____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ May 9, 1993 ____________________________________________________ Don't Let Them Dupe You by Tom Edwards Last night I watched a show called Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story. This, along with the recent trouble in Waco at the Branch Davidian compound where more than 80 people met death instead of surrender and the similar memories it evoked of the Jonestown tragedy led by the once-worshiped Jim Jones, caused me again to become repulsed at the gullibility of some people and the lack of true Bible knowledge among these who professed to be followers of Christ. In the Prophet of Evil, LeBaron (the ringleader of this cult) had his followers believing that they were doing God's service as LeBaron ordered them to assassinate those whom he had selected for execution. Most of these victims appeared to have been people who only got in his way or those who became unsubmissive to his orders. How is it that a person becomes so charismatic that he has the power to lead people to a senseless death or toward committing murder in cold blood at his slightest bidding? And even more incredible is how that anyone could actually believe that such actions were the way of the Lord. As we saw in a recent article of The Gospel Observer, when James and John asked Jesus if He wanted them to pray that fire come down from heaven and consume those who were not willing to receive Christ, the Lord rebuked them by saying that they did not know what spirit they were of (Luke 9). Never did Jesus command His people to resort to physical violence in their stand for the faith. The Christian's battle is spiritual--not carnal (Eph. 6:10-19). If people today would only realize that God is not speaking to anyone miraculously in our time, there would be no following after those who claim that the Lord is speaking supernaturally to them. It has been pointed out that many of these who assert that God is communicating directly to them--and apart from His word--are often found to be teaching Bible doctrines that are in opposition to each other. Obviously, God would not be speaking directly to each one of these and reveal to them something that would be contrary from one to the other. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33), but rather we are to be of one mind toward the one faith (Phil. 1:27; Eph. 4:5; Jude 3). Recently I was asked to put together some brief notes about miraculous gifts. Some concerned parents wanted this for their daughter who had reported to them of her ``experience'' at a charismatic meeting where people who ``had the Spirit'' were ``speaking in tongues.'' I will enclose this for you as well. May it also help us to realize why men like David Koresh, Ervil Lebaron, Jim Jones, or any other so-called modern-day prophet is nothing more than an impostor who is duping the public--whether intentionally or unintentionally by being sincerely wrong. Because false prophets were to arise even during the time of the early church, John had urged the brethren to ``test the spirits'' to see whether they are of God or not (1 John 4:1). How do we do this? By comparing what is being taught to the word of God itself. Let us now consider the following brief outline: I. Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit were temporary in the early church. A. They were to last until the completed revelation (New Testament) was delivered. 1) 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, ``Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge (supernatural knowledge, tte), it will be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.'' a) Miraculous gifts--such as the gift of prophecy, word of knowledge, and word of wisdom--helped to convey God's truth to the world little by little; but when ``the perfect'' would come, there would be no more need for these gifts. b) Grammatically speaking, ``the perfect'' cannot be referring to a person. c) ``when the perfect comes'' has reference to the complete revelation of God's word. 1> James 1:25, ``But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.'' 2> 2 Peter 1:3, ``seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.'' II. The purpose of miraculous gifts was to confirm the word that was being preached. A. Mark 16:20, ``And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed....'' B. 2 Corinthians 12:12, ``The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.'' C. Hebrews 2:4, ``God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.'' D. Since God's word has once and for all been confirmed, it now needs to be read, believed, and obeyed. III. Even when miraculous gifts were given, not everyone had the same. A. I say this because some people teach today that speaking in tongues is an ``evidence of salvation,'' and that if one cannot do so, that person has not been saved. (As we will see in the following verse, not everyone in the early church spoke in tongues.) B. 1 Corinthians 12:29,30, ``All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?'' IV. Miraculous gifts were given through the laying on of the apostles' hands. No one else could do this. A. Acts 8:17-21, ``Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, `Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' But Peter said to him, `May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.''' 1) Though there was probably a great multitude who were converted at this time through the preaching of Philip, and even though Philip could work miracles because the apostles had laid their hands on him (Acts 6:5,6), he still could not lay hands on others to give them miraculous gifts because he was not an apostle (Acts 8:5-18). B. Acts 19:6, ``And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.'' 1) Paul was an apostle. C. Miraculous gifts ceased soon after the death of the last apostle; and because they are no longer around, miraculous gifts can no longer be passed on. Of course, this is not a problem because the gifts have already fulfilled their purpose. V. So-called tongue-speaking today is usually done in a very disorderly fashion. A. According to the Scriptures, never was a congregation to have everyone speaking in tongues simultaneously. Nor was a congregation to have more than three tongue speakers during a service--and that only on the condition that an interpreter be present: 1) 1 Corinthians 14:27,28, ``If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret; but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.'' B. The New Testament teaches that ''...God is not a God of confusion but of peace....'' (1 Cor. 14:33). Therefore, ''...let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner'' (1 Cor. 14:40). VI. Miraculous gifts did not produce spiritual maturity--it is only our taking heed to the word of God that can do that. A. The Corinthians seemed to have abounded with miraculous gifts, yet they were spiritually immature. 1) They were guilty of factionalism (1 Cor. 1:10-13). 2) There was one in their midst who had been guilty of incest, yet they did not even mourn, but rather were arrogant (1 Cor. 5:2). 3) They had perverted the communion of the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34). 4) Notice how Paul addressed them in chapter 3: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, ``And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?'' VII. Miraculous Gifts fulfilled their purpose in the early church, just as the apostles fulfilled theirs. Today it is the gospel that we must turn to for guidance, comfort, and spiritual development. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________