...subject in the Holy Bible would be the subject of spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are “gifts of God enabling the Christians to perform his or her…services in church” (Elwell, 2001, pg.1135). Spiritual gifts are given by God to help complete His work here on earth and also glorify His name. When we are chosen to by God to receive these spiritual gifts, He expects us to use those gifts in fulfilling His commission, building up the churches, and giving back to Him. That “gifts are given for the common good, that the church may receive edification” (1 Corinthians 14:5, New King James Version) Town defines a spiritual gift as the evident and manifest work of the Holy Spirit through the Christian (2001, pg. 313). He explains that, “spiritual gifts are not given merely for personal enjoyment or even primarily for an individual’s own spiritual growth” (2001, pg. 311). In the book of 1 Corinthians 12: 8 – 11 (New King James Version), it easily explains that there are nine spiritual gifts; the message of wisdom, faith by the Holy Spirit, healing by the Holy Spirit, miraculous powers, distinguishing spirits, prophecy, message of knowledge by means of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and the explanation of tongues. These all are works of the Holy Spirit and God gave them to each just as He determines as Paul stated. These are special gifts given by God without even asking for them. God gave them to us according to the will of the Holy Spirit. Depending on the type of gift we receive...
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...The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Foundational Truth Volume 8 By Peter Tan © Copyright 2008 by Peter Tan Evangelism. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher The pdf copy of this book is A$10. It has been provided free for those who can’t afford it in order that they may be blessed and grow spiritually. Please feel free to donate whatever amounts you can afford towards the upkeep of our ministry. Donations can be made via paypal to elshaddai1@bigpond.com. Please contact us for any other form of donations: Peter Tan Evangelism PO Box 27 Belconnen ACT 2616, Australia. Tel: +614 17755613 Email: elshaddai1@bigpond.com We are still in the process of paper publishing of this book. If you are interested in the translation and publishing of this book, please write to Ps Peter Tan at the above PO address. © Copyright 2008 Peter Tan Evangelism. All rights reserved. 2 PREFACE In this book we seek to focus on the practical aspects of operating the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Definitions and explanations are given on each gift but we also explain the ‘how’ of each operation. Christians need to understand what type of gifts they are receiving before they can operate in them. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not manifesting much in some places because of...
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...C03 Short Essay #3 Short Essay on Pneumatology: Spiritual Gifts Spiritual Gifts and their place in today’s world is a topic that has been debated for some timed. One gift that has received specific attention is the gift of speaking in tongues. This essay will define what spiritual gifts are, as well as differentiate them from Spiritual fruits and show which one is a sign of spiritual maturity. This essay will also discuss speaking in tongues, defining it, discussing if it is a sign of baptism in the Holy Spirit and arguing whether or not it is still a valid spiritual gift today. Spiritual Gifts are “gifts of God enabling the Christian to perform his or her (sometimes specialized) service” in the church.[1] They are supernatural gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit that enhance the work and ministry of the Christian. [2] Depending on which gift is given you use them to spread the Word of God and help the church to grown. They can be anything from the gift of prophesy, to the gift of speaking in tongues to the gift of administration. The gifts all have a place in ministry within the church. Spiritual gifts are not to be confused with Fruits of the Spirit. Fruits of the spirit such as love, joy, peace, kindness, etc. are all things that are produced in us by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). These things are not given to us, but brought out from inside of us through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit relate to our character, not the things we can do....
