The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his122/charis9.lzh/CHARIS9.TXT

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MOV:Spiritual Gifts (another view)

   "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see
face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am
fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

   "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has
not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be
like him, for we shall see him as he is." -1 John 3:2

   [Have spiritual gifts stopped?]

   [Do we need one of the 12 apostles to lay hands on us to receive
gifts?]

   Please answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
Write down your questions and doubts and mail them back to us so that
we might "present everyone perfect" in Christ, [Colossians 1:28].

   ACTS 2:17-18 [1] On whom did Peter say God would pour out His Holy
Spirit? And do we live in the "last days"?

   [2] What will be some of the things that will take place when this
happens?

   [3] So can we safely say, so far, that "dreams" and "visions" have
not stopped?

   ACTS 2:39 [4] The promise of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is for
whom?

   1 Corinthians 12:4-7 [5] Does God work His gifts in only the New
Testament times? Or in a selected group of 12 apostles?

   [6] It says here that "God" works these gifts in me, so do I need
one of the 12 apostles to lay hands on me?

   [7] To "each one of us", what has been given? vs:7 EPHESIANS 4:4-16
[8] Does "grace" sometimes mean power and gifts?

   [9] As "Christ ascended on high" what did He leave behind in the
church to insure our growth? See Ephesians 4:11-13, Acts 11:27, 13:1
and 1 Corinthians 11:4-5

   1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-31 [10] What verses in Corinthians are the same
as Ephesians 4:11-13?

   ACTS 8:14-17 [11] Is it true that Simon called for Peter and John to
come lay hands on them so they could receive the spiritual gifts? Or
when Peter and John came down did they lay hands on them so they could
receive the "Holy Spirit"?

   [12] In reality Peter and John came down not because they were
"called", but because they had simply heard a that group of people had
comes to believe in Jesus. Peter and John discovered that the Truth had
not been taught correctly and so they did not receive the Holy Spirit.
What was the mistake?

   JOHN 14:11 [13] What topic is Jesus discussing? What are we to
believe on?

   JOHN 14:12 [14] For those who have faith in Jesus will be able to do
what?

   [15] Does Jesus say this is for the 12 apostles or for "anyone"?
LUKE 12:41-42 [16] Is it not that the same wisdom, power and faith that
the 12 had should be given to others who come to believe in Jesus?

   LUKE 9:1-2 [17] How many are Jesus sending out here? LUKE 10:1-2 &
:17 [18] How many did Jesus send out here?

   [19] Did Jesus not say the faithful workers are few? Jesus is
looking to empower others to do miraculous things.

   [20] Were the 72 able to cast out demons? [21] Therefore, can we
safely say that Jesus will appoint more than 12 to have miraculous
powers?

   MARK 9:38-40 [22] This teaching and attitude that says only the 12
apostles can do miracles...does Jesus approve of it?

   [23] If someone is truly doing miracles in Jesus' name, are we
permitted to stop them?

   [24] Would we be allowed by Jesus to stop someone from speaking in
tongues? Read 1 Corinthians 14:39.

   1 CORINTHIANS 12:11 [25] Who gives spiritual gifts? The apostles who
lay on their hands or God?

   [26] Who determines who receives spiritual gifts? Is it determined
by the physical hands of 12 apostles?

   1 PETER 4:10 [27] If God gives "grace" to all who come to Him, what
else goes right along with the gift of grace?

   EPHESIANS 4:7-9 [28] Is the same thought of "gifts" and "grace"
communicated here?

   ROMANS 12:6 [29] Again, with grace comes what? And grace certainly
has not stopped.

   2 CORINTHIANS 12:12 [30] One of the gifts God appoints is apostles
with the ability to do what? 1 Corinthians 12:28

   PHILIPPIANS 2:25, ROMANS 16:7, ACTS 14:14 [31] The word "apostle"
means "one sent out". In other words, a missionary. These men listed
above we not of the original 12 nor did they have the hands of the 12
laid on them. How then could they do miracles?

   DID SPIRITUAL GIFTS STOP?

   1 CORINTHIANS 13:8-13 [32] If you say that miraculous gifts stopped
what other gifts must we also say have stopped? To assume this one must
say all gifts have stopped, i.e. teachers, evangelists, those able to
help others and administration.

