What is the Rapture? A Look at the Different Views

What is the rapture? Is it in the Bible?  Why do some believe in the rapture and some do not?  Who is right?

The word rapture is not in the Bible but neither is the word Trinity.  Some theologians, Christians, and churches believe in the rapture and others do not.  Some believe in the Great Tribulation, while others do not.  What are we to believe if some teach about the rapture while others do not?

Theologians Who Do Not Believe in the Rapture

There are many outstanding theologians who do not believe in a Rapture.  Some of these include R.C. Sprouls with Ligonier Ministries,  Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man, and many outstanding Bible scholars.  These men are theologically sound teachers and evangelists.  They believe that there is no rapture and that there is also no Great Tribulation from what many presume Jesus taught in Matthew 24 or the Olivet Discourse.  Several scholars, like those mentioned above, believe that the events in the Book of Revelation have already occurred or might have already occurred in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans.

We must have grace for those who do not believe in non-essentials.  If a believer feels differently about something than we do, and the subject is not essential to salvation, then there should be tolerance.  It is wrong for Christians to argue over doctrines that are not crucial to the gospel and how a person is saved.  For example, we know that there is only one way to the Father and that there is no other way to salvation except through placing your faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12, 16:30-31; Rom 10:9-13, etc.).  We also know that we are not saved by works (Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:20, 28, etc.).  These issues are non-negotiable.  These truths cannot be compromised.

One person I know argued over the question of whether Adam had a navel or not because he did not have a mother.  An ensuing argument erupted over this single topic that was not considered important enough to be included in the Scriptures.  Paul wrote to Timothy and said to “Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen” (2 Tim 2:14).

Theologians Who Believe in the Rapture

The vast majority of Bible scholars, churches, theologians, evangelists, and Christians do believe in a coming rapture.  Even though the word rapture does not appear in the Bible, they base their beliefs on a passage from 1 Thessalonians.  In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

The church at Thessalonica were worried that Jesus would return and that those who had already died were going to be left behind in their graves.  That is the reason why Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica.  Paul reassures them by writing that “we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep“ (1 Thes 4:15).   Even though the word rapture is not in the Bible, the Greek word for “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is harpazo.  In Latin it is called Rapturo from which we get the word rapture.  The New Testament was written in Greek and the English words “caught up” is literally harpazo.   Harpazo means “to seize, carry off by force; claim for one’s self eagerly; to snatch out or away”. A good rendering of harpazo is like that of being kidnapped.  The Lord is thought to be coming to seize or carry off by force all believers, just before the coming Great Tribulation.

Many believe that the rapture occurs just before the Great Tribulation (Pre-tribbers).  Others believe it will occur during the middle of it (some call it Mid-tribbers).  Still others believe the church will go through the Great Tribulation.  And of course the first group mentioned at the beginning of this article neither believes in the rapture or the Great Tribulation.  The vast majority of Christians believe that the rapture will occur just before the Great Tribulation  This belief is based upon Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (and elsewhere) that, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The wrath of God was poured out on Christ at Calvary so it would not have to be poured out on those who have placed their faith in Christ.  The wrath of God is said to be “poured out” on the sinful world in the Book of Revelation and since God has not appointed Christians to suffer His wrath, He will take believers out of harm’s way in a rapture.  I find it interesting that 1 Thessalonians 5:9 is mentioned right after what many believe is the rapture where Paul wrote about being “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4.  Another reason that many believers feel that the church will be raptured is that the church is not mentioned when the Great Tribulation events begin to occur in the Book of Revelation.

Millennium Views: Premillennial, Postmillennial and Amillennial

Different beliefs include the premillennial view.  In this view, Christ comes before the millennium. Then there is the postmillennial view which teaches that Christ comes after the millennium. There is also the amillennial view which holds that Christ also comes after the millennium, and it is also sometimes called the no millennial view.  This is quite confusing to many Christians but this a theological issue that is not essential to salvation.  The Second Advent where Christ returns to judge the world is a certainty.  We therefore are told to witness to those who do not know Christ as their Savior.  Jesus will return again; either as a person’s Judge or as person’s King.  If someone does not place their faith in Christ and He returns, He will be their Judge at the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20.  They will be cast into the Lake of Fire.  However, if someone believes in Christ today, or does so before He returns, then they will love His appearing.  Paul wrote about this in his last letter to Timothy.  Paul is about to be executed and tells Timothy, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim 4:8).  A crown of righteousness is reserved for those who long for Jesus’ return.  But for those who are not believers, then it will be a most dreadful day indeed (Rev 20:12).

