Tag Archives: Spiritual Gifts

Speaking for God A Definition and Implications of Preaching that Glorifies God

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1 Peter 4:10-11 God has chosen to use human messengers to deliver divine truth. The activity whereby He does this today is called preaching. Those who preach can and must derive their content from God’s Word, the Bible. Peter emphasized the importance of this in 1 Peter 4:10–11. The stated outcome of following his instruction is that God will be glorified. A close look at this text will lead us to a definition and some implications of preaching that glorifies God.

Teaching and Teachers Two Essential Components in a New Testament Church

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A troubling trend is developing in churches today. This trend is not something we see in the “other” kinds of churches (i.e., the mainline, liberal churches) but in what we usually call “our” kind of churches—solid, Bible-preaching churches. The trend is a diminishing emphasis on Bible teachers and Bible teaching. This trend shows up in children’s and youth ministries, but nowhere is it more prevalent than in adult ministries, especially adult Sunday School classes.1 In this article we examine the New Testament emphasis on teachers and teaching and then suggest some action steps churches can take to reestablish their adult Sunday School classes.

Reasons for Holding a Non-Charismatic Position

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Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary has gone on record in its Definition and Direction Statement as holding a non-charismatic position (section 1), i.e., we believe that the sign gifts of the New Testament are no longer in existence. The board of directors, administrators, faculty, and staff members annually agree in writing with this position (section 6). In this article Dr. Myron Houghton, professor of theology at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary, explains reasons for this non-charismatic position. In this article the term charismatic refers to a belief that all of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:14 are available today.

Some Reflections on the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movements, Part 2

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Some Observations and Comments 1. The teaching common to all of these groups, which states that all of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit in New Testament times ought to be observed and practiced by Christians today, is definitely unbiblical. The supernatural sign gifts were intended by God for the Apostolic Age and were designed to be temporary. It is not the purpose of this paper to deal exhaustively with the Bible passages which support this view, but if it is true, we should not be taken in by contemporary experiential phenomena–no matter where they are found.

Some Reflections on the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movements, Part 1

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I. Their Distinctive While there are many beliefs held by Pentecostals and Charismatics, the one which is held in common among them and which distinguishes them from others is the belief that the supernatural spiritual gifts evident in New Testament times ought to be practiced today, including tongues, miracles, healings, and prophecy. II. Their Heritage The modern Pentecostal/Charismatic Movements are of fairly recent origin. While certain phenomena might have been observed occasionally in the later 1800s, the movement itself did not begin until the early 1900s, with the first of three distinct waves.

Confusion in the Charismatic Camp

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One startling religious phenomenon of the twentieth century is the rise of the Pentecostal and charismatic movement with its emphasis on the “charismata,” or spiritual gifts. The movement had its beginning in the early 1900’s, a rather recent date in terms of church history. And yet, by the end of this century, Charismatics have infiltrated all mainline denominations and have made strong inroads into Roman Catholicism and evangelical churches. Discerning evangelicals are concerned with a number of problem areas. Doctrinal and denominational differences are often ignored in light of the Charismatics’ common experience of Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues.

Biblical Unity

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The local church is not a building made of mortar, nor a human society, nor an informal gathering of believers, nor a club. Rather, it is a group of professing baptized believers in Christ who have organized themselves for the purpose of doing God’s will. In effect, the local church is the sum total of all the believers in the assembly, not just the leaders or the uniquely gifted. The actual work of the church is not to be conducted by the “clergy,” some paid professionals, or by a select few.

Spiritual Gifts: Essential, Expedient or Extra-Biblical?

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American Christianity today is characterized by an undue emphasis on spiritual gifts on the one hand and a great misunderstanding of these gifts on the other hand. All of us are dismayed by the sad spectacle of evangelicalism in disarray in matters of spiritual gifts. I. The Controversy Concerning The Gifts A. Position #1 The Pentecostal viewpoint is that all gifts are still bestowed today. To claim that some gifts have ceased with the Apostles, say our Pentecostal friends, is tantamount to denying miracles.