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Spiritual Gifts

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 28, 1913

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 90, No. 35.

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Spiritual Gifts

By A. T. ROBINSON

A. T. ROBINSON
“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” 1 Cor. 12: 28.
EITHER of two constructions might be placed upon the language of this text. The enumeration of these gifts might be understood to mean their relative importance one to the other, or it might be understood to state the order, in point of time, in placing these gifts in the church. Two other translations of this text read as follows: “For God hath placed in his church, first legates; after them, prophets; after them, teachers; after them, workers of miracles; after them, the gifts of healing, and helpers, and leaders, and [various] kinds of tongues” (Syriac translation). “And these indeed placed the God in the congregation first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that powers, then gracious gifts of cures, helpers, directors, kinds of tongues” (Emphatic Diaglott).
“First apostles.” Apostles are defined as “men called and sent as leaders to lead out and lay the foundation of any great religious movement.” In the establishment of the early church God raised up apostles, men endowed with a special gift of leadership. These men of God laid the foundation upon which the whole superstructure of the gospel church has been reared. They did their work so faithfully and well that not a beam nor a timber nor even a pin has ever had to be readjusted. The structure has withstood all the attacks of higher criticism. The church of God still stands secure, “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone.” Eph. 2: 20.
“Secondarily prophets.” The gift of prophecy served its place in the development of the early church, supplementing the work of the apostles, and saving the church from distraction and confusion. The record in the book of Acts is a testimony to the value of the gift of the spirit of prophecy in the early church.
“Thirdly teachers.” We have but to turn to the inspired records of the early church to find that the gift of teaching was developed as the work progressed. The apostle Paul, in vindication of his ministry says, “I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house.” Acts 20: 20.
“After that miracles.” The word miracles is from the Greek word dunamis. The definitions of this word, as given in the Greek dictionary, are “miraculous power,” “a miracle itself,” “power,” “strength,” “violence,” “mighty work.” This same Greek word in Luke 24 is translated as follows: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” The meaning of this word is different from that of the Greek word usually translated power. This word means the special power of God bestowed directly upon his work in the earth. In other words, it is not delegated power, but the direct power of God upon his work. A manifestation of this power, in the development of this gift in the order named in the text, was seen on the day of Pentecost when God set his hand of power to his work, and thousands of souls were converted in a day. The gift of healing and all the other gifts mentioned in the text followed.
“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (. . . And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” Acts 5: 12-16.
The church of Jesus Christ was made richer in spiritual gifts at the time when Christ ascended to heaven. “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive [“a multitude of captives,” margin], and gave gifts unto men.” Eph. 4: 8. The purpose and duration of these gifts in the church are clearly stated by the apostle. “For perfecting the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of the Messiah; until we all become one and the same, in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and one complete man according to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Messiah.” Eph. 4: 2, 13 (Syriac translation). Another translation of this text reads as follows: “For the complete qualification of the saints for the work of service, in order to the building up of the body of the anointed One; till we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the full stature of the anointed One (Emphatic Diaglott).

The Gift of Prophecy and the Keeping of the Law Associated

The gift of prophecy, which the apostle Paul mentions as the chief of all thegifts, has never been manifested in the church when God’s people have departed from the law of God. “Now for a long time Israel hath been without the true God, and without an instructing priest, and without law.” 2 Chron. 15: 3 (Spurrell). “Her king and her princes are among the heathen where is no law; also her prophets meet with no vision from Jehovah.” Lam. 2: 9 (Spurrell). “When there is no divine communication, the people shall perish; but whoso obeyeth the commandment blessed is he.” Prov. 29: 8 (Spurrell). “They have set the sanctuary on fire. The habitation of thy name profaned they by leveling it to the dust. They set up their ensigns as tokens of victory.” Ps. 74: 7, 4.
The result of casting down the fourth commandment, and setting up a counterfeit sign in place of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, which is God’s sign, is stated in the ninth verse of this psalm. Quoting still from Spurrell’s translation, “We see not our prophetical signs, now there is no prophet left, neither is there among us who discerneth for how long.”
The remnant church in fulfilment of prophecy is designated as a commandment-keeping church. “Here [under the sounding of the threefold message of Revelation 14] are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14: 12. The remnant church, the church developed under the sounding of the threefold message of Revelation 14, comes upon the stage of action in response to a call of God for his people to come back to the principles of the early church, and as they return to the keeping of the commandments of God, these gifts, which have seemingly been withdrawn from the church for centuries, must again take their place and do their office work in the church. It is reasonable to conclude that when these gifts are reinstated in the remnant church, they will be reinstated in the same order in which they were placed in the early church.
“First apostles.” Just as truly as men were raised up and endowed with the spirit of leadership in the early church, so truly men of God have been raised up and thus endowed in the establishment of this message.
“Secondarily prophets.” The gift of prophecy just as really came in to supplement the work of the leaders in this message, as it did in the early church. Many times in the development of this third angel’s message, from its beginning until the present time, the exercise of this gift has saved this movement from division and perhaps disintegration.
“Thirdly teachers.” It is evident to every Seventh-day Adventist that this work has assumed in a very marked way educational features. Aside from our denominational educational system, every institution connected with our work carries forward the work of teaching. Hundreds and thousands of men and women give their lives going from house to house with the Bible and teaching the people the truths of this message. “After that miracles.” The next complete development in this reinstatement of gifts in the remnant church will be the mighty outpouring of God’s power in the loud cry of the third angel’s message, and then, as in apostolic times, the gift of healing and all these gifts will come in and do their work in the finishing of this message in this generation.
One of the Scriptural characteristics of the remnant church is that the people composing that church shall keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, which is defined to be “the spirit of prophecy.” No people can rightfully claim to be the remnant church without claiming this gift in its midst. “Even as the testimony of Messiah was confirmed among you; so that ye are not inferior in any one of his gifts; but are waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Messiah; who will confirm you unto the end, so that ye are blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Messiah.” 1 Cor. 1: 6-8 (Syriac). John, “who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus the Messiah, as to all that he saw.” Rev. 1: 2 (Syriac). “I John, your brother, and partaker with you in the affliction and sufferings that are in Jesus the Messiah, was in the island called Patmos, because of the word of God, and because of the testimony of Jesus the Messiah.” Rev. 1: 9 (Syriac).
When the angel Gabriel, whose mission has always been to bring messages from God to his people in this world, visited John, this servant of the Lord was so overawed by the angel’s presence that he fell down at his feet to worship him. The angel Gabriel said to him, “See [thou do it] not; I am thy fellow servant and of those thy brethren who have the testimony of Jesus.” Rev. 19: 10 (Syriac). “And he said to me: See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets; and of them that keep the sayings of this book.” Rev. 22: 9 (Syriac). A fellow servant is one who serves with others. Gabriel’s message being to minister in the spirit of prophecy would make him the fellow servant of those who have the gift of prophecy in their midst. He declared himself to be the fellow servant of John, of John’s brethren the prophets who lived before his time, and of those who were to keep the sayings of the book of Revelation.
In Rev. 1: 3, the benediction of Heaven is pronounced upon those who keep the sayings of this book. Under the sound of the threefold message, a people is brought to view of whom it is said, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God.” The same spirit of the dragon that sent John to the isle of Patmos because of the testimony of Jesus—the spirit of prophecy—is manifested against the remnant church because of the exercise of the same gift in their midst. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
College View, Nebr.