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    A Study in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Is the Church Deceived or is it Not Fulfilling its God Given Work?
    A Study in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Is the Church Deceived or is it Not Fulfilling its God Given Work?
    A Study in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Is the Church Deceived or is it Not Fulfilling its God Given Work?
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    A Study in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Is the Church Deceived or is it Not Fulfilling its God Given Work?

    By Steve Regnault

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    About this ebook

    Are the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit still available to individuals in the church today? This question, often the centre of controversy and debate, carries enormous weight for Christians. If the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased, then many believers around the world are being deceived. On the other hand, if the gifts are still available, numerous Christians may be missing out on all God wants to accomplish in and through their lives, simply because they don’t believe in the gifts available to them.
    Sadly, many false teachings have been promoted on both sides of this question. It’s essential for Christians to study what the Word of God has to say about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and think carefully about the role of those gifts in their own lives. Steve Regnault provides a thorough, straightforward survey of relevant biblical passages that will enlighten readers and reveal the scriptural basis for the proper use of the spiritual gifts. A Study in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit will be a valuable addition to the libraries of clergy and laity alike. For personal use or group Bible study, this is a book that will strengthen and inspire readers in their spiritual walk with God.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWord Alive Press
    Release dateMay 9, 2018
    ISBN9781486616053
    A Study in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Is the Church Deceived or is it Not Fulfilling its God Given Work?

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      Book preview

      A Study in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Steve Regnault

      BIBLIOGRAPHY

      Acknowledgements

      I would like to thank Word Alive Press for their encouragement and help in publishing this book. I thank Global Outreach Mission, who has been a great partner in the spreading of the Word of God throughout many years of ministry.

      Introduction

      Theology is the study of truth, and knowing the truth is critical in the Christian life. Of all the theological questions to be studied, there are few as personal as the one covered in this book. The study of the cessation or continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit carries grave consequences for Christians on the wrong side of the argument. This study should be undertaken with great care by all Christians, despite their pastors’ view on the subject, because it impacts each Christian personally.

      There are two opposite views on the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church. On the one side are those who teach that the gifts of the Holy Spirit as seen in the book of Acts were only for the first century church and are not available for Christians in our age (cessationism). On the other side are those who teach that all spiritual gifts have been available for Christians since the time of Pentecost, and that we should expect to see them at work in our churches (continuationism).

      These are contradictory beliefs, and although our salvation may not hinge on the position we take on this question, it is an issue with implications for the worldwide church. Obviously both sides can’t be right on this issue, but who is correct? It’s a sobering thought to think that a large percentage of the church of God is wrong on this subject. What does that mean for the church today? What does it mean for you?

      The Two Views Described

      Cessationism

      The cessationists believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit found in the New Testament were given to Jesus, the disciples, and the church only for a short period of time. The gifts were given as a sign to demonstrate to the Jews that the Christ had come. The gifts were also used to show the authority God had given to the few men who were given the task to write the last part of the Bible.

      It’s unfortunate that cessationists are unfairly accused of denying that there is a Holy Spirit. They don’t deny that the Holy Spirit is at work in the church, or that God still performs miracles, but they do deny that each Christian is given a miraculous gift from the list we find in 1 Corinthians 12–14. Cessationists believe that the Holy Spirit is at work around the world in His church, but not through the giving of miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at work in the church when a sinner repents from his sin and finds salvation.

      Cessationists use two main arguments. Those who don’t believe in the continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit assert that because the biblical canon has been completed, the church no longer needs any of these miraculous gifts. One of their main arguments is that these gifts were mainly given to the apostles, and that there couldn’t possibly be any more apostles, based on the Bible’s definition of an apostle. They first demonstrate that there are no longer any apostles, and then argue that all miraculous gifts have ceased, along with the gift of apostleship.

      Cessationists deny that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit used in the church today are from God. They point out that the gifts of the Holy Spirit used in churches around the world do not resemble the gifts described in the Bible. According to this group, all these miraculous gifts are a deception and not to be trusted.

      Continuationism

      Continuationists believe that all Christians are given a gift of the Holy Spirit from among the gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. They believe that all the gifts have been given to all churches from the time of Pentecost. A Christian can expect to have a gift, and in fact should seek out his or her gift. Christians are to use their gifts for the common good of the church. Those who hold to this view, and are balanced in their teaching, do not have an unhealthy focus on signs and wonders. These churches believe that God uses these gifts to help His church grow in the teachings of the New Testament.