When I am asked whether I hold a postmillennial view, the amillennial view, or a premillennial view, I tell them that I am a panmilleniast – that is, I believe it will all pan out in the end.  I think we need to be ready for His return at any moment.  A danger in believing in the rapture is that Christians may become lazy or slothful and not want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.  They feel that they can rest on their laurels and not worry about the future because they’ll be taken out of this world by Christ before it gets bad.  The danger in that thinking may be why Jesus gave the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13:

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.  The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

That last line, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” is a sobering reminder to always be ready for His return.  Whether you believe in the Great Tribulation, the Millennium, the rapture, or none of these, you must believe in Jesus Christ and place your faith in Him today.  Tomorrow may be too late and you might hear Jesus say, “I don’t know you”.  My prayer for you is that Jesus does know you and that you might know Him and that by knowing Him, you may have eternal life (John 20:31).

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-the-rapture-a-look-at-the-different-views/#ixzz2SmWQUua1

How Do I Meditate on The Word Of God? Good Bible Tips

How do we meditate on the Word of God?  The Bible instructs Christians to meditate on the Word but how are we supposed to meditate on the Word of God and what does it mean to meditate?

A Secular Definition of Meditation

When you look in the dictionary and see what the word meditate means, you can get dozens of differing definitions. I will try to give a general definition based upon what most people think meditation is and then what God means by His command to have us meditate on the Word of God.  Most dictionaries define meditation as:  Intentional contemplation on the author’s work with the express purpose of  reflecting upon it, contemplative thinking, the revolving of a subject in the mind or a self-directed practice of calming the mind and body.

Other definitions are a clearing of the mind, an emptying of thoughts, having a mind that is open.  The thing that I don’t like about this kind of meditation is that a clear, open mind is one that is subject to spiritual attack or evil influence from demons or wicked spirits.  The problem with an open mind is that it often needs to be closed down for repairs!   What is called Transcendental Meditation for example is a technique that is derived from Hindu traditions that promote deep relaxation through the use of a mantra. However a mantra’s different for differing belief systems like Buddhism, Hinduism, and New Age ideas and so its definition depends upon the group’s beliefs and is dependent upon the context of it.   Some of this is practiced even in the work place, at Yoga classes, and in many Eastern religions.  This is not what the Bible means by meditating on the Word of God.

Meditating on the Word

Our church elder said that meditating on the Word of God is a lost art in the church today. He is absolutely right.  We lose out on so much when we simply read over the Word and don’t meditate on it. Part of what the Psalmist says where we are to “hide your Word” in our heart is simply meditating on it.  Yes, memorizing Scripture may be part of this hiding the Word, but  There is so much power even in one verse…in one word…that we don’t tap that power when we read right past it.  The Scriptures often tell us to do this both day and night and so you can never meditate on it if you are not reading it…both day and night.

Benefits of Meditating on the Word

Here are a few verses that tell us that we should meditate on the Word of God, why we should meditate on it and what the benefits are:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

If we meditate on God’s Law, and I don’t mean the Mosaic Law, then we will “be careful to do all that is written in it.” You can’t obey what you do not know.  And God promises to “make your way prosperous” and you’ll have “good success” if you meditate on it.  Meditating and memorizing Scripture is like “hiding His Word” in your heart.  When you are tempted, you can more easily resist sinning because you already know the precepts, statues, and Laws of God.

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

We will love the law of God only if we meditate on its meaning.  It is not so much “don’t do this” but “do this and suffer” and “don’t do this and prosper.” God doesn’t want us to hurt ourselves or others and that is why we must love His law and meditate on it.   God loves His own law so much that the biggest chapter in the Bible is dedicated to the law in Psalm 119; it must be of high importance to God.  If it is that important to God (and it is) then it must be for us as well.

“May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” Psalm 104:34

God is well pleased when we meditate on His divine Word.  The Psalmist wrote that rejoicing in the Lord is tied to meditating on His Word.  Imagine you get a letter from your loved one.  You have been separated from him or her for a long time.  You love re-reading it…reflecting on the words, and so you will rejoice in this letter and your loved one and you will meditate on certain lines, would you not?  The same applies to God’s Word.  It is the greatest love letter ever written!

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Psalm 119:15

I love this verse.  Here the writer is fixing his eyes on God’s ways.  He is meditating on the precepts of God for they are always true, faithful, and good.  To “fix” your eyes is to meditate on specific things and these things (like precepts) are in the written Word of God.  Try fixing your eyes on one verse today.  You’ll be amazed at how the Holy Spirit will enlighten your mind to it.

“My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.” Psalm 49:

Here is a cause and effect verse.  Our mouth can speak wisdom only because the meditation of our hearts on His Word gives us understanding.  This is not a subjective, human wisdom but the wisdom of God Himself because when our hearts mediate on His truth (which is objective), what we say will be wise because it is the wisdom of God.  By the way, the seat of the intellect in the Jewish idiom is the “heart” and so when you read the word heart, you can understand that it is talking about the mind.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Although Paul didn’t use the word “meditate”, the intent is the same thing when he said to “think about these things.”  When we think on “these things” we are pondering them, we are reflecting on them, and we are contemplating (meditating) on them.