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...Pneumatology: Spiritual Gifts Spiritual gifts are basically just what the name implies, they are supernatural gifts given to us by God, and the Holy Spirit to your own spirit. They come in many different forms, giving us many different abilities. Spiritual gifts are given when the Holy Spirit enters into someone’s body, and are used to further glorify God and his greatness. There are many different spiritual gifts, and as is pointed out in 1st Peter 4:10 we all have atleast one, some people may have more or some people may just use theirs more than others. There is also something called the Fruit of the Spirit, although a lot like the Spiritual Gifts there are a few differences as well. Spiritual gifts are abilities to be used to glorify God, where Fruit of the Spirit is more about a person’s character and the Holy Spirit taking over their spirit. As a person matures in their spiritual journey the Fruits of the Spirit take over more gradually, showing how the Holy Spirit is taking over that person’s character. So while everyone is given a Spiritual Gift it may not always show, but anyone can develop the Fruits of the Spirit. Although there are many Spiritual Gifts that people are given, the one that seems to draw the most attention is the gift of speaking in tongues. The first record of this is in the first chapter of Acts on the day of Pentecost. The act of speaking in tongues happens when the speaker is overcome with the Holy Spirit. Some say that...
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...Section Number: THEO 201 B01 Essay on Pneumatology: Spiritual Gifts With a passion for theology and the word of God, it brings me great joy when asked to explain my beliefs. While some aspects of our faith are a little simpler to explain than others, one that is continuously debated is that of spiritual gifts. Because of a presented opportunity from a curious friend, I found it fitting to dive into the topic that is currently being debated at his home church. In Acts 2:1-4, Paul recounts Pentecost as the ultimate outpouring of the Holy Spirit to all believers, indwelling and granting them with spiritual gifts. Ephesians 4:11-12 explains that these Spirit-given abilities are not primarily bestowed for personal enjoyment or personal growth, but for Christian service and the edification of the body of Christ. Because every believer has the Holy Spirit in them from salvation (Romans 8:9), it is implied that spiritual gifts are also deposited at conversion, but may be developed at a later time. Though believers may have multiple spiritual gifts, it is guaranteed that every Christian has at least one (1 Corinthians 12:4, 31). One should not confuse spiritual gifts with the fruit of the Spirit. While both are sourced from the Holy Spirit and are results of spiritual baptism, their purposes differ. Elmer Towns describes the relationship perfectly, “A spiritual gift is an ability to be used in service, whereas spiritual fruit relates to a Christian’s character” (317). A...
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...Chapter 1 Christian life is to live in the Spirit. All persons who have the Spirit of God are children of God, and all those who are children of God have the Spirit of God. It is impossible to have the Spirit of God without being a child or a child of God without having the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). Paul said that life in the Spirit and who belong to Christ are synonymous expressions. In other words Paul is saying no one can belong to Christ without the Spirit. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 states when we purchased and the price has been paid in full, then our bodies are not our own but belongs to Him who buy / redeem us. Therefore redemption, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit because God himself who gives us the Holy Spirit. So, having the Holy Spirit is not the result of human effort but a gift from God. The Holy Spirit declared Christ to us so that we repent, and The Holy Spirit forming Christ in us. Does it have the same Holy Spirit baptism of Holy Spirit? There are two opinions of the 'same' and 'not equal'. Those who argue are not the same holy spirit teach that baptism is the experience of the two that follow, which should be experienced by all Christians after water baptism. On the other hand, argues that the baptism of the Holy Spirit belongs to all believers who have truly repented. Outpouring or baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of special blessing of the new age (2 Cor. 3:8). The phrase appears only the baptism of the holy spirit in the Bible as much as 7 times in the New...
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...To discuss spiritual gifts, specifically the issue of speaking in tongues currently being debated, one must begin with a definition of spiritual gifts and their purpose. A spiritual gift is the God-given capacity of every Christian that enables him or her to carry out or perform his or her function in the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are different from the fruit of the Spirit. According to Galatians, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV). The fruit of the Spirit is the natural harvest of a spiritually mature Christian whereas Christians receive a spiritual gift at the time of baptism in the Holy Spirit. Thus, the initial indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a Christian is at his or her baptism in the Holy Spirit. This indwelling occurs when the non-believer accepts Christ and joins all other Christians in the body of Christ. At the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a spiritual gift is given, and the work on the fruit of the Spirit begins. This baptism first occurred on the Day of Pentecost to...
