#johnmacarthur #holyspirit #charismatic #Pentecostal #personaldevelopmentfriends Had to repost this to include certain words for clarity. Regarding John MacArthurs continued rants against the gifts of the Spirit: John MacArthur in the past has had some written some good things. However he has always been anti-charismatic. Many will take the verses in 1 Cor. 13th chapter and utilize them as the reasoning behind their attitude that gifts such as tongues, etc. have ceased. The problem with going to the Greek in many instances is that they dont apply the specific situation accurately in regards to the whole bible. Remember, Paul told Timothy that ALL scripture is profitable... However, one thing that too many miss is that not all scripture is not directly applicable to the dispensation in which we live. Can we learn from other dispensations? Of course, thats why All scripture is profitable. Do we need to take bulls and goats to the synagogue to be sacrificed? No because not all scripture is directly applicable. When the verses mentioned in 1 Cor. 13 say, regarding tongues, they shall cease. They are technically correct. The Greek word for cease indicates that there is an immediate cessation. True, however it must clearly be understood that tongues are for the Church Age (Acts 2nd chapter), the dispensation in which we live. And it must be understood that the Church Age is a mystery as Paul calls it. Paul uses the Greek word for mystery, musterion correctly, meaning something that was not previously revealed but is now at this time manifest. Nothing was ever mentioned in the Old Testament about the Church Age, the present dispensation in which we live that we sometimes refer to as the Age of Grace. There are 7 dispensations God lays out in His Word. No one knew a thing about the Church Age in the Old Testament, nothing was ever said, it was a musterion. All of the gifts mentioned in the New Testament, with the exception of two, were applicable at times in the O.T. The only two not used in the O.T. was tongues and interpretations of tongues. Why? Because they were for the Church Age, a time period when the Holy Spirit wouldnt just come on someone, but actually come to live in them. A musterion for the O.T. writers. When will tongues cease immediately? When the Church, to whom they were specifically given, is taken away. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, thats when, so yes, there will be an immediate and abrupt halt to them. Just not while the Church is here. The verses following in 1 Cor. talk about wisdom and knowledge vanishing. It is not the same Greek word that was in previous verses used to note tongues ceasing, the word used here being translated in English as either removed or vanishing, means to dissipate, to become of less importance. And when will that happen? Read the verses following, When that which is Perfect comes. That which is Perfect is Him, the Lord Jesus Christ who will come to live among us. Then we will have wisdom and knowledge, the very personification of such within our midst. I am one of the most vocal opponents of motivational speaking in the pulpit, and of theatrics. I think there are times when we should lighten up, without a doubt. But I am saddened by the lack of deep teaching in churches across the country, Im not picking on any one church because theyre everywhere. Theres too many that wont teach because they just dont know how to. And puhleeze, dont give me the you cant argue with success baloney. Look some of the big ministries out there, you know what Im talking about. Big is not necessarily beautiful. What are the purposes of the five fold ministry gifts? As the Word says to equip the Saints to do the Work of the ministry. You cant be equipped by taking 50 classes in a semester and expect to get any type of depth. And you cant be entertained into deep bible teaching. ~TH Lack of good, solid, verse by verse teaching is what dispels inaccurate preaching.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 20:45:58 +0000
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