The Greek word charisma, rendered "gift" in the New Testamnet, is used in several different ways in the Scriptures. The plural form (charismata) however, is employed only in a technical sense. it denotes extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, divinely imparted to the apostles and also to others upon whom the apostles conferred the gifts. In I Corinthians 12:4-11, Paul lists nine spiritual gifts. These may be catalogued and defined as follows:
(a) "The word of wisdom" was perhaps employed in explaining the deeper concepts of Christian doctrine (cf. Romans 11:33), or in the application of revealed truth to the practical aspects of righteous living.
(b) "The word of knowledge" would involve the supernatural impartation of the mind of God (I Corinthians 2:11-13).
(c) The gift of "faith" could suggest an extraordinary capacity for trusting God, perhaps under dire circumstances (cf. I Corinthians 13:2-3).
(d) "Gifts of healing" were demonstrated by the apostles and others (Acts 3:1-10).
(e) "The working of miracles" possibly referred to such spectacular powers as the explusion of demons (cf. Acts 19:11ff) or raising people from the dead (Acts 9:36ff; 20:9ff).
(f) "Prophecy" was a miraculous gift whereby certain select individuals could "speak forth" for God (Acts 13:1; 11:27ff).
(g) "Discernings of spirits" enabled the possessor to discriminate between true and false prophets (I John 4:1ff; I Thessalonians 5:20f).
(h) "Kinds of tongues" were different human languages, spoken without the benefit of having been learned through the normal educatory process (Acts 2:4ff).
(i) "Interpretation of tongues" was the miraculous ability to translate a "tongue" into a language that would accommodate a foreign hearer.
Along with these gifts, one reads of such functions as "helps" and "governments" (I Corinthians 12:28). The former term may have been a gift employed in the realm of benevolence (cf. Acts 20:35 where a verbal form of the same term is used) and the latter word may denote miraculously endowed church leaders (in the context of gifts in Ephesians 4:8ff; James 5:14).
In this study we intend to establish that spiritual gifts, such as were possessed by some in the first century church, are simply not available today. This will be demonstrated as follows: (1) Nothing even remotely resembling the "signs" of the apostolic age is being observed today. (2) The purpose of miracles, as explicitly revealed in the Biblical record, does not obtain in this age. (3) The method of receiving spiritual gifts, as they were bestowed in the primitive church, is not available today. (4) The New Testament plainly teaches that supernatural gifts were not to be perpetual. Each of these vital points needs to be studied.
The Uniqueness of Spiritual Gifts
What is a real miracle? What characteristics did supernatural gifts from God possess? If Biblical students would take the time to really study the New Testament cases involving miracles, they would surely realize that nothing in today's world duplicates the supernatural phenomena of the first century. A miracle was an operation by God (through His chosen instruments) above or beyond the natural laws commonly recognized in the world. A miracle was a self-authenticating, demonstrative phenomenon. When Christ performed miracles, not even His fiercest foes could deny what had been done. They could but rationalize and attribute such to the power of the devil (cf. Matthew 12:22ff). And of the apostle's signs, the Jewish authorities were forced to concede, "...that indeed a notable miracle hath been wrought (gegonen - perfect tense, stressing the abiding effect of the sign) through them, is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it" (Acts 4:16). Where are the "signs" today that are so awesome, so gripping that they absolutely demand the attention of multitudes? Whereas the miracles of the ancient church excited wonder and amazement on the part of those who witnessed them (cf. Acts 2:7, 12; 5:12ff), the so-called "signs" being staged by religious charlatans today generate nothing but contempt on the part of thinking people.
The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts
Of those early disciples who were endowed with spiritual gifts, Mark declares, "And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed" (Mark 16:20). The function of signs therefore, was to confirm the revelatory process, the word of truth being communicated from God to man (cf. Hebrews 2:3-4). The word "confirm" (Greek, bebaioo) denotes evidence that establishes the validity of the divinely given word. The supernatural gifts of the primitive age therefore, had as their design the establishment of the credibility of Christ and His spokesmen and thus ultimately, the documentation of their message; namely that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world! Now, observe this very important point please. If it can be established that those early miracles do validate the testimony of Christ and those commissioned by Him and further, that the recording of them in the New Testament was designed to perpetually accomplish that function, then it stands as demonstrated that the repetition of such signs is not needed today! Well, this is exactly what is affirmed by the apostle John. He declares that the "signs" of Christ, which he records in his gospel account, "are written (gegraptai, perfect tense, abiding effect) that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God..." (20:31). A. T. Robertson noted that this book, "has had precisely this effect of continuous and successive confirmation of faith in Jesus Christ through the ages." Even those who claim that God, "is working miracles today" when asked if they believe that the recorded miracles of Christ in the New Testament are sufficient to establish faith in Him, will answer affirmatively. It ought to be abundantly clear therefore, that since the miracles of the Bible continue to accomplish their original purpose, there is no need for a repetition of them today and they are not being duplicated in this age!
