House Church Talk - Re: cessation of spiritual gifts (was: Glenn, may I forward ...)

[Ross J Purdy]

>David Anderson
> >writes:
> > ...How do we find the balance between the need for gifted teaching, and
> >the need for the whole body to participate?  How do you get the whole
> >church in the house to use their gifts?
> > Any comments?

Glenn S. wrote:
> Finally, I think it is very likely that the "cessation of spiritual
> gifts" theory popularized today arose out of a situation in the early
> centuries whereby there were few of the Spirit's gifts

Not just "few" but rather none at all!

>--only because
> there were few who were genuinely indwelt by the Spirit of God.

No, only because, as Paul says, they would and did pass away whereas Love,
Hope, and Faith remain. Love forever, but Hope and Faith until the coming of
the Lord where they shall be realized.

The cessation of spiritual gifts, at least those enumerated in Rom 12, 1Cor
12-14, Eph 4, and refered to in 1Pet 4 is fact. It was implied that these
gifts were predicated upon maturity but that is not Biblical. The gifts were
a necessity due to a lack of maturity in the Body of Christ. Gifts were
given to supply that which lacked in the new church. Now maturity supplies
it having been nurtured in the admonition of the Lord, of course. It would
be handy to possess such gifts in situations where maturity is lacking but
we have recourse to other things now available. A goal should not be how to
get everyone to use their gifts, it should be how to get everyone mature!
Then gifts are unnecessary. Maturity provides for all functions that gifts
did in the first century. Maturity is possible and necessary since there are
no temporary gifts now to fill in the gap.

In Christ,
Ross Purdy