“My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” Psalm 119:148

Many of the strongest Christians have the most worn out Bibles and you have probably heard that a Christian whose Bible is coming apart has it most together.  This verse speaks of meditating on the Word before “the watches of the night” or late at night, perhaps before bedtime.  They are meditating on God’s promises and that helps to keep a believer’s hope strong.  His promises are all revealed in Scripture and what better thing to meditate on than those promises which are sure, true, and can not be broken.

“Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.” Psalm 119:24

The writer here ties together our ability to not be discouraged or fearful even while our enemies are plotting against us.  How many times have we laid awake at night, unable to sleep or “turn it off“, worrying about our problems (even if they are people)?  We can sleep in peace by meditating on the Word before we go to bed.  I have known fewer solutions to my sleeplessness than to open the Bible and read His Word for I realize that even that bad things will work out for my best (Romans 8:28).  That is another of God’s promises.

Conclusion

We have read from Scripture that there is so much good that can come from meditating on the Word of God.  The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  I tried to meditate on this shortest of verses and found it to be one of the most powerful verses in the entire Bible.  I thought of why Jesus wept, what He was weeping for, who He was weeping over, and how He showed such depth of emotion in His love.  By asking who, what, why, where, when, and how over a single verse, the Holy Spirit can speak to us through the written Word because the Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word (2 Peter 1:21).  I thought of His humanity, the suffering that He saw, the lost sheep of Israel who would have nothing to do with Him, the depravity of mankind, the compassion that He had.  What must Jesus have been thinking (meditating) on when He wept?

It must grieve the heart of God to know that many will be called but few will be chosen.  Many have heard of Jesus but few will trust in Him.  The path to destruction is broad but the way of life is narrow and winding and few are they that find it.  That makes me want to weep too.  For all those who refuse to believe, those who will not come to saving faith, I meditate on their eternal, future fate.  That makes me want to share the gospel all the more.  I want to be about my Father’s business in rescuing the perishing.  The Bible is full of God’s desire that no one will perish (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, Ezekiel 18:23).  Meditate on what breaks God’s heart and your heart will be broken too.  Meditate on the Word of God and you will hide it in your heart (memorize it).  Then you will have the Word in you to be able to resist when temptation comes.  You can meditate on God’s desire to save those who are headed for the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 21).

This week, choose one verse to meditate on.  I choose John 11:35 (“Jesus wept“).  I wanted to align my heart with Jesus’ heart.  Take one line from the Word of God and memorize it, think about it, ponder it, reflect upon it, and then God “will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).  That is a promise from God.  There is nothing more certain in all the universe than a promise of God.  Just meditate on that for a while.

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/how-do-i-meditate-on-the-word-of-god-good-bible-tips/#ixzz2Shbl5Woa

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What Is The Purpose of Baptism?

Shortly after I was saved I was baptized.  I was baptized with the understanding of making a public testi

monial of my profession of faith in Jesus Christ.  The key was that I was saved before I was baptized.  Baptism serves a purpose in the church and for Christians.  We are told to be baptized after we are saved by placing our faith in Christ.

If I were to put it in my own words I would say that it is an outward expression of an inward profession of our faith in Jesus to save.  When we are submerged into the water it symbolizes our death, when we are under the water it pictures our burial, and after we come up out of the water this symbolizes our new life; being resurrected in Christ to eternal life.  The ordinance of baptism did not save me, the water did not save me, the symbols did not save me; it was when I placed my faith in Jesus Christ that saved me.
Baptism does not make you a believer but it shows you that you are a believer.  It does not save a believer; it shows the believer has been saved.  It is often done in the presence of family members, in front of the church a person is or has joined, and reflects an inward expression of an outward faith.
Many of the Old Testament patriarchs and matriarchs were never baptized yet we know that they will be in the kingdom of heaven.  Men and women like Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Deborah, Aaron, David, Elijah, and so many others.  Even the thief on the cross was saved by his profession of belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and there was no chance of his coming down from the cross to be baptized.  The point is that a person can be saved even outside of a church home although this is no reason not to be part of the Body of Christ (the church) as the author of Hebrews says in chapter 10:25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

What Does Baptism Symbolize? 

Baptism is a clear, public symbolic picture of the new life that we have in Christ.  We are not sinless of course after we are saved but we have died to sin and die to ourselves and have been raised with Him to new life.  This is precisely what Paul says in Romans 6:1-4, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”  Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Baptism is also symbolic of our identity with one another in the church.  We are united with other brothers and sister who are already in the faith-family of God thus we are identified with Christ and with the Body of Christ, the church.  The Greek word used for baptism (baptisma) is a noun and literally means “to submerge” or to be completely submerged which differs from being sprinkled.  When Jesus was baptized it was said that “when He had came up out of the water” which explains why John was called “John the Baptist“.  It was not referring to his denomination but to his method and if baptizing completely under the water was wrong, Jesus could have corrected John but He did not.

Does Baptism Save You?

