3613-The Gifts by W. P. M. L.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 5, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 48.

3613—The Gifts

By W. P. M. L.

Why is it that all the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 are not in the church to-day? If God set them there, why are they not all seen in the church now?

This question might be answered by another one: If God gave all those gifts, why were they not in the church a thousand years ago? Why were they not in the church one hundred years ago? They were there in apostolic times. The reason is that the church wandered away from God. Some of these gifts could not be maintained in the church unless the law of God itself was honored. That is the great test of all doctrines, of all gifts. On that very law and its nature is based the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its transgression demanded the Gospel. And as God's people come back to the great standard of morality and the fulness of the Gospel of His grace, these gifts will be restored more fully. There are some of them given as needed. Take the gift of tongues, for instance; that is not needed where the language is understood. As to the other gifts, it seems as if most of them, and especially the important ones, are in the church at the present time. Take those, for instance, of which it is said that "God hath set some in the church, first apostles"—those sent of God with a mission; "secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." The most important are mentioned first, the least important last. These are not of human appointment, let us remember. They are of God's appointment. It will not make the church a true church of God to say that we will choose twelve men and call them apostles. It will not make the church a true church of God to set aside some man and say, He is a prophet, or for a man to set aside himself and claim that he is a prophet. All these must meet the test of God's Word, and the appointment is of God. When we will heed His Word, when it becomes to us everything, when there is absolute consecration to Him, and the whole church is doing that, when the testimony of Christ is confirmed in them, then may we expect that they will come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 1:7. Neither is it best for the church to seek these special gifts, as some are seeking for the gift of tongues, and the devil answers sometimes in a strange sort of gibberish that means nothing. The more excellent way which the apostle points out is that of love—earnest, devoted love to God; and the man who thus loves God, will have bestowed upon him by the Spirit just the gift that he can use best for God, 1 Cor. 12:11.

Right in connection with this is what our correspondent asks on Acts 8:14-17; 10:44-46, saying that the apostles looked for some outward manifestation on the part of the convert as an evidence that the Holy Spirit was received. We can not see from these scriptures that that conclusion necessarily follows. It was the convert himself who seemed to testify regarding this. "Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?" the apostle Paul asked of brethren whom he met; and they had not heard that the Holy Spirit had been poured out. Regarding the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Spirit, that, it would seem to us, would be a matter of faith on the part of those concerned. It can not be brought about mechanically in any way. There were some who received the Holy Spirit in the days of the apostles and of our Lord without laying on of hands. There were some that received it by that. It is not for us to work the Spirit of God. That works according to God's will. It is for us so to yield ourselves to Him that the Spirit can mold us, and thus God will bestow whatever gifts we can use to His glory.