12:10
We now get quite a long list of gifts: performing miracles , prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation. Performing miracles seems to speak for itself. There are those, cessationists,who claim the gifts were only for the time of the apostles. I have to say I can see no Biblical evidence for this view whatsoever. Moreover, it seems to be placing a restriction upon God and what He can do! Now there are undoubtedly abuses of the gifts, but that is no reason to say they aren't for today. There are abuses of preaching every Sunday, but I have not heard anyone say we should not preach!
Prophecy in the New Testament is frustrating, for there is very little information on how it functioned. There are those, including Schreiner, who say it functions exactly like Old Testament prophecy, but this view does not seem to take into account the full renage of Old Testament prophecy. When we think of Old Testament prophets we think of Isaiaj, Jeremiah, Amos etc. But there were also prophets like Elijah and Elisha. With Isaiah and the like we are primarily concerned with what they said, with Elijah and Elisha we are more concerned with what they did. Then there were other prophets as well.
Distinguishing between spirits, or discernment, is definitely needed. Satan sometimes appears as an angel of light. Sometimes it is very straightforward to distinguish between what is good and what is not. At other times spiritual discernment is required.
There is debate about whether tongues are limited to speaking in actual human languages, as had happened in Acts 2, or whether it can include other languages. I would have to day that the Biblical evidence supports the latter. Paul will have more to say about this later. Presently he is merely demonstrating the great variety of gifts that exist. There can also be interpretation of tongues. This is something that Paul considers to be quite an important gift, but one that is rather neglected today.
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