First of all let us find out what the Bible says about what saves a sinner.  A personal opinion or idea will not do here.  We must fully trust in what the Word of God says because it is without error.  Humans are fully capable of making mistakes so when we find out what saves from the Bible itself, it is God speaking to us and we know it is right.  So what does the Bible actually say about what saves a sinner?  Let God speak to us from His inerrant Word.
The jailer asks the question that we are asking here in Acts 16:30-31:
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Romans 10:9 -13 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
Acts 13:38-39 “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the Law of Moses.”
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Not one of these Scriptures has adjacent verses that talk anything about adding to the saving work of believing in Jesus.  No mention is made of baptism in these verses and nothing is said like “but you must also be baptized”.  It is not believing plus baptism, believing plus church membership, believing plus (fill in the blank).  No, it is when you believe in Jesus Christ that saves you.  Anything that adds to this belief is works and to suggest that being baptized is necessary to being saved is tantamount to saying that Jesus perfect life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection was not enough:  I must add baptism to it to complete the saving work of Christ.
I have had the amazing experience of leading our church elder’s father-in-law to Christ on his death bed.  This gentleman had heard the gospel and knew about Christ but had never expressed his belief in Jesus’ atoning work on the cross.  He was so weak that he could not get out of bed.  He was extremely near death.  When I shared the message of the gospel with this man in his “death bed” he finally expressed his belief in Jesus Christ and placed his trust in Him.  I asked him if he believed that Jesus was born of a virgin, if he lived a sinless life, if he died on Calvary for our sins, if we was raised again in the resurrection….and this man say “Yes!  I do believe”.  He had tears in his eyes because I think he knew we was going to die soon.  I believe with all my heart that this man came to saving faith while lying in his bed.  He had no chance of ever being baptized.  He could not even muster enough strength to get up out of bed to be baptized or join a church.  He could not add one work to his faith except his belief in Christ.  Less than two days later this man did die.  No one can tell me that I will not see him in the kingdom of heaven or that since he was not baptized he was not saved.
The “death bed” conversion of that dying man was one of the most awesome experiences of my entire life.  I cried like a baby.  So did the church’s elder and his wife which was the man’s daughter.  I have done similar things to others in nursing homes or assisted living care centers where people were near death or in their last days.  They could not take the stress or strain of getting into or out of a tank, tub, or pool to be baptized, yet they still believed in Jesus Christ and placed their trust and faith in Him as their Savior.
Let me say that the word “believe” means to fully trust in, to completely rely upon, to absolutely lean on, and place all a persons faith in.  When they say they believe in Jesus it means that they believe that He was born of a virgin, that He lived a perfect life, that He gave His life on Calvary as a ransom for us, that He died and was resurrected on the third day, and that He will come again for us.  If any of these things are not believed, then there is no true faith.  To believe in Jesus Christ also means that we obey Him.  As the old church hymn says, we “trust and obey, for there is no other way.”  Even the devil and his demons believe but the do not obey nor do they place their trust in Him.

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Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is a Christian author, freelance writer, and pastor at the Mulvane (KS) Brethren church in Mulvane, Kansas. Jack has attended Southern California Seminary. His books are inexpensive paperbacks that are theological in nature: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children“, “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?“, and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible“. Jack is a father and grandfather who has a BA in history, one in education, and one in science.

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9 Powerful gifts of the Holy Spirit

What are these gifts of the Spirit? How can you know that you have particular gifts of the Spirit? Can others give us an indication of what our gift is? What does the believer do with these gifts in the church? Are some gifts more important than others? Are the gifts of healing still being accessed today by believers? Is the gift of miracles still existent in the church today?

Each and every believer has been given by the indwelling of the Spirit of God, gifts of the Spirit (Acts 2:38).  In Acts chapter 8 and in 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 we see external gifts of the Holy Spirit. They were not gifts that they have been developed by human capacities, therefore the believer has absolutely no right to brag on these gifts. If we exalt in our gifts, we are taking credit for something that we have not earned ourselves. It is like taking credit for a gift you receive on your birthday. It is just that; a gift that was not yours but given to your freely and it is given apart from any inherent capabilities that you have within you. It is not like changing the old hymn from How Great Thou Art to How Great I Am.

No believer can say that they have no gift of the Spirit from God. God has given all believers gifts; some have several but everyone has these gifts. These gifts of the Spirit are given not for the believer but for the Body of Christ. It is to make the Body complete. These gifts are intended for the church to edify it, to strengthen it, to feed it, to exhort it, to encourage it and to have the Body of Christ empowered to do the work of Christ. These gifts are always to exalt Christ, to witness of God’s power, to build up the Body, and to work to enlarge the Body of Christ by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. There are several biblical tools and surveys that believers can use to discover their own gifts of the Spirit. These are helpful applications to allow the Christian to see what their gifts are and therefore how they can best help the church. No believer in Christ has any gift of the Spirit.

