Miracles is not to be confused with the Gift of Healing, though both Gifts are equally "miraculous". The Gift of Healing was exercised through several members of the Body, whereas Miracles is exercised through one person. Healing historically was used to remove natural, non genetic illnesses from the Body of Christ whereas Miracles is equally effective against all types of illnesses and disease. In Acts 3.1-10 Peter used Miracles to heal a man who was born lame, an obvious birth defect. Miracles literally twists the very fabric and laws of nature as we know them in order to work the Will of God.

Miracles, as with all other Gifts, must work in cooperation with the Plan of God. Miracles will not reverse the effects of God's good judgment. If contrary to His Plan, or detrimental to the Body, Miracles will be inoperative.

Wisdom gives the believer the ability to apply what he has learned within the Body of Christ toward it's edification. An example would be as follows: The Pastor uses Knowledge to seek out the deeper truths of God's Word, and Wisdom in applying these truths while preaching his sermon on Sunday.

These Gifts are not exclusively given to Pastors, but can be used as primary or secondary Gifts with any believer. A believer with the Gift of Giving could also possess Wisdom, thus allowing him to more effectively give to the edification of the Body. I pray that the elders/ deacons in the Church all possess Knowledge and Wisdom in God's fullness, though I have met many who were called deacons who had no concept of either Gift.

Though all believers receive their spiritual Gifts at new birth, the one who possesses the Gift of EPISKOPE may not assume the office until he possesses an established degree of maturity. The EPISKOPE must:

1. Have a good reputation among believer and unbeliever alike.
2. Have only one wife; he must not be a bigamist.
3. He must not be drawn to alcohol or alcoholic products. This also rules out mind altering drugs.
4. He must have a well behaved family. If he has not ruled his family well, he certainly can't rule the Church of Christ.
5. He must not have a quick temper, nor be a brawler.
6. He must not be concerned about money. If he's in the job for the money, he's not ready.
7. He must possess the Gift of Teaching.
8. He must be good-natured, and kind.
9. He must be a mature believer, having been in the faith for some time before he assumes the office.
10. He must be a man! The day that a woman can Biblically be "The Husband of One Wife" is the day I agree that it's fine for women to assume this office over a local Church.

Eph:2:19-20 "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;"

Historically the one who possessed Apostolos Gifts was commissioned to the Office by Jesus Christ Himself. This limits the Gift so that it no longer exists in it's original form, as Apostles were not only commissioned by Christ, but also witnessed the risen Savior. The Gift may exist today in a modified form, as those called to the Mission field establish new Churches just as the early Apostles did. Again, though, this is just supposition, as I know of no Scriptural text that conveys the possibility of Apostles within our present Church Age.
 

In this well known text on Tongues we can learn a great deal about the Gift, a great deal often not emphasized by the Charismatics:

• 1. Tongues are not a learned Gift. Those who were in the upper room spoke with Tongues as as the Spirit gave them utterance. The visitors that witnessed this event recognized that all those who spoke were Galilaeans, people who generally spoke Koine Greek dialects. The visitors were from out of town and spoke in a variety of languages, many languages not only unknown but unheard of by those from Galilee. Yet the Galilaeans spoke in all the various languages and dialects while preaching the Gospel of Christ. This was a true miracle from God!

 

 

2. Tongues are not a Heavenly language. The visitors who heard the Galilaeans understood what was being said in their own native tongues, as they said, hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born. Charismatics like to quote 1 Corinthians 13.1 as proof that Tongues are a prayer language:

• This was far from what Paul was teaching, though. He was speaking hypothetically to make a teaching point. Though is the Greek EAN, which is always used in hypothetical statement. Literally rendered, this would be "Hypothetically speaking, IF I spoke with...". The point of the text is not that Tongues is a prayer language, but that Love is the greatest motivator within the Church. In Acts Tongues was clearly an earthly language not necessarily understood by the operator of the Gift, but clearly understood by the receiver of the Gift. God used Tongues to reverse, howbeit temporarily, the barriers of language that He put in place at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11.9). He did this so that the unbeliever could clearly hear the Gospel message.

