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SPIRITUAL GIFTS

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 28, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 6.

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SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

By Joseph Clarke

BY JOSEPH CLARKE.
TEXT.—“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Eph. iv, 8.
A PRESENT, or gift, bestowed with judgment, delicacy, and hearty good will, upon a worthy and grateful recipient, is often remembered and cherished and long held as a token of friendship and love.
Our Saviour, at his departure from this rebellious earth where he had been ignominiously treated and crucified, did not forget his loving followers who would brave the opposition of Satan's host, to manifest their love for him; but as he rose from earth, followed by the saints who had risen from their graves at his crucifixion, thus leading captivity captive, he then bestowed upon those who were left to fight the battle with sin and Satan, such gifts as the Son of God alone could bestow, and such, too, as his followers only could appreciate.
1. We understand from the context, that these gifts were as follows: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers; and from 1 Cor. xii, 28, we find enumerated others; as, miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues, also interpretation of tongues, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits. See verses 8–10.
2. The object of this liberality was not only to manifest regard for his people here, but for their practical use and benefit, as we see (in Eph. iv, 12), in continuation of his subject, Paul says they were bestowed “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;” and in 1 Cor. i, 4–8, the apostle rejoices that his brethren are enriched by the Lord, “in all utterance, and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you; so that ye come behind in no gift,” &c.; so that the gifts are intended to enrich, to edify, to perfect, to unite the church.
3. We think this object is not yet attained, because, as yet, God's people are not wholly united, perfected, or enriched, but rather the contrary. They are scattered here and there, as sheep having no shepherd; some in one church, and some in another, holding to creeds, and of various religious beliefs, and enveloped in error and spiritual darkness. Also, the expression, “Waiting for the coming of Christ,” in this connection (verse 7), conveys the idea that the gifts are especially necessary, to fit the church for the coming of Christ.
4. We believe that the gifts bestowed by the Lord at his ascension, have, to a greater or less extent, been enjoyed by his people up to this time. Pastors, teachers, and evangelists have ever been present, to build up and to edify the church; and the lives of Luther, Wesley, and other eminent reformers, furnish testimony that some other gifts appeared in their times; and during the persecutions of the church by the Pagan, and afterwards by the Papal power, there were many manifestations of God's power in behalf of his people; still, we may safely affirm that spiritual gifts have greatly decreased, both in frequency and power, since the apostles' days.
5. The causes which have led to the partial disappearance of the gifts, are, no doubt, the influences of Satan, in causing the great apostasy, spoken of prophetically by Paul in 2 Thess. ii, 1–10, as a great falling away; the mystery of iniquity, which in his day was already at work, and finally culminated in the establishment of the Papal church, which yet casts its shadow of error over the whole of christendom.
6. That Protestant churches have not wholly purged themselves of Papal errors, is admitted by many candid men among them; and Cotton Mather has justly observed, in effect, that the Protestant churches in their haste to leave Rome, brought more or less of her errors with them. These errors being petted and especially defended as important doctrines of the Bible, by these churches, have had a deadening and chilling effect, and the vitality of godliness is, in a great measure, eaten out; and thus we see that Rome to this day exerts her poisonous influence, not only upon her own members, but upon all those churches which have ever been under her influence; so that the same causes which led to the withdrawal of the gifts from the Papal church, still prevent their return to the Protestant churches, which are really, as the Revelator has styled them, the daughters of the harlot, Papal Rome.
7. That the dealings of God with his people in the past justify us in these conclusions, we fully believe; for in the history of ancient Israel we find that when they departed from him, he left them to their enemies; and, on the other hand, when they kept his statutes and his Sabbaths, he was near to defend them, and to hear their petitions.
8. The Scriptures plainly inform us, not only that the Lord Jesus confirmed the gifts to the whole church, even to the end of the world, but that there would be a revival of those gifts in the last days.
The commission given to the apostles in Mark xvi, 15–20, places the signs which are to follow the believers—the casting out of devils, speaking with new tongues, the taking up of serpents, healing the sick, and the assurance of protection from poison—all on a level with the other articles of the commission—the preaching of the word, the faith of believers, the baptism of the same; so that when one ceases to be valid, the other also becomes of no effect, and void; and as long as it is duty for ministers to preach, so long must they look for the signs to follow, or be recreant to their trust.
9. The special outpouring of God's Spirit and the revival of the gifts in the last days are clearly prophesied of in God's word. Rev. xii, 17 informs us that the remnant (that is, the last generation of the church) of the seed of the woman, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, will be the special subjects of Satan's wrath; and this testimony is explained in Rev. xix, 10, to be the spirit of prophecy, proving clearly that the last generation of the true church will possess this most important gift.
The Prophet Joel, also, in chap. ii, 28, expressly affirms that, in the last days, there will be a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit, causing prophecies, visions, dreams, and remarkable manifestations of Jehovah's power. This was partially fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, but is more especially applicable to the last days, yet to come, close at hand; and already some of the particulars of this prophecy are fulfilled before our eyes, for which God's people are truly grateful.
10. The commission of Mark xvi, 15–20, relating to the gospel, to faith, baptism, salvation, and spiritual gifts, placing these articles together, and in one list, is given by our Lord; it is sure and immutable; was given some forty days after his death; and is to continue in force as long as probation lasts, or as long as there are any to believe and be baptized. It began to receive its public fulfillment on the day of Pentecost, and those to whom the work of carrying it forward is intrusted, are as sure of the help of God in the work, as were the apostles. Opposers of this truth may do what they will; God's work is sure to be done. To hinder him in his plans, or controvert his counsel, is as impossible as it would be to move the earth from her orbit.