Isaiah 11:2-3 speaks of seven different spirits or gifts: “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay (called discernment).” These are important gifts and some of them are similar to but different from the gifts of the Spirit that Paul talks about in the New Testament in I Corinthians chapter twelve. There are nine gifts of the Spirit mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians chapter twelve:

1) Word of Wisdom
2) Word of Knowledge
3) Faith
4) Gifts of Healing
5) Working of Miracles
6) Prophecy
7) Discerning of Spirits
8) Divers (or different) kinds of Tongues
9) Interpretation of (different) Tongues

This is not an exhaustive list of the gifts of the spirit, for example some are said to have the gift of mercy which is a person who is quick to forgive and not judge others who have sinned while others are not so quick to do so. God gives these gifts as He sees best and not what we think they are for (v 11). We can not receive gifts we are not intended to receive but we can desire certain gifts, indicating that we can receive gifts of the Spirit that may fulfill the desires of our hearts while still fulfilling God‘s purpose for them (v 31). Let’s examine what these gifts are and what is their intended use is for in the church today.

Romans chapter twelve has a similar listing of the gifts of the Spirit but I Corinthians chapter twelve is more comprehensive in nature. I Corinthians chapter twelve begin with Paul telling the Corinthian church, and for the most part, all believers in the church today. Paul wants to make these gifts crystal clear to us and so we will depend upon the inspired Word of God to reveal them to us (v 1).

Paul tells us that “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them” (v 4). No two gifts are the same and generally no two believers have exactly the same gifts but always these gifts are given for the common good of the church (v 7).

The Gift of Wisdom

The first gift Paul mentions is the gift of wisdom (v 8). It is listed first perhaps because it is foundational to the church and this is a gift that the believer can earnestly desire (v 31). Wisdom is clearly taught in the Word of God and “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 11:10). This is the precious gift that Solomon asked for and received from God to be able to rightly rule God‘s nation (I Kings 3:12). With this wisdom, Solomon could understand what do in difficult decisions. Wisdom is also associated with fearing the Lord. Fear is simply standing in awe of God in reverence and respect. It entails loving His Word and being obedient to what it says. There is no wisdom in disobedience. This means that if some members are revering God’s laws and statutes, including loving God and loving your neighbor, that many members in the church can have this gift. Of course, many can not have it either. This gift is of supreme importance for members in the Body of Christ for if we can love God and our neighbor, we can greatly contribute to the church and those outside of the church. This love is another way of showing unbelievers and attracting them to Christ by it (John 13:35).

The Gift of Knowledge

The next gift of the Spirit is that of knowledge (v 8). Some people have such a gift of remembering scriptures. They have knowledge of God and His ways. They seem to be able to quickly distinguish which is biblical and which is not. Some translations say it is the “Word” of knowledge while others say that it is the “utterance” of knowledge. The Word is most certainly the Word of God. The “utterance” of knowledge could indicate that those with the gift of knowledge know when to speak particular words, when not to, and what words to speak with. Both words seem to fulfill what true knowledge is. These with this gift make excellent teachers, deacons, elders, or pastors.

The Gift of Faith

always later prove to be right. This is a person more like God. He sees things that aren’t as if they already are!The next gift of the Spirit Paul mentions is the gift of faith (v 9). Those with this gift are truly amazing in how they see things. They tend to exude confidence in all situations. For example, our church deacon has said about our church growth “when” it grows we will need more Sunday school books, while others say “if” we grow we will need additional books. I met an evangelist once that spoke about things as if they already had existed or had come to pass. He spoke about finances that God would provide while simultaneously have nothing to show for it in the church’s bank account. He would 

The Gift of Healing

The gift of healing has been a controversial one (v 9). Some “faith healers” claim to have this gift yet have often been exposed to be frauds by undercover reporters. Many of those “healed” have been interviewed prior to their supposed healing. Some tap the power of positive thinking to convince them that they are healed. Others have even used “scam artists” or actors to portray someone that has been healed from an infirmity that they never actually had. This gift was more prominent in the New Testament church to confirm that Jesus Christ’s name had power and that God was working in the church. I am not saying that people are still not healed today but the days of having someone’s shadow passing over them and they are instantly healed is over. The gift of healing may be in relations to the power of prayer and we know that the effectual prayer of a righteous man or woman can accomplish miracles (James 5:16). In any event, we must attribute any healing that is done is “…by that one Spirit“ and not by humans (v 9).

The Gift of Miracles

The gift of “miraculous powers“ is another gift of the Spirit that appears to be unique to the New Testament church (10). This may also be associated with faith healers who claim that that have the gift of miraculous powers but they must remember that any gift or its results are always credited to the spirit and not to humans. It could also be attributed to those who are prayer warriors. There is an elderly lady that I know I want her praying for me. I have had some pretty interesting results when this lady has prayed for me. I would call some of the things that have happened miraculous in some ways. The greatest miracles that occur today are, for the most part, the miracle of human conversion. I see this as the greatest miracle of all since only the Spirit of God can illuminate the Word of God and reveal to us Who Jesus Christ is (John 6:44, Matt 16:17).

