Without virtue-love produced by the filling of the
Spirit this honorable deed becomes dead works, human good, and has no
relationship to the unique spiritual life of the Church Age. It has no
productional significance related to virtue or love motivation and function.
b. The second spectacular self-sacrifice is the hypothetical case
of giving one's body to martyrdom.
(1) Self-sacrifice without virtue-love is meaningless.
Guilt motivated some believers to martyr themselves by burning instead of
using the rebound technique. Martyrdom was often confused with rebound in
Paul's day. They looked forward to the intense fire to burn away their
sins. They were in blind arrogance and legalism. A legalistic scribe
replaced the correct Greek word KAUCHESOMAI to boast, with the future
subjunctive (which was never used in the Koine Greek until the Byzantine
period (476-1453 A.D.) of KAUTHESOMAI to be burned. KAUCHESOMAI is found
in all the best manuscripts.
(2) If the motivation is emotion, it is not the spiritual
life. The exception is that emotion could be a result of executing the
spiritual life, but emotion is not involved in the execution. The spiritual
life demands execution (Eph 5:18), which includes the filling of the Holy
Spirit, which produces virtue-love (Gal 5:22) plus thinking doctrine plus
concentration on doctrine plus application of doctrine, resulting in
harmonious rapport with God. Virtue-love is both the highest form of Church
Age spiritual life and the greatest motivation for the execution of the
spiritual life.
(3) If I deliver over my body to some kind of martyrdom and
it is done in emotion, then it is not a part of the spiritual life. The
spiritual life is execution by the filling of the Spirit, thinking and
applying Bible doctrine, motivated by virtue-love. Virtue-love is both the
highest form of spiritual life and the greatest motivation for the execution
of the spiritual life.
(4) Paul did not think of these martyrs as being great
heroes, because their martyrism was oriented to self rather than oriented to
God. Martyrdom oriented to self is a major problem of self-pity. Martyrdom
must be oriented to God, and must be a stand for something that is truth
from the word of God. True martyrdom is always oriented to Bible doctrine,
not to self. The only true martyrdom is when we have taken and accurate
stand, based on the word of God, about something of doctrine that is
important, like salvation, freedom, etc. We are not martyrs because we got
fired, or were treated unfairly, or because we have "taken a stand for
Christianity." Paul was skeptical because the Corinthians had got involved
in asceticism, perfectionism, individualism, libertarianism.
(5) Heroic religious achievement becomes false righteousness
of works, in which grace is no longer the issue.
(6) Self-immolation was very popular in the Greco-Roman
empire. The manuscript evidence does not support the translation "to be
burned." Instead, the word KAUCHAOMAI is correct, meaning, "if I give my
body to martyrdom that I may boast." The literature of the time was full of
praise of persons who voluntarily gave themselves over to death by fire, but
in every case they did it to glorify themselves. People were very impressed
with this in the ancient world and were considered great heroes. It was all
emotion without the execution of the spiritual life.
(7) There is a martyrdom complex, which often accompanies
the arrogance of self-righteousness. This complex lives under the illusion
of always being unjustly treated. They feel very sorry for themselves.
When they run out of sympathy from others, they do something desperate.
This category must have a hero that can do no wrong to match their perfect
view of themselves. They suffer from jealousy and possessiveness of others.
(8) The martyrdom complex is constantly redefining human
relationships and misinterpreting fellowship in terms of always being right
and everyone else is wrong. Another form of martyrdom is some form of
Christian activism, social engineering, and civil disobedience along with
attacking the government. We do not superimpose Christianity on government;
that is wrongdoing. It is not our responsibility to coerce others into
believing in Christ. The government cannot follow Christian principles. It
must follow certain others principles (like the protection of freedom),
which are necessary for the survival of the nation. Martyrdom often results
from trying to christianize the state rather than witnessing for Christ in
the status of freedom.
(9) Legitimate martyrdom glorifies God. Martyrdom that is
arrogance glorifies the believer. The idea of believers attempting to
please God by self-immolation is blasphemous and unthinkable.
