When the church was first formed, after Christ’s ascension, spiritual gifts were alive and active in the church. In the New Testament (primarily in the Pauline Epistles), many gifts are listed; however, it should be noted that not all gifts are listed in Scripture. Paul does not mention all of the gifts that a believer can have, but of the ones he does give, many have caused division and separations between denominations and groups of believers. From these various splits arise three primary groups of believers: Cessationalists, Charismatics, and those in between the two. In this paper, we will discuss what the various gifts are, what each groups believes should be done with these gifts, and what would be an accurate and reasonable position for the modern church to hold on this sensitive issue. For the church, an accurate and reasonable position for the modern church to hold is one that the gifts are alive and active, but should be used in extreme caution.
Before a discussion on the various groups can take place, a general survey of the gifts mentioned in Scripture and their original purpose is required. Every theologian has his or her own system of grouping the gifts together, but for this paper, the grouping used by the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible will be the primary group system. The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible groups the spiritual gifts into four different lists: gifts of revelation, gifts of healing and power, gifts of leadership, and gifts of service. Gifts of service are gifts that are given by God but are also manifested through direct acts. Because of the nature of these gifts, it is safe to assume that all groups found in Christianity agree upon these gifts and their usage for today. This group of gifts involves ...
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Pentecostalism is considered one of the greatest universal movement that transformed immensely the history of Christianity. It emphasized a personal interaction with God facilitated by baptism of the individual by Holy Spirit (Alexander, 43). One of the proponents of Pentecostalism is William Seymour. He is regarded as the initiator of Pentecostal movement because of his fundamental teachings on the role of Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life (Heaton 35). Therefore, this research paper aims to describe the contributions of William Seymour to evolution of Pentecostalism. The guiding thesis is that Seymour orchestrated the Pentecostal movement that swept the nation all over the world, which later contributed to the creation of new religious denominations that shared common beliefs, practices, and customs.
Revelations of Divine Love is a 14th century masterpiece written by Julian of Norwich. This book is an account of St. Julian’s sixteen different mystical revelations in which she had encountered at a time of great suffering and illness. St. Julian focussed on the many “mysteries of Christianity.” Through her many revelations she encountered God’s vast love, the existence of evil, God’s heart for creation, the father and mother-heart of God, and the need to obey her Father in Heaven. Amongst these revelations the most powerful was the revelation of God’s love and character. Revelations of Divine Love is a wonderful source of revelation to connect a reader to the Father.
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This great “Father of the Church,” wrote a handbook on the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and love. The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love was written in the year 420. It is a brief handbook on the proper mode of serving God, through faith, hope, and love. It is easy to say what one ought to believe, what to hope for, and what to love. But to defend our doctrines against the slander of those who think differently is a more difficult and detailed task. If one is to have this wisdom, it is not enough just to put an enchiridion in the hand. It is also necessary that a great eagerness be in the heart.
Rogers, Adrian. "The Gifts of the Wise Men and Our Gifts to Jesus." LoveWorthFinding. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Throughout the Western culture, Christianity has played a crucial role in the spiritual life of many people. In fact, it is a one of the largest religion in the world with an estimating range from 2 to 3 billion Christians (Religions of the World: Numbers of Adherents; Growth Rates). Spreading with this worldwide religion, the idea that God is at the centre of daily life has a high importance to many people. In the early 20th Century, one of the significant developments of Christianity was the Pentecostal Movement (A Brief History of Christianity). More specifically, Pentecostalism is “the principles and practices of Pentecostal religious groups, characterized by religious excitement and talking in tongues”; its most remarkable detail is its emphasis of the Holy Spirit and the value of prayer (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn). It has outspread around the world by the people who believed that they had experienced the marvelous moves of God.
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The Bible student, laymen, or pastor will find the principles presented by Fee and Stuart helpful despite the weaknesses presented. The author’s contribution on how to interpret each of the different genres is especially beneficial. The Bible Student will have more knowledge of how to interpret God’s Word when finished with the work. Fee and Stuart achieve their goal helping the reader not only with interpretation, but with application.
The area of Spiritual gifts is one which holds great interest for me. The thought that the different areas of effectiveness and skills are from God is interesting. I grew up with the teaching that we had God given abilities but never equated these with "spiritual gifts". They were just skill that we had been born with. I felt that our genetics and social conditioning had as much to do with these "gifts" as the Holy spirit did. Since there are non-Christians who exhibit these same abilities and gifts and when I was not a Christian I still had the desire to encourage others (encouragement is my spiritual gift). So I guess that I just never thought of these as spiritual gifts.
Biblical witness centers on the Spirits activity of “binding believers to Christ, incorporation them into the church as the body of Christ and equipping the church for mission.” Despite the best effort of the Church to be the hands and feet of Christ it is reassuring to know that the Spirit is still present and working in the hearts of people outside of the church’s work. Without the work of the Spirit in the hearts of believers and throughout the word, humanity would not know the love of God. The Holy Spirit gives liberates and brings new life it unites, encourages and brings hope to a world pledged by darkness.
The author has tried something completely different in between the parts two to five. There is a sharp break from the earlier ways of writing the instructions. This book is one of the most important books ever written on theology. The scholarship is very much dazzling and gives a very balanced presentation of all the major issues that are there in biblical studies. There is also a certain breadth of vision that has taken the American scholarship far too seriously.
During the time of Jesus, God’s and demigods were believed to have healed the sick and raised people from the dead. Some believed famous and virtuous men could calm storms, chase away pestilence, and abide by greetings as gods. Christian authors viewed the miracles of Jesus as works of love and mercy showing compassion for a sinful and suffering humanity. Each miracle involves specific teachings and they were an important component of Jesus’ divinity and the dual natures of Jesus as God and ...
Theopedia, an Encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity." Theopedia, an Encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. (Theopedia) (Theopedia)