The Method of Gift Reception
So far as New Testament information goes, there were only two ways by which spiritual gifts were received in the apostolic era. The first was by means of Holy Spirit baptism (i.e., an "overwhelming" endowment of the Spirit's power). Holy Spirit baptism however, was only received by the apostles (Acts 2) and then later, as a very special case, by the household of Cornelius (Acts 10). Secondly, miraculous gifts were bestowed by the laying on of the apostles' hands. Let us observe the following Biblical facts regarding these two matters.
1. There is but one baptism today (Ephesians 4:5) and that is the baptism that is a part of the process called the new birth. And it is a baptism in water (John 3:5; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:22; I Peter 3:20-21) that continues to be operative until the end of the world (Matthew 28:19). Since therefore, there is no Holy Spirit baptism today, it is obvious that supernatural gifts cannot be received through that medium.
2. Other than by Holy Spirit baptism, miraculous gifts could only be bestowed by one of the apostles of Christ. Note the evidence: (a) Though Philip the evangelist (not an apostle) could perform miracles, he could not pass the gift along to others. Accordingly, the apostles Peter and John were sent to Samaria where Philip had been preaching, so that the church there might be furnished with certain divine gifts (cf. Acts 8:5-6, 14-17).
(b) In connection with the foregoing circumstances, Simon the sorcerer, "saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given" (Acts 8:18). He wanted to purchase that privilege for himself but he was informed that he had neither part nor lot in the matter.
(c) In Ephesus, Paul laid hands on twelve converts and, "they spake with tongues and prophesied" (Acts 19:6).
(d) There was an unruly element within the churhc of God at Corinth that denied Paul's apostleship. Such however was a very illogical position, for that church possessed spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12-14) and they had received them from none other than Paul. Thus, the "signs of an apostle" had been wrought among them (II Corinthians 12:12). Paul could forcefully say, "If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are you in the Lord" (I Corinthians 9:2). The Corinthian church (with its spiritual gifts) was therefore, a "seal" (divine documentation) of Paul's apostleship and accordingly, indirect evidence that such gifts were received only from an apostle!
(e) Paul urged Timothy to, "stir up the gift of God" which was in him, which says he, "is in you through the laying on of my hands" (II Timothy 1:6). When the apostle speaks of Timothy's gift being given by the laying on of hands, it is not being asserted that Timothy received spiritual gifts from non-apostles. Rather, it is simply stated that the gift was received at a time when elders also laid hands upon the young evangelist, doubtless to appoint him to some special mission.
Since therefore, there is no "Holy Spirit baptism" available today, and further since there are no apostles (nor successors to them) today, it is quite clear that men are not in possession of supernatural gifts of the Spirit in this age. (To be continued)
1. There is but one baptism today (Ephesians 4:5) and that is the baptism that is a part of the process called the new birth. And it is a baptism in water (John 3:5; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:22; I Peter 3:20-21) that continues to be operative until the end of the world (Matthew 28:19). Since therefore, there is no Holy Spirit baptism today, it is obvious that supernatural gifts cannot be received through that medium.
2. Other than by Holy Spirit baptism, miraculous gifts could only be bestowed by one of the apostles of Christ. Note the evidence: (a) Though Philip the evangelist (not an apostle) could perform miracles, he could not pass the gift along to others. Accordingly, the apostles Peter and John were sent to Samaria where Philip had been preaching, so that the church there might be furnished with certain divine gifts (cf. Acts 8:5-6, 14-17).
(b) In connection with the foregoing circumstances, Simon the sorcerer, "saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given" (Acts 8:18). He wanted to purchase that privilege for himself but he was informed that he had neither part nor lot in the matter.
(c) In Ephesus, Paul laid hands on twelve converts and, "they spake with tongues and prophesied" (Acts 19:6).
(d) There was an unruly element within the churhc of God at Corinth that denied Paul's apostleship. Such however was a very illogical position, for that church possessed spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12-14) and they had received them from none other than Paul. Thus, the "signs of an apostle" had been wrought among them (II Corinthians 12:12). Paul could forcefully say, "If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are you in the Lord" (I Corinthians 9:2). The Corinthian church (with its spiritual gifts) was therefore, a "seal" (divine documentation) of Paul's apostleship and accordingly, indirect evidence that such gifts were received only from an apostle!
(e) Paul urged Timothy to, "stir up the gift of God" which was in him, which says he, "is in you through the laying on of my hands" (II Timothy 1:6). When the apostle speaks of Timothy's gift being given by the laying on of hands, it is not being asserted that Timothy received spiritual gifts from non-apostles. Rather, it is simply stated that the gift was received at a time when elders also laid hands upon the young evangelist, doubtless to appoint him to some special mission.
Since therefore, there is no "Holy Spirit baptism" available today, and further since there are no apostles (nor successors to them) today, it is quite clear that men are not in possession of supernatural gifts of the Spirit in this age. (To be continued)
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