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Dispelling the Confusion About Spiritual Gifts |
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Dispelling the Confusion About Spiritual Gifts |
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Unfortunately, there is much confusion on the subject of
“Spiritual Gifts.” Years
ago, when I was in a traditional denominational church, I went to
seminars trying to FIND out what my personal gift was .... or if more
than one spiritual gift ‘functioned’ through me.
At the time, I was just becoming an ‘independent business
owner,’ and many people told me I must have the ‘gift of giving’
because I had access to money .... either by earning it or borrowing
it from a bank. I was
encouraged to ‘exercise my gift of giving’ .... whether it was in my
checkbook at the time --- or not !
I was told to have faith that God would give me more money, if I
gave .... or even pledged to give with a ‘faith promise’ way
beyond my ‘then current’ financial status.
The hiarchy of the church also figured the poor people in our
congregation had the ‘gift of helps .... or mercy .... or service.’
Since they didn’t have enough money to give to the church
(which was actually called ‘giving to God’) .... then God expected
them to give their time in physical service ....
doing things like cleaning the church building, emptying the trash,
driving the church van, keeping the nursery, mowing the lawn, or other
such duties as the more ‘well-to-do’ people would not volunteer to
do. They were supposed to
‘give by working in the church’ what others could not be
‘persuaded’ into doing, so that everyone would have his part, and
the church would not have to pay out money to get those jobs done.
Their ‘spiritual gift motivation program’ worked by making
people feel guilty and embarassed them into doing whatever their
spiritual leaders determined their spiritual gift was.
The plan certainly manipulated people for a while, at least until
they got tired of being used, and ‘felt called’ to move to another
assembly, where they would be welcomed like fresh meat, instead of being
scolded for wasting away the spiritual gift God had graciously given
them.
Over the years, I found out that my experience was a common one
.... for many people have attended work-shops, seminars, revivals, etc.
.... in search of their spiritual gift .... yet never being sure if they
actually ‘picked out’ the right one that God had really given to
them personally .... always wondering if their ‘discovery’ was
correct.
Therefore, it is my intention tonight, to bring a thoughtful and
clear message from the scriptures that will, hopefully, dispel the
confusion about Spiritual Gifts.
As with any and all other subjects, it is most important
for us to rightly divide the Word of Truth, so that we will be
established in our understanding .... of what is FOR us today .... and
what is NOT.
There are 3 main places where Spiritual Gifts are dealt with in
Paul’s epistles. We will
examine 1 Cor. 12, Rom. 12, and Eph. 4, in this study tonight.
Let’s begin in with one of Paul’s early epistles .... in 1
Cor. chapter 12, where we’re told that God does not desire for us to
be ‘unlearned’ on the subject: 1
Cor. 12:1
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you
ignorant.
Paul begins here with the topic of ‘spiritual gifts’ and
continues it all the way through chapter 14.
It is obvious that ALL these gifts were in operation then.
As we read through the passage, picking up with verse 4, keep in
mind that not all these gifts are given a clear definition in
scripture. Some of them,
like the ‘word of wisdom,’ or the ‘word of knowledge,’ or
‘discerning of spirits’ are not explained, exactly what they are
(or were), in the Word of God.
Therefore, a definite meaning is not available for them outside
the scriptures either. 1
Cor. 12:4-11
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God
which worketh all in all. 7
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit
withal. 8
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom;
to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9
To another faith by the same Spirit;
to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10
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: 11
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as he will.
On most every ‘Christian T.V. station’ today, you can see
preachers claiming to have these spiritual gifts.
So-called ‘faith healers’ deceive people into thinking they
have ‘God-given phychic abilities’ of special wisdom or knowledge.
They profess to ‘supernaturally hear God telling them’
about particular health problems of a (usually) ‘limited’
number of their viewers. For
example, they may say that “God is revealing that 10 to 20 people are
having trouble with back pain, which has been diagnosed by their doctors
as ‘deteriorating disk of their spine.’
Now come up to the television, and place your back up against the
outstretched hands. You
will feel a warm feeling spreading up and down your spine.
God is miraculously healing those backs right now.
Write and tell us your experience.
Also include your love gift.”
Sadly, their audiences tune in daily, waiting for their own
certain disease or illness to be mentioned. 1
Cor. 14:1
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, (I
was told to do that)
but rather that ye may prophesy. (Oh,
NO, they told me ‘Don’t do that!’)