 

 

3. Tongues are not given to believers as a personal prayer language. Again, Charismatics make a great deal of fuss over 1 Corinthians 14.13-15, where we read:

• If I've ever seen Scripture twisted out of context to suit one's own purpose, such an interpretation of this text certainly fits the bill. It's probably true that the carnal Corinthians were praying in some Satanic counterfeit that they though was "Tongues". However, the entire text in question isn't a praise or commendation, or even a recognition that they were praying in Tongues. Paul says that believers are to pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also, that is, Pray in a language that you understand. Prayer, by it's very nature, is an act of communion or discourse between the believer and his Heavenly Father. If you don't understand what you're saying then how in the world can you be talking with your Father? Proper prayer is like proper communication with your peers: you must talk legibly and understandably, or else you just aren't communicating. "Praying in Tongues" is neither praying nor communicating with God. You must pray with understanding!

 

 

4. Tongues are never to be exercised without the Gift of Interpretation, or someone present who speaks the language that you are speaking:

1 Corinthians 14:27-32 "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."

• All Spiritual Gifts, even Tongues, were given to edify the Body of Christ. Speaking gibberish in the congregation doesn't edify anyone, though it does make visitors to your Church think you're all idiots or mentally challenged (1 Corinthians 14.23). However, if Tongues are both spoken and interpreted the unbeliever will hear the Gospel message (just as in Acts) and perhaps accept Jesus as their Savior (1 Corinthians 14.24-25).

 

 

5. Tongues, as with all Spiritual Gifts, are to be exercised at the appropriate time within the Congregation: Just as we read above, "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets", which means we do have control over when the Gift is operated. We are to use that control to insure that our Gifts only edify the Body, never bringing confusion into the Church. Can you imagine what the Church would be like on Sunday morning if all the Teachers stood up and began simultaneously teaching? It would be a madhouse, and certainly not pleasing to God. The same goes for Tongues. I have been in Churches where it was acceptable for someone to stand up in the middle of the sermon and begin shouting gibberish. I often want, when I see this happen, to stand up myself and say, "Wait a minute, Brother Minister. I have a better sermon to preach than the one you're slaughtering right now". And then launch into my own sermon. How fast do you think the deacons would (rightly) escort me from the Church? Then if that's wrong, it's just as wrong for some neophyte to begin screaming gibberish just because "he feels led". Poppycock!

Control of your Spiritual Gift shows Christian maturity. Lack of control shows the vestiges of babyhood, selfishness, and self glorification perverting your Christian walk. I may have the Gift of Helps and sing for the Church. But if I sing incessantly, refusing to stop to allow the Pastor to perform his duty, then I use my Gift against rather than for the Church. It's that simple.

6. The Gift of Tongues is not used as a sign to witness the Baptizing Ministry of the Spirit. In fact, as we studied earlier, Tongues are evidence of the Filling, not the Baptism. The Charismatics emphasize each instance of tongues in the Book of Acts as "A Sign of the Baptism", and point out that this manifestation should be going on in the Church today. As we earlier showed, Tongues were always an evidence of the newly offered Filling Ministry of the Spirit. Why were Tongues used to emphasize this Gift in Acts and not in our present Church Age. Again, because this was a new ministry available only to the Church. Once the Filling Ministry was introduced and believers began to understand that this was permanently offered in the Church Age, God ceased the Sign. The Baptism itself was only introduced one time, in the Upper Room, and with a visible manifestation of "Tongues of Fire" (Acts 2.3). Paul even alludes to the fact that Tongues had already ceased to be a "signpost" or advertisement of the Filling in:

• Each of these short sentences contain the Greek negative particle ME. The particle ME is always used when a question is asked where the expected response is "No!". Literally translated, the sentences would read:

