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Resources > Position Paper on the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts
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Position Paper on the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts
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Pastoral “Miraculous Gifts” Study Team:
Steve Quen, Johnny Yue, Patrick Chow, Antonius Setiawan, Jonathan Chan, Dana Chau, Toby Yuen, and Bill Pong |
Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit baptizes a person at the moment of conversion into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Bible’s emphasis is on the believer’s need for constant filling (not on the spiritual gifts) from the Holy Spirit. This results in empowerment for daily living (Luke 4:1; Ephesians 5:18).
The Definition of Spiritual Gifts
A spiritual gift is “any God-given ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and is used in any ministry of the church for the benefit and edification of the Body of Christ.”
The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts
Initially, miraculous sign gifts (e.g. tongues, interpretation, healings and miracles) were evangelistic gifts in the beginning days of the Church for the purpose of confirming the the Gospel and the messenger. (Tongues-Acts 2:1-12; Healings-Acts 3:6-10; Signs and wonders-Acts 5:12; Hebrews 2:3b-4)
Thereafter, the purposes of spiritual gifts expanded for the “common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7-14), the “building up” of believers (1 Cor 14:5, 12, 26) and the “spiritual maturity” of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-13; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
The primary focus of spiritual maturity is not on spiritual gifts, but on loving God and loving others, especially the family of God; and the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 22:39-40; 28:18-20; John 15:12).
Love and Spiritual Gifts
Love is to be pursued above spiritual gifts. In order for spiritual gifts to bring glory to God and build the church, they must be exercised in love (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13).
The exercise of spiritual gifts should unite, not divide the body of Christ. Differences of interpretation should humble believers. Why? Because it brings to light the reality of our sinfulness and finite nature as Christians to fully understand God's word. (John 17:20-21; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:3, 13)
The Distribution of Spiritual Gifts
Gifting born-again believers is a cooperative work of the Triune Godhead. It is solely God who chooses the gifts, its duration, and extent of its use for each Christian. (1 Cor 12:47, 11, 18, 24 28-31, Ephesians 4:8)
God uses Spiritual Gifts according to His Will for His Glory
God in his sovereignty may grant any spiritual gift and work miraculously for the benefit of His church at any time. (1 Corinthians 12:11)
The Holy Spirit baptizes a person at the moment of conversion into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Bible’s emphasis is on the believer’s need for constant filling (not on the spiritual gifts) from the Holy Spirit. This results in empowerment for daily living (Luke 4:1; Ephesians 5:18).
The Definition of Spiritual Gifts
A spiritual gift is “any God-given ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and is used in any ministry of the church for the benefit and edification of the Body of Christ.”
The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts
Initially, miraculous sign gifts (e.g. tongues, interpretation, healings and miracles) were evangelistic gifts in the beginning days of the Church for the purpose of confirming the the Gospel and the messenger. (Tongues-Acts 2:1-12; Healings-Acts 3:6-10; Signs and wonders-Acts 5:12; Hebrews 2:3b-4)
Thereafter, the purposes of spiritual gifts expanded for the “common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7-14), the “building up” of believers (1 Cor 14:5, 12, 26) and the “spiritual maturity” of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-13; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
The primary focus of spiritual maturity is not on spiritual gifts, but on loving God and loving others, especially the family of God; and the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 22:39-40; 28:18-20; John 15:12).
Love and Spiritual Gifts
Love is to be pursued above spiritual gifts. In order for spiritual gifts to bring glory to God and build the church, they must be exercised in love (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13).
The exercise of spiritual gifts should unite, not divide the body of Christ. Differences of interpretation should humble believers. Why? Because it brings to light the reality of our sinfulness and finite nature as Christians to fully understand God's word. (John 17:20-21; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:3, 13)
The Distribution of Spiritual Gifts
Gifting born-again believers is a cooperative work of the Triune Godhead. It is solely God who chooses the gifts, its duration, and extent of its use for each Christian. (1 Cor 12:47, 11, 18, 24 28-31, Ephesians 4:8)
God uses Spiritual Gifts according to His Will for His Glory
God in his sovereignty may grant any spiritual gift and work miraculously for the benefit of His church at any time. (1 Corinthians 12:11)
The Miraculous Gifts
1. Tongues:
1. Tongues:
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In general, a tongue is a language unknown to the speaker. On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the initial expression of the gift was in a human foreign language with no need of an interpreter as a sign to unbelievers. 1 Cor 14:2 describes tongues as a language unknown to the speaker and unknown to the congregation without an interpreter.
Tongues spoken in any worship gathering were to follow the biblical guidelines that required an interpreter (1 Cor 14:5, 28), speaking one at a time and with a limited number of participants (1 Cor 14:27). Another possibility is that tongues are an angelic language (1 Cor 13:1). Another possibility is that in 1 Cor 14, tongues could be interpreted as a private prayer language (1 Cor 14:2b, 14, 16, 17a, 28). This is to be primarily practiced in private, but when practiced in public, requires interpretation (1 Cor 14:13, 26-28). Whether tongues are a known foreign human language, angelic language or private prayer language, the Corinthian church was abusing the gift of tongues within its gatherings (1 Cor 14:40). Tongues were never a sign of spiritual maturity, never were all believers to have this gift, and it is a lesser spiritual gift unless interpreted; otherwise, it only edified the believer exercising that gift and not the body (1 Cor 14:13-17). In 1 Cor 12:31, the Corinthian church was urged to seek the greater gifts, and that tongues is not one of those greater gifts. Thus, in seeking a spiritual gift, gifts to be sought are those which best serve to edify others (1 Cor 13:1-3). There is no conclusive Scriptural support that tongues have ceased. Paul says that he would rather speak in a few words that people would understand than in thousands of words in tongues when the people of God are gathered. (1 Cor. 14:19) That is why we at BACBC prefer not to speak in tongues in our church activities. |
2. Prophecy:
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In the Old Testament, a prophet was called of God to be His spokesperson. The prophet, endowed by God, delivered God’s message to rebuke, comfort and exhort. The prophet of God at times also predicted the future of Israel, the coming Messiah, end times events, etc. A true prophet required 100% accuracy. False prophets would be severely punished. (Deuteronomy 18:9-22)
In 1 Corinthians 14, the Holy Spirit gave the gift of prophecy to members of the church family to strengthen, encourage and comfort fellow believers. Believers were to engage in prophesying during regular worship gatherings in an orderly fashion. Prophesying was a spontaneous moving of the Spirit as opposed to a prepared sermon. Members of the Body of Christ would evaluate and confirm the prophecy. (1 Cor. 14:3, 29-33) In all cases, prophecy must be unswerving with Scripture, never contradictory and neither adding to nor taking away from the Bible. In the book of Acts, a prophet exhorted believers, (Acts 15:32) and predicted events (Acts 11:28; 21:10-11), both of which were consistent with the Bible. In Ephesians, the gift of prophecy, a gift to the Church, may have been an actual person or an ability. Today’s prophecy is for the edification of the church by strengthening, encouraging and comforting and needs to be evaluated by the Scripture and other members of the local congregation. At BACBC, we are open to the existence of the gift of prophecy for primarily the strengthening, encouraging and comforting the local body. The Church Council will be involved on a case-by-case basis to evaluate a prophecy. |
3. Healings:
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God is able to heal any and all human infirmities, and He is actively doing that according to His will in the world today. Those with the gift of healing may not heal everyone they pray for, since God ultimately decides the extent of the use of the gift and the healing of individuals. (1 Cor 12:9, 28) We are told to pray for the sick and their healing. (James 5:13-16)
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Church Council Responsibility
The Church Council is responsible to discern the validity and guide the practice of spiritual gifts.
The Importance of Unity and Love and Sign/Miraculous Gifts at BACBC
The Bay Area Chinese Bible Church is an evangelical, Christ-centered congregation. We welcome all who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and all who are seeking Him. We believe that the Christian life is supernatural. God continues to perform miracles, especially in bringing lost humanity to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the gift of new birth. Those who claim to possess the gift of tongues and other sign/miraculous gifts are welcome to worship and fellowship with us if they are willing to maintain the unity of our church body.
From the first days of the Church, people have always been more impressed with the spiritual gifts that are more spectacular, such as healing, speaking in tongues, or prophesying. However, God tells us that he is more impressed with the less noticeable gifts and that he is most impressed with love. 1 Corinthians 12-14 are filled with warnings about using the more spectacular gifts in ways that draw attention to ourselves rather than to the Lord.
Implications of Our Position on Spiritual Gifts Related to the Hiring of BACBC / CCS Staff, Receiving of Church Membership, Collaborating with Christian Workers and Missionaries, and Practicing of Miraculous Gifts in BACBC Gatherings / Activities
Regarding the hiring of BACBC / CCS pastors, staff members, and additions to our supported missionaries after the Feb 22, 2015 Business meeting, BACBC requires all candidates to abide by the Article of Faith and Position Paper on Spiritual Gifts.
For existing BACBC / CCS pastors and staff members who hold a different view on spiritual gifts, BACBC requires pastors and staff members to abide by the Article of Faith and Position Paper on Spiritual Gifts. BACBC expects everyone to interact in a spirit of love even with those who have different views.
Teaching on the topics of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts in BACBC / CCS classes, fellowships, small groups, Sunday school, meetings or worship / chapel services need to align with the Article of Faith and Position Paper on Spiritual Gifts.
If a BACBC / CCS teacher holds another view on spiritual gifts (e.g. tongues, prophecy, etc.) that is not consistent with BACBC’s position, or who does not feel comfortable to teach on spiritual gifts, he/she may defer to another, who holds to the position of BACBC, to teach on the subject. Applicants for church membership must indicate that they will abide by the Article of Faith and Position Paper on Spiritual Gifts in order to be accepted for membership.
Guest speakers may hold a different position on spiritual gifts. However, they must respect our position, and keep from teaching their position on spiritual gifts.
Our position on miraculous and sign gifts might affect missionaries we support. With the original position, we would turn down missionaries who believe or practice sign / miraculous gifts. With the new position, case-by-case decisions will be made.
BACBC chooses to not have tongues practiced in our church sponsored activities. Our priority is love and unity over speaking in tongues. Other believers are welcomed to worship with us under our practice at BACBC: Tongues will be practiced in private, prophecy will be evaluated to determine whether to have it shared publicly, and prayer will be offered for the healing of the sick.
We will respond with Christian love (John 13:34, 35; 17:20-23) to other believers who hold a different view regarding spiritual gifts, but will separate from those who are divisive (Titus 3:10).
Revision Feb 18,2015