1
Cor. 14:5-6
I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that
ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that
speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive
edifying. 6
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues,
what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by
revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by
doctrine? 1
Cor. 14:18
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Acts
19:11-12
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12
So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or
aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went
out of them.
God, through Paul, gave specific instructions, regarding the order
of how the gifts were to be exercised.
We’ll read through : 1
Cor. 14:31-33
For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn,
and all may be comforted. 32
And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches
of the saints.
God also gave specific commands for the women to be QUIET
during all that. It was only
for the men to speak publically in the church.
There is a growing number of women today who hate verses 34 &
35, and therefore, they completely dis-regard them from governing
what they want to do in church: vs.
:34-35 Let your
women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to
speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith
the law. 35
And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home:
for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Incidently, before we leave this issue of women taking charge
over men in the church, let’s read another verse from Paul’s first
epistle to Timothy, which says basically the same thing: 1
Tim. 2:11-12
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over
the man, but to be in silence.
So, regardless of who-ever else’s permission a woman may
have, or regardless of who-ever else invites or requests a
woman to preach or to teach men, regardless of if her husband or pastor encourages
her to, GOD does NOT allow a woman to do so.
Going back to the passage in 1 Cor. chapter 14, let’s drop down
to verse 39: 1
Cor. 14:39
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not
to speak with tongues.
While we’re on this subject of TONGUES, let’s look
at “tongues in the Bible” and compare it to “tongues going on
today in some churches” .... often times now spoken by women.
In early Acts, when tongues first came upon the disciples
of Christ,
tongues were earthly languages
spoken BY men who had never studied ‘foreign language’
....
spoken TO Jewish men from every nation on earth, who had moved
to Jerusalem.
Jewish men heard the wonderful works of God being preached
to them .... in their NATIVE languages .... that they had learned
to speak as children, years before.
In the Bible, tongues were earthly languages and the
ability to speak them was given by God.
It was miraculous and supernatural, because the men had never
been trained in them. They
didn’t go into a private room and practice how to speak them: Acts
2:4-8
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout
men, out of every nation under heaven. 6
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own
language. 7
And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold,
are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8
And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
There is one verse in the Bible that gives the PLAIN
purpose for the gift of tongues.
It is 1 Cor. 14:22. In
the verse just before it, we see that the gift of tongues was part of Israel’s
prophesied program .... which is NOT the same program we live under
today. We live in the mystery
program. Tongues belonged
to prophecy: 1
Cor. 14:21-22
In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other
lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they
not hear me, saith the Lord. 22
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to
them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that
believe not, but for them which believe.
Now, let’s move back to 1 Cor., into chapter 13, where we
learn that there will come a certain time when the gifts will stop. 1
Cor. 13:8
Charity never faileth:
but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there
be tongues, they shall cease;
whether there
be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Now, when Paul says that ‘prophecies shall fail’ .... he
does NOT mean that a time will come when prophets predictions will not
come true.
What Paul IS saying is that there will come a time when the
gift of prophecy will fail to FUNCTION.
When Paul says that ‘tongues shall cease’ .... he does NOT
mean that people will stop talking in foreign languages.
What Paul IS saying is that there will come a time when the
gift of tongues will stop (or cease).
When Paul says that ‘knowledge will vanish away’ .... he does
NOT mean that people will someday be stupid, and not know anything.
What Paul DOES mean is that there will come a time when the
gift of knowledge will be gone from use.
Paul is talking about the GIFTS .... that is, special,
super-natural empowerment directly from God .... and a specific TIME
.... WHEN they will stop operating .... even though at
the time in which they were THEN living, the gifts were in effect
then.
The BIG question is ..... “WHEN will the gifts stop?”
The answer is in the following verses in this chapter.
Please follow carefully: 1
Cor. 13:9
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
Paul, and
the other prophets, only had PARTIAL knowledge then.
It is IMPORTANT to realize that WHEN Paul was writing to the
Corinthians, he did NOT have the FULL revelation of the mystery then,
that he would eventually get from God.
We know that by the next letter he wrote to them .... AFTER this
one: 2
Cor. 12:1
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.
I will
come to visions and revelations
of the Lord.