   [33] After reading the following passages explain what Paul means
when he says we shall see "face to face". In short, what is the
"perfect" that will come? 1 John 3:2, Colossians 3:1-4, 2 Corinthians
3:18

   This passage is not saying that when the "Bible" appears gifts will
stop. The perfection that is coming, is Jesus! When we see Jesus "face
to face" then we shall no longer need gifts. The Bible does not have a
"face"! What we "know in part" is the living Word, i.e. Jesus. When we
finally meet Him we shall see "him as he is". The only ones who say
that the Bible is the perfection that was to come, or those who
ministry is not the Holy Spirit. Their ministry is a ministry of dead
ink, {2 Corinthians 3:3}. They are in deep need of repentance.

   LUKE 9:49-50 [34] What is the point Jesus is teaching here? ACTS
11:17 [35] Are you opposing God?!

   1 CORINTHIANS 1:7 [36] Can your church say this? Therefore let us be
assured that spiritual gifts are very much for today. They are very
much needed. They are needed to build OTHERS up in the Lord, {1 Peter
4:10}. So begin to obey 1 Corinthians 14:1 that says,

   "Now about spiritual gifts, brothers I do not want you to be
ignorant." 1 Corinthians 12:1

   TONGUES

   Some say that unless you speak in tongues you have not been baptized
in the Holy Spirit. Such teachings are nothing more than a worship of
tongues. For scripture very clearly states that not everyone will
receive the gift of tongues. For as scripture says;

   "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." -Romans
12:6

   Answer the following questions: 1. Does this passage mean that to
different people different gifts are given?

   1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-11 "To one there is given through the Spirit the..

   message of wisdom to another knowledge to another faith to another
gifts of healing to another miraculous powers to another prophecy to
another distinguishing between spirits to another tongues to another
the interpretation of tongues... ...he gives them to each man, just as
he determines."

   ANSWER

   {Now do not begin to say to yourself, "This only applies to the
Body, when the church is gathered together". For we are apart of the
Body of Christ whether we are gathered in a building or not.}

   Now we read in 1 Corinthians 12:27-28, "Now you are the body of
Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has
appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to
help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in
different kinds of tongues."

   2. Now answer the following questions posed to us in 1 Corinthians
12:29-30.

   "Are all apostles?" "Are all prophets?" "Are all teachers?" "Are all
workers of miracles?" "Do all have gifts of healing?" "Do all interpret
tongues?"

   Now in the same way you answered the questions above you should
answer the next one.

   "Do all speak in tongues"? In summary scripture very clearly says,
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." -Romans 12:6

   "PRAYER LANGUAGE"

   Now this unbiblical term "prayer language" is often used to justify
that everyone should speak in tongues. In the first place there are
some very strong warnings in scripture about making up words like
"prayer language", see 1 Peter 4:11, Deuteronomy 12:32 etc..

   ROMANS 8:26 is not referring to a prayer language we have, but to
the fact that as we pray to God the Spirit will "intercede" for us.
Indeed, the scripture here very clearly says that we cannot possibly be
speaking in tongues for..."words cannot express" what the Spirit is
"groaning". Your mouth and vocal cords could not possibly begin to
express what the Spirit is saying.

   This is the same way that a mother will explain to another person
what her baby child is saying. The mother is not speaking through the
child, but is interceding for the child. For we are all babies in Jesus
and "do not know how to pray" but the Spirit "intercedes" for us.

   "I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO SPEAK IN TONGUES"

   When Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:5 that, "I would like every one
of you to speak in tongues", he is making the point that not every one
does. That not everyone will speak in tongues for Paul had just made
that clear in his letter to the Corinthians. We each have different
gifts. Paul is just pointing out the obvious. That he would rejoice if
everyone did speak in tongues, but not every one does or will.

   IN ACTS Still people like to say that in Acts, whenever the Holy
Spirit was given, everyone spoke in tongues. That simply is not true.
Tongues are only one of the manifestations of the Spirit given. Times
tongues are mentioned:

   Acts 2:1-4, 10:46, 19:5-7 Instead the Spirit comes mostly with*
*Revealing the glory of God. Acts 2:11, 2:23-33, 5:12-13, 6:3, 7:55
*Having everything in common. Acts 2:42-46, 4:32-35 *Conviction and the
revealing of sin. Acts 2:23, 2:37, 4:10, 7:51, 8:18-23 *Power and
courage. Acts 4:8-9, 4:29-31, 9:17-20, 5:9-10

   Scripture never declares that tongues were always given when the
baptism of the Spirit comes. It just says that they "saw the evidence
of". Which could mean any number of manifestations of the Spirit. What
we see is that when the Spirit is poured out different things take
place. In one place they spoke in tongues and praised God. While at
other times they spoke in tongues and prophesied. For again, God gives
as "he determines" and not as you try to make him do.

