This blog may make some people of the "cessation theology" bracket angry; it may also anger some of my "preterist" friends who believe that the Holy Spirit closed up supernatural-acts shop, after 100 AD. For many others, countless millions perhaps, this blog could be the key to their freedom from what I consider to be a very oppressive belief system, which steals FAITH from "these little ones" who want to believe in God's supernatural powers. This blog was inspired by a "friendly" conversation/debate on Facebook recently. My intent is to discover and share the truth about I Corinthians 13, Paul's passage on "the perfect". May we all be open to learn new things.
A MOST EXCELLENT WAY
The Apostle Paul is writing the somewhat wavering, confused and immature Corinthians; well, some of them seem to be immature. In chapter 13, we have the grand "Love Chapter" as it has been so fondly called through the ages. But Paul is not interrupting his dialog on spiritual gifts from chapter 12; he is not launching a new devotional or inserting a poem here. Oh no no. Paul just lined out for the believers special orders & instructions and protocol for the usage of the gifts, explaining them as well. He ends this chapter with a slew of rhetorical questions: "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" We're assuming from the context of "the body" all having differing members etc., that the answer is a resounding "No". But notice the next line: "But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts."
Whaaaaat??? What do you mean, Paul?? What exactly are the 'greater gifts'?
Well, that is explained in chapter 14, when he lines out instructions on PROPHECY.
Any gift that has the most benefit for the most people are assumingly "the greater gifts".
Now back to 12. He throws this line in there like it is a ray of light, a word of great wisdom:
"And yet I will show you a still more excellent way."
The "way" he is referring to brings us to chapter 13, where Paul defines the love of God, agapao. That love that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit and influences our hearts to love like God loves! In a moment I hope to show you exactly what Paul means.
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing. If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.
Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]." -- AMP BIBLE.
It seems that Paul uses hyperbole to express how someone can be so great with the gifts ... but having NO LOVE makes them, shall we say, useless. Paul then gives one of the greatest definitions for love and the practice thereof. Do you get his drift?? He's saying that if you want the gifts to work perfectly, then do them WITH LOVE! I think that is plain, even if you have to meditate on it, it ain't exactly spelled out, like the way I said it, but Paul makes us think!
And that's his message. Well, part of it. He then continues:
"Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part [for our knowledge is fragmentary and incomplete]. But when that which is complete and perfect comes, that which is incomplete and partial will pass away. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God]. And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love."
Apparently, one can operate in the spiritual gifts without a "whole lotta love" manifesting through them, it's like things can function on "automatic", as it were. But I read that sentence: "Love never fails"! Love never fails or ends or ceases. The gifts do, they are not "perfect" (they are in fact, tools), but they can never replace LOVE!! Paul is making a COMPARISON!!! Yeah, I know I sound excited; I am. It occurred to me tonite that Paul is comparing LOVE with the GIFTS. And the two ... are qualitatively different. He's not focusing on the time when gifts "cease" or "fail" or "pass away". No! He's explaining to the spiritual mind, that one day, when the "perfect" arrives (that state when we all operate through the awesome power of Love, the love of God), that we will "know as we have been known". SELAH! He ends it with "The Greatest is Love"! THAT is the "more excellent way" that he was talking about! That's the message that Paul is trying to convey. Not "hey wait, you can't use those gifts pass 100 AD, you will be in violation of God's time-clock"! LOL
You see, I've got this picture in my mind of believers in the body building each other up in such a way, because of this love, that it becomes exponential ... it's hard to explain in words, but I think you can grasp it by The Spirit; just think of all the needs getting met in such a supernatural way, that it's almost "magical" ... perhaps that is the result of "the perfect" operating in US, and I get it. It makes sense to me! (I think the cessationists have missed it by a million miles ... Love is the Key, and chapters 12-13-14 of Corinthians are all connected).
I mean you can believe John Crysotom, Theodore and Augustine if you want, but there is actual evidence that the gifts DID continue past the last apostle's death, and for several centuries. Check this out, courtesy of Don Stewart, on blueletterbible.org:
[T}here is plenty of evidence that the sign gifts did not die out with the apostles.
Iranaeus (A.D. 130-200) described spiritual gifts in his day:
Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands of them, and they are made whole (Philip Schaff, Iranaeus Against Heresies Ante-Nicene: 100-325, Vol. 2 of The History of the Christian Church, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973, p. 531).
In A.D. 257 Novation wrote:
This is He who places the prophets in the Church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, offers discrimination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggest counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts, there are of charismata; and thus makes the Lords church everywhere, and in all, perfected, and completed (Philip Schaff, "Treatise Concerning the Trinity, XXIX," Ante-Nicene: 100-325, vol. 2 of The History of the Christian Church, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973, p. 641).
There are other early references to the existence and exercise of the gifts by Tertullian (A.D. 160-200) and Bishop Hillary who died in A.D. 367. Thus the idea that spiritual gifts immediately ceased with the apostles is untrue. The sign gifts remained and were exercised to varying degrees in the early church.
It is true that some church leaders spoke out against the exercise of the sign gifts. But one of them, St. Augustine, changed his mind later in life. He wrote:
But what I said is not to be interpreted that no miracles are believed to be performed in the name of Christ at the present time. For when I wrote that book, I myself had recently learned that a blind man had been restored to sight . . . and I known {sic} about some others, so numerous even in these times, that we cannot know about all of them or enumerate those who know.
So even Augustine changed his mind. Hmmmm think about that ....
What about later? John Wesley has a very revealing thing to say:
"The cause of their decline was not as has been vulgarly supposed because there was no need for them, because all the world were becoming Christians . . . the real cause was: the love of many, almost all Christians so called was waxed cold . . . this was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were no longer to be found in the Christian church; because the Christians were turned heathen again and had only a dead form left" (cited by Michael Harper, As at the Beginning: The Twentieth Century Pentecostal Revival, Plainfield, New Jersey: Logos International, 1971, pp. 17,18).
So, there we have it. The gifts did not fall into disuse, not as much as we have been told.
To some, they just let their "love wax cold". And it most certainly does not say that the New Testament is the completion, and therefore we don't need the sign gifts anymore.
Or that after John the Apostle died, lo and behold, no more supernatural. That just isn't so, and history proves that the gifts did keep going, even if not on a large scale.
And what about Stephen? He wasn't an apostle, but he did many signs & wonders.
And what about Paul's admonition: "Forbid not to speak in tongues".
I'm saying this: If you want to recieve the baptism of the Spirit, and the spiritual gifts, they can be YOURS, then BELIEVE IT and RECEIVE IT! You can have them. Just make sure . . .
You operate them by and through THE LOVE OF GOD. Amen. Over and Out! ✞
* Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy * AMP BIBLE.
