DownshoreDrift

Another Case for the Continuation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

I believe that God continues to work through His Spirit in the church via miraculous gifts and through His power. This belief is called "continuationism."  Cessationism is the belief that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit ceased with the completion of the canon of Scripture in the New Testament, or at the end of the first century when the last of the original apostles died.

This is a big argument and I will not be able to cover it all here. A discussion arose last week on SBCVoices.com that made a case both for Continuationism and for Cessationism. I will add a few thoughts here, but this will not be comprehensive. For a fuller treatment, you can read my four part series on the Holy Spirit that I wrote years ago. (at the bottom of the page linked - other posts on this issue are also included).

I am going to make a relatively simple argument in the hope that through simplicity, we can cut through the "War of the Verses" that often arises when Christians debate theology. In other words, each side of an argument can level a hundred Scripture passages at the other side and perhaps overwhelm the argument with the sheer number of verses that they use to buttress their view. It is not always a bad approach and I have done it many times myself. But, for this argument, with verses aplenty for both side, I hope to step back a bit and look at the bigger picture. And, being the good Biblicist that I am, I will, of course use verses as well.

1 Corinthians 1:4-8 says,

" I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— ⁶ because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This passage tells us that grace (charis) is given us in Christ Jesus. Jesus is the source of grace and it is not from anything that we do, but it is the gift of God. In Christ, we are enriched in every way. We are built up and strengthened in Christ for His glory. This is what grace does. We are enriched in speaking and in knowledge. It is interesting that both of these things (speaking/utterances/word/logos as well as knowledge/gnosis) are mentioned later on in 1 Corinthians 12-14 in the section on spiritual gifts - so speaking and knowledge are part of what it means to be enriched in Christ.  This enrichment/strengthening in all speaking and knowledge is part of what confirms Paul's testimony about Christ in them.  It is essential.

Because of this, they do not lack any spiritual gifts (charism) or grace gifts.  These gifts are manifestations of grace given in Christ Jesus.  They are not separate from Christ, but flow from knowing Jesus and speaking of Him (witness). They attend those who believe the gospel and who are indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. This is confirmed by the statement that the Corinthian believers do not lack any spiritual gifts as they eagerly wait for Jesus Christ to be revealed. In other words, while they are waiting for Jesus to return and as they know Him now, they are enriched by grace that comes from Jesus and by manifestations of that grace that are exhibited in spiritual gifts - every spiritual gift.  In verse 8, we see that Jesus will keep them strong to the end so that they will be blameless when Christ returns. 

This passage connects all of the spiritual gifts (one can only think that Paul's treatment of the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 are what is in view here) with the grace of Christ and His strengthening of the church until the end of the age.  The gifts have a purpose, which is to manifest the grace that we experience when we come to know Christ.  Since there is no passage that says that the gifts will cease before Christ, the perfect, comes, then we can judge from this that Jesus gives us His gifts by grace so that we will be strong and holy as we wait in hope for Him to return (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 for example - given for the strengthening of the church. See also 1 Corinthians 14:26).

But, to go further, let's look at the very nature of the Christian life itself.  In a passage familiar to Evangelical Chrisitans, Acts 1:4-8 says,

 ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”⁶ So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

They will be baptized with the Holy Spirit and will receive power to be witnesses to Jesus all over the world. This is how the Kingdom (reign and rule of God) will come in part during the church age. Peter says that this promise was for all that the Lord would call in every generation (Acts 2:39) and he tied the manifestation of the Spirit through dreams and visions and the outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh to the beginning of the Last Days that were ushered in through the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:17-21).  The entire message on Pentecost was a response to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Observers have made the speaking in tongues on the day of Pentecost into the focus, when the focus should really be on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with accompanying signs of power and the preaching of the gospel leading to faith and repentance. My point here is to say that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh - all that the Lord God may call is such that the power of the Holy Spirit has come upon believers to be witnesses to Jesus all over the world.

I think that we can tie 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 back to Acts 1:4-8 and Peter's message in Acts 2 as a response to Pentecost. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that we are given are grace gifts that are given in Jesus and are intended for the strengthening of the church in grace so that the Gospel of the Kingdom will go to the ends of the earth until the time of Jesus' return. The miraculous gifts were not given to just authenticate the canon of Scripture as it was being written, but to authenticate the message of the gospel wherever it goes to the ends of the earth (still has not happened yet) and to strengthen the church until Jesus' return (still has not happened yet).  Jesus has ascended into Heaven, but He has left us the Comforter who takes from what belongs to Jesus and makes it known to us (John 16:5-16).  The Bible speaks of miracles and healings and words of instruction and prophecy and direction and other manifestations of God's power. This is what Jesus did in His earthly ministry and He said that we would do greater things than He has done because we are in Him and the Holy Spirit has come (John 14:5-27).  The Church is the Body of Christ that lives in relationship with Jesus and represents Him to a lost world.  He is still working.