Now, back to 1 Cor. 13. for the answer to the question, “WHEN
will the gifts cease?” We
read in verse 8 that they would cease.
The point of argument is WHEN: 1
Cor. 13:10
But when that which is perfect is come,
then that
which is in part shall be done away.
Here comes the BIGGER question ....
“Exactly WHAT is the PERFECT?
Many people teach that JESUS is the ‘perfect one’ and
therefore, it must be when HE comes .... at His SECOND coming to earth.
But it could NOT be THEN at His 2nd coming because then
the verse would teach that prophecies and tongues would STOP then.
We know from other passages that the time of His 2nd coming is
called ‘the last days’ and that it will be the time when those gifts
WILL occur .... NOT that they will stop.
That is a SIGN of the end times, when Christ returns to
set up His Kingdom. In
early Acts, Peter is prophesing about the last days, and Peter is
quoting another prophet, the book of Joel 2:28-29: Acts
2:16-18
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old
men shall dream dreams: 18
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days
of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
In the last days there will be many SIGNS.
Israel will prophesy. In
Rev. 16:14, we learn that it is the spirits of DEVILS that work
miracles. In 2 Thess.
2:8-10, we learn that it will be the Wicked One who will have all
power, signs, and lying wonders.
So, “that which is PERFECT” cannot be referring to
Christ’s 2nd coming.
Also the context is talking about a “thing” .... not a
“person.” It is
comparing something that will come to be complete .... with something
that was then only partial.
That “thing,” the context is talking about, we will see ....
is KNOWLEDGE. Comparing
the PARTIAL knowledge which they had THEN ....
to the FULL knowledge which would come with the completion of the
scriptures.
Let’s go back and read it again, with the verses following: 1
Cor. 13:8-12
Charity never faileth:
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there
be tongues, they shall cease;
whether there
be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10
But when that which is perfect is come,
then that
which is in part shall be done away. 11
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child:
but
when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then
face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know
even as also I am known.
Verse 11 uses the illustration of being a child .... growing
up into a ‘full age’ and becoming a man.
When a person is a child, he doesn’t know much .... his knowledge
is greatly LACKING and he has childish thinking.
But when a person grows up into a man .... he
thinks like an adult, like a mature person, who has enough
knowledge.
Likewise, when the Body of Christ was first being FORMED,
it was like a child. They
did not then possess full knowledge of God’s revelation of the
mystery. The believers
THEN did not have ALL the Bible to be able to get and read ....
because it was not yet written. But
when the Body of Christ grew up into a man, it no longer needed the
“childish things” .... which were the spiritual gifts.
ALSO, we learn in Ephesians, that God FORMED the church by
taking TWO (both Jew and Gentile) and joining them together .... to make
ONE new MAN. Clearly,
the “one new MAN” is the church, the Body of Christ, growing up
into full knowledge: Eph
2:14-15
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us; 15
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new
man, so making peace;
Verse 12 of 1 Cor. 13, uses the illustration of looking into a
glass “darkly” .... that is, they could barely see .... it
was foggy. They only
had a general, limited knowledge of the dispensation of grace and
the Body of Christ, which was just beginning. Many details were still NOT available then.
But LATER, when the complete revelation of the mystery
would come, THEN .... they would have complete knowledge ....
like being able to see “clearly” instead of “darkly”.
The ‘spiritual gifts’ filled in areas where they were lacking
in knowledge. It did NOT
EXIST all in one place --- like it does today in our Bible.
They had to go from prophet to prophet to get more knowledge.
Every prophet did not have all knowledge. Today,
we usually think of the word “perfect” to mean “sinless” or
“without mistake.” But in
the Word of God,
the word “perfect” commonly means “mature .... full
.... or complete.”
Let’s consider the use of the word “perfect” in some other
verses, where it obviously and plainly does NOT mean “sinless” : Phil.
3:15-16
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus
minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal
even this unto you. 16
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same
rule, let us mind the same thing. 2
Cor. 13:11
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good
comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and
peace shall be with you. Gal.
3:2-3
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the
works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made
perfect by the flesh?
Paul is telling those of us that are MATURE .... who
are ‘grown-up’ (not babies or children), to live by the same
standards and to think alike .... meaning to “be under
GRACE” like HE taught us. In this next passage, we understand “perfect” as being “entire, full, or complete” Rom.
12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service. 2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Rom.
