Tonight’s Bible study (looking at 1 Cor 12:1-11) looked at the practical question ‘How do you receive spiritual gifts?’ In actual fact, this was not the problem the Corinthians had, for Paul wrote to them on how to use the spiritual gifts they had already received (see 1 Cor 14 in particular). But it’s helpful sometimes to look at the Biblical teaching of the baptism of the Holy Spirit since this is a pathway into receiving the spiritual gifts.
When a person becomes a Christian, they receive the Holy Spirit (see Rom 8:9-11, Eph 1:13-14, John 20:21-23). It is clear from Acts 1-2 that those present on the Day of Pentecost (when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers) already believed in Jesus; this experience was separate to their initial coming to faith. Acts 2:1-4 shows us all the believers gathered together and all receiving the Holy Spirit, evidenced throughspeaking in tongues. Acts 8:14-17 shows Peter and John with people in Samaria who had already accepted the Word but who experienced the power of the Holy Spirit when Peter and John prayed for them. Acts 10:44-46 gives us an example of someone becoming a Christian and being baptised in the Spirit at the same time (the latter astonished the Jews with Peter because they were stunned that God would pour out His Spirit on Gentiles!) Acts 19:1-7 also shows Christians in Ephesus coming into a fuller experience of the Holy Spirit as Paul taught them more.
There are many who believe these accounts, but who would argue that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the ways described in the book of Acts or 1 Cor 12 & 14 is no longer happening today. However, God has been working through His Spirit in these ways throughout history. Mark Tanner, in his excellent book ‘The Introvert Charismatic’, has a chapter called ‘Charismatics Throughout History’, which looks at evidence for these spiritual gifts continuing through the ministry of the ‘church fathers’, Montanism, Messalianism, and other movements right up to the early 1900s when the Holy Spirit worked in Azusa Street in the USA through the ministry of Charles Parham and William Seymour, who preached that these spiritual gifts were available today long before they actually were able to speak in tongues themselves! On many occasions, those who preached these truths have been condemned as heretics and asked to leave churches; fresh revelation of truth often seems to result in new denominations largely because the old denominations cannot cope with their theology being challenged. We need to understand that we must preach what the word of God teaches even if this conflicts with our own personal experience. In determining truth, we must rest on the authority of God’s word, then on the witness and leading of the Holy Spirit within us and only then allow our own experience to guide us. We must always be careful not to dismiss the unusual as wrong; God moves in mysterious ways and often disturbs the comfortable!
The 20th century saw a great revival of God’s ‘power signs’ (such as are described in 1 Cor 12.) Pentecostal pioneers such as Smith Wigglesworth, Stephen Jeffreys and Donald Gee were reviled by many but saw many signs and wonders, with thousands saved through their preaching and many healings and miracles taking place. In the 1960s, the Charismatic renewal saw many Christians in ‘traditional’ denominations also receiving the baptism of the Spirit and becoming open to spiritual gifts. The Vineyard movement (led by John Wimber) and the ‘Alpha’ course (with its emphasis on coming to know Jesus and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, pioneered by Nicky Gumbel at the Anglican church Holy Trinity Brompton) have all been extremely influential in spreading the experience of Pentecost to different branches of Christendom.
We need to be aware of our heritage but must also understand that God gives ‘power gifts’ in order to build up the church and to draw people into a living relationship with God. We need to seek God in order to receive the baptism in the Spirit and the spiritual gifts He gives to the church. These gifts are necessary as they provide the power, revelation and evidence we need to witness to a sceptical world.