(10) Self-imposed martyrdom is not true martyrdom. True
Christian martyrdom depends on the antagonism of others, therefore, the
volition of others. A martyr does not become a martyr by his own volition,
but by the volition of those who are antagonistic to Christianity.
(11) True martyrdom involves the volition of others and the
glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. Self-induced martyrdom is not
rebound, not glorifying to God. Self-imposed martyrdom is a sign of being
in carnality for many years without a change. Carnality is often the basis
for martyrdom in the past. In cases where martyrdom has often existed, it
has not been honoring to the Lord and it is not a part of the spiritual life
at all. It is basis of carnality perpetuated without rebound. Martyrdom in
the status of carnality is the sin unto death. Supreme sacrifice in
martyrdom may only glorify God, when the believer under the filling of the
Holy Spirit functions under virtue-love.
(12) When the supreme sacrifice of the human body occurs in
the state of carnality, there is no glorification of God; the believer gains
nothing. The supreme sacrifice only glorifies God when the believer is
under the filling of the Spirit and functions in virtue-love as an advanced
problem solving device of the spiritual life.
c. "I gain nothing" refers to the loss of eternal rewards. If we
fail to attain virtue-love, we lose our eternal rewards and blessings,
though we cannot lose our salvation.
5. 1 Cor 13:4, "Virtue-love is forbearing and kind; is not jealous; is
not impudent-type arrogance [insolent, effrontery, rude, insulting,
presumptuous]; it is not inflated with arrogance,"
a. Virtue-love is the thing that makes the difference and makes
all of the changes in your life. Virtue-love gives you wisdom, so that you
do not allow anything to infiltrate your life that is not related to virtue-love.
b. The Greek verb MAKROTHUMEW does mean to be patient,
forbearing, self-controlled, but these are not the best meanings of the
word. It really means not being swayed by emotion. Forbearing means that
Virtue-love is steadfast, patient, self-control, free from emotional
reaction of annoyance, free from anger and irrationality when confronted
with stress.
(1) Emotion is defined as an affective state of
consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate is experienced as
distinguished from cognition and the volitional state of consciousness.
(2) God does not possess emotion as a divine attribute.
Therefore, God is not emotional in His relationship with rational creatures.
(3) Emotion is only attributed to God as an anthropopathism.
An anthropopathism is designed to explain to mankind in human language God's
policy on a sovereign decision related to the integrity of God. Rom 9:13.
(4) Emotion has no part in the execution of the unique
spiritual life of the Church Age. Execution is fulfilled through cognition,
perception of pertinent Bible doctrine, plus subsequent thinking and
applying Bible doctrine as epignosis.
(5) Emotion can be the result and appreciation of Bible
doctrine, which you have already metabolized. Emotion can be the result and
appreciation of Bible doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness,
but never the means of epistemological rehabilitation or epistemological
advance in the spiritual life.
(6) Emotion is not the criterion of salvation or the
spiritual life of the believer. How you feel is never the issue.
(7) When God created the human soul of mankind, He included
cognition and volition along with self-consciousness as part of the image of
God connotation, Gen 1:27. Self-consciousness is being aware of our
existence. We are rational creatures with self-perception. We also have
moral reasoning power. Finally, we have self-determination. I am; I think;
I ought; I will. There is no emotion I feel.
(8) Emotion was designed in mankind as a system of
appreciation for what God had provided in grace, and therefore, it is a
responder, but never an initiator.
(9) Good emotion is a system of response to what God has
provided for mankind in His matchless grace.
(10) The image of God does not include emotion. Emotion can
only exist where cognition has preceded it.
(11) Bad emotion is related to the doctrine of hamartiology.
Emotional sins include: fear, worry, anxiety, jealousy, bitterness, hatred,
angry, malice, guilt, vindictiveness, implacability.
(12) The lowest elevation of human love is an emotional
relationship devoid of integrity, virtue, honor, etc.
(13) In Phil 3:18 Paul calls believers who are enemies of the
Cross those who have made a god out of their emotions. The emotional
viewpoint of life is constantly distracted by false opinions and values,
which line up with Satan's system, because people think that feeling good is
happiness.
c. Kindness means to be loving plus merciful; hence, it is
functioning under the principle of the integrity of God.
d. Impudent type arrogance is insolent, rude, insulting,
presumptuous; hence, the personality that accompanies all of the arrogance
skills.
e. Being puffed-up with arrogance is the advanced function of the
arrogance skills.
