Return to Basic DoctrinesMany religious bodies believe and teach about the present direct activity of the Holy Spirit and the bestowal of spirit gifts upon men today. Christadelphians believe and teach that this does not happen today, and these beliefs are based on the clear teaching of the Bible. Who is right in this situation?
It is clear from the scriptures that during the first century that these spirit gifts were available, and that they are referred to on a number of occasions. In Mark 3v15 they are referred to as power, the promise of my Father and power from on high in Luke 24v49, and the Comforter in John 14v26. All these are scriptural representations of the same thing, the Spirit Gifts.
The manifestation of this power was to come on the day of Pentecost, when the 12 disciples were gathered together (Acts 2v2-4) and they received the promise in the form of flames of fire sitting upon each of them accompanied by the sound of a rushing mighty wind. The authenticity of this event was manifest by the miraculous ability of the disciples to speak coherently in a number of different languages and it was this that was to help the rapid spread of the gospel. Certainly this was not some ecstatic utterance that could not be understood, but clear expositions of the wonderful work of God.
In 1 Cor12 a number of the spirit gifts are listed for us including wisdom, knowledge, healing, prophecy etc., but having established their existence at this time, what function did they perform. Ephesians 4 provides a similar listing and then at v12 tells us that the gifts were for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Some individuals at Corinth were using these gifts incorrectly and were censured by Paul (1Cor 14v16,17). They were misusing the gift of tongues in the assembly of believers, when says the Apostle (v22), "
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not"
exactly as had occurred on the day of Pentecost (Acts ch2).
For how long were these spirit gifts to remain? In Ephesians ch4 at v13 Paul had said that the Apostles, prophets and teachers were given for the work of the ministry till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man. The word perfect has already occurred in Ephesians 4v12 and we shall see shortly to what this is referring.
Paul continues the argument in 1Cor13, a chapter that is evidently about the gifts of the spirit, including gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge. Paul is quite categorical when he states at v8 that these gifts will fail, cease and vanish away, and when does Paul say this will happen. Well, v10 states that when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. So the spirit gifts would cease when that which is perfect is come. Back in Ephesians 4 Paul had spoken of the believers as children tossed to and fro and he refers to this again in 1Cor13v11. When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. The childish things he is referring to are the spirit gifts, not in the sense that they are childish, but that they were things of early spiritual development, for babes in Christ. Paul now exhorts his readers to spiritual maturity where the gifts were to pale into insignificance beside the greater things of faith, hope and love which were to abide (1Cor13v13).
Many today would claim the gift of tongues, but they do not speak in a discernible language for the benefit of non-believers, which Paul states was the intention (1Cor14v22). Instead they make noises and utterances which are unknown to those who speak in a common language. These are purely attempts to defraud mankind with demonstrations, which are not supported by the word of God.
Paul in his last years wrote to Timothy (2Tim3v14-17) exhorting him to continue thou in the things which thou hast learned………the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given………that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works. Here is our word perfect again from Ephesians 4 and 1Cor13. That which is perfect would come in the form of Gods Word, the Holy Scriptures, and the spirit gifts would cease. It is to the Holy Scriptures, and not the spirit gifts, that Paul commends his younger son in the faith Timothy.
So also when speaking to the elders at Ephesus, all of which would undoubtedly have possessed the spirit gifts, but at Acts20v32 Paul leaves with the words, I commend you to God and the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. That is the capability of Gods Word, to equip us completely for every good work, to build us up, and to give us an inheritance among all them that are sanctified, to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Therefore, in answer to the question posed by the subject title, spirit gifts are no longer available, because they are no longer necessary. In this time God has given us his revealed Word that we might be perfect and that we may have a part to play in that glorious age to come when Gods Kingdom is established on this earth.