On the gifts of the Holy Spirit

 Section 3 

Charismania

Introduction:  

            Although in the preceding sections, much has been brought forward to strengthen the Biblical basis for the Pentecostal/Charismatic teaching of spiritual gifts in the church, it is also clear to many observers that a great deal of chaotic and conflicting teaching and practice exists in this movement. On the surface, much of the criticism advanced by Cessationists may seem justified. A distinction must be made, however, between problems with abuse or misuse of spiritual phenomena, and criticism of the Biblical gifts themselves. In this final section, therefore, I should like to deal with this issue of excesses.

How to recognise the work of the Holy Spirit

            Many passages found in the New Testament warn us that the end of this present age will be characterised by unprecedented deception. Jesus told his disciples: “For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.” (Mat 24: 24-25, see also 2 Thess 2: 9-12). This should not cause us as Christians to panic, as we are promised the gift and ability of discernment if we remain alert and close to the Lord (e.g. 1 Cor 2: 14-15; 12: 10).

            It seems to be the case, however, that the majority of Christians totally ignore these warnings, taking the attitude that if something apparently supernatural is going on, particularly if it is happening in church, then it must be from God, because someone, somewhere, like the leader, pastor, prophet, teacher, apostle or Pope, will have it all figured out. Nothing could be further from the truth in most cases!

            In the light of the above, I should like to look at a number of very clear Biblical principles on how to recognise a genuine work of the Holy Spirit, and hence it should be easier to spot phenomena that are not from God, should they occur.

            It must be mentioned first of all that the only basis we have for knowing what the truth about spiritual manifestations is, is the Word of God. Good feelings, or even miracles, do not determine truth. The root of most of the error in this regard is that people tend to chase after feelings and miracles as indicative that God is at work. There are, however, three possible sources for certain “manifestations” happening to people, and these are the Spirit of God, an evil spirit, or the person’s own mind, spirit or soul. Any one of these could imaginably be a source of nice feelings.

            Let us consider, then, what we should expect to accompany a genuine work of the Holy Spirit. I am indebted to Derek Prince and Andrew Strom for some of the following arguments (see Bibliography).

1.  The Holy Spirit is holy

 The first thing to mention is that as a member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is holy, and His presence and work will eventually result in holiness of life and conduct. Jesus said that when the Spirit came, he would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16: 7-8). If the Holy Spirit is at work, people will become aware they are sinners, they are subject to judgement, and are in need of forgiveness in order to become acceptable to God. Conviction of sin then leads people to repentance. When Peter’s hearers on the day of Pentecost learnt that they had killed the Messiah, they were, “cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2: 37). The Philippian gaoler, “fell trembling before Paul and Silas,” and asked them, “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” (Acts 16: 29-30).

Once repentance has taken place, and Jesus Christ has been accepted as Saviour, then the Holy Spirit can give ‘refreshment’ (Acts 3: 19) and assurance of forgiveness, salvation and sonship: “By him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Rom 8: 15-16).

These above features have characterised many genuine revivals in the past, whether they have been of a “charismatic” character, or whether they have not. As a result of John Wesley’s preaching for example, grown men would fall to the floor in agony of conviction, and would not be able to get up again until they had repented of their sins and received the joy of reconciliation with God.

With today’s widespread gospel of, “Ask Jesus into your heart if you want an exciting life, and hopefully get lots of money too,” this vital step of genuine conviction and repentance may well be missing. This is not necessarily the fault of the “sinners” joining the church, as they are just not hearing what would be considered to be the unpopular message of the true gospel.

So it can happen that people in their still unrepentant state, though they may have been told they are now Christians, are looking for some sort of spiritual experience to give them a good feeling and to have a party. Under such circumstances, what they experience can by no means be guaranteed to come from the Holy Spirit.

2. The work of the Holy Spirit is inextricably linked with the work of Jesus Christ

It is notable in the teaching of the Bible, particularly the New Testament, that not one of the members of the Trinity works in total independence from the others, and each one seeks to glorify the others and not himself. The Father, for instance, created the world by means of the Son (Col. 1: 15-16; Heb 1: 2) and the Spirit (Gen 1: 2; Psalm 104: 30). The Father pointed to the Son, with whom he is well pleased (Mat 3: 16-17; 17: 5), and the Son always did what the Father commanded (Jn 5: 19-20; 8: 28-29).

Similarly, the Holy Spirit did not just decide to come of his own accord, but he was sent to the earth by the Father and the Son. Jesus gave this promise, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth. (Jn 14: 16-17), and Peter said on the day of Pentecost, “ Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” (Acts 2: 32-33). And when the Holy Spirit comes he will reveal what the Son gives to him, and always bring glory to the Son: “He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you,” “When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 16: 14; 15: 26).

Because of these things, when we wish to experience the work of the Holy Spirit, we should, for instance, ask Jesus to fill someone with the Holy Spirit, as he is the one who baptises in the Spirit (Mark 1. 7-8; John 1: 32-34), or we should ask the Father in Jesus’ name (Luke 11: 13). The Holy Spirit does not seek his own glory, does not desire worship, he should probably not be addressed directly, and he always exalts Jesus, drawing attention to his person and work, at least as far as Biblical precedent is concerned.

Two possible exceptions to this could be raised. In the Authorised Version