      Differences do exist among continuationists. There are some who believe that spiritual gifts had ceased, but now have re-appeared at the end of the age. Cessationists also affirm that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are to re-surface before the return of Christ. It is my purpose to use only the biblical arguments of both sides for this book, as the common reader can look directly into what scripture says. It is not my intention in this book to deal with historical arguments that are based in sources outside of the Bible.

      Unfortunately for the continuationists, they are often seen in the light of extreme church organizations in their camp. Although many continuationist churches present in the media are extreme in their views, there are still many churches that believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit but do not go overboard in their use of them. In this book, I want to represent a view of continuationism that is balanced and respects the rules set down by the Apostle Paul. I want to represent the continuationists who, along with the cessationists, cringe at what they see on TV. The TV evangelist and faith healer have taken the spotlight and have become unwanted spokespersons for continuationism.

      We will be examining the biblical arguments that support a balanced view of continuationism. We will also look at the dangers that many churches have fallen into because they haven’t maintained their roots in our common foundation, which is the Word of God. It’s important to notice the difference between the sincere continuationists and the many false prophets that unfortunately represent them.

      Before we consider the arguments for and against the continuation or cessation of spiritual gifts, we should clarify the specific gifts to which we are referring. Many spiritual gifts are accepted by both camps as being still in operation. It is specifically the miraculous gifts listed in the verses below that fall under scrutiny.

      The basis of this argument comes from the teaching Paul gives to the Corinthian church about spiritual gifts. Because of this teaching, which isn’t repeated anywhere else in the Bible, we find ourselves with these two opposite views. In the book of 1 Corinthians, we find a clear and concise teaching about who should have gifts, what the gifts are, and how they should be used. A good portion of the argument for continuationism is found in these passages. Since we will be studying this part of scripture in detail later, I’ll just list the gifts we will be talking about below:

      1 Corinthians 12:4–11

      • wisdom

      • knowledge

      • faith

      • healing

      • miracles

      • prophecy

      • distinguishing of spirits

      • speaking in tongues

      • interpretation of tongues

      1 Corinthians 12:27–31

      • apostles

      • prophets

      • teachers

      • miracles

      • healing

      • helps

      • administration

      • tongues

      Only some of the gifts mentioned above feature in this discussion about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts that garner the most debate are the gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and apostleship. Many of the gifts listed here are commonly accepted by both camps as being used in all churches around the world. Other gifts are harder to define and don’t receive the same attention as the more controversial ones. When referring to the gifts of the Holy Spirit in this study, we are specifically talking about the gifts that are considered to be miraculous, as the problem faced by the church is based in our understanding of these gifts. Our purpose is to determine what the Bible teaches about the current use of the gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and apostleship. The gifts of faith, teaching, helps, and administration don’t enter into the discussion of cessationism and continuationism, as they are accepted as still being in use in the church.

      The fact that some of the gifts listed above are clearly in operation to this day presents a problem for the cessationists, as they must demonstrate how and under what authority they can separate the gifts into two groups. Where in the New Testament do we find the teaching that allows us to identify some gifts as no longer accessible, and others as still in use? Both sides appeal to history and experience, but I don’t intend to deal with either. If scripture is truly sufficient for us, we should be able to get answers from the Bible alone without appealing to the experiences of people in the present or the past. I will, however, share my experience on the subject—not because I think my experience demonstrates anything, but because it will help my readers understand why it’s so difficult for many people. I hope that those who study this subject realize how personal it is, and how easy it is to tear down our brothers and sisters in Christ by insisting that we possess the truth about this subject.

      What If We Got It wrong?

      The church faces two options if it is wrong on the cessation or continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Either half the Christians in the church are missing God’s plan and causing others to miss God’s plan for their lives, or half the Christians in the church are being led by demons.

      What If the Cessationists Are Wrong?

      If the cessationists are wrong, then they are missing out on many blessings God wants to give to His church. If God has equipped the church with gifts in order to do His work, the cessationists aren’t going to be using them, because they don’t believe in them. If the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still in effect today, then each Christian should have a gift that God wants them to use for the benefit of those around them. Because of the teaching in these churches, Christians will never discover the gift God has given them (except for the few with gifts that are accepted by the church). Even if they do discover their gift, they won’t be encouraged to use it, and might even be told that what they are experiencing is of no value, or simply their emotions at work.

      Those with the accepted gifts of teaching and evangelism will be able to continue with the ministry God has given them, but those with gifts such as speaking in tongues or prophecy won’t be able to use their gifts. Imagine God’s disappointment with His church if He has given these gifts to them, but they reject them.

      For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Imagine if the good work God has prepared for you in advance is to use your gift of tongues to pray for many people, but you suppress this

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