God Still Sets Spiritual Ministries And Their Accompanying Spiritual Gifts In The Church
God has “set” spiritual ministries and their accompanying spiritual gifts in the Church all through this age of grace, and He still sets them in the Church today, when He can find those who love God and people enough, to desire to be channels of His power and love. The word for “set” in 1Cor 12v28, is “etheto” the third person singular aorist indicative of “tithemi,” it is the same word that is used in John 15v16, which is translated “ordained.” It simply means, “to put, place, or appoint.” See Acts 5v25, Matt 5v15, 1Tim 1v12, 2v7, 2Tim 1v11, Heb 1v2, etc.. God has permanently placed these gifts in His Church during this age. Those who say that these miraculous ministries of the Church no longer exist, resist this ordination and gifting by God. The truth is that they do not have the spiritual qualifications to manifest these ministries, and are unwilling to expend the spiritual effort necessary to receive these qualifications, and to keep these ministries. They fear the opposition that comes against such ministries. It is spiritually demanding to seek God for His plans and power, but there is little spiritual effort required to rely upon oratory, good music, and a pleasant program of services, and so men have replaced God's abilities and ministries with their own standards, abilities and ministries. This unwillingness to follow the example of the early church, and obey God's command to desire spiritual gifts (1Cor 12v31, 14v1), is a grave sin, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” 1Sam 15v23. It is certainly not Scriptural to say that spiritual gifts ceased after the apostolic age, as the following facts prove.
1) Peter said that spiritual gifts would continue to the end of this age
In Acts 2v16-21, Peter confirmed the prophecy of Joel that spiritual gifts would continue right up to the great and terrible day of the Lord, the day of Christ's return. Rev 16v14-16, 6v12-17, Matt 24v29-31. Peter insists that the gift of the Holy Spirit is for all, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2v38,39. There is no Scripture to contradict or limit the prophecy of Joel; indeed, both Scripture and Christian experience confirm this prophecy. Those who deny that spiritual gifts are for today have looked in vain for one clear Scriptural statement that spiritual gifts were withdrawn after the apostolic age. They have wrested and distorted 1Cor 13v8-13 in an attempt to justify their unbelief, and have made the quite unwarranted assumption that the, “that which is perfect,” at which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to pass away, was the completion of the canon of Scripture. Honest theologians state that there is no justification for this interpretation. Ellicott says of the “that which is perfect,” “This verse shows, by the emphatic “then,” that the time when the gifts shall cease is at the end of this dispensation. The imperfect shall not cease until the perfect is brought in.” “A New Testament Commentary,” edited by Howley, Bruce and Ellison, states on 1Cor 13v10, that there is no support in the Biblical usage of “perfect,” or its cognate forms, for the suggestion that “the perfect” refers to the completion of the Scripture canon, and that the interpretation of “that which is perfect” as the Scripture canon, has been made to explain away the absence of certain spiritual gifts from their churches. How illuminating! An examination of 1Cor 13v10, proves that it is totally untrue to say that "that which is perfect" is the Scripture canon.
a) The subject under discussion in 1Cor 13 is love in relation to the whole of Christian experience
Paul includes giving, martyrdom and knowledge, as well as spiritual gifts; there is no mention of the Scriptural canon. Paul's theme is love, he does not close 1Cor 13 with the greatest of these is the Scriptural canon,” he says, “the greatest of these is love.” “That which is perfect,” occurs at the coming of the kingdom of God, when we have a face-to-face vision of the God of love. 1Cor 13v12. The Christian enjoys this kingdom at death, 2Cor 5v6-8, Phil 1v21-23, Heb 12v22-24, Rev 6v9-11, but this endless kingdom of love will not come to earth until the return of Jesus on the great “day of the Lord,” at the end of this age.
b) How can it be the Scripture canon if "full knowledge" has not been given and perfected?
It is certainly inconsistent and dishonest to say that 1Cor 13v8 informs us that spiritual gifts have passed away, and yet admit that our present partial knowledge has not yet been replaced by the full knowledge of God's kingdom. This verse makes it quite clear that the “perfect day,” when “that which is perfect” comes, is when God's kingdom comes to earth. It is only then that we shall have the full knowledge of ourselves and others, and “we shall fully know as we are fully known.” This “full knowledge” occurs at the judgement seat of Christ, when our works and character are revealed. 1Cor 3v11-15. The time when the gifts “pass away,” is when the Church of Christ on earth exchanges its present partial spiritual power and knowledge, for the complete and perfect “face to face” experience of God and the “full knowledge” of His power, truth and love. What 1Cor 13v8, is really teaching, is that the Church on earth can expect its spiritual gifts and limited knowledge to continue, until they are superseded by, and swallowed up in the experience and knowledge of God's kingdom. When 1Cor 13v8 is really fulfilled, the Church will be glorified in Heaven and enjoying God's glory, power, truth and love to the full.
Part II