• The text emphasizes the main truth of Spiritual Gifts: All members of the Body do not possess nor exercise the same Spiritual Gifts. If we did, then we wouldn't be a Body, but we'd be a entity with only one function. Tongues are included in the same sentence structure as are the gifts of Apostleship, Prophecy (Preaching), Teaching, Healing, and Miracles. If you believe that all believers possess Tongues, and use Tongues as a "prayer language", then your premise is just as misguided as if you believed that all members of the Body were Teachers, or Preachers. There is no functional need for all members to possess the same Gift, not of Preaching, nor of Tongues. If Tongues are still a sign, then they must be possessed by all Christians. And if they are possessed by all Christians, then this is contrary to what Paul wrote in our 1 Corinthians 12 text.

Romans 12:6-8 "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."

Paul places each of the Spiritual Gifts above in the locative case. This locative case, as Dr. Weuss points out (Weuss, "Word Studies in the Greek New Testament", Volume 1, pg. 213, copyright 1955, Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company), causes the translation to better read:

"Having therefore gifts differing according to the grace given us, whether (that of) prophecy, (prophesy) according to the proportion of faith, or serving, exercise that gift within the sphere of service, or teaching, within the sphere of teaching, or he who exhorts, within the sphere of exhortation, the one who distributes of his earthly possessions, in the sphere of an unostentatious simplicity, the one who is placed in a position of authority, with intense eagerness and effort, the one who shows mercy, with a hilarious abandon.."

The believer is exhorted to exercise the Gifts that he has been given, and not to stray into "another man's field". One of the biggest problems that face our Church today is that believers just don't understand the division of the Spiritual Gifts. Not too long ago I was in a leadership conference under Dr. Ken Marler. One of his remarks was, "In every Church there's always the Pastor, and several others who want to be the Pastor". This is so true. Too often those who do not possess the Spiritual Gift want to "fill in" for the one who does hold the Gift. In the human body hands are used for one thing, the feet for another. Each part of the body is vitally necessary for, if not survival, at least for comfort and success in life. When the hands or the feet try to switch places there's always discomfort and trouble. A popular notion in our Churches today is to form governing committees. These committees, often formed of believers who have neither Gift nor idea of ruling, dictate policy and make decrees that the Pastor of that Church has to try and conform to. Our Churches are weak in many instances because we have stripped the Pastor of his God-given authority and leadership. Pastors should lead, Teachers should teach, Evangelists should evangelize: whatever your Gift, you should concentrate on exercising your Gift rather than directing how another will use his. Through proper use and division of the Spiritual Gifts the Body will flourish as God intended.

This text is so clear in it's teaching that I often wonder how anyone could misinterpret it. PHANEROSIS describes the Spiritual Gifts as they are being operated within the Body of Christ. At the point of salvation God the Holy Spirit gives every believer a spiritual Gift. The fact that you received one isn't evident, though, until you actually operate the Gift. Your Gift should only become visible, or operative, in the Church when it benefits the whole Church. As Scripture is true and cannot be broken (John 10.35), anyone who says that they were given a Gift just for their own benefit or private use is patently out of line. All Gifts, even Tongues, must be operated to benefit the whole Assembly. Those who believe that there are "exceptions" to this rule should read Paul's closing statement in the Gifts context:

1 Corinthians 14:36-38 "What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant."

To ignore even one verse of Scripture is ignorance, and an open door to carnality. And yes, I know that the following verse reads:

1 Corinthians 14:39-40 "Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order."

To which I reply, you are absolutely correct. IF Tongues are exercised properly, and IF Tongues edify the Body, then they are to be considered with the same care and validity as the other Gifts. Paul never said to forbid the operation of Tongues. What he forbade was all purported exercise of Spiritual Gifts that not only failed to edify the Body, but brought downright confusion into it's midst. The Gifts are for the Body, not just for the operator of the same.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF WISDOM) to another the word of knowledge (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE) by the same Spirit; To another faith (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF FAITH) by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF HEALING) by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF MIRACLES); to another prophecy (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF PREACHING); to another discerning of spirits (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF DISCERNMENT); to another divers kinds of tongues (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF TONGUES); to another the interpretation of tongues (SPIRITUAL GIFT OF INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES): But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

