evangelist-7
New Member
The NT churches spread the gospel and confirmed it’s truth with signs and wonders
“… and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” (Acts 2:43, 5:12).
The NT churches were given powerful spiritual gifts to be used in the church and for evangelism
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit … the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge,
faith, gifts of healings, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues,
interpretation of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
Paul was trained by the Lord for 17 years (Galatians 1:11--2:1), but …
“… my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be
in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 1:5)
The apostles warned that false teachers and false doctrines were coming
“… there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies
… And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words …” (2 Peter 2:1-3)
Also see 2 Cor. 4:2, Eph. 4:14, Eph. 5:15-17, Col. 2:22, 1 Tim. 1:10, 2 Tim. 3:13, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, Heb. 13:9
The 2 major causes of the early destruction of the spiritual gifts in the Christian church ...
First, we must recognize Satan and his powerful influence
Satan, our mortal enemy, is the greatest liar and deceiver in the history of the world.
“the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).
“there is no truth in him ... he is liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
“the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) … and … “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31).
No one works against God and His purposes with more fury than Satan.
He obviously attacks those who have the most spiritual power and authority.
And he obviously attacks the doctrines that have the most spiritual power attached to them.
Second, the “have-not” church leaders were an obvious problem
The Lord did NOT give powerful spiritual gifts to everyone in the NT churches.
These gifts were special anointings, which were connected with the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Naturally, those who did NOT have these spiritual gifts were jealous of those who had them.
The “have-nots” in church authority had to find a way to protect their prestigious positions.
They decided that pointing to 1 Corinthians 13:10 was their safest and best excuse.
And many “have-not” church members went along with this rationalization.
1 Corinthians 13:
8 … But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease;
whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect (complete) has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child;
but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as also am known.
“But when that which is perfect (complete) has come” … the NKJV footnote says:
“Most likely, this is a reference to the Second Coming of Christ and the completion of all things
(see verse 12). But some have interpreted this as referring to the completion of the NT canon.”
As far as the NT canon being "that which is perfect" … it simply cannot be what Paul meant.
Good exegesis simply disallows this interpretation. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth
and he was writing things that were perfectly understandable to them. They had no way
of knowing that there was even going to be a New Testament canon when Paul wrote this.
I don't believe the Holy Spirit would have inspired Paul to write something to them that
would have been totally incomprehensible because this was not at all a prophetic writing.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly” … the NKJV footnote refers to Philippians 3:12 …
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected;
but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
“face to face” … the NKJV footnote refers to 1 John 3:2 …
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
The inevitable result of this major doctrinal change
There was a steadily-decreasing belief in this baptism and its’ resulting spiritual gifts.
Unbelief, and the lack of seeking these blessings, resulted in fewer and fewer people receiving them.
So, belief in the doctrine of the “second blessing”,
and the knowledge that the spiritual gifts had not passed away,
spiraled downward, and a great many dry years followed … until the early 1900’s.
.
