Some today believe that the miraculous
gifts ceased with the ending of the Apostolic era and the completion of the
canon of Scripture. There is little
ground to rest that in case in the Bible; and this is not a technical,
exhaustive answer – but I think Dr. Sam Storms gives a good answer. Even those who claim that gifts have ceased,
don't hold to that completely. Many
believe in healing, for example. However
where the battle rages is over the 'revelatory' gifts. The argument in a nutshell is that now that
we have the witness of Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament, prophecy,
wisdom, knowledge are unnecessary. That
is logical but not well grounded in Scripture.
Storms writes:
"The
primary, but not exclusive, purpose of spiritual gifts is to edify others.
Gifts are 'other-oriented' . . . One
primary purpose of miraculous phenomena is to edify and build up the body of
Christ. The miraculous gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 are distributed to
average Christians 'for the common good' (v. 7), that is, for the welfare and
growth of everyone in the church.
Paul
explicitly asserted in 1 Corinthians 14:3 that prophecy, one of the miraculous
gifts listed in 12:7-10, serves to edify, exhort, and console others in the church.
The one who prophesies 'edifies the church' (1 Cor. 14:4). We find a similar
emphasis in 1 Corinthians 14:5 where Paul said that tongues, when interpreted,
also edify the church. In 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul exhorted those in an
assembly to be prepared to minister with a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a
tongue, an interpretation—all of which are designed, he said, for 'edification'
. . . My point is this: all the gifts of the Spirit, whether tongues or
teaching, whether prophecy or mercy, whether healing or helps, were given,
among other reasons, for the edification and building up and encouraging and
instructing and consoling and sanctifying of the body of Christ. Even if
miraculous gifts were no longer needed to attest and authenticate, a point I
concede only for the sake of argument, such gifts would continue to function in
the church for the other reasons cited."[1]
Dr. Storms has a more extensive response HERE.
[1] Storms, Sam (2002-04-01). The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts
(Beginner's Guides (Servant)) (pp. 25-26). Vine Books. Kindle Edition.
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