The Gift of Prophecy (Speaking)

The next gift is that of prophecy (v 10). Prophecy has several different interpretations and it is clear that in this context, within the church at Corinth, prophecy is the gift of teaching and/or speaking. The literal translation here is that it is “publicly speaking” or “speaking forth” the Word of God. This gift is associated with those who are teachers or pastors since God would not gift someone in the church to teach or preach without having an ability to do so. It is not inferring that they know the future or know what is to come since only a sovereign God alone knows the future.

The Gift of Discernment

The gift of “distinguishing between spirits” is having the gift of discernment. It is able to discern scriptures and their application to believers in the church. It is also being able to tell whether someone is earnest and sincere, or they appear to have an agenda. Peter displayed this in Acts chapter five when Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property and kept back part of the money and brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet but lied saying they had given it all to the church (Acts 5:1-10). Those with this gift of discernment or “distinguishing between spirits” may be able to know whether the church should or should not do particular things.

The Gift of Tongues

The next gift is the ability to speak in different tongues (v 10). This has been one of the most controversial and most misunderstood gifts of all. When the original outpouring of the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, there were many speaking in tongues. Paul wrote about tongues extensively in 1 Corinthians, chapters twelve through fourteen, but he was reproving the Corinthians for misusing the gift. It’s very difficult out of this passage to get any kind of mandate to speak in tongues, to get any kind of affirmation that this is something to be sought, because what you have here are primarily corrective orders given to the Corinthians. They had actually prostituted the gift of tongues into something pagan that wasn’t even representative of the work of the Spirit. All you need to do is to go back to Acts 2 and read verse 4, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages”. The literal translation in Greek is “glossa” and means tongues. This same word “glossa” (language) is used again in Acts 2:11. This means it is a known language not some unknown tongue. Then it says (in Acts 2:5-11) that there were unbelievers present at Pentecost and were hearing God’s message in their own “dialektos” dialects or language: “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues” (dialektos or dialects)! So there were unbelievers present at Pentecost hearing God’s message in their own languages and their own local dialects, not ecstatic gibberish.

The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues

The next gift Paul mentions is the gift of interpretation of tongues (v 10). This gift is someone who is able to interpret another tongue or language. I am bilingual and can speak English and Spanish but I would not say that I have this gift necessarily. Some have a natural gift or ability to learn a foreign language. It was not natural nor did it come easy for me. For those who this is easy, then they may be imbued with such a gift. If anyone was speaking in tongues in the church, there absolutely had to be someone there to interpret or they were to be silent. And no more than one person was to speak in tongues because there is only one interpreter available to translate at a time. If several were speaking in tongues at the same time, there would be confusion and God is not the author of confusion, but He is the God of order (1 Cor 14:33). It would not be edifying the church to have several speaking in tongues at the same time and with no one to interpret. Tongues are a sign for unbelievers and not for the church. Paul writes, “In the Law it is written: ‘With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.’ Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers” (1 Cor. 14: 21-22). Isaiah 28:11-12 is where Paul quotes Isaiah the prophet, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, ‘This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.’” This clearly indicates that the gift of tongues (Greek for languages) and the interpretation of them is that of a known language as a witness to unbelievers.

Paul wants to make clear that we should not elevate one gift over another but esteem each and necessary for the completeness of the Body of Christ as Paul says in I Corinthians 12:12-23, “Now if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.”

Other Gifts of the Spirit

Romans 12:7-8 also speaks of additional gifts; “if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” This shows that some are gifted at teaching, some at showing mercy, some in giving to the work of the Lord, and some who show an unusual amount of forgiveness (called mercy).

Ephesians 4:11 reveals yet more gifts as Paul indicates there are, “…apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.” Again teachers are mentioned, evangelists are those who are unusually gifted at sharing the gospel with the lost, pastors and prophets (again, this is those who proclaim the gospel). Apostles can no longer exist because by definition, they would be those church leaders who have been commissioned by the risen Christ and having been done so in His presence. Those who call themselves apostles have no such authority given by God and they are self-designated only, thusly disqualifying themselves as a true apostle.

Many Gifts, Many Members, One Body

Each and every church member is clearly a part of “… the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles (no longer in this church age), second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts“(I Cor. 12:28-31). I pray you not only seek and discover your gifts but that you utilize them to the strengthening of the Body of Christ, for which you are a part. If you are not, then today is the time to become part of Christ’s church because members of this body will live on into eternity.

Source,

The Holy Bible, New International Version

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is a Christian author, freelance writer, and pastor at the Mulvane (KS) Brethren church in Mulvane, Kansas. Jack has attended Southern California Seminary. His books are inexpensive paperbacks that are theological in nature: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children“, “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?“, and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible“. Jack is a father and grandfather who has a BA in history, one in education, and one in science.