Now, I do not believe that we will see constant intensity of the gifts of the Spirit at all times during the Church Age. God works as He wills. We do not see all people saved or all evil eradicated or perfect obedience to the Lord, even among His own children.  We know and see in part. The Kingdom is now, but not yet. We are to walk by faith and this means that not all prayers are answered the way that we like, nor are we able to use gifts according to our own will or desire. The gifts are used for the strengthening of the church and God's power is granted so that we can witness to the world about Jesus.  Sometimes, our strengthening is found in perseverance and suffering without seeing or experiencing a direct manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the way that we would like. Sometimes our greatest witness is in suffering with faith and experiencing God at work in ways that make no sense to those clamoring for signs and wonders. But, the fact that God works in different ways in different times and places is not an argument that the manifestations of grace through the gifts of the Spirit have been entirely withdrawn after the death of the Apostles during the Church Age. It just means that God is the giver of the gifts and that we are only humble recipients.

Yes, I used verses to make my argument, as anyone making a theological case should. But, what I hope to show is that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not some kind of strange add on to the Christian life as an optional doctrine, but are actually part and parcel of knowing Christ, experiencing His grace, and being indwelt by the Holy Spirit and being a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth until His return. The gifts of the Spirit are in part, at least, how Jesus strengthens His church and empowers us for witness. We do not understand them all, nor can we control them, but to eliminate them from view is to go too far and to actually shut out a way that Jesus wants to pour out His grace upon His people. Perhaps one of the reasons that we struggle so much in church health and evangelism is because we have neglected or pushed to the fringes of the Christian life the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the manifestations of grace given by Jesus through spiritual gifts?    

The Fruit of the Spirit, Pt. 4: Love Without Restraint

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Vacation was WONDERFUL!!! My family and I spent a week at the beach and it was great. I have a ton of pictures that I will be putting up later this week. The time away was much needed.

Here and there I was able to peruse some of the reaction from the SBC Annual Meeting. Let me just say that I am more than glad that I have decided to bow out of all of this. I will be limiting my involvement in SBC issues to being a contributing writer for the new SBCOutpost, which will be a group blog effort. Other than that, further participation appears to be pointless.

So, all of that brings me back to the point of my writing: to try and lift up the name of Jesus and to point out where I see God at work in the world around me. I have continued to think about the Fruit of the Spirit, so I wanted to start the week off with some further reflections on Love. We know that God is love. In Romans 5:8 listed above, we see how God demonstrates His love for us by having Christ die for us while we were still sinners. Before we had ever done anything good and while we were still completely stinking with sin, Jesus died for you and for me. It is hard for us to fully grasp that, because we become so convinced of our goodness and righteousness and we begin to feel that we somehow merit the merit of Christ. This is never more true than when we are judging others. Let me tell you a story to illustrate my point.

In the late 1990's, I was a young seminary student at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in the San Francisco Bay Area. My wife and I joined First Baptist Church, San Francisco, and from there started a ministry to homeless people. We used to meet with a team of other folks in their 20's on Sunday mornings really early. We started going to the Civic Center park, which bore the popular name of "Crack Park" for obvious reasons. Each Sunday morning, we would pass out sweet rolls, orange juice, and clean socks (homeless people love clean socks) to those who were just waking up on benches or under trees. This was right in the shadow of City Hall and the police and city leadership turned a blind eye to the wide stretch of homeless people laying in the plaza. We were their Sunday morning wake up call, and we would share breakfast with them, offer them prayer, and invite them over to a central place where we would share the Word of God with them. We saw several come to Christ through this and we began discipling them. It was a powerful time.

One Sunday morning I was walking around the park and I was trying to give away the food and bless people through prayer and/or friendliness. Then, I saw the most disgusting sight I had ever seen in a human being. Before me lay a black man who was a homeless transvestite. He had partial make up on with a half grown beard. He was a mess and could not keep himself up. He had his shoes off and his feet were swollen and were oozing pus from open sores. From his body emanated a stench that was nauseating. Actually, I found myself gagging at the sight of this "man", rejected by both the straight and gay community. He was a complete horror show. As I gagged from the sight, smell, and aura of this he/she who was clearly very ill, I knew that I could not turn away. I was being overwhelmed by my own precious sensibilities and I wanted to run, but I knew that was wrong. I wish that I could say that I was just SO compassionate. But, I wasn't. I didn't know what to do.

So, in that moment, I decided that prayer was the answer. I cried out to God and I asked Him to let me see that man the way that He saw him. Immediately, I was flooded with love and warmth. Tears came to my eyes and my heart broke for the man. I saw him as a child of God, broken and bent, but still bearing God's image upon himself. I was overcome by the love of God for him. I don't know if I remember a prayer ever being answered so quickly. I realized that God loved this man so much, that while he was still in his sin, Christ died for him. Love flowed out of me as well. I walked over to the man, offered him something to eat, told him that Jesus loved him and died for him, and then I hugged him. The man was receptive and opened up to me. I wish I could report some miracle regarding the man, but the real miracle happened in my heart. As I experienced God's love for this man who was filthy with sin, my own heart was changed and I felt myself experience brokenness over his alienation from God. I was overwhelmed with God's grace that was available for this man. I was overwhelmed with God's love.

