Spiritual Gifts, Attestation of the Word.

Mar 16:20  And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. 

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
 

Does this mean that only the gifts mentioned in verse 8 will be the ones that cease or fade away?
There are nine spiritual gifts referred to in scripture.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

If these gifts were in operation for a specific purpose and that purpose is now complete, then what about the other five gifts.
Namely: the power gifts, Faith, the working of miracles and the gifts of healing.
And what of the last two, the gift of wisdom and the discerning of spirits.

Have these also ceased?

We see in 1 Cor 13:13 The word “Abideth” which is the greek word menō

1Co 13:13  And now abideth (menō)  faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity

This word menō, translated “abideth” means, remain, continue, endure, stand.

So, we know the things that remain are Faith, Hope and Charity (Love).

If we look at the reasons for the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit and why they were given, we will see whether or not they are still needed today.
If the need ceases, then it follows that the gifts cease.
 

What was the reason, Spiritual gifts were given?

They were given to confirm the words of the Apostles.
 

Mar 16:19  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 
Mar 16:20  And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. 

They were given for attestation, evidence or proof of something, a witness to or formally certifying something.

The preaching of the gospel was confirmed by signs following. The signs attested to the truth of the gospel.
 

They were given to bear witness to the truth.
 

Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 
Heb 2:4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? 

God bore witness with signs and wonders, miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus Himself did many miracles and signs which attested to His ministry.

Joh 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 

These signs and wonders were done so that we may believe.
 

Joh 20:30  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 
Joh 20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Signs  – Point the way to Jesus
 

We have to remember, there was no New Testament at that time. The Gospels had not yet been written. The Word of God was a work in progress. God’s Word was being given by revelation through the Apostles and God was attesting the validity of His Word by signs and wonders.

Signs are no longer needed, because we have the complete word. The Apostles were let into ALL truth

John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

 

We have “everything we need to life and godliness.
 

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

God has finally spoken through His Son.
 

Heb 1:1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 
Heb 1:2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 

There is no need for further revelation.
The foundation of the faith is based on the Apostles and Prophets teaching, revealed by Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.
 

Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
 

The final Foundation was laid.

When a foundation is laid, it is on that foundation that a building is built. There is no more foundation to be laid.
Nothing more to be added. The Canon is closed.

Therefore, there are no need for Tongues and Interpretation, no more Prophecy, no more words of Wisdom or Knowledge. No more signs and wonders to attest any new words. We have all that we need pertaining to eternal life.

The work of the Apostles is complete, come to maturity. (Teleios).

The need for these gifts of the Holy Spirit has finished. Also there is no one to pass them on.

The way they were passed on, has ceased.

The Holy Spirit was passed on through the laying on of the Apostles hands (only the apostles could do it),
 

Act 8:14  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 
Act 8:15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 

Act 8:16  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 

Act 8:17  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 

Act 8:18  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 

Act 8:19  Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 

The Holy Spirit and the gifts were by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles only.

The Apostles of the Lamb have gone. They were and never will be replaced.
In spite of the Apostolic succession taught by Rome and the teaching of the New Apostolic Reformation of today. There are no more Apostles.

The qualification for Apostleship was quite clear in scripture. Those that saw the Lord Jesus.

Judas, one of the original twelve, after his death, was replaced by Matthias.
 

Act 1:21  Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 
Act 1:22  Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. 
 

Later the Apostle Paul who met Jesus on the road to Damascus became an Apostle, the Apostle to the Gentiles.
Jesus speaking to Ananias, giving him special dispensation to lay hands on Saul:
 

Act 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he (Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 
Act 9:16  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 
Act 9:17  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 

The twelve at Ephesus receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the Apostle’s hands.
 

Act 19:1  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 
Act 19:2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 
Act 19:3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 
Act 19:4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 
Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 
Act 19:6  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 
Act 19:7  And all the men were about twelve. 

We see in his letter to the Romans, Paul desired to come to Rome to give them some spiritual gifts.
 

Rom 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 

Since all the Apostles of Jesus are gone, the means whereby one received these gifts have also ceased.

We are told in scripture that the gifts of the Spirit would fail, they would cease, they would fade or vanish away.

By 100 AD, these spiritual gifts has ceased. The Revelation by the Apostle John was the last book of the New Testament. There were no more revelation to be attested, so the gifts were not needed any more.

There was a claim that the gifts were revived by the Montanists. In AD 172 Montanus claimed the same supernatural gifts that the apostles yet he was universally condemned by the church as a heretic.
This happened again in 1900 with a woman called Agnes Ozman, who claimed to speak in tongues and this led to the Pentecostal movement of William J. Seymour and then to the modern day Charismatics.

However, this phenomenon is rejected by those that believe that the gifts ceased in the 1st century.

The Apostle Paul prophesied this would happen and he was a true Apostle.

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 

Notice it says, That which is perfect, not who, is perfect, (The word perfect in Greek is Teleios).

Teleios is Greek neuter, and is talking about a thing, not a person. So this cannot be, as some say, referring to Jesus when He returns. It must be referring to the completion or maturing of a particular thing.

The Gifts were to reveal the Word of God – We now have the COMPLETE (Teleios) MATURE word of God. We know, not in part, but we know fully.
 

We now have complete knowledge and complete prophecy, therefore spiritual gifts have ceased.

1 Cor 13:11-13

Spiritual gifts were part of the immature church 1 Cor 13:11, they were put away when the fullness of the Word was complete.
The gifts were like a scaffold, holding up the immature church, until the foundation was laid.

Now the church has the full revelation of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, the revealed will of God, delivered by the Apostles and Prophets. The foundation of the church, of which Jesus is the cornerstone.
Now we can see clearly what was seen dimly, through a glass.
 

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

 

Even though the spiritual gifts have ceased, this does not mean that miracles or healing has ceased.
God still works today through the power of prayer.
There are still testimonies of miraculous things that happen as a result of the prayers of the saints.

However, no one possesses the gift of healing or the working of miracles, or any of the other gifts.

An example of this is the fact that those that possessed the gift of healing in the early church, didn’t just pray for someone and waited for God to act. They actually laid hands on them and they were instantly, miraculously healed, they had the temporary gift of healing or miracles which ever was the case.
It was the same with tongues and interpretation or prophecy.

Even though these temporary gifts have been removed, God still gives gifts and ministries to the church but they are not resident gifts.

There are still Elders, (bishops/overseers), Deacons, Pastors and Teachers, there are still church apostles, (church planters/missionaries), Evangelists, Preachers, Singers, Helps, Administration etc. All for the building up, and edification of the Body of Christ.

The things that remain are Faith, Hope and Love, until the coming of Christ.
When He comes we shall realise our Faith and our Hope and then only Love will abide forever.
 

1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

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