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...Kendall Lucy THEO 201 – D17 Short Essay 3 Spiritual Gifts Logging in to facebook yesterday, I noticed that I had a message from an old friend that I had not seen since high school. She wanted to know if I would talk to her about spiritual gifts and answer some questions that were being debated in her church. She wanted answers to questions about spiritual gifts, the Fruit of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. I told her that I would share the biblical view of spiritual gifts. I sent her an email with the answers to her questions. Here is a part of the email that I sent to her. In 1 Corinthians 12, we learn that spiritual gifts are given to God’s people by the Holy Spirit for “the common good.” Verse 11 says the gifts are given according to God’s sovereign will. Ephesians 4:12 tells us these gifts are given to prepare God’s people for service and for building up the body of Christ. While there are different kinds of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4), spiritual gifts are God-given graces meant for works of service. There are two major evidences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The outward evidence is speaking with tongues. Further evidence of the Spirit’s abiding presence in our lives is the Fruit of the Spirit, which Paul mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. A spiritual gift is an ability to be used in service, whereas spiritual fruit relates to a Christian’s character. Many...
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...THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY The Working of the Holy Spirit: Charismatic Theology Submitted to Dr. Lee Mitchell in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of THEO 510 Survey of Christian Doctrine by Teri Washington July 4, 2015 Table of Contents Thesis Statement 1 The Need for the Study 1 The Procedure for the Study 1 Introduction 1 Defining Charismatic Theology 1 History of Charismatic Theology 2 Declarations 2 Baptism of the Holy Spirit 2 Speaking in Tongues 3 Gift of Healing 4 Gift of Prophecy 5 Slain in the Spirit 7 Personal Views 7 Opposing Views 9 Conclusion 10 Selected Bibliography 11 Thesis Statement Charismatic Theology gives contemporary Christians faith that they may experience declarations of the Holy Spirit in the same manner as first century Christians. The Need for the Study There is controversy surrounding the declarations of Charismatic Theology. This research will provide ways in which Scripture is manipulated to meet ones individual needs. Biblical exegesis will be utilized to provide clarification between Scripture and its alterations. The Procedure for the Study Introduction Charismatic Theology takes an in-depth look at the supernatural experiences explained in the Bible. These experiences are considered gifts that Christians receive from God. Not everyone...
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...Pneumatology: Spiritual Gifts Spiritual gifts are capacities given to believers in Christ or “useful functions for God” in spiritual service. The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is produced in believers by the Spirit to sanctify them through the production of His character. Spiritual gifts are abilities used in service to God while spiritual fruit involves the character of Christians. The Fruit of the Spirit, produced only by the indwelling of the Spirit, exhibits the spiritual maturity of believers. My personal definition of spiritual gifts is the following: Spiritual gifts are abilities given by God to every Christian for different types of service, each person receiving one or more gifts, with purposes including: to give God glory through service, to accomplish His will, and to edify believers. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and His indwelling is directly related to salvation. When a person accepts Jesus as his or her Savior, the Spirit indwells the new believer immediately, not in a subsequent experience. This indwelling places the believer in the Body of Christ. Salvation is not a two-step process, but is instead a change in a person’s relationship with God. Biblical definitions of speaking in tongues are: a gift of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 that may have two functions: In the book of Acts, it is an “initiation” gift given to affirm entrance to the Church Body. It may also be a spiritual gift given by God to individuals to display the gift in church service...
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...This week I wrote a lesson for teaching or preaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. My lesson is intended to bring clarification to the misunderstanding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Helpful feedback I received this week: To trust God in the path of my calling. This is what I did this week on my ministry project: This lesson is about the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues. At times confusion circulates from the distinction between spiritual gifts and the fruit of the spirit. There seems to be a burden in the church setting...