What kind of God do we serve who could love sinners? What kind of God is it that demonstrates His love by dying for us while we are still lost in our sin? If God has forgiven us this way, then who are we to not forgive others? How can we push someone else aside when God has given all to bring us back to Himself? And, having experienced this for ourselves, how can we not extend it to others?

Ephesians 3:17-19 "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

The Fruit of the Spirit, Pt. 3: What the World Needs Now . . .

LOVE

The first fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is LOVE. I am just going to list some relevant Scripture. Considering all that has been going on and the Convention coming up in the SBC next week, this should be self explanatory:

1 Corinthians 13

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Romans 5:8

8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:7-21

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
      God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Most will probably not read this far because the Scriptures are familiar and this is not controversial enough to draw out interest. But, it is pretty important. If we have everything and have not love, we are not good for anything at all. Also, love is not just a disposition of the heart, but it is always carried out in action. "Peter, do you love me? Then feed my sheep." Jesus showed us true world changing love by laying His life down for us. How can we lay our lives down for those around us?

I have been very frustrated with the events of the past weeks leading up to the Convention in San Antonio.  I am going and praying for change. But, I know that if I go angry and looking for a fight, my spirit will be empty and I will only live out of the desires of the flesh. We all need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. May we never become so focused on what we can accomplish that we forget that our first priority is to love God and love one another - sacrificially. I pray that that attitude overtakes all of us in every aspect of our lives.

Fruit of the Spirit Pt. 2: Abiding in the Vine

As I've thought about this series on the Fruit of the Spirit, I think that I am going to make this an on again, off again project until I work through all of it. In other words, I will not do a post a day on a different aspect of the manifestation of the Spirit in our lives and character, but will likely work through it this summer. It will take more time than I thought for me to digest it and I don't want to rush as I am praying for transformation in my life instead of just wanting to write a bunch of stuff.

So, with that said, I thought I'd continue this series with some comments from a friend and writer, Bill Wilke. I met Bill a few years ago at a conference, and he has continued to challenge my thinking on a variety of issues. He sent me some emails regarding the necessity of abiding in Christ when it comes to producing His Fruit in our lives. Please read through his thoughts, especially the ones on the second page as he explores the Vine analogy in John 15. This is some really great stuff! I'd appreciate your comments as well.

I (Bill) agree with your analysis that without being grafted into the vine, which you did not talk about specifically as opposed to standing close to the vine (in proximity), we cannot produce anything of value. 

However, in the real biological world of the vine, the DNA or character of the fruit is determined by the branch not the vine if it is really grafted properly.  For example, you can have three varieties of apples on the same tree. 

I have found that when people know that they contribute to shaping the character of the fruit, it is awesome.  It is not about the branch being totally passive, as some analyst argue, where the sap just passes through and the branch contribute noting. Each individual plays a distinct and important role as a grafted branch onto the vine/Christ.  Challenging people in their own world to manifest and later discover the shape, color, texture, taste and even character of the fruit that they are manifesting is both fun and exciting.

______________________________________________________________________

Alan,

I don’t want to interrupt what God is doing through you but I have the following question.

Fruit is a by-product/symptom.  Should you study the Spiritual Fruits before or after you understand the gratfing process into the vine which I think is the real “cause and effect.”

I will give you a few examples of topics that a believer needs to comprehend and integrate about the vine before they can appreciate or manifest the spiritual gifts.  Some may try through human effort and I have been surprised at the level of success even though they are really “fakers” and the truth will eventually come out.

The Fruit of the Spirit: An Overview

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

I've decided to start a new series here on Downshoredrift on the Fruit of the Spirit. With all the talk about the Gifts of the Spirit in relation to the IMB and SBC issues, I felt that some discussion on the development of Christian character was in order. So, over the next couple of weeks, I hope to take a look at each of the nine manifestations of the Fruit of the Spirit as displayed in Galatians 5:22-23.  After discussion of each manifestation, I want to look at how they each relate to our relationship with God, our relationship with one another, and our relationship with the world and it's expectations. You might be surprised at how revolutionary this concept of living the Spirit life before the powers, principalities, and personalities of the world can be. So much of what we try to accomplish in Christian life and ministry is attempted through the power of the flesh and human organization and effort. But, God gives us a different way - the Way of the Spirit. It is a way that is rarely chosen, but it is powerful beyond measure and there is no law against it. It is articulated through the Sermon on the Mount and the ethic of Jesus and it has implications that shatter the power of this dark world. It will raise valleys, bring low mountains, and make crooked paths straight. It will bring about justice in a corrupt world and harmony to our relationships. It is the way forgotten in the Christian life in the midst of many more popular paths of human success and fulfillment. But, it is the Way that we must travel.

