Manifestation Of The Holy Spirit / Part 10

Series – January 2021 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Manifestation Or Marks Of The Holy Spirit Versus Imitation In The Church – Part 10

The following pages conclude our studies about God-given gifts and counterfeits. These matters are of great importance for the believers at all times, but especially today when there are many conflicting views.

Miracles In Scripture And In Acts – A Concise Summary
In his book about biblical miracles, Dr. Herbert Lockyer started with the “miracle book,” the Bible itself. It is miraculous because of its inspiration, antiquity, accuracy, harmony, preservation, the way it was prepared, its abiding power and worldwide, continuing circulation. He described many Old Testament miracles showing how God worked in blessing and judgment. The New Testament describes miracles related to Christ’s coming in flesh His incarnation, “the mystery of godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16 ESV) –many during His public ministry. It also records great miracles related to His sufferings on the cross, death, resurrection, ascension and present session as Man at God’s right hand. This last magnificent fact is the basis of what takes place in Acts as it describes many miracles wrought by Christ in heaven, through the Holy Spirit, before He will come back to perform other miracles in view of His glorious reign.

The miracle of the Holy Spirit’s coming was accompanied by the marvel of the apostles speaking in foreign tongues as they magnified God in languages they had not learned but were understood by the people present. At Babel, God had confounded man’s language in judgment (Gen. 11), but at Jerusalem He gave, in grace, the apostles to speak the languages of the visiting Jews. This great miracle by the Holy Spirit1 coincided with the birth of the Church.

It was soon followed by another one – the healing of a man lame from his birth (Acts 3) – which was a sign God gave to the Jewish nation. It signified that, although they had rejected Messiah in His earthly ministry, they should now accept Him as He was reaching out to them from heaven. Despite this spectacular healing and many other miracles that followed, the Jewish leaders refused to accept the new testimony (Acts 4–7). For this reason, the Lord in heaven shifted His attention to the Samaritans and the Gentiles, as He had done on earth after His public ministry to Israel had been rejected (Mt. 13).

Parallel Miracle Described In Acts
Luke highlighted parallels between the seven miracles of Peter and the seven performed by Paul. This is part of a special design2 to show that both apostles had equal authority though different ministries. A careful study of these miracles confirms that they took place at the beginning of the new testimony God was establishing at Jerusalem, parallel to the testimony extending to the ends of the known world (Acts 1:8). As this testimony spread to new areas, so did the occurrence of miracles and signs, given and recorded to show that God was at work. Once the new testimony was established, the emphasis was placed and always should be on God’s Word, which abides forever. Satan opposed through counterfeits and wrong teachings.

Mark 16:20 implies that the miracles described in verses 17-18 confirmed the apostles’ message, while Christ in heaven forever the true Servant (Phil. 2:7) worked through them by signs and miracles. Our earlier observations on Hebrews 2:4 and Paul’s foundational ministry agree with Mark 16, but not with the many counterfeit miracles, competing healers and blatant lies which mark the enemy’s ongoing efforts.

The Perfect Comes
“When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away” (1 Cor. 13:10) is a statement that has been interpreted in various ways. It is part of an important passage about God’s order in His assembly (1 Cor. 11–14). Chapter 11 deals with the truth of Headship and the remembrance of the Lord at His Supper, whereas chapter 12 teaches about spiritual gifts or manifestations. Before they were saved the new believers at Corinth had been “pagans ... led astray to mute3 idols” (v.2), that is, by the evil spirits who are behind the idols (Dt. 32:17; 1 Cor. 10:18-20).

Believers should understand that spiritual gifts or manifestations (12:1-7) come from Christ in heaven. They are given through the Holy Spirit who is leading the believers, in stark contrast to their former experiences in demon-controlled paganism. The glorified Christ expressed Himself in those gifts, worked through the Holy Spirit with divine energy. The triune God Father, Son and Holy Spirit is involved in the proper functioning of spiritual gifts, which are under the authority of the Lord Jesus in heaven. At the same time believers are responsible to maintain self-control (14:15,32,34). Each brother or sister should understand what he/she says or sings, retain self-control and remain subject to God’s ordinances by obeying His will as revealed in Scripture. These points are in contrast to pagan practices as well as the actions marked by self-will in the Christian profession.