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The gift of Speaking in Tongues? A Biblical Analysis

Many years ago I visited a church while out of town.  At the time I was unaware that it was a charismatic church.  When the church services started, it was quite clear that they believed in the gift of tongues.  I was urged to speak in tongues and to “give it up” to the Spirit.  I needed to speak in tongues to be “baptized with the Holy Ghost.“  As I prayed over this and pondered whether I should try and speak in tongues, nothing happened.  I even contemplated faking it.  I felt somewhat ostracized because I actually never did speak in tongues.  I was praying at the time that, “God, if you want me to speak in tongues, please enable me by the Spirit to do so.“  Nothing ever came out and I felt completely inadequate compared to the other believers who were speaking in tongues that I didn’t understand.  There were several speaking at the same time as they were dancing and jumping up and down. To me, it was a little frightening and confusing.

The tongues I heard that night were completely unintelligible and it was an exercise in futility for me to try and understand what was being said.  And no one was interpreting the tongues either which made it even worse.  The whole assembly, minus me, was in a near frenzy and they were completely lost in their actions.

I can remember reading about tongues in Old Testament times where foreign tongues were not a good sign for Israel at all (Walvoord and Zuck 1984, 539).  Foreign tongues were usually a warning to the nation.  When I looked at the New Testament, what I found was that tongues are not a babbling of words, but that of a known language.  This language was intelligible to those who spoke that language and understood by them.

Speaking in Tongues in the New Testament

The first place that speaking in tongues occur in the New Testament was in Acts 2:1-4: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”  The word tongues has a literal translation in the Greek of “languages”.  This means that the tongues that were being spoken were those of a known language.  The tongues were words with specific meaning and not just babbling.  This is clarified in Acts 2:7-11, “Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

So those who heard these tongues or languages were languages that were known and that the believers may not have known how to speak.  That was a miracle but the miracle was not for the believers benefit but were a sign for the unbelievers (I Cor. 14:22).  These verses were a sign that God used to signify that the Gentiles were receiving salvation to those who did not believe (Walvoord and Zuck 1984, 382).

So clearly, speaking in tongues in the New Testament church were tongues of known languages and not unknown languages or unintelligible sounds.  Since many in Judea were bilingual and some even trilingual, it’s not really that surprising that there were many languages being spoken (Walvoord and Zuck 1984, 357).  They were praising God in different tongues or languages to give evidence for unbelievers that God was at work in more ethnic groups than just the Jews. This validated the fulfillment of Joel chapter two to the Jews as well (Walvoord and Zuck 1984, 408).

Speaking in Tongues and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Acts 10:44-46 also has a reference to tongues: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.  The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues (literally, languages) and praising God.”  Notice that the Holy Spirit was poured out and they were not baptized into the Holy Spirit or received a baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Speaking in tongues is a sign for unbelievers and not what some charismatic churches claim as the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Nowhere in the New Testament is it written that they spoke in tongues and were baptized in the Holy Spirit.  For believers, the receiving of the Holy Spirit is a one time event and it is not a sign of being filled up by the Spirit or being baptized into the Holy Spirit.  It is precisely for the reason of validating God’s acceptance of the Gentiles to the Jews and this acceptance by God for all people was at a specific time in history (Walvoord and Zuck 1984, 408).

Tongues: A Sign for Unbelievers

Biblical scholars agree that in Acts 19:1-7 and elsewhere that these verses clearly indicate that tongues were intended “to overcome unbelief” (Walvoord and Zuck 1984, 409).  They were specifically for unbelievers and to validate Paul’s message and to overcome the listener’s unbelief (Walvoord and Zuck 1984, 408, 409).

Even at the risk of offending some, this reminds me of snake handlers.  Some churches take one text out of context and make it a pretext and sadly, the worship is more centered on the gift of tongues or the handling of snakes than it is with Christ being the center of worship.  Jesus Christ should always be the center of all worship services and never any gift since Paul tells us not to exalt in any gifts of the Spirit since they come from God anyway.

Taking Text out of Context

Here is a personal note on the gift of tongues and the twisting of scriptures.  Sadly, many denominations or churches do not take problematic scriptures and place them against all  the scriptures relating to a particular subject to discover the proper context to see whether it is biblically sound or not.  This is what is meant by “rightly dividing the Word of God” (II Tim 2:15) and “scripture is of no private interpretation” (II Pet. 1:2). A sound principle is that if there is a problematic scripture or verse; take all the other scriptures that relate to this subject and place them all against the one scripture or scriptures to bring clarity to the subject.  If we still can not decide its meaning, then this might be God’s prerogative alone to know about and we have no business trying to inject or infer meaning when God is not clear on the subject.  If God has not plainly revealed its meaning in scripture or it is not clarified by other scripture, then this is not revelation from God intended for us and should not be taken as such.  Revelation from men is highly questionable and not like the inerrant Word which is infallible.   If God had wanted us to fully understand it, He would have revealed it. Some things that are not clear must be for Him alone to know and we have no business trying to decode such enigmatic scriptures into a meaning that we were never intended to know in the first place.

