16/02/2022 Wednesday
BIBLE BASICS
Review of God the Holy Spirit’s Work
How did the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the OT differ from now?
Individuals, special service, temporary
What does the Holy Spirit now do for unbelievers?
Restrains, convicts, regenerates
What does the Holy Spirit now do for Christians?
Indwells, fills, empowers, helps
What are some ways the Holy Spirit helps Christians?
Intercedes, teaches, comforts, guides
What will hinder, grieve or quench the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life?
Unconfessed sin
God the Holy Spirit
Spiritual Gifts
Ignorance of Spiritual Gifts
▰ Spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities give by the Holy Spirit to individual Christians to edify local churches.
▻ (Ephesians 4:11) “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (For = toward, for & for = unto)
▰ God does wants us to be informed on the subject. (1Corinthians 12:1) “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”
Two Types of Spiritual Gifts
▰ As we dig into the Scriptures, we learn that there are two types of Spiritual Gifts.
▻ Temporary gifts – gifts that ended once their purpose was complete.
▻ Permanent gifts – gifts that will remain until the Lord returns
▰ Spiritual gifts generally fall into three categories: speaking, serving and signs. While the speaking and serving gifts are permanent, the sign gifts
were temporary. See John Walvoord, The Holy Spirit and H. A. Ironside, The mission of and praying in the Holy Spirit.
Temporary Spiritual Gifts
▰ Apostle (Eph 4:11) The apostle was sent into an area where Christ had not been named and to proclaim the truth of salvation through Christ, to
bring a group of believers together, to teach and train them, to establish that nucleus of believers into an assembly or a church.
▻ There is no such thing as apostolic succession. Thus the office of apostle died out.
▻ Some, like Pentecost, see this as the gift of a church-planting missionary. He says, the office and the gift are not the same. Dwight Pentecost, The Divine Comforter, p. 172.
Temporary Spiritual Gifts
▰ Prophet (Eph 4:11). A prophet was one who spoke forth God’s word often foretelling new revelation.
▻ When the Bible was complete, all new revelations ended, ending all foretelling.
▻ Though foretelling new revelation has ended, speaking forth God’s revealed truth continues. Thus, some, like Pentecost, believe that the forth-telling part of
this gift today. Dwight Pentecost, The Divine Comforter, p. 172.
Temporary Spiritual Gifts
▰ Miracles (1Co 12:28)
▻ Sign gifts such as signs, wonders, miracles, healings, and tongues (foreign languages) were almost always done by the Holy Spirit for authentication of the
Gospel being preached.
▻ God continues doing miracles, but the sign gift ceased once they fulfilled their authentication purpose in the First Century.
Temporary Spiritual Gifts
▰ Healing (1Co 12:9, 28, 30) Being one of the sign gifts, the gift of healing no longer exists. Even later in Paul’s ministry, it had declined (2Tim 4:20).
God still heals in answer to prayer!
▰ Discerning of Spirits (1Co 12:10) Before the Bible was complete, God gave this gift to enable churches to discern between truth and error. The
completed Bible is now our authority.
Temporary Spiritual Gifts
▰ Tongues (1Co 12:28) This was the supernatural ability for a Christian to speak a literal language he had never learned, so that others could hear the
Gospel in their own tongue.
▻ The gift was given to proclaim and authenticate the Gospel (Act 2:4-11).
▻ Tongues were inferior to prophecy (1Co 14:1-12).
▻ This gift ended when the Bible was completed (1Co 13:8-10).
▰ Interpreting Tongues (1Co 12:10) This gift was the ability to accurately interpret when tongues were spoken. It ended with tongues.
Permanent Spiritual Gifts
▰ Evangelist (Eph 4:11) An evangelist has the particular gift of persuasively preaching the gospel to unsaved men so that they may hear and believe.
▰ Pastor-teacher (Eph 4:11) As a pastor, he cares for the flock. He guides, guards, protects, and provides for those under his oversight. This gift is
linked to teaching. Every pastor must be able to teach his flock.
Permanent Spiritual Gifts
▰ Teacher (1Co 12:28) This is the gift of being able to take a newborn babe in Christ and teach that babe truths of the Word of God. It is the
supernatural ability to explain Bible truths. It may be in a Sunday school class or a home Bible class.
▰ Helps (1Co 12:28) This is also the gift of ministry. It is being able to assist.
▰ Administration (1Co 12:28) or gift of government. It concerns governmental oversight of the flock or supervision. It includes both instruction and
discipline.
Permanent Spiritual Gifts
▰ Exhortation (Rom 12:8) The ability to appeal to the will of the individual to get him to act. It includes encouragement, comfort, admonishment, and
entreaty.
▰ Giving (Rom 12:8) This is a special ability to give generously.
▰ Showing Mercy (Rom 12:8). It is the ability to sympathize with, suffer along with or relieve another in times of misery, sickness, and affliction. It is
the Spirit given ability to comfort and console.
▰ Showing Mercy (Rom 12:8). It is the ability to sympathize with, suffer along with or relieve another in times of misery, sickness, and affliction. It is
the Spirit given ability to comfort and console.
▰ Faith (1Co 12:9) This is the gift by which a person may lay hold of God in a special way.
Review of God the Holy Spirit’s Work
How to permanent and temporary gifts differ?
Permanent are still given, temporary ended when their work was complete
How might the gifts of Apostle and Prophet still exist in part?
Church planting missionaries do a similar work to Apostles, and preachers forth-tell God’s Word.
What was the main purpose of sign gifts?
To authenticate preachers and preaching
What were biblical tongues?
Literal languages spoken to proclaim and authenticate the Gospel
Let’s Get Practical
▰ How can you know what spiritual gifts God has given you?