Paul stressed the unity of the body of Christ with all its members functioning together harmoniously, despite the variety of gifts sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit (12:11-18) for the benefit of all (v.7). He also explained that all the saints did not have the same gifts, even in apostolic times, and challenged the desire among the Corinthians to show off certain gifts considered better than others. Such a desire was not according to true love, for love does not brag (13:4). Therefore, chapter 12 ends with Paul’s exhortation for all “to earnestly desire the best gifts” (v.31 NKJV). The verb “desire” is in the plural, indicating that this appeal is for all to desire the greater gifts: those that edify the saints (14:1-3,17,26).

Some believe the statement “when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away” refers to the days following the apostles’ departure. The sign gifts that accompanied their ministry would then be no longer needed since the Word of God was complete and sufficient, which is true. However, we are still waiting to be ushered into what is “perfect” – when the Lord will come and take us to Himself. In the meantime we are challenged to practice Paul’s teaching for the proper functioning of the local church.

The More Excellent Way
With the words “I show YOU4 a more excellent way” (12:31 NKJV) Paul explained that this way is linked with love (1 Cor. 13) and the applications and further instructions of chapter 14. This agape love – totally self-sacrificing love – was apparently lacking among the saints (11:21). Nevertheless, there is a more excellent way according to God’s thoughts: “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6) for the benefit of all believers, for the honor of the Lord Jesus in heaven and God’s glory.

Paul showed true love’s preeminence, without which tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith and benevolence are of no value. This applies to the individual exercising them and to the one to whom they are directed. They may seem outwardly beneficial but have no real spiritual impact (13:1-3).

First Corinthians 13:4-7 summarizes the sixteen (2x8) perfections of true love. These qualities of God’s new order (represented by the number 8) were lacking among the saints at Corinth, just as today. Gifts of the Holy Spirit, of which the believers there had many (1:7), are only one aspect of the Christian’s life. Having gifts does not necessarily mean that one is “in tune” with God. On the contrary, a work of the Holy Spirit in the believers is to mark the Christian life; a right attitude and true love are needed.

Verses 8-13 of 1 Corinthians 13 show the superiority of love. Paul contrasted its permanence to the temporary nature of the sign gifts, given and exercised until the Word of God was complete. Another contrast is that the gifts which do remain until the rapture are limited in comparison to the perfection that is to come.

This summarizes the twofold meaning of the contrasts between a “child” and a “man” (v.11, see 14:20). Not only would tongues cease5 once the Word was completed, but the other gifts needed for as long as we are here will ultimately stop as well. Useful in themselves and given by the Lord to function until the rapture, these gifts relate to certain limitations indicated by the terms “in part” and “partial” (13:9-10,12). They will “be done away with” at the coming of our Lord, “when that which is perfect” (v.10) will have come.

Gifts – Past, Present And Future
Since the body of Christ will eternally function as the bride of Christ, so will certain gifts in that context, which will help us to respond to Christ’s love. The sign gifts6 were given in view of Israel, and they ceased of themselves once the Word of God was completed, approximately when Jerusalem was destroyed. Other gifts continue until the rapture, such as prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting or encouraging, giving, ruling and showing mercy (Rom. 12:6-8), as well as evangelists, pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11). To summarize, here are the three categories of gifts:

• Sign Gifts. The sign gifts at the time of the beginning, called “the powers of the world to come” (Heb. 6:5 KJV) paused around 70 AD. They will come back at the introduction of the millennium.
• Gifts for the functioning of the Church. Some gifts are needed for the functioning of the body of Christ and will continue until the rapture, even though the persons have passed away: the apostles and prophets who have laid the foundation (Eph. 2:20).
• Lasting gifts. These gifts for which other terms might be used are needed for the functioning of the body of Christ in eternity. Every believer is a gift in this sense and connected with love.

Face To Face
This expression logically refers to the time when we will see the Lord and be able to communicate face to face, when “we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2). Earlier, the apostle spoke of the Lord’s coming and His day: “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:7), “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.8), “for the day shall declare it” (3:13), and “saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (5:5). At His coming (1 Th. 4:16-17) we will be transferred from that which is partial and be ushered into that which is perfect and complete. Subsequently, we will be displayed in that condition when we will appear with Him (2 Th. 1:10).

To enhance this explanation Paul spoke of looking into a mirror that does not fully reveal one’s face, due to the darkness or unclear image. Then, he looked forward to when the “perfect” comes and says, “but then face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). With this illustration, Paul explained that when the perfect comes we will no longer look into a mirror linked with what is partial and incomplete. Instead, we will see face to face, or clearly and completely, as the Lord sees. We will know as we have been known and we will look at a clear, sharp, detailed person. All will be revealed clearly, perfectly and fully, as in a perfectly clear image (Prov. 27:19). When the perfect will have come, Paul, as all Christians, will see and know fully, even as God had all the time.