12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is
among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the
measure of faith.
That phrase, ‘as God hath dealt to every man the measure
of faith’
is NOT talking
about the QUANTITY of faith .... as if
God gave one person (like a common, average person) a small amount of
faith, and to another person (like a pastor of a large church or a
missionary in a third-world country where there’s lots of hardships) a
large amount of faith.
But a ‘measure’ of something .... is a ‘part’ of
something .... as opposed to being a ‘complete’ faith .... it is
only ‘part’ of it.
Faith is not a ‘gift’ from God.
It is a decision you make.
It comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17).
Faith, here in Rom. 12:3, is NOT talking about “believing”
.... but rather it IS talking about a “body of doctrine.”
It is used this way many times in scripture.
For example, when Paul is talking about the ‘body of
doctrine’ God had committed to his trust.
Paul is NOT saying that he ‘kept on believing.’
He IS saying that he stayed faithful to the ‘body of
teaching’ .... of ‘doctrine’ that God gave him: 2
Tim. 4:7
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith: Phil.
1:27
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of
Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear
of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Now, back to Rom. chapter 12, to continue in the passage on
spiritual gifts: Rom.
12:4-5
For as we
have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of
another.
Those verses are like the next verses in the first passage we
used in 1 Cor. 12: 1
Cor. 12: 12, 14
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 14
For the body is not one member, but many.
Remember that Romans was also an early epistle of Paul .... one
that was written before he had complete revelation of the
mystery: Rom.
12:6
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given
to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith;
SOME knowledge was given to people with the gift of
prophecy. Different people
had different PROPORTIONS of the doctrine .... though each
prophet had a PART of it. None
of them --- alone --- had the FULL, COMPLETE knowledge.
That’s the SAME IDEA
as like we read in: 1
Cor. 13:9
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
Now, let’s go back to Rom. 12, and read about those
spiritual gifts: Rom.
12:6-8 Having then gifts
differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy,
let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7
Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering:
or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation:
he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity;
he that ruleth, with diligence;
he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
These gifts are ‘special ENABLEMENTS directly from God’
and they are ALL grouped together in the scripture.
There is no reasonable explanation to separate them.
Now, let’s move into the 3rd passage where Paul discusses
‘spiritual gifts.’ Again,
notice as we go through it .... how similar it is to the other 2 places
of 1 Cor. 12 and 13, and Rom. 12. Please
turn to: Eph.
4:7
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure
of the gift of Christ.
Here again, just like in Rom. 12: 3, we find the same wording
.... about the ‘measure’ of the gift of Christ. When
you measure something --- you find out what part of the whole
it is. If you measure out
something --- you give out a portion of it. Eph.
4:8
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity
captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Notice two important facts in that verse:
1. That the
verb ‘gave’ is in the PAST tense ....
indicating that
Christ already gave the gifts ....
He is NOT ‘still giving’ the gifts today.
2. Notice WHEN
Christ gave the gifts to the men ....
it was WHEN he
ascended up on high.
Next, let’s read WHAT those gifts were: Eph
4:11
And he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors
and teachers;
The typical explanation in main-line, traditional denominations
today for verse 11 is that the first two gifts (the apostles and
prophets) have ‘passed away’ .... but the last three gifts (the
evangelists, pastors, and teachers) have stayed.
They do the same kind of thing in all 3 passages on spiritual
gifts. They divide
the gifts --- however they want to --- according to their denomination.
The basic problem with doing that .... is that there is NO
scriptural REASON to divide them.
We are certainly ‘dividers’ of the Word of Truth .... but we
must be careful to ‘RIGHTLY’ divide it.
We divide where God does.
We simply recognize the differences God put in His word.
None of these 3 passages on spiritual gifts give any reason to
divide them. They come as a
‘PACKAGE deal’ .... they stay or go --- all together!
God’s word does not make any distinctions between them to give
us any reason to divide them up.
Let’s go back now and read verses 9 and 10, to keep and confirm
the context: Eph.
4:9-10
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended
first into the lower parts of the earth? 10
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all
heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Again, it mentions the time WHEN Christ went up above
the heavens .... which is WHEN verse 8 said that He gave those
gifts to men.
Now, the question is .... “WHO are those particular
prophets?”
Could they be the Old Testament prophets?
The answer is NO, they cannot be.
