Spiritual Gifts

We believe the Holy Spirit bestows at least one spiritual gift to every believer at the moment of salvation. (1 Cor 12:11) These spiritual gifts as listed in the Bible are not to be confused with natural talent and ability which we receive at birth in our genetic make-up, but are the supernatural God-given ability to perform certain functions in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ for the edifying of the saints and to bring Glory to God the Father. (Ephes. 4:4-13) No believer possesses every spiritual gift, nor do we have any say-so whatsoever in the Spiritual gift the Holy Spirit gives us, for that decision is the Holy Spirit’s at His random will. (1 Cor. 12:29, 30) We believe that of the list of Spiritual gifts listed in the Bible (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; Ephes. 4:11), some were temporary and are no longer available today, while others were permanent and are present today in believers.  For example, the gifts of Evangelist, Pastor, teacher, giving, exhortation, showing mercy, serving, ruling (leadership, organization) are present in believers in the church today; while other gifts were temporary ‘Sign” gifts and were available only for a few years after Jesus’ death and ceased to be around AD 60 as the New Testament began to be completed.  With no media…Radio, TV, or newspaper, or printing press in that day, God used these SIGN GIFTS to bring the attention to this new program of the Church. 

Some folks had the gift of performing ‘MIRACLES’, and as Nicodemis was brought to Jesus because of His miracles (John 3:2); so did these miracles bring attention to God’s new plan.  Some had the gift of Healing, and as the apostles, could raise people from the dead! (Matt. 10:8) Others had the gift of KNOWLEDGE to receive revelations about God’s Word so church services could be held before the Bible was completed in written form.  The Gift of WISDOM could take those truths and explain them and give practical application the listeners.  Some had the gift of TONGUES where they could give this gospel to those foreigners who didn’t speak the hometown language.  Some had the gift of INTERPRETATION to interpret that foreign language (i.e., German, Spanish, etc. in today’s terms” to the other people listening who were not of that particular language the tongues person was using.  Some had the gift of DISCERNING SPIRITS to make sure fakes and frauds were not claiming to have messages from God.  Others had the gift of FAITH to supernaturally expect great things from God, which was needed in that day before the Bible was completed.  We have the Word of God today to base our faith upon as we read its promises.  The early church did not have the Bible yet.  As the Bible began to be completed, these temporary sign gifts all listed above were done away with and were no longer available. (1 Cor. 13:8-10) “When that which is perfect” is come the sign gifts would be done away with…and certainly the only perfect thing on this earth is the Bible, would you agree? 

Around AD 60, we see evidence that the sign gifts had disappeared, for Paul who had raised the dead (in Acts) now could not heal his co-workers Timothy (1 Tim. 5:23); Tromphimus (2 Tim. 4:20); Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:26, 27); nor could he heal himself of his thorn in the flesh! (2 Cor. 12:7-10) Tongues was another gift that the Bible said would cease when ‘that which is perfect is come.’ (1 Cor. 13:8-10) We learn several things about the gift of tongues from the Bible when it was present and available during the early years of the church.  In the church services in that day, an interpreter MUST be present or the tongues person must remain QUIET! (1 Cor. 14:27, 28)…and only 3 at the most could speak during a service and then only one at a time…and women were not to speak in tongues AT ALL! (v. 34) Do those speaking in tongues in churches TODAY follow these guidelines?  If not, why not?  Paul indeed said in 1 Cor. 14: 39 to forbid not those who had the gift of tongues to use it because when Paul wrote those words around AD 50 tongues was still present!  Tongues did cease according to church history, and now have only come ‘back to life’ in the last 100 years when women preachers in the Holiness movement began to claim to have the gift and claimed it was a secret prayer language only angels and God could understand (yet wasn’t Satan an angel??).  This can not be backed up in the Bible, for tongues in Acts 2 and 1 Cor. 12-14 were known earthly languages (see Acts 2:8-10)!  Tongues was NOT a sign of “SPIRITUALITY” to other believers, but was a sign to unsaved UNBELIEVERS of judgment to come because the Jews had not obeyed God! (1 Cor. 14:22) Tongues is found in 5 instances in the Bible and it is always a sign that the Jews had disobeyed God!  Tongues would then come as “foreign languages” as a sign of judgment and dispersion would soon come.  Study carefully the following 5 examples and you must agree: 

(1) Gen. 9:1; 11:4-8

(2) Deut. 28:1-62

(3) Jer. 4:1; 5:3-19

(4) Isa. 28:10-13

(5) Matt. 11:28, 23:37; 1 Cor. 12-14; Luke 21:24

Recall in this last example of tongues in the NT, how tongues were spoken and judgment soon came in 70 AD when Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem and Israel was scattered as the 12 lost tribes all over the world. 

