Spiritual Gifts – Are They For Christians Today?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesA querist asks, “Hello! I just engaged in a discussion with a Pentecostal couple who claim that 1 Corinthians 12:1-12, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, and the whole of 1 Corinthians 14 teach that spiritual gifts such as tongues, healing, prophecy can still be manifested today among faithful Christians. Can you instruct me on the proper interpretation of the above texts so I may study with this couple the next time I see them?”
According to 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, supernatural gifts were to (1) “fail”; (2) “cease”; (3) and “vanish away.” They were needed to guide and instruct the church in its infancy until the inspired Word of God was completed. Today, we have the complete inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:2-3; Jude 1:3; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:10; James 1:25), thus there is no longer any need for spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 12-14 are covered in the following studies:
- Didn’t Paul Command, “Forbid not to speak in tongues”?
- Can Christians “Speak in Tongues” Today?
- Modern-Day Miracles, Tongue-Speaking, and Holy Spirit Baptism: A Refutation