6. 1 Cor 13:5,"it does not behave dishonorably [disgracefully,
indecently, unmannerly]; is not self-seeking; does not become irritated
[bitter]; it does not react to evil;"
a. To behave dishonorably means to behave indecently or
unmannerly.
b. To be self-seeking also means in the Greek to be self-promoting. Virtue-love is not self-promoting or pre-occupied with self. If
God does not promote you, then you are not promoted. God's promotion comes
only through His spiritual life.
c. To become irritated is to become bitter with anger reaction
and pettiness. Virtue-love is not hypersensitive and is not easily
provoked.
d. Virtue-love is not mindful of wrongs, does not reaction to the
wrongs or injustices that come one's way, does not think in terms of
retaliation or reaction to hated or antagonisms.
7. 1 Cor 13:6, "it does not rejoice over injustice, but joyfully sides
with the truth;"
8. 1 Cor 13:7, "it keeps all things confidential; it always believes;
it always hopes (absolute confidence); it always perseveres."
a. The Greek says, "throws a cloak of silence over all things,"
that is, it keeps and things confidential with no verbal sinning.
b. Believing all things is the advance function of the faith-rest
drill.
9. 1 Cor 13:8, "Virtue-love never fails; but if prophecies, they will
be discontinued; if tongues, they shall be terminated; if knowledge, it will
be discontinued."
a. Virtue-love never falls down from a higher point.
(1) The believer may fail to enter the door of hope on God's
agenda, but virtue-love is still there for the believer of the next
generation to attain it. God never has withdrawn any of His blessings
because of failure. They are always available to those who are positive to
doctrine.
(2) This virtue-love remains in place as the greatest system
of spiritual life in all of human history. It never stops being available
because some believers fail to use it.
b. "But if prophecies" refers to the temporary spiritual gift of
prophecies. They will be discontinued because all prophecies become part of
the eschatology of the New Testament.
10. 1 Cor 13:9, "For we know in part and we prophesy in part;"
a. The phrase "in part" refers to temporary spiritual gifts and
the communication of the mystery doctrine of the Church Age during the pre-canon period of the Church Age before it was reduced to writing.
b. The whole or entirety or "perfect" is the completed canon of
Scripture.
11. 1 Cor 13:10, "but when the perfect has come, the partial will be
discontinued."
a. "The perfect" refers to the completed New Testament canon.
b. "The partial" refers to the temporary spiritual gifts, which
are phased out because they are no longer necessary.
12. 1 Cor 13:11, "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child,
think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away
with childish things."
13. 1 Cor 13:12, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to
face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have
been fully known."
14. 1 Cor 13:13, "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the
greatest of these is love."

K. Questions About Spiritual Gifts
1. What happens to the male believer who has the gift of pastor-
teacher and does not identify it or recognize it? Surely there are more men
who have this gift than are functioning in churches or on the mission field
or in some Bible teaching situation.
Answer: This believer functions without a spiritual gift. If he
doesn't recognize his gift of pastor-teacher in his own life, that means
there is no other spiritual gift under which he can function. God replaces
him with another male believer who has not only identified his gift, but has
spent the necessary years in preparation for the function of this
communication gift.
2. What happens to the carnal Christian? Obviously his spiritual gift
does not function.
Answer: The carnal Christian loses the blessing and the production
associated with that gift. He spends a lifetime in self-induced misery
related to the law of volitional responsibility, plus he suffers under the
three categories of divine discipline: warning, intensive, and dying
discipline.
3. When does the spiritual gift begin to function?
Answer: When the believer has momentum in the protocol plan of God.
Maximum function occurs in spiritual adulthood. It requires the filling of
the Spirit and spiritual growth from the perception of Bible doctrine. The
communication and administrative gifts require identification. But the
obscure gifts, by and large, function without identification.
4. What happens when the believer does not function under his
spiritual gift?
Answer: He is replaced by a believer who has the same or a similar
spiritual gift.