   "All these are the work of the one and the same Spirit, and he gives
them to each one, just as he determines." -1 Corinthians 12:11

   To say that God gives tongues or a "prayer language" to everyone
would be to totally go against all of what scripture reveals. Indeed,
there is no such thing as a "prayer language" mentioned in scripture.
It is something that has come from the imagination of men. Pentecostals
and other groups have missed the point that all who are water baptized
have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, {Acts 2:38}.

   BEING SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT

   The phenomena of "being slain in the Spirit" is very unbiblical and
sinful. It opens up doors to the demonic world. Any time someone is
knocked over and is unconscious of what is going on around them, it is
not of God. In short, it is not of God any time someone passes out and
cannot remember what took place during that time period. Such things
are either of Satan or man. For God most clearly says,

   "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the control of the
prophets." -1 Corinthians 14:32

   What God is saying is that He will never pour out His Spirit in such
a way that a person loses control! No manifestation from God will so
over-power a person that they can't help but speak in tongues or pass
out. For...

   "...God is not a a God of disorder but of peace." -1 Corinthians
14:33

   There is deep need of repentance in the Body of Christ over this
whole demonic realm of 'being slain in the Spirit'. For surely they
cannot be serious that John 18:6 is referring to being slain in the
Spirit?! Those were men who were coming to kill Jesus and were thrown
down! Maybe they are right. They are coming to kill the Word of God by
this belief and disorder and so God was knocking them down to tell them
to wake up and repent!! Next time someone gets up from being slain in
the Spirit say, "Good, now go and repent of your slaughter of the Word
of God!"

   Surely, they don't mean that REVELATION 1:17 is what your
congregation is experiencing. John was totally aware of what was going
on. He is able to describe what he is seeing. Now if by "being slain in
the Spirit" they mean they just saw a holy Jesus, then that, true
Christians can accept. But passing out is a far cry from, "When I saw
HIM, I fell at his feet as though dead."

   PROPER USE OF TONGUES

   1. It is sinful to have everyone speaking in tongues at once. There
is no such freedom allowed when the Body comes together. "If anyone
speaks in a tongue, two-or at the most three-speak, one at a time, and
someone must interpret." -1 Corinthians 14:27

   A. At any worship service at the most "three" people are allowed to
speak in tongues.

   B. Someone must "interpret" that tongue. C. And it must be done "one
at a time".

   Indeed, if no one can interpret the tongue the person must not speak
in the church with tongues.

   "If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the
church and speak to himself and God." -1 Corinthians 14:28

   I mean, think about it. What if you walked into a church and heard
everyone singing a different hymn all at once?

   Or, what if you heard everyone reading a different scripture all at
the same time?

   Would you not say they were crazy?! Yet you walk into church and you
will hear many people speaking in tongues all at the same time. What
sin and direct disobedience to God's Word.

   "So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in
tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in,
will they not say that you are out of your mind?"

   - 1 Corinthians 14:23 No wonder others look and say you are crazy.
How you prove that God is not worth following. God is not glorified
with such "praise". If you want to speak in tongues do it at home, see
all of 1 Corinthians 14.

   Of course they will say you are "out of your mind" with total
justification. For you are "ignorant" of spiritual gifts and how they
are to be used. So the next time someone is praying don't be mumbling
under your breath in tongues. Listen to what he is saying and then say
'Amen' when he is done. You are in sin when you speak in tongues
without order and an interpreter.

   WE WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU TEACH

   If you will not teach and live this then we will not listen to
anything you teach! For God tells us to do this. We will ignore you.

   "If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him
acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he
ignores this, he himself will be ignored." -1 Corinthians 14:36-38

   Therefore:

   *Weep before God because you teach and practice being slain in the
Spirit.

   *Repent of the idolatry and worship of tongues and of saying that
everyone should have a prayer language.

   *Do not speak in tongues unless you have been given permission and
there is an interpreter.

   *Find out what 1 Corinthians 11:10 means.

   God bless!

   SOUND DOCTRINE CHURCH