Because those prophets lived and died before Christ ever came to
earth.
Could they be the 12 apostles?
The answer is NO again, neither can they be.
Because they were chosen and commissioned by Christ .... WHEN
He was on the earth.
Those prophets were specially GIFTED .... WHEN Christ ascended
on high .... AFTER His resurrection.
They were a special group of men .... given to the church,
the Body of Christ .... FOR a reason .... UNTIL a particular,
specified TIME.
Those apostles and prophets are ALSO mentioned in other
passages. Remember that we
said earlier that they were “FOUNDATIONAL gifts” for the Body
of Christ, when it was first being formed, when they only had partial
knowledge available to them .... before the FULL revelation came: Eph
2:19-20
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but
fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Eph
3:1-6
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you
Gentiles, 2
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given
me to you-ward: 3
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote
afore in few words, 4
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ) 5
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it
is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and
partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 1
Cor. 3:10-11
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth
thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth
thereupon. 11
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.
Some of the duties of the apostles and prophets were to identify,
receive, compile, copy, and distribute the scriptures.
Just as the Jews had the responsibility of keeping the Old
Testament scriptures (Rom. 3:1-2) which were in Hebrew language .... it
was the responsibility of the apostles and prophets during the
foundation period of the church (the Body of Christ) to identify and
preserve the New Testament writings, and Paul’s epistles, which were
written in the Greek language.
They would have been people like Barnabas, Epaphroditus, Timothy,
Titus, Silas, Agabus, and co-workers with Paul.
Some of them are named in Acts 13:1, 14:14, 15:32, and 21:10.
These ‘specially gifted men’ were given to the early church: 1
Cor. 12:28
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.
Now, let’s go back to Eph. 4 .... to see the gifts again and
WHY they were given: Eph.
4:11-12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
THEN .... those PEOPLE were to make the saints perfect, mature
.... but later, in his LAST epistle, WHAT does Paul say
will make us perfect? NOW
.... it is the entire scripture, the Bible, that perfects us ....
because NOW the perfect, the completed revelation has come. We no longer depend upon ‘specially gifted men’ for it: 2
Tim. 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: 17
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished
unto all good works. Eph.
4:13
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:
Notice the very important word “TILL.”
The specially gifted men were given UNTIL .... “certain things
happen.”
The first thing mentioned is until we all come in the ‘unity of
the faith.’ The typical
teaching of that says it will be WHEN all denominations finally get
together. But according to
Paul’s writings, even though he repeatedly tells believers to be of
the same mind, and in one accord .... we know that will not happen,
because of men who deceive others becoming “more prevelant” as the
end draws nearer: 2
Tim. 3:13-14
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived. 14
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
What Paul IS saying when he says “till we all come in the
unity of the faith” .... is that NOW there is only one SOURCE
for the doctrine .... it is the “full, complete, unified faith”
--- We no longer have just a “measure” of it .... We no longer have
only a “portion” of the faith --- but NOW we have “one place” to
get our faith.
He also says the gifts are given .... “TILL” we have the
knowledge of God’s Son. When
God completed the Bible through Paul’s mystery revelation .... God finished
saying ALL He had to say to mankind .... He told us ALL He wanted to
tell us about Jesus Christ. You
will not need anything else except the Bible to tell you anything
about God’s Son. Everything
God wanted you to know about Christ is written down there.
The gifts were given .... “TILL” we come unto a perfect
man. The perfect man
came when Paul finished his writings. Therefore, the “childish gifts” have ceased, as we have
grown up and matured now, and we have no more need for “only partial
knowledge.” Again, we
already discussed the verses of 2 Tim. 3:16-17, which teach us that the completed
scriptures are what NOW makes us “perfect”.
We’ll read again: 2
Tim. 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: 17
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished
unto all good works.
This next passage sums it all up.
Paul was personally aware of the fact, and he even ‘flat-out’
PLAINLY says it --- that the ‘mystery revelation’ God gave to
him was the FINAL ... fulfillment of God’s Word.
It is with that completed scripture that we are to preach, teach,
and warn every person .... because the completed scripture is
what enables every person to be a perfect man. Col
1:25-28
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of
God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word
of God; 26
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Finally, the verse we’re examining (that is, Eph. 4:13) says that the gifts will be given “TILL” the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Here we have the same word |