Our Bible Reading

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 12, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 36.

Our Bible Reading

Spiritual Gifts

1. What did our Lord promise His disciples before He went away?

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you ANOTHER COMFORTER, that He may abide with you forever; even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH; whom the world can not receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14: 16, 17.

2. In what way would that Spirit be beneficial to His people?

Now concerning SPIRITUAL GIFTS, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 1 Cor. 12: 1.

3. Through what do these gifts come?

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the SAME SPIRIT. 1 Cor. 12: 4.

4. Who works through these administrations and operations?

And there are differences of administrations, but the SAME LORD. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the SAME GOD which worketh all in all. 1 Cor. 12: 5, 6.

5. What gifts are in this chapter enumerated?

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of WISDOM; to another the word of KNOWLEDGE by the same Spirit; to another FAITH by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of HEALING by the same Spirit; to another the working of MIRACLES; to another PROPHECY; to another DISCERNING OF SPIRITS; to another divers kinds of TONGUES; to another the INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES.

And God hath set some in the church, first APOSTLES, secondarily PROPHETS, thirdly TEACHERS, after that MIRACLES, then gifts of HEALINGS, HELPS, GOVERNMENTS, diversities of TONGUES. 1 Cor. 12: 8-10, 28.

6. What gifts are named in another scripture?

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether PROPHECY, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or MINISTRY, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on TEACHING; or he that exhorteth, on EXHORTATION: he that GIVETH, let him do it with simplicity; he that RULETH, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Rom. 12: 6-8.

7. Is it proper for the child of God to seek or desire these gifts?

Covet [desire] earnestly the BEST GIFTS. 1 Cor. 12: 31.

8. But what is a better way than the coveting of any particular gift?

Yet show I unto you a more excellent way. 1 Cor. 12: 31.

NOTE.—God's more excellent way is the way of love, set forth in the wonderful chapter which follows. He who absolutely and utterly and wholly yields himself to God, is in that place where God can bestow upon him all that is best. There is great danger in seeking any one special manifestation of the Spirit. He who makes any one gift of the Spirit an all-absorbing search, or desire, gets to seeking selfishly, and Satan comes in with his spurious manifestations, his counterfeits of the good, and possesses the soul. If we love God, He will bestow upon us always the best gift for us.

9. Under whose control, absolutely, must these gifts be?

But all these worketh that ONE AND THE SELFSAME SPIRIT. 1 Cor. 12: 11.

10. To whom are they given?

Dividing to EVERY MAN severally as He [the Spirit] will. 1 Cor. 12: 11. As EACH hath received a GIFT. 1 Peter 4: 10, A.R.V.

11. By whom are these gifts of the Spirit bestowed?

Wherefore He saith, When He [Christ] ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and GAVE GIFTS unto men. Eph. 4: 8.

12. What is meant by these gifts?

And He gave some, APOSTLES; and some, PROPHETS; and some, EVANGELISTS; and some, PASTORS and TEACHERS. Eph. 4: 11.

13. For what purpose were these gifts bestowed?

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Eph. 4: 12. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to EVERY MAN to PROFIT withal. 1 Cor. 12: 7.

14. For how long were these gifts bestowed?

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, UNTO A PERFECT MAN, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Eph. 4: 13.

15. When only will these gifts be of no use to the church?

Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, then that which is in part shall be done away. 1 Cor. 13: 8-10.

NOTE.—These scriptures clearly show that God designed in His wise plan that these gifts bestowed at the very beginning of the Christian dispensation should continue until its close. They were given till the perfect man should be manifested. That will not be until Christ, the Head, is joined by His body, the church, full, perfect, and complete, nothing wanting. The church needs these gifts to-day just as much as she ever needed them in the past. She admits the necessity of a few of them, cherishes some of them. All Christians believe in evangelists, in teachers, in pastors, in governments; but the same Spirit that gave these, also gave apostles and prophets and healings and working of miracles. Does not the real secret of the failure of these gifts at the present time lie in the words of our Saviour found in John, chapter 14, verse 15? When God's church is obedient to His law, there is a test for the gifts. There are antichrists in the world. Satan will work with all power and signs and lying wonders. How shall we distinguish between the manifestations? Only by the great, eternal law of God, the principles enunciated by the Decalogue. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8: 20. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever." John 14: 15, 16. God can bestow His Spirit upon the heart of obedience. God can pour out His gifts upon an obedient church, and He will receive the glory. It is never safe to pray for an outpouring of His Spirit, and the manifestation of spiritual gifts, upon a church which is disobedient, not submitted to the Lord's will.

16. What promise is assured the remnant church that is looking for her Lord's coming?

That in everything ye are enriched by Him, 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; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 1: 5-8.

NOTE.—When the church of the Lord Jesus Christ can come to that place that she is willing to abide by the testimony of Christ, the Word which He has given through prophet and apostle; when she is willing to set aside her own deductions and the deductions of her men of science which lead away from that Word, and abide wholly by that Word; when she is willing that that Word shall be not merely an outward ensign, but an inward power in her life, confirmed in her,—then shall be bestowed upon her all the gifts of the Spirit in just such measure as shall make her an effective worker for God and in perfect harmony with His own will.

17. To whom, then, would due honor be given?

That ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and WHAT HAST THOU that thou didst not receive? 1 Cor. 4: 6, 7.

But now hath GOD SET THE MEMBERS every one of them in the body, as it hath PLEASED HIM. 1 Cor. 12: 18.

But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him GLORY IN THE LORD. 1 Cor. 1: 30, 31.