Why We Need the Power of God

It has been said that if we took the Holy Spirit out of many of our churches today, 90% of what we do would be left unchanged. That might be an exagerration, but it does speak to the fact that so much of what we do in our Christian lives are only the things that we do in our own power. As I studied for the Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit last month, I became more and more convinced that God wants to work in powerful ways in our lives and ministries. People tend to get hung up on "tongues," but that is just a minor gift that needs to be seen in its proper context. The bigger issue for me is, "Does my life and ministry require God's power, or am I able to handle everything in my own strength?" Jesus said that the disciples were to wait in Jerusalem until they were "clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49), and Acts 1:8 reports Jesus as saying that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us to be witnesses all over the world. Do we have that power?

How much are we doing, that if God did not show up, it would completely fail? How much are we doing that we have to have faith to believe God for? When you hear stories of miracles and God's intervention, do you praise Him, or are you unmoved and filled with skepticism? How often do you pray for God to do what you cannot do? Do we think that we can see people come to Christ and see our churches grow apart from the work and power of the Holy Spirit? When is the last time that you prayed for God's power to be upon your church or yourself so that you could be a witness for Him (Acts 4:29-31)? I think that we are often depending more upon ourselves than we do upon the Lord for victory in our lives and fruit in our ministry.

I remember when I was a youth minister in a rural church years ago. We were having revival meetings and the pastor and evangelist were in the pastor's office. I asked if we could pray before the meeting and they were a little surprised. "Sure," they said awkwardly. We then prayed a stiff prayer that God would bless the meeting. It was over before it started. I was shocked. We were having "Revival" and we didn't even ask God to show up! I have seen this attitude repeated over and over again in our Southern Baptist Churches. Perhaps this is why our member to baptism ratio is 44:1.  In our church it was 9:1 last year, and I truly believe that it is simply attributable to the fact that we consistently ask God to work through us and empower us for life and ministry. It is His work, not ours. We should do it in His power and give Him glory for what He does. No one is coming to Christ unless he is drawn by the power of God. No one. So, why don't we pray and live that way more often?

I am starting a sermon series this month on the power of the Holy Spirit as shown through the Book of Acts. We are going to look at what God did in the early church and ask Him to do it in our lives as well. We are not going to explain things away or say that God doesn't work that way anymore. We are going to preach, hear, and read the Scripture and actually try and live it out by faith. We are also going to reach out all summer and pray that God will empower us and work through us. I am believing God for great things and I'll let you know how it goes!

What are you believing God for this summer beyond what you can do in your own strength?

One Legged Men Don't Run Very Fast

Last week at the Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit, I engaged in a bit of argumentation that is a bit unusual regarding the continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but it has come to make perfect sense to me.  In 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12:4-8, Paul tells us that we are all one body, the body of Christ. The body is made up of different parts and each part needs the other. 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!" (1 Cor. 12:21).  In both passages, the idea of the body is related to the discussion on spiritual gifts. Clearly from context we can conclude that the members of the body operate as the one body of Christ when each member uses his/her spiritual gifts. The body analogy does not make any sense apart from this perspective if we consider the context.

Now, if I lose my eye, hand, or leg, I am considered deformed, right? I am considered to be incomplete and not able to fully do what I was created/intended to do. If I lose my leg, I might still be able to live, breathe, think, make jokes, cook, and drive a car, but I will not be able to run as fast as before, climb mountains as well as before, or be as strong. When attempting those things, I have to compensate by being stronger in other areas, or I just sit around and remember the good old days when I used to run fast.

God has given us spiritual gifts to make us strong and he intends that we keep them till the end. "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church" (1 Cor. 14:26). That sounds like a command to me. What about 1 Corinthians 1:7?  "Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."  (See Also Ephesians 4:11-16). We know from 1 Corinthians 12-14 that the main purpose of spiritual gifts is for the building up of the church.   So, doesn't it make sense that a lack of spiritual gifts would result in a weakened church? Hmmm. What is the state of the church today? Strong or weak? Could it be that we have neglected or abandoned some of the gifts that God has given us in favor of others that are more presentable and seem easier to manage?

Again, if I am missing part of my body, I am considered deformed or unhealthy. It doesn't mean that I am worthless or that I am loved less. It just means that I am not all I could have been if I had been healthy. I am blind in my right eye, and because of that, I was not able to serve in the military like I wanted to. I also have trouble with baseball, ping pong, tennis, raquetball, and night driving because I have no depth perception. I can't see a 3-D movie. Now, I have compensated and can still play those sports and drive at night, but it isn't what it could have been. I am aware of my limitations. I don't think less of myself and I don't think that God loves me less. But, I sure wish I had that eye. One day, I will.

