Posts Tagged ‘gifts of the Holy Spirit’
The Signs of an Apostle
by Terry Wane Benton The apostles of Jesus were eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus (Acts 1:13f). They had to have personally seen Jesus alive from the dead. Nobody today meets that criterion. But those Jesus chose to be sent out by Him as His personal eyewitnesses were also equipped by the Holy Spirit with miraculous…
Read MoreHow do I convince a Pentecostal of the truth about miracles?
Question: When you get time would you look over these responses I saw from a Oneness Pentecostal in a discussion with a brother over miracles? I completely agree that miracles ceased, and that which is perfect is referring to the word of God, but the Pentecostal Oneness member brings up some stuff I have never…
Read MoreWhat powers did the apostles have before and after being baptized by the Holy Spirit?
Question: What different powers did the apostles have before and after they were baptized with the Holy Spirit? Answer: “Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness” (Matthew 10:1). “And He called the twelve together,…
Read MoreCould any believer cast out demons?
Question: Could believers who had been baptized cast out demons as well or just the apostles? Answer: “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt…
Read MoreIf God gave one person a gift of healing but not another, does that make Him a respecter of persons?
Question: If God gave someone the gift of healing but to another person he did not, would that make Him a respecter of persons? Answer: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who…
Read MoreIf the gifts of God are irrevocable, shouldn’t the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue?
Question: Hi, I have a question about gifts of the spirit ceasing. Romans 11:28-29 says “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”. I understand…
Read MoreIf a person uses Jesus’ name to heal the sick and prophesy, is he using God’s Spirit?
Question: Good evening sir, I hope you are doing well. I was having a Bible discussion with a friend and he asked me a question: if someone uses Jesus’ name to heal the sick, get revelation and prophesy, is that person using God’s Spirit? Please help me to answer him. Thanks. Answer: “Not everyone who…
Read MoreYou are totally wrong about the cessation of the spiritual gifts
Question: Hi, I already read so many of your articles and Q&A sections dealing with the cessation of gifts. I have to say, you are totally wrong. One mistake is not referring to this verse: “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 1:7).…
Read MoreCould the perfect be the kingdom?
Question: Please, what would be wrong to interpret “that which is in part” in I Corinthians 13:10 to mean the kingdom of God instead of the Word of God? Answer: “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…
Read MoreHow did the church in Corinth receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Question: How did the Corinthian church receive the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way? Was it by the laying on hands by the apostles or what? Or does the Bible not say? Answer: The church in Corinth was started by the Apostle Paul (Acts 18). He initially taught there for 18 months (Acts 18:11) and…
Read MoreYour reasoning is flawed. Spiritual gifts have not ceased
Question: Hello, I have read articles on your site and they are pretty informative. However, your take on Corinthians 13:8-13, stating that spiritual gifts have ceased, is flawed. Verse 8: “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish…
Read MoreWhat Is the Bible?
Question: Hi, I would like some answers to my doubts. I know you can help me with this because of everything I have read on your site. I’m happy that your teachings are exactly the same as our non-denominational church. I find them right too. Praise the Lord! My questions: What exactly is the Bible?…
Read MoreMiraculous Spiritual Gifts
by Matthew Bassford Many of you may well have had, as I have had, the experience of talking Bible with somebody who believes that the miraculous spiritual gifts of the first century continue today. Let me be honest with you, brethren. It is difficult to find success in studies with such people. Though it’s not obvious,…
Read MoreDo we experience God in a present way or only in the past tense?
Question: Good day, Is the church not to experience God in a “present way,” or does it only need to be in a past tense manner through the Bible? Thanks. Answer: I had difficulty with your question because it was worded vaguely. The meaning changes depending on how you define the terms. God is ever…
Read MoreNow Concerning Spiritual Gifts
by Ron Drumm It would be wonderful to have a spiritual gift like the ability to do miracles or the ability to speak in tongues. There are nine gifts of the Spirit listed in the New Testament. They are the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits,…
Read MoreDid Mary lead prayers? Did people receive all the gifts of the Spirit?
Question: Thank you for taking my questions. We were discussing the upper room Wednesday night. Acts 1:13-17 mentions that Mary, Jesus’ mother, and other women were present. We were trying to determine if Mary herself was praying while all the people were there. I know some women prophesied back then. My option is she was…
Read MoreYou May be Surprised to Learn …
by Doy Moyer Have you ever taken for granted certain things and believed them, just because that is what you have been told? Perhaps you find yourself in that situation now, believing and doing things because that is what you were told. Religious people sometimes believe and practice something because a preacher said it, or…
Read MoreThe “By What” and “How” of the Gifts of God
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ByWhatAndHowOfTheGiftsOfGod.mp3 by Clint Crosier
Read MoreBaptism of the Holy Spirit: A Promise?
by Carl A. Allen Through the years I have talked with, and debated with, Pentecostal preachers and it is not uncommon for them to take the position that the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit ” is a command. Many have been the times I have cited a passage to prove that the “Baptism of the…
Read MoreMiraculous Gifts
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/MiraculousGifts.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I. For decades now many of the traditional denominations have been in decline. A. The more liberal the beliefs, the larger the decline. Those espousing conservative views show growth. But the ones showing strong growth are the charismatic groups B. Name the largest groups in a region, and over half are…
Read MoreWere the disciples able to do miracles before Pentecost?
Question: I see in Matthew 10:8 that the Lord gave authority to the apostles to heal the sick, cleanse lepers, etc. (all before Pentecost). Are there any references to them performing such acts before the Spirit came upon them at Pentecost? Answer: In Luke 10:17, when the seventy came back from visiting the towns in…
Read MoreDidn’t the elders pass miraculous gifts to Timothy?
Question: I read your answer: What is the doctrine of laying on of hands? and it really helped me understand how the gifts of the Holy Spirit were passed on. When I shared it with my Pentecostal friend, she agreed but pointed to the 1 Timothy 4:14 verse “Do not neglect the gift that is in you,…
Read MoreI don’t understand where you are getting gifts of the Holy Spirit in Acts 8:16
Question: I was reading one of your Q&A’s Must you speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit? I was a bit confused about this tail end of a verse “They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” Why are…
Read MoreDoes Acts 2:17 mean that miraculous gifts continue today?
Question: How do I respond to someone who uses Acts 2:17 in support that prophesies and the gifts the Holy Spirit may still be here today? Answer: “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to…
Read MoreWhat is the doctrine of laying on of hands?
Question: This is my third year after being added to the body. Somehow, I often find myself in intense discussions with friends and relatives regarding certain areas of belief. Many times I can hold my own, but when it comes to laying on of hands, I’m not certain how to discuss this. When I read…
Read MoreIs it a lack of faith if your prayer isn’t answered?
Question: Dear Sir, Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to your website. I have recently started attending a local church of Christ, in part because of the wonderful Scripture-based answers on your website and the freedom and new life promised by following God’s laws rather than man-made directives. My boyfriend attends…
Read MoreAre you saying people don’t get baptized in the Holy Spirit anymore?
Question: Are you saying that people don’t get baptized in the Holy Spirit anymore? If this is so, then what is it called when people are filled with the Holy Spirit? Like I have seen people get prayed for and they will shake and fall to the ground because of the power of God. What…
Read MoreI had wondered why I wasn’t hearing God’s voice as other people claimed
Question: Hello Jeff, I don’t know if you will read this or not because I notice that you have a very busy schedule with all the work that keeping the website implies. I just wanted to thank you for your comments on the answer to Should I have faith in God getting this girl to like…
Read MoreHave Miracles Ceased?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/HaveMiraclesCeased.mp3 Text: John 9:14-34 I. Several denominations teach the continuance of miracles A. Proofs offered are based on emotional feelings and indirect evidence (I know a person who heard a person claim they saw …) B. The standard appealed to is what a person thinks is right C. To oppose is taken as the same as calling the…
Read MoreHow can prophecy cease when people claim to be prophets today?
Question: First, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to address my questions because it has been bothering me for a while now. I am a born-again Christian and still relatively young in faith. I read on this site that an end to all prophets was declared by apostle Paul in Corinthians. This…
Read MoreWhy does I Corinthians 13 list three gifts as stopping when I Corinthians 12 lists nine gifts?
Question: Mr. Hamilton, I have something that came to mind about I Corinthians 13:8-10, in these verses it names three gifts that ended but in chapter 12 there are nine spiritual gifts. How do I explain to someone the other six ended as well? Thank you. Answer: When we deal with a long list of…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between spiritual gifts and miraculous gifts?
Question: Could you give me information that points to the differences between spiritual gifts and miraculous gifts? Answer: Spiritual gifts refer to the gifts given by the Holy Spirit. They usually refer to the miraculous gifts as explained in I Corinthians 12. These gifts were not given to every Christian and were given only for…
Read MoreHow can you know you are filled with the Spirit?
Question: How does a person become filled with the Holy Spirit and know they are filled? Does everyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit have the gifts that Acts speaks about? Answer: A Christian receives the Spirit by the hearing of faith. “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the…
Read MoreBelief, Baptism, and Signs Following – Still Today?
by Larry Ray Hafley Here is the text of Mark 16:15-20: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In…
Read MoreMiraculous Gifts as They Are Designated in the Scriptures
by Gilbert Alexander Jesus touched the eyes of a blind man and he saw Mark 8:22-25 Miraculous gifts, or spiritual gifts, as they are designated in the Scriptures were given to the apostles for specific purposes. They were given directly to the apostles when the apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost…
Read MoreShould I wait to be baptized?
Question: I am a new convert. I converted about 6 months ago, but I have been always curious about God and learning about Jesus. The only problem is that I’m not baptized through the waters yet. I still know that the Holy Spirit is with me and I can carry (at least to me )…
Read MoreAren’t we to desire the greater gifts? So miraculous gift could not have ended, could they?
Question: I have seen on a couple of occasions on this site that you believe the gifts of the spirit are a thing of the past, and that you use I Corinthians 13:8-10 to try and validate that point of view. It is very easy to take a verse or two of scripture and make…
Read MoreWere Elders Limited to the Age of Miracles?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WereEldersLimitedToTheAgeOfMiracles.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 20:17-35 I. Some times I wonder where ideas about the Scriptures come from. A. The passages are clear, but it seems that some want a certain outcome, so they seek whatever means they can find to arrive at that result. B. I was asked if elders were only for the…
Read MoreWhy is it always brought up that prophecy will cease?
Question: My question is regarding prophecy. It seems I always get the same answer regarding this question (I Corinthians 13:8), “Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies they will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge will vanish,” (not an exact quote). But if you take this one verse literally, if prophecies have come to an end,…
Read MoreI don’t see how Zechariah 13:1-5 talks about the ending of prophecy and demons
Question: Could you explain to me the passage in Zechariah 13 where it talks about the prophets, the idols, and the unclean spirit? Because if God removed the unclean spirit, why is the devil still here tempting Christians? And what does “from the land of Israel” mean? Is it actually the place Israel or is…
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