The Body of Christ is a true body in the sense that each believer functions as one part of this living organism. When you were saved God the Holy Spirit decided what part of the Body you would function as, and gave you the appropriate Gifts needed to fulfill your function. What your function was wasn't determined by your self perceived importance or self-righteousness. Your function was determined by the Spirit, who creatively wove you into the Assembly of the Saints. Each local Church is in the process of formation as a mini body of Christ, each fully sufficient insofar as it's equipping of Spiritual Gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

Romans 12:4-5 "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

The Apostle makes it plain that the local Church is not just a clubhouse for religious people. It's not a building, nor a fellowship hall: the Church is a living organism. Though a Baptist by doctrinal decision, I believe that all denominations within traditional Christianity (accept Jesus Christ as Savior to be saved!) are equally valid parts of the universal Body of Christ. I was talking to a man the other day who told me that the Baptists and Methodists have a running "feud" over who is doctrinally right. I told him that this was the first I had ever heard of such a thing. His next statement, though inappropriate, emphasized exactly the wrong attitude that believers have today. He said, "You Baptists have the right to believe the way you want, we'll continue to believe God's way". How foolish! Baptist or Methodist, if saved by faith in Christ we are all parts of the same Body. When we get into denominational competition we lose sight of the goal which is serving our Savior When we forget, as Christians, to work together with our fellow members in the Body, then the local Church suffers. Unconfessed sin in our lives cripples us in serving God, and to that degree removes our ability to function as a part of the Body.

I am convinced that the greatest sin in any Church Body is "individuality", that is, concern for self to the exclusion of concern for other members. What the Corinthians (and our modern Churches) needed to learn was that the Church isn't just some entertainment facility where we 'go out with the boys' once a week. The Church isn't just somewhere we go to when we're in trouble, or a place to show off during the holidays. The members of the Body are members of a Divinely constructed entity. Believer, it's time to wake up!

The non experiential ministry of Spirit Baptism brought each one of us into the Body of Christ. This Baptism isn't optional, nor is it a second "blessing". The wording are we all makes it very plain that this is a mandatory action that the Spirit bestows on us all. When you accepted Christ as your Savior the Holy Spirit automatically entered you into union with the Body of Christ. If you forsake your local Church you are in disobedience to God, and rob your Church of your assigned Gifts. Your Gifts were given to you so that you could edify your local Church assembly. By refusing to attend Church you rob other believers of the benefits of your assigned Gift. Refusing to attend Church is a sin before God:

Hebrews 10:24-27 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

God punishes believers who fall into sin, even the heinous sin of forsaking your local Church. A common complaint I hear from those who forsake Church is that they don't want to go because "there are so many hypocrites there". First, God never gave us an option as to whether or not we should go to Church. We have certain Spiritual Gifts and therefore have a duty to go. By not going to Church you are introducing unrepentant sin into your life. Second, have you ever considered that perhaps the reason there are so many hypocrites is because you have failed to attend your Church and exercise your Gifts. When you stay away from Church you cripple the Body to some degree. You may be the very reason that the hypocrites exist!

Drink is the Greek word POTIZO, which means "To imbibe or be saturated with". We all equally partook of the Baptizing Ministry. This is not a special dispensation or a special act of grace available to the "elite" members of the Church. There are no elite among the Saints. The Charismatics would have us believe that all tongues speakers are closer to God than non-tongues-speakers. They believe that those who haven't spoken in tongues aren't complete in their Christianity. The word of God teaches otherwise. There is no elitism among the Saints. No saint possesses any Gift greater than the other: all Gifts are equally important to the operation of the Church. Paul stated this plainly, if you would but read:

1 Corinthians 12:14-23 "For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness."

We'll take a break now, but we're far from over with this study. Reread this section, and then move on to the next study in this series. God Bless you all!