Summary
Paul wrote of specific sign gifts that ceased to function around the time of Jerusalem’s destruction. God stopped speaking to this people because the new foundation had been laid (Eph. 2:20) and the Word of God was completed7 (Col. 1:25). Tongues, as sign gifts, would “cease” on their own without an outside force ending them, for in God’s government they were given to address Israel in their condition of unbelief. The ceasing does not refer to the coming of the Lord, as that would be an outside force bringing them to an end. Tongues as sign gifts ceased of themselves, as history records.

Regarding prophecy, some quote Joel 2:28 and Revelation 11:3 and say that prophecy could not have ceased because there will be prophecy in the future. However, the Church will be raptured before this, and the Scriptures needed by the Church today and used in prophetic ministry for believers in general, Jewish or Gentile, will no longer be needed after the rapture. The gift of prophecy in the kingdom dispensation will primarily be for the good of Israel and the Gentile world to come, whereas the prophets of the Church have laid the foundation together with the apostles (Eph. 2:20). Today’s gifts of prophecy (1 Cor. 12–14) are to provide for temporary needs until what is perfect will have come (13:10).

Prophets linked with the millennium are not related to the Church about which Paul is teaching. Scripture teaches that Christ’s sacrifice ended the sacrifices of the past (Heb. 9), and yet it also tells us that there will be a temple and sacrifices during the millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 43). Obviously, they will be of a different character, belonging to a different dispensation. This is true of prophecy as well, which will be different compared to today. In contrast to the things that will be done away, faith, hope and love will abide, or continue. The greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13). The perfect that comes relates to a new order of things into which our bodies will be introduced and where love abides in heaven.

What About Our Abiding In Faith And Hope?
“Now abide faith, hope, love” (v.13 NKJV). This implies that we will have a God-given capacity to grasp His thoughts, for which faith is needed. It also suggests we may have something to look forward to – not as in our present condition but in that of perfection, with the hope to enter further into His thoughts.

We conclude that:

1. Love endures, for it does not fail or fall away (v.8); it will be forever.
2. Tongues would cease (literally: pause, v.8) from the time of Jerusalem’s destruction and because of the completion of Scripture (v.10; Col. 1:25-27). Yet, Paul says that speaking in tongues should not be forbidden when it happens, but it must be tested to see whether it fits God’s standards (1 Cor. 14).
3. Prophecy and knowledge will be “done away.” This means the gifts providing for our spiritual needs will be rendered inoperative when what is perfect has come, namely at the Lord’s coming.
4. Rather than seeing things partially or in part as in a mirror, we will see clearly, fully, face to face and in an intimate way when seeing the Lord (13:12).

May the Lord bless these thoughts to our readers, until He comes.

ENDNOTES
1. There are other categories of miracles: related to God in creation, His providence, His acts in redemption, and His dealings with Israel – in the past, present and future.
2. Similarly, the Holy Spirit designed the way John recorded the Lord’s seven miracles in his gospel.
3. “Mute” or “dumb” means that one cannot utter any sound, and it implies that this person is also deaf.
4. Many versions do not differentiate between singular you(r) and plural you(r). For this article, the small capital text indicates the plural.
5. Literally, the text says that the tongues would pause, whereas at the beginning of the millennial reign of peace these gifts will re-emerge as signs of “the age to come” (Heb. 6:5).
6. God announced that He was going to speak to “this people” through other tongues (1 Cor. 14:21; see Isa. 28:11-12). Paul explained that tongues, summarizing the sign gifts, are for the unbelievers, especially among the Jews. Prophecy, summarizing the gifts for edification, is for believers (1 Cor. 14:22). It does not say, “My people” since, for the time being, Israel is called “Lo-Ammi,” or “not My people,” under God’s discipline until they return to Him (Hos. 6:1-2; see Mt. 23:39).
7. The Greek adjective téleios, translated in English as “complete,” “perfect” or “mature,” is used 19 times in the New Testament, linked with Christ and/or the Father in heaven. Christ’s accomplished work (Heb. 9–10) is the basis to be perfect in Christ. Believers who realize this are mature yet have a way to go until they will all be ushered into the final perfection (see 1 Jn. 3:2). The objective of Paul’s ministry is to bring believers to spiritual maturity according to God’s standards (Col. 1:28; Eph. 4:13). The related noun (teleióts), verb (teleió) and adverb (teleís) confirm this concept.

By Alfred Bouter

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