World-known expert on the occult, Kurt Koch, makes the following statement about the modern day tongues movement in his book OCCULT ABC p.207:  “tongues and the so-called Charismatic Movement are the most dangerous weapons Satan is using against the Christian Camp….”  Amazing statement?  Consider the following:

(1) The Tongues Movement places ‘EXPERIENCE’ over and above the Bible!  If you’ve spoken in tongues…it doesn’t matter what you believe or what the Bible says…to most Charismatics!  My friend, the devil can give experiences…(2 Cor 11:13-15; 2 Thess. 2:9-11) and even do miracles! 

(2) The Tongues Movement claims to receive visions and tongues messages, which would ‘add to’ the Word of God!  If it is not adding to the Bible, why do we need the ‘tongues message’ since we have the Bible in front of us? 

(3) The origin and background of the Tongues Movement is saturated with false teaching…as it still is today.  The Tongues Movement teaches salvation can be lost; it places women in positions of authority over men and places them as pastors in churches teaching men when the Bible forbids it! (1 Tim. 2:12) It promotes the ecumenical movement and yoking up with pastors and churches that teach false plans of salvation.  Charismatic “Tongues” churches are big members of the very Liberal National and World Council of Churches.  In the last years WCC meeting prayer was led to the mother goddess “Sophia”!! 

(4) It can cause believers without the gift to feel ‘second class’…and has caused many to become discouraged to the point of becoming ‘shipwreck in the faith’ and drop out of church completely…especially if sham and hypocrisy is seen in the ‘leaders’ and those who claim to ‘have the gift’…(1 Tim. 1:19) 

(5) It makes tongues speaking the mark of true spirituality, rather than winning lost souls to the Lord!  It causes many to miss the true spiritual life and sidetracks people from the main objective of winning lost souls! 

(6) The Tongues Movement has lead to indecent activity and even immorality as married women and young girls “roll” in the floor uncontrollably as they are ‘slain in the spirit’, even to the point where “modesty blankets” are needed to cover the ladies! (1 Cor. 13:5)…But most seriously, it can open one up to DEMONIC & OCCULTIC INVOLVEMENT!  You’ll notice in 1 Cor. 14:27-34 ones spiritual gift COULD BE CONTROLLED!  For someone to be SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT to the point they are unconsciously laying prostate on the floor, to me is OF utmost DANGER if that is not the HOLY SPIRIT doing that!  Always in the Bible the Believer had full consciousness and control of himself or herself!  There is absolutely NO example of today’s so-called being ‘SLAIN IN THE SPIRIT’ in the Bible except for DEMONIC involvement!  We at Gospel Center agree with Kurt Koch’s assessment above and WARN every Christian to STAY AWAY from the modern-day Charismatic Movement no matter how nice and sincere the members of these churches might be!  It is wrong.  It is dangerous.  These folks, we believe, are badly deceived. 

(7) TONGUES has left DEVASTATION whenever it has entered a church.  A split almost always results with years of work in a Bible-believing church down the drain over night!  If you will check one history of Charismatic church in your neighborhood, I challenge you to discover that most were started as a result of a split from a Bible-believing church where heartache and devastation was the result.  I dare you to discover most Charismatic churches got their members from another church due to a split the majority of the time, rather than a few believers starting from scratch as most Baptist churches start out! (1 Cor. 1:10) God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33) and declares all things be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40)…Two commands which we believe are not followed very closely in most “Tongues” churches today. 

We believe it is a shame for Christians to be seeking Spiritual Gifts that are not even available today and neglecting the Spiritual Gift God has given us to use for His Glory!