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Tract Number 183
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The Gifts of The Spirit
I feel that one of the greatest needs of this day, is the gifts of the Spirit working in the Church of God. We don’t see very many of these gifts in operation in the Evening Time of the Church, but it is sorely needed. Now let us see what God has to say in His Word. 1st Corinthians 12: 1—11, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of administrations but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God that worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 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 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 interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” (Verse 18) “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.” (verse 28-31) “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. Are all apostles? (NO) Are all prophets? (NO) Are all teachers? (NO) Are all workers of miracles? (NO) Have all the gifts of healing. (NO) DO ALL SPEAK WITH TONGUES? (NO) Do all interpret? (NO) But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way." What is this more excellent way? It is the way of the pure LOVE of GOD (I Corinthians, chapter 13).
Again we read in Ephesians 2 "And He gave some, apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; 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 fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."
God says these gifts are for the edifying of the body of Christ and that we be not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Why do we see so many doctrines afloat through the world today, and why do we see so many even that claim to be a part of the Church of God, tossed to and fro by this and that man’s opinion? We certainly need to be rooted, grounded, and settled in God’s eternal truth, God said His Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth, so we need Him for our teacher and guide. The compromisers say the teachings concerning worldliness are just conscience matters. If this is true, we need to have our conscience educated by the Holy Spirit so that we all teach the same thing, and that there be no divisions among us.
In 1st Corinthians 12: 28, we read that apostles were the first set in the church. What is the work of the apostle? According to an old brother who has passed on to his reward, and claimed to have the call to be an apostle, it is the gift of being able to go into a new place where the truth had not been preached, and start up a work for the Lord. According to the scriptures, I cannot deny this teaching. This certainly would be the first thing needed.
Secondarily prophets, the second gift here is for someone who was called of God, to build these new people who are favorable to the truth up in this most precious faith, giving them some of the meat of the Word, as they become able to digest it. But not trying to cram meat down the throats of babes who are not able to handle it yet, but having patience, and being long-suffering with them. I have seen many driven away because they were rushed too much. We are all anxious to see the work of God move on, but we need to learn to wait on the Lord, and not try to rush ahead Of Him. Then thirdly we need God called teachers to instruct people in the way of righteousness. I don’t believe anyone should attempt to teach in the Church of God, unless he or she has been called of God into that work. I don’t suppose it would make any difference in a sectarian church; for none, of the places in the worship are filled by the Lord. May I say here, that if we look to any man or any group of men for our leadings, or as HEAD, we are a sect even though we claim to be Church of God.
Many ministers would be jealous if these gifts were given to someone in their congregations but we should earnestly seek the Lord that we may draw close enough to Him that we can be used by Him and be given such gifts as He sees fit to bestow upon us, and then keep humble before God, so we can continue to be used by and for Him. God cannot, and will not, use a proud and haughty person. It doesn’t take much pride in the heart, until we lose our experience of salvation. I have seen some so lifted up because God had blessed their efforts of preaching, healing, or even singing, that they lost their souls over it.
We sure need to see more of the love of God manifested in the hearts, and should I say actions of the saints of God today. God said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13: 35). He also said to love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5: 44, 45). I believe we need all the fruit of the Spirit manifested in our lives. If the Bible said these are the FRUITS of the Spirit, we might pick some of the fruit and seek especially those, like going into an orchard that had many kinds of fruits in it, but the Bible says FRUIT. Galatians 5: 22, “But the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance: against such there is no law.” We need to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in its fullness with no exception. Peter teaches us the need of some of this fruit (2nd Peter 1: 5—10), “And beside this give all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience Godliness; and to Godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things ye shall never fall.”
Some teach that all must speak in tongues as an evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, but this is contrary to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit never does anything that is unnecessary, and the only cases where we read of anyone speaking in tongues in the Bible, is on the day of Pentecost when there were a number of nationalities present, and God through the disciples spoke to this crowd of many different languages in their own tongue (or language) wherein they were born, to bring them the wonderful plan of salvation. Then in Acts 10: 46, when Peter went to the house of Cornelius and preached to the crowd who gathered there, they spoke in tongues to prove to the Jews that God had accepted these Gentiles, and the same was true of the Ephesians (Acts 19: 1-6) to let these Jews know that God had accepted them. We find no other case in the Bible of (anyone) speaking in tongues. Read Acts 8: 14-17, where the Samaritans were filled with the Holy Ghost, also Acts 9, when Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit, we see no speaking in tongues, nor any other case given in the Bible.
By Wilber Dettweiler
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