House Church Talk - Re: cessation of spiritual gifts

[Ross J Purdy]

Hi David,

David writes:
> RC Sproul, a popular theologian, was recently interviewed on one of the
> major Christian cable networks. He was illustrating some point of
> doctrine and said: "Just as we don't raise the dead today..." At that
> point he was interrupted by someone else on the stage who claimed to
> regularly raise people from the dead.
>
> (I am NOT suggesting that he did or did not raise the dead. I personally
> would like to see somebody raised in downtown Chicago or Times Square for
> a change. Really, If you have gone on into glory, is being brought back
> here something to desire?)

Ross writes:
I can sympathize with those who want to exercise gifts and try, but I think
they are missing something God has provided which is superior. I have been
confronted by those claiming to have gifts of the HS and I am just not
impressed (and it seems that is what they are trying to do either blatantly
or humbly). I can't justify their interpretation of an experience with the
descriptions in the Bible.


> Did you ever read the book by RJ Rushdoony entitled "Revolt Against
> Maturity?" It's a few decades old but right on in many ways.

Rushdoony is a hard read for a dispensationalist ;) I'll look it up.


> The maturity of which you speak directly reflects upon the biblical
> concept of eldership, which I believe is much more comprehensive in its
> application than most dare to consider.
>
> Ross, I suppose that your view of maturity includes charity, somewhere
> very near the top.

The functions that the gifts filled in the infant Body of Christ are now
supposed to be taken over by the mature in the Body of Christ. Of course, I
don't see elders as offices as if there was a hierarchy of offices in the
Body. They are merely senior citizens as opposed to youngers/youngsters on
the other end of the spectrum. Again, our early English Bibles were produced
in an effort to be accepted by the Church of England with its episcopal set
up and then there were the presbyterians to please with their rule by
elders(officers).

Maturity presupposes wisdom and experience, but for leadership, love is
foremost and crowns the rest. Leadership does now what gifts did in the
first century, prepares saints to edify one another even as it edifies. I
see leadership as by example in contrast to eldership's rule by authority.
Of course, all good rulers know that they will be farther ahead if they can
employ genuine leadership as much as possible instead of the coercion of
authority. Every good leader knows that they become proportionally
ineffective to the amount of authoritative intimidation they employ. Love
gains respect and when things get tough sacrifices are made out of love and
respect. Authority must keep a tight grip in order to keep things going when
the going gets tough, and those not under the thumb will run! (Of course, I
am contrasting opposite ends of the spectrum here.)

In Christ,
Ross Purdy