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..."The Ministry of the Holy Spirit then and now" The Annual Jewish Barley Harvest Festival was the setting for the initial out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. It was Israel's Thanksgiving Day. What the Jews celebrated on that day help us to understand the coming of the Holy Spirit. It signaled the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of the New Covenant. Covenants play a big part in the history of God's relationship with the people. God's covenants are formal statements describing his commitments to us. At that particular Pentecost it was the anniversary of the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit introduced a New Covenant (new terms for relating to God). It was the start of a new way to accept God, know and live with him. Today we relate to God through his Spirit who lives in everyone who trusts Jesus. God's Spirit living in us writes God's law into our minds and hearts and guarantees God's commitments will be carried out. (Corporation, 2002) It is the fiftieth day after the Sabbath of Passover week. It is called the Feast of Weeks. The people were bewildered that day because the disciples were present and they were Galileans and not known to be a well educated. It was the morning of the tenth day after Jesus was lifted to heaven; thousands of pilgrims moved through the streets of Old Jerusalem to the temple are for worship. The prayer of approximately 120 people was interrupted by a deafening roar, as if a tornado was there. The image of wind conveyed that God was being experienced...
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...participants because they have to be understood psychologically and theologically. There are seven sacraments in Catholicism: Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, The Eucharist, Penance, Anointing the Sick and Holy Orders. People learn and remember and they remember from practice of prayer and of the involvement and preparation of the sacraments. (Martos 2009). These sacraments help people work together in the Catholic Community and celebrate God every day. Mt 25 34-46. Confirmation is one of three Catholic sacraments of initiation, it connects the recipient and reveals communion with God and his grace. “Confirmation is regarded as the perfection of Baptism, because, as the introduction to the Rite of Confirmation states: by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. They are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.” In the Eastern Catholic churches, Confirmation is known as Christmation and confers a, “sacramental character that cannot be erased and predisposes the Christian person to receive the life of God and his division protection.” According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “A sacrament is which the Holy Ghost is given to those already baptized in order to make them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus. Confirmation can be conferred only on those who have been baptized and have not yet been confirmed...
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...Theologies of Pentecostals and Charismatics…….……….………2 a. Brief History of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements……..……….2-3 b. The Beliefs of the Pentecostals and Charismatics…………………..............3-5 III. The Bible and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit……………………..……….…….....5 IV. The Bible and Gifts of the Holy Spirit…………………………………….………..6 V. Scholarly Perspectives on Speaking in Tongues ………………………….………..7 a. Speaking in Tongues: A Reversal of the Babel Event at Pentecost….……..7-8 b. Psychiatric Views of Speaking in Tongues……………………….…......….8-9 c. Speaking in Tongues as Spiritual Warfare…………………………….…....9 VI. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….…....10 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………......…11 I. Introduction Author Paul Enns presents his perspectives on the supernatural gift of speaking in tongues and the Holy Spirit in his book The Moody Handbook of Theology, Revised and Expanded. However, Enns believes that gift ceased at the end of the Apostolic Age. This view is flawed because it does not take into account the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues in today’s modern world. Whether the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still at work and bestowed upon believers today is an issue causing considerable confusion, disagreement, and tension within the Christian community. There are as many arguments for as against the degree of...
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...brushed under the rug due to the spiritual gift becoming ceased in AD 70 (CC); however, the argument of whether it was truly ceased or not is in question. This in fact is where I was asked to step in. I first broke down the meaning of spiritual gifts, which are gifts of God enabling the Christian to perform his or her service such as the gift of prophets, evangelists and teaching (Elwell p.1135). Ephesians 4:12-13 and 15 state that spiritual gifts were given “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [complete, mature] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . . speaking the truth in love, [that we] may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” After breaking down the meaning of spiritual gifts, my friend further asked, “Aren’t spiritual gifts the same as the Fruit of the Spirit?” I proceeded to explain that with 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 as a base, each service has a different gift all for the common good. The most significant difference between the two is that spiritual gifts were merely GIFTS that God gave to us so He can work through us. We did not earn them. Fruits of the spirit are what we earn from God by abiding in His word and obeying His every command. To better understand, one uses his or her gift to receive the fruits of the spirit. Another difference is that there...
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