It is apparent that there is sufficient evidence about tongues that they are clearly a sign for unbelievers, Jews or otherwise.  They are also a sign that God is at work.  The earliest church historians never mention that speaking in tongues continued to occur in the church after all the apostles were gone.  Speaking in tongues is a rather recent movement in the 19th century.  I speak Spanish and I feel that some people are gifted at learning other languages.  My former pastor picked up several African languages at the time he was on mission trips.  He had a gift for it.  But it was a known language.  I can speak in “other” tongues, like English, Spanish, and even some Greek but what sounds like gibberish to those who don’t know them, it is a known language.  But these are known languages and I am not just “letting myself go”.

I have been told that I have never been “filled by the Holy Spirit” or been “truly baptized into the Holy Spirit” unless I have spoken in tongues.   That is not biblical nor should someone feel less “spiritual” if they don’t speak in tongues.   By the way, tongues are the last gift mentioned of all the gifts of the Spirit and love is over and above all other things.  In my humble opinion, charismatic’s too often take it to the extreme and belittle those who do not speak in tongues and incorrectly associate their not being filled with the Spirit when this is actually a one-time event at the moment a believer receives the Holy Spirit at conversion.  You can not have any more of the Holy Spirit, nor can you have any less of Him.  You either have the Holy Spirit or you don’t.

Sources:

1.       John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, trans., The Bible Knowledge Commentary – New Testament.  (Colorado Springs, CO.: David C Cook, Publisher, 1984).

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-speaking-in-tongues-a-biblical-analysis/#ixzz2SX3TnVYf

Aligning Your Will With God’s

The true joy in your life will be finding God’s will for it.  Anything short of this will not be pleasing to God and will not please you in the end.  God’s will for your life is also revealed in these Scriptures.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 “It

is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;  that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.”

1 Tessalonians 5:18 “give thhanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 John 2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God’s Will is Found in the Bible

• Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world.
• Be transformed by the renewing of your mind by the Holy Spirit.
• Suffer for doing good.
• Seek a multitude of godly counselors.
• Trust in God’s sovereignty.
• Abstain from sexual immorality.
• Live a holy, sanctified life.
• Being thankful to God for everything.
• Read His Word, the Holy Bible.

God doesn’t want to frustrate us in seeking His will for our lives.  As it says in Deuteronomy 19:29,  “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.“  We can see that finding God’s will for our lives is found in the Bible.  His words to us are His Word in print – the Bible.  You will be amazed at how much of God’s will for your life will be plainly revealed to you by simply reading the Bible every day.  God is not trying to hide His will for your life.  That is not His way.  He wants you to know His will and the will of God are in the words of God – in Scripture.

Final Thoughts on Finding the Will of God

This is not an exhaustive list, but we can sum up some of the know will of God for your life:

Seek Godly Counsel

Another way to find God’s will in your life is to seek the counsel of an adviser, a friend, a pastor, or teacher.  The Bible says that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 24:6b).  Proverbs 11:4b also says that “there is safety in having many advisers.”  The key word in these proverbs is many.  Asking your best friend may not help you find God’s will for your life.  It may be good advice but it may not be God’s will.

It’s not like God is trying to hide His will from us or that He will not help us find His will for our lives.  Just read Ephesians 1:11, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”  Everything will work out for our best and things in our life will be according to “the purpose of his will.” Romans 8:28 confirms “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Trust God’s Sovereignty

As we read in Romans 8:28, Christians can rest in the fact that God is sovereign over everything that happens in this life.  He directs events, He puts people in our paths, and essentially He enables us to be in the right place at the right time.  Proverbs 21:1 is one of my favorite Scriptures for reassurance when I am praying for God’s will in my life, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”  If God can direct the king’s heart to “wherever He wishes”, then surely He can direct you to the right employer, to the right woman or man, to the right ministry, or whatever His will is for you.  The key here is that your will must be aligned with His will or you will be frustrated.

We already know that God’s will is for us to not be conformed to this world, to be renewed in our minds by the Holy Spirit, and to seek godly counselors, but He also wants us to know that He is directing your life in His good and pleasing sovereignty for what is best for you (Rom 8:28).  He wants you to trust Him in this directing.  Proverbs 16:33 indicates that “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”  This clearly means that if we cast some dice, God not only knows where they will land, but what their sum total will be.  That “decision is from the LORD.”  The question is, will you trust Him with it?

Daniel 4:35 says “All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.  No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”  If God does what He pleases with the nations of the world, and “no one can hold back His hand”, then surely you must know that He can help you find your will for your life which will also be His will for your life.  An important lesson here is that God’s will for your life should be what you are seeking as your will for your life.  You do not want to seek your will unless it is also God’s will. To seek a will for your life that is different from that of God’s will for your life will be a continual frustration.

God’s will for your life is much more than an occupation (a teacher, a janitor, a painter, an accountant, or a carpenter) – it is for you to live a life pleasing to Him, allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, suffer for good, trust in Him, live a holy life, and read His Word.  This is the will of God for you and for every Christian’s life.