11. The period of time included in the term, “last days,” would doubtless comprehend the whole Christian dispensation from the rending of the vail of the temple at the death of Christ, to his second coming; as Peter interprets Joel's prophecy applicable to the church in his day, we conclude it began to have its application at that time, and it is clear that the last of the last days are included in this prophecy; and Paul speaks of the last days as those in which perils would encompass the people of God, being yet in the future; therefore we must conclude that the last eighteen hundred years are the last days of the world's history; as we say of the last two or three days of the week, It is the last of the week.
12. In the last days, perilous times shall come, says Paul. See 2 Tim. iii, 1. Why perilous times? The eighth verse informs us that as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so would these also resist the truth by the counterfeit gift; as did the magicians of Egypt, so would the people of the last days do. How? Moses wrought miracles, so did the magicians; Moses wrought by the power of God, they by Satan's art. Hence we infer that, as the counterfeit is to appear in the last days, the genuine must exist at the same time.
Satan has had a taste for counterfeiting for a long time. He deceived Eve by a counterfeit miracle, and we may conjecture that he was not idle in the time of Cain, and other lawless antediluvians; and in the days when the ark was preparing, he was, no doubt, still deceiving by the same means. In the time of Samuel, Satan did his best for the worship of Dagon; and in the days of Elijah, the prophets of Baal evidently expected a miracle in behalf of their religion and idol worship, and must have had encouragement from Satan previous to that time, or they would not have cried to Baal to consume their sacrifice, with such confident pertinacity. Babylon with its temple of Belus, and afterwards, Rome with its Pantheon, rivaled the worship of God at Jerusalem; and all that Satan's skill, power, and art could effect, he did for Pagan deities, and, no doubt, he wrought wonders; at Ephesus, he boasted a temple to Diana, a building of great cost and magnificence; and for each of these, no doubt, he wrought, as he now does for the advocates of Spiritualism.
When Paganism became effete, he reared a new altar at Rome, a counterfeit most skillfully adapted to the work he wished to perform. The Pope he used as his stool-pigeon, to catch unwary souls, and he employed himself as his agent to destroy the true sons of God. Millions fell by violence, but far more by flattery. The Papists boast of miracles; no doubt, they had many favors of this kind from their master; but their feigned ones answered, in most cases, just as well; so blind and infatuated is man; and if Satan can succeed, he cares not for the means.
But Paganism and Popery are both, in a great degree, effete now; at least, among such as Satan is in danger of losing, and he casts about for a new trap; so Spiritualism appears; tables turn and travel; chairs move about of themselves; the raps are heard; and communications come from the dead; the old-fashioned witch of Endor appears in a new form and fashionable dress: and, lo! senators and great men, kings and emperors, sit in the magic circle. The world is enchanted. As the poor mouse admires the fine appearance of the cat he never saw before, so the world is taken with the new dress in which Satan has arrayed himself. It is, in reality, nothing new; there are the arts by which he seduced Eve and Pharaoh, and Balaam and the Canaanites. By these, he reared altars to Baal and Dagon, to Diana, and at Rome. By these, he deceived Constantine, and founded the Papacy, his peculiar church. Oh! how it enraged him when Huss and Luther began to undermine his beautiful temple.
13. But the worst is yet to come. His power is yet to be exerted to the fullest extent upon poor, weak man who has entered his service. Rev. xvi, 13, 14 informs us that the spirits of devils, working miracles, are yet to gather the nations to the battle of the great day of God; Satan's influence is yet to be felt to the largest extent, limited only by the power of God, who says to the mighty deep, Thus far shalt thou come, and be farther; and man is to drink the bitter cup of God's wrath to the dregs.
14. At this time, the danger of deception from false gifts is great. Those only who reform their lives by keeping the law of God, and place themselves under the influence of the testimony of Jesus Christ, are safe; and those only can be safe who are walking in the light.
15. But we may distinguish between the true and the false. “By their fruits ye shall know them,” says Jesus. Spiritualists deny the moral law, and set aside the atonement, placing the Saviour on a level with themselves. The gifts from God place the Sabbath on its old foundation in the bosom of the moral law, and then apply the whole decalogue to the conscience of the sinner, and convict him as a transgressor; and when he cries for anguish of heart “What shall I do to be saved?” they point him to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. They then follow him up, and call him to a high standard of Christian life and action; exhort to purity and holiness; abase the proud, and lift up the weak and desponding. How different the counterfeit, which levels all law to human baseness, and turns the hand of man against his only hope—virtue and truth; not so the testimony of Jesus; here all is pure and ennobling.
We have seen the fruits of this testimony for more than twelve years. We have no motive but to get at the truth for ourselves and others, and, above all, thus to please God; and we say our confidence is unshaken and firm as the hills, that this is the true testimony. It has the clear ring of gold without alloy. Are you a Christian? Have you had a personal experience of God's goodness? Has his love filled your heart? Then you will say, soon as its sentiments enter your heart, This is the true testimony. Yes; you will say, No man, nor any creature, could produce such works; it is the mind of God; we extol it as such.
16. There is an imperative necessity at this time for such a testimony. Satan is redoubling his efforts to deceive; and so long has the mystery of iniquity been at its cruel and subtile work, and such is the extent of its power, and so firmly is the web of error drawn about the scattered people of God, that nothing but the exertion of divine power can rescue these unwilling victims of error, and tear away the sophistries of Satan from the mind, long held in bondage to creeds and hollow forms.
The church needs such testimony, to prevent fanaticism and disunion, to detect deceivers, and rescue the deceived. Was this gift necessary that Daniel should understand Jeremiah? or that the apostles should comprehend Isaiah and the prophets as to Christ? Much more, amid the various comments upon Daniel and John, do we need divine aid in our investigations of prophecy; and, to the praise of God, it has been granted.