Lesson #14 -- THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ITS GIFTS
2 Peter 1:21 -- Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Note - Our Bible, the revelation of the will of God to men, is the work of the Holy Sprit. The Third Person of the Council of God used the human instrument simply as a means to convey the thoughts of God to men. This fact is attested in other texts such as Acts 1:16, where Peter stated that the Scripture needed to be fulfilled which "the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke." The testimony of David reads - "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue." (II Samuel 23:2)
John 16:12-13 -- I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth.
Note - Jesus wanted to convey to the disciples the fulness of divine revelation, but they could not bear it: so He assured them that the Holy Spirit would come and guide them into all truth. This Holy Spirit would reveal Jesus in His fulness (John 16:14), and would abide with them forever (John 14:16). Now the Bible, which is the primary and fundamental revelation of God to man, was written over a period of time from Moses about 1500 BC to John about 100 A.D. Now the question comes - Did the Holy Spirit cease to guide into the truth after 100 A.D.? If He was to abide forever with the followers of Christ, how has that guidance been known and understood?
Ephesians 4:8,11-13 -- When He [Jesus] ascended up on high, He ... gave gifts unto men ... And He gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; ... till we all come to 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.
Note - In these verses are listed five gifts of the Spirit which were to continue until we reach the "measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." This will be when Jesus returns the second time. (I John 3:2-3) Here then, is another testimony to the fact that when the Spirit was sent, He was to abide with the people of God "forever."
The meaning of the word, apostle, is one who is sent. Such a one is sent with authority. (Matthew 10: 1; Luke 9:1 ; Galatians 2:8-9) A prophet is one who speaks forth for God; he is to be God's mouthpiece in the assembly of the saints. The meaning of the others gifts - evangelists, pastors and teachers - is well known. The most controversial of all the gifts is the gift of prophecy. How to relate it to the primary revelation of God in the Holy Scriptures raises many questions and problems. Yet this gift is especially Note - d in Bible prophecy itself as playing an important role in the end times of human history.
Revelation 12:17; 19:10 -- And the dragon ... went to make war with the remnant ... which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus. - - - The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Note - The end time people of God not only hear the voice of God in His law, and respond by keeping those commandments, but they also have the continued voice of Jesus which He promised to be in His household through the Spirit till the end of time. The Spirit of prophecy is not a set of writings, but the coming of the Holy Spirit upon human instrumentalites endowing them with power to speak forth for Jesus - His testimony.
p 74 -- Isaiah 11:11-12, 16 -- And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again a second time to recover the remnant of His people.
... And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people ... . like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Note - The ancient prophet looked forward to the gathering of a remnant. The book of Revelation indicates this to be the remnant "seed of the woman" - the woman symbolizing the heavenly Jerusalem, the "church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven." (Compare Hebrews 12:22-23: Jeremiah 6:2-3; and Isaiah 51:16) This final gathering will be "like as" it was when Israel was brought out of Egypt.
Hosea 12:13 -- And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
Note - in both the Old and New Testaments, in speaking of the final group of God's people on the earth, it is stated clearly that prophetic guidance will be restored to lead them through the final conflict of earth's history.
Section #2 -- RELATIONSHIP OF NON-CANONICAL PROPHETS TO THE BIBLE
Acts 13:1-2 -- Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers ... As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said ...
Acts 21:8-9 -- We entered into the house of Philip the evangelist ... and the same man had four daughters which did prophesy.
Acts 21:10 -- And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Note - These verses mention various prophets, but we do not have in the Bible a Book of Agabus, nor a Book of the Four Daughters of Philip. However, these prophets are mentioned in connection with one who wrote more of the books of the New Testament than any other single person. Further, Agabus is given a message for Paul. (Acts 21:11) Here we see the work of non-canonical prophets - their work is local with specific guidance for individuals and groups, meeting local conditions. (See also Acts 11:27-30)
Section #3 -- THE TESTS OF THE GENUINE GIFT OF PROPHECY
I John 4:1 -- Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Note - For everything genuine, Satan has his counterfeit. Because there is the false, is this justification for not seeking the true? There are tests by which we may try the "spirits" and discern the true from the false. If we are willing to follow these tests, we shall not be led into error.
Isaiah 8:20 -- To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
p 75 -- Note - The Law and the testimony concerning that Law - the rest of the Scriptures - constitute the standard by which all manifestation of spiritual gifts are to be evaluated. It was the Holy Spirit which inspired the sacred Word in harmony with the principles of God's government. Therefore, all spiritual gifts will conform to that which has been previously spoken and written. That by which something is judged is greater than the thing judged, so likewise the Sacred Scriptures maintain ever their primacy over any other manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
Daniel 10:15-17 -- And when he had spoken such words to me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And behold, one ... touched my lips: then I opened my mouth and spake ... 0 my lord, by the vision ... I retained no strength. For how can the servant ... talk ... for as for me ... there remaineth no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
Note - Here in this book of Daniel sealed - set apart till the time of the end (Daniel 12:4) - is to be found a detailed experience of what occurs physically when in vision, or receiving a revelation. In Daniel's body, there was no breath, yet he could speak. This reveals the complete control of the individual, even to one of his very vital [life] signs, by the Holy Spirit when used as an instrument to convey the thoughts of God to men.
Relationship Between Bible and Spiritual Gifts - How ViewedThe Bible is a perfect and complete revelation. It is our only rule of faith and practice. But this is no reason, why God may not show the past, present, and future fulfillment of His Word, in these last days, by dreams and visions; according to Peter's testimony. True visions are given to lead us to God, and His written Word; but those that are given for a new rule of faith and practice, separate from the Bible, cannot be from God, and should be rejected. (A Word to the Little Flock, p. 13)