p. 6 | GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 22, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 51.

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.

The Spirit of God is the power of God. The gift of the Spirit is the gift of power manifested in various ways, but above all in triumph over sin. The baptism of the Spirit is the baptism of power; for “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” We should, therefore, expect that there would be manifest among those who have the gift of the Spirit power which is not possessed by the world. We have, therefore, among the gifts of the Spirit,

Miracles.

The word in the New Testament comes from two words, dunamis, meaning power, the same word from which dynamite comes; and sēmeion, a sign token, wonder, indicative of the power and mission of him who performs the sign. In the Revised Version the latter is usually rendered “sign.” The former word, “miracle,” or “mighty work.” There is also another word, teras, meaning wonder, occurring in the plural, coupled with “signs.” See Acts 5:12.

Many of the Lord’s miracles are called signs, because they were tokens of His divine power and mission. In Acts 8:13 we have both “the miracles and signs which were done.” In Heb. 2:4 all three words are used: “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will.”

The signs were just what God had predicted, and would be convincing tokens to them which heard and saw. See Matt. 11:3–6. The wonders were the things which the people were not used to seeing, which were not common, and which could not be accounted for in the ordinary operations of the laws of nature. The miracles, the manifestation of mighty powers, often constituted the sign and the wonder. Healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, walking on the water, feeding the multitude, stilling the storm, converting souls, are examples of Christ’s mighty miracles.

And yet all these mighty works are but little more to the child of God of simple intelligent faith than the every-day operations and manifestations of God’s mighty power through a nature marred by sin. Read Genesis 1 and Isaiah 40. God is still Creator, Redeemer, Upholder.

This earth is under the curse of sin. The life, the power, of God, always normally operating for life and good in harmony with God’s righteous law, is in this world perverted by sin. Sin by perverting that power works out sickness, disease, destruction, misery, death. But frequently the great Wonder-worker manifests His power above the perverted laws of earth, in harmony with His own perfect, unperverted law. Every time a soul is converted, God so works. Every time a victory is gained over sin and lust, it is God’s mighty power, operating in harmony with His law, triumphing over a sin-perverted law.

Christ is still the Mighty Worker. “The Lord’s hand is not shortened.” His Spirit is still almighty. And it is still true to His church and to individual souls, “Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” But does this mean that every one will be a worker of miracles, of wonders?—By no means. God by His Spirit divideth “to every man severally as He will,” with divers miracles and “gifts of the Holy Ghost according to His own will.” Ask for the gift of the Spirit; “receive ye the Holy Ghost,” that you may be fitted for service; but the service and the fitting rest with God.

Other Gifts.

“Healings.”—“Gifts of healings” are among the gifts of the Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:9, 28. The Greek word means to restore, to heal the mind or body. So Jesus declared that the Father had sent Him “to heal the broken-hearted.” He told His disciples as He sent them forth, “Heal the sick.” See Matt. 10:1, 8; Luke 9:1, 2. It is a part of the divine mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. He not only “bore our sins,” but “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” Matt. 8:17. “Who forgiveth all our iniquities, who healeth all our diseases,” is not a mere poetic expression; it is a great truth. Neither must the child of God wait till the resurrection of the last day for this manifestation of His power. True it is that not till then will mortal man be perfectly whole, clothed with God’s immortality; but as the world knows health, and beyond, man may possess it by divine power. That the Lord does not heal all that are sick is no evidence that He will not heal. It is the duty and the privilege of every sick one to yield himself to God’s simple laws of life and health, to eat and drink and do all things to His glory (1 Cor. 10:31), and then to believe and know God’s healing Word. See Mark 16:18; James 5:13–16. So much in brief. We shall consider it more fully hereafter.

“Helps.”—The Greek word occurs only here. It refers, evidently, to a special gift of helping, of knowing how, and where, and when to help. See Luke 1:53, 54, as to how God helped Israel.

“Governments.”—The governments which God has set in His church are by elders, presbyters, or bishops. The Greek word means to steer. So ought the elders in God’s church to be pilots or guides, who follow the chart, not “lords over God’s heritage,” but men filled with the Spirit, able to give wise counsel and admonition. See 1 Peter 5:1–4; 1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9, for those who have to do with the government of God in the church; and see 1 Peter 5:5; Heb. 13:7, 17, and other passages, for the duty of the church in general toward these servants of God.

“Tongues.”—God gave the gift of tongues on the day of Pentecost, and elsewhere as it was needed. See Acts 2:7–11. They are for signs to unbelievers. God will still bestow them in answer to faith where His servants have need.

In addition to the above, mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:28, we have mentioned in Rom. 12:7, 8, giving, exhortation, ministry—common gifts, but not less blessed, to be used by nearly all in the church of Christ. How many have a wealth of strength, or means, or money, who would be blessed by giving it to God for service of humanity! Who is there in the church of Christ that can not minister something—a kind word, a smile, a look, a cup of cold water, some little act to cheer and help one poor soul on the way to life? How easily to such a talent is added that of “exhortation” to a better life! The church is dying for failure to use common gifts. God would bestow more if the lesser common gifts to all were used. But the one talent is buried, and others are not bestowed by the Master. O, yield to God’s service, whatever it be! Give all to Him. “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”