Could the church be that way? Could we have lost some of the gifts that God wanted us to have to be strong? Except, He didn't take them away, we just quit using them and they atrophied. Or, we ran off the people who tried to use their gifts in certain ways because it didn't make sense to those who were not gifted that way. This goes way beyond tongues, miracles, and healings. It goes to the very heart of church life in the West. If all of the people with certain gift are run off, or if they are told that their gifts cannot function or don't exist, then what are you left with?  It kind of becomes like a half put togehter Mr. Potato Head doll. You have an eye here, an ear there, a mouth and an arm. But, it doesn't quite work correctly.

So, where could we have overcompensated? One area is in an overemphasis on the pastoral and preaching offices/gifts in church life. In some churches, everything seems to revolve around the pastor. I fully believe in Biblical church leadership, but I don't see the pastor being the only one in the church who is supposed to function the way we often see. Yet, he sometimes overfunctions and the result is a weak church. "Each one" is to contribute and bring something, remember?

Not all gifts are for the purpose of building up the church, at least directly. 1 Cor. 14:12 says, "Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church."  Paul is clearly saying here, I believe, that there are gifts that do not build up the church, otherwise he would not have shown the contrast here. Some build up the user, while others build up the church. The gifts that build up the church are greater (1 Cor. 12:31; 14:1-5), but it does not mean that the lesser gifts are not important as well. Some have said that gifts like speaking in tongues are invalid because they do not build up the church, but instead, they seem to build up/strengthen the user of the gift (1 Cor. 14:4).  Is it wrong to build yourself up in your faith and become strong in the Lord? The Bible doesn't seem to think so (Jude 20; Colossians 2:6-7; Ephesians 6:10).  Don't things like prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and ministry make us strong in the Lord? Then, should it not also stand to reason that exercising our spiritual gifts makes us strong as well? If I am strong, then the whole Body is strong. When I work out my biceps, it makes them strong, but it also strengthens and equips my whole body. So, personal strength is not mutually exclusive of corporate strength, but rather, it aids it.

Is the SBC headed for atrophy? What about our local churches? Will we run off people who exercise gifts of the Spirit that God tells us not to forbid (1 Cor. 14:39)?  Will we put more stock in our traditions and church histories than the clear reading of the text of Scripture? Will we continue to hobble along, overemphasing some parts of the body because we have cut off other parts that were given for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7)?  Just because we don't understand how all of this works does not mean that we should insult the grace of our Heavenly Father who graciously gives us all things. Some say that He gave gifts to the church when she was born, only to remove those gifts within a few decades. I think that Scripture says that without all of the gifts the church would be deformed, crippled, and weakened. I believe that it also says that God, the great gift giver, does not change and is not arbitrary:

16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. - James 1:16-18.

We will be taking a HUGE step toward answering some of these questions this week with the report from the IMB Ad Hoc Committees regarding their review of the new private prayer language and baptism policies (Wade Burleson writes about this upcoming meeting HERE). I pray that these unbiblical policies will be overturned. I pray for a day when we will embrace what God has given us without prejudice. I have written and prayed for the past year and a half to see these policies overturned because I believe that they hamper the Body of Christ and keep her from being all that God intended for her to be. I am a pastor of the church of Jesus Christ, not just my local church, and my desire is to see all of God's people strong and fit for works of service. I pray that we will walk on two legs, with two strong arms, and with a strong heart beating within us empowered by the Holy Spirit and fulfilling God's purpose for us in this generation. This current struggle within the IMB and SBC is soon to be over for all intents and purposes. But, the struggle for the advancement of the Kingdom, the making of disciples, and the strengthening of the church will not end until Jesus returns. May we take the lessons that we have learned here and use them as fuel and sustenance for greater battles with the Real Enemy of our Souls as time unfolds. And, no matter what happens, may God be glorified.

Grace and Peace

   

Reflections on the Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit

The Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit was a wonderful experience. I want to join with others in saying that Dwight McKissic, the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX, is a prince among men. He was generous, gracious, and humble at all times. Regularly during our conversations, he would ask me what I thought about things.  That was amazing to me and very humbling as well. Most pastors of 2,000 member churches that I have met are wonderful men, but they are not often interested in the opinions of a 32 year old pastor of a 250 member church. That's the SBC that I've known, anyway.  We base so much on rank, influence, and what someone can do for us, or how interesting they are to us. Rarely, do we look for the value in each person. I really feel that Pastor McKissic does that and he was really an example to me. His assistant, Veronica Griffin, did an incredible job as the conference organizer. She really knew what she was doing, no doubt. Thanks Veronica for all of your hard work!

Overall, the conference went well. I especially enjoyed spending time with Dr. Sam Storms. He is a brilliant man with a passion for God and His glory. I was especially encouraged by his message on Saturday night where he laid out a perspective regarding the idea that Jesus ministered and lived by the same Holy Spirit that we do. The power that was in Jesus in now in us. The implications that he drew from that were remarkable.

I enjoyed meeting and spending some time with those who were representing a semi-cessationist view, Bart Barber and Robin Foster. Robin has a very sincere and gentle heart and it is obvious that He loves the Lord and seeks to honor Jesus in everthing he does. Bart is very intelligent and did a great job with his presentation. He and I have vigorously debated issues in the blogosphere over the past 6 months or so, but those debates have always been respectful, enjoyable, and challenging. He is no less in person. I am sharper theologically for having tangled with Bart and I am grateful that both he and Robin are in the SBC.

I also spent time with Wade Burleson, Ben Cole, Art Rogers, Jason Epps, Daniel Brymer, Bob Cleveland, Paul Burleson, Debbie Kaufman, Alyce Lee, Boyd Luter, and Dorcas Hawker. Dorcas has the best notes anywhere on the conference, if you want to read them HERE, HERE, and HERE).  UPDATE: She also has a synopsis of ALL the relevant posts and news articles HERE. Check it out. Wade has a great synopsis of the Sunday worship service HERE and a summary of Dr. Sam Storms Saturday morning presentation HERE.  I know that I missed some people, but it was a wonderful time.

I was pleased with my presentation on "Defining and Defending Continualism," and am proud to say that my presentation was the shortest in the entire conference at 35 minutes (members of my church will be shocked to hear that, I know!).  I had prepared for a 50 minute presentation, but Pastor McKissic leaned back and asked if I could cut it to a half hour because we were running short of time and things had gotten backed up. Ugh. The previous speakers had all gone a bit over, and while individually it wasn't a major deal, collectively it made the difference. I definitely wanted to be respectful of his instructions, so I started scrambling to figure out what I needed to jettison. My presentation would not make sense if sections were missing, I thought, so I decided to stick with the whole thing, but not elaborate much on each point - just let it speak for itself. I think that I was to the point, but I know that there is much more that I would have like to have said and I am sure that I left some with confusion. So, even though it felt hurried and incomplete, I trust that God used it to do His work.

My thoughts on this subject have been enumerated on my Holy Spirit posts in November, 2006 (click on Holy Spirit in Categories and move down - 4 posts). But, a couple of things seemed to jump out:

1. Dr. Sam Storms and I were asked to defend the Continualist position. Bart Barber and Robin Foster were asked to defend the Cessationist position. Unless they got more detailed instructions that we got, the results were very interesting. Without collusion, Dr. Storms and I both defended the idea that all of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit are for today, including speaking in tongues. We each talked about tongues, but they were minor parts of our presentations, as they should be. Bart and Robin both focused on tongues almost exclusively. Again, they might have had more detailed instructions, but I wonder if they did that because the main issue for many cessationists or semi-cessationists is tongues? To me, tongues are not the big deal - they are just one of many gifts.  For others, including the trustees of the IMB, it seems to be THE issue. That was educational.
2. Some people expressed surprise at my statements that no one got saved from hearing anyone speak in tongues in the Book of Acts. No one. Anywhere. In Acts 2, the 120 spoke in tongues giving praise to God, and the people heard them in their own language. The result was confusion as they asked, "What does this mean?" Peter explained it for them by clearly preaching the gospel and 3,000 were added to their number that day. In Acts 10, those in Cornelius' house spoke in tongues AFTER they heard the gospel and the Holy Spirit fell upon them. If these were intelligible human languages given for evangelisitc purposes, then what language was it? They were all Samaritans there, and at that point, they were all believers. In Acts 19, the disciples of John the Baptist, likewise, spoke in tongues and prophesied AFTER the Holy Spirit came upon them. Again, they all spoke the same language and had already believed. No evangelistic emphasis there. And, if they spoke in other human languages, what were they? Was there an interpreter? What was the purpose, since they all already spoke the same language?

I imagine that I'll go to my grave before I get satisfactory answers to those questions. In my opinion, whether your argument is from history or from theological gymnastics based on some Bible verses, you do not have much of a leg to stand upon if you stand in the cessationist quicksand. I had everyone stand up at the beginning and I read around 15 passages to them recounting God's miraculous works in the New Testament. I could have read way more, as there are over 150 passages in Scripture showing us the miraculous works of God through His people. Are we to believe that this work is over? If so, I don't think that I could believe anything that Scripture says about God. Perhaps some can, but that would basically be impossible for me. It is becoming that closely connected to the character and work of the Lord for me. But, while it is a big deal to me, I continue to reiterate that it is not something that I want to divide over. I fully respect and desire to work with any other believers who have different positions than I do on this issue. There are more important things that we should be focusing on!

Well, as I stated before, the conference was well done. I didn't agree with everything that every speaker said (on both sides), but I did agree with the gracious spirit of all who participated. May we have many more days like these.

UPDATE:  Robin Foster has put much of his paper online HERE. We engaged in healthy discussion over his points. Jason Epps debated Robin's paper HERE point by point. He provided an excellent analysis of the subjunctive mood of the Greek that Robin uses to buttress his point in the comment section of his post. It is definitely worth checking out for those who are interested in the minutae of this debate. Excellent.

Headed to the Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit - Arlington, Texas

I leave this morning for the Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit at Cornerstone Baptist Church pastored by Dwight McKissic. This promises to be a really interesting and well attended conference - Wade Burleson says that there are over 600 registered participants - Wow. that's a lot for a weekend conference. I am looking forward to it. As I stated earlier, I will be participating in a panel discussion, and I will later be presenting on "Defining and Defending the Continualist Position." As I have prepared (yes, I've prepared), for this, I have found it to be a challenging task. It is so easy to get in the weeds on issues like this, think you have to respond to every argument, and proof text your way through it. During my preparation I found that I was reacting to criticism and just trying to answer questions. It was frustrating. There is SO MUCH information on this topic, that it is difficult to narrow it down and figure out what the most important thing is.

But, I feel that clarity has come and I am excited about what I am presenting. On some levels, it will be a bit different from arguments I've made in the past and on other levels, it will be familiar. I'll share more with you after I get back, so check back on Monday for my observations from the conference. I appreciate your prayers and hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Grace and Peace

Why Do You Believe What You Believe on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Disclaimer: A couple of months ago I said that I was not going to write anymore about Baptist issues and a reader of mine called me on it in the comments section of my last post. I do want to add a few caveats, lest anyone think that I am back in the SBC stuff. I am going to write about the upcoming Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit that I am speaking at this weekend in Texas because it has to do with God, theology, missions, and God's on going work in the world. There happens to be a Baptist controversy going on right now over those things, but those issues by themselves are important enough to write about and are of interest to me. I will also give commentary on the upcoming reports from the IMB Ad Hoc Committee regarding their review of the prayer language and baptism policies due out in May because that will basically end debate on the issue one way or another. It will be over at that point. For closure, I also plan on attending the SBC Annual Meeting in San Antonio in June - unless God says otherwise, it will likely be my last. I'll write about that because it will be a personal experience in religious something or other. My involvement in all of this stuff started in December 2005 and I want to see it through. The invovlement will end in June and be intentional until then. So, with that said, let's get on to the actual post . . .

As I think about whether or not I should begin to prepare for the upcoming Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit (kidding), I've also been thinking a lot about the barriers to proper communication on this issue. I'd like some help, if you have a moment. Concerning the continuation of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, like healing, speaking in tongues, prophecy, miracles, etc., what has been your experience? What has shaped you view on the issue? Are you mainly reactive to abuses, or have you done actual biblical study on your own? Why do you believe what you believe?

I really am interested in what people think and it would be quite helpful. Personally, I think that most people who believe that the gifts are not for today either:

1. Were taught that by someone influential in their life
2. Had a bad experience with abuses and unbiblical extremes
3. Heard about a bad experience with abuses and unbiblical extremes
4. Watched TBN for 15 minutes
5. Have never experienced or seen spiritual gifts in operation so they doubt their existence
6. Other?

How many really come to a cessationist position because of careful biblical study? I know that people do, and I am not dismissing that. I would just like to understand better what passages really informed you that God no longer works that way. How does the Bible support that position? Or, can you honestly say that fear of the abuses and excesses of others have pushed you into a position where you are not open or look skeptically upon such things?

If I get a really good answer (it can be from either position) and I end up using it (minus your name) in my talk on "Defining and Defending the Continualist Position," I'll send you a copy of Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God by Gordon Fee. It is a very readable and excellent book on the role of the Holy Spirit in Paul's letters and the way that Paul saw Him operating in the church. Really good stuff! It is a scaled down version of God's Empowering Presence, which is Fee's magnum opus that is also great but unapproachable for most readers. Plus, it's a lot more expensive. So, help me out and I'll send you a free book!

Upcoming Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit

So, I thought I'd start the week off with some thoughts concerning the upcoming Baptist Conference on the Holy Spirit at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, TX. I've been asked to take part in a panel discussion on Saturday morning. I am also speaking at 3pm on the topic "Defining and Defending the Continualist Position." I've planned and led quite a few conferences, and my great hope in my participation in this one is that I'll be speaking at 3pm on Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, that time period takes the pressure off greatly.  Generally, only family members, the church custodian, and some guys moving chairs and tables in the back are around at that time, as most have retired to their homes and hotels for a much needed afternoon nap before returning in the evening. Those left in the room usually begin to sink down in their seats and drop their heads in an attitude of prayer that goes on for some time. If not careful, some have been known to actually fall out of their chairs as though they were slain, charismatic style. The 3pm crowd is quite pious, actually.

I'm thinking I really should blow the dust off the old family Bible, crack it open and prepare for this, since I will be surrounded by incredibly qualified people with academic degrees and what not. But, then I thought, why not just wing it?  Since many in the SBC consider those who believe in the continuation of miraculous Spiritual Gifts to base their sketchy theology on experience alone, I thought I'd just show up and see what happens. I'm sure it will turn out all right in the end. I have about 45 minutes to speak, I think, so I thought I'd show a video of people speaking in tongues to each other without interpretation for about 20 minutes. I could get some clips of all types of charismatic phenomena, like people barking, rolling around, and running around the church. It could be entitled, "Coming to a Baptist Church Near You If Continualists Get Their Way!"  Then, since we are experience based after all, I could divide the room up into small groups and ask people to share their feelings about the video. Was it scary? How did it make them feel? After that, I'd blast them for not having enough faith or something. I'm still working on my closing, but I don't want to put TOO much thought into, remember? Spontaneity and all.

In case you didn't realize, this was an experiment in satire. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence by stating the obvious, but I have read comments on some blogs that would lead me to believe that nuance is lost on more than a few. In all seriousness, I am VERY excited about this coming weekend. I feel that it will provide a much needed forum to discuss and debate one of the central controversies in Baptist life today. I am incredibly honored to be speaking and am very excited about the 3pm time, because I will get to go last, in a sense, and I will be able to respond to the statements made by the cessationist speakers before me, Bart Barber and Robin Foster. I am preparing as best I can, and do not plan to just wing it, even though I am sure to be dwarfed by the theological and mental heavyweights that will be my counterparts. So, I appreciate your prayers this week as I get ready for what should be a great experience.

For the Record . . .

This is a good synopsis of the issue surrounding speaking in tongues in the SBC by Sam Hodges of the Dallas Morning News: Tongues Tied: The Lowdown on a Baptist Spat. I wanted to link to it for future reference. It summarizes the issues well. HT:  Ben Cole.

Evangelicals and the Holy Spirit: Last Post! The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer

This is the last in my series on Evangelicals and the Holy Spirit, particularly in relation to the continuation of Spiritual Gifts, and especially speaking in tongues. I will attempt to answer some questions regarding the role and purpose of speaking in tongues in this post. As you read this, think about whether or not you think this is a reasonable teaching, or as SWBTS says, it is a doctrine harmful to the churches.

                                             

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Prayer

(Please note: Jesus said a great deal about prayer that is not germane to this discussion on speaking in tongues. This is in no way meant to be a comprehensive treatment of the subject of prayer.)

Let’s turn our attention to Romans 8:26-27: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”  So, what happens here?

                                           

1. The Spirit helps us in our weakness
2. We do not know what to pray for
3. The Spirit intercedes for us with unutterable groans
4. The Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will

                                       

Evangelicals and the Holy Spirit, Part 3: So, What About Speaking in Tongues?

After talking about presuppositions and foundations, it is time to move to the direct issue of speaking in tongues. This issue is important because the boards of trustees of the International Mission Board (IMB), the North American Mission Board (NAMB), and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) have all made statements and policy against this practice.  In doing so, they have gone beyond the Baptist Faith & Message2000, our confession of faith.  Where do Baptists and Evangelicals stand on this issue? Where should we stand? It is not that we should embrace speaking in tongues, or private prayer language (ppl) as many have called it. It is not that we should promote the practice. But, should we eliminate from missionary service and leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), those who do engage in this practice? Is it that big of a deal, or is it a non-essential that can be overlooked? Is there room enough in the SBC for both the pro and con positions on this issue to exist side by side? Time will tell, but I wanted to put my two cents into the debate.

                                                         

Evangelicals and the Holy Spirit, Part 2: Examining our Presuppositions

In my previous post on this issue, I dealt with the idea of the origins of cessationism (the belief that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit have ceased). I believe that cessationism is directly related to the skepticism of the Enlightenment and resulting modernism and has more in common with liberalism than with Biblical conservatism. The cessationist claims to follow Scripture as his foundation and guide, but in reality, he is taking built in presuppositions that derive from an anti-supernatural bias to the reading of the text.

                                                            

Evangelicals and the Holy Spirit, Part 1: Do you believe in Miracles?

This is the first of a several part series on Evangelicalism and the Holy Spirit. This post sets a very superficial context from a cultural and historical view that is needed, I feel, to truly understand the issues. It is longer than most blog posts and will be the longest of this series by far, but I believe it will be beneficial to the subject later in the week. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and let’s explore some issues in depth.

                                                                     

To rip off Al Michaels call when the U.S. beat Russia in hockey in the 1980 Olympics, “Do you believe in miracles?”  Every Bible believing Evangelical Christian would say yes, but there would be a lot of caveats offered for some. Some believe that, while God can do anything, the Age of Miracles have ceased and the miraculous gifts of the Spirit that were operative when the New Testament was being written are no longer given to the churches. These people are called cessationist (gifts have ceased).  Others believe that God continues to pour out his gifts  and perform miracles today. These people are called continualists (gifts have continued).  With the building controversy in the SBC over the restriction of missionaries who speak in tongues and the strong stance that Southwestern Seminary has taken against the practice, I feel that we are heading for a collision of worldviews in both the SBC and the evangelical world.  There are streams of thought (the cessationist view vs. the continualist view) that have run together for some time, but now seem to be diverging. Is this to be expected? Is it more important to stay unified or to follow what we believe the Bible to be teaching? How did we become divided? What are the solutions? I want to explore some of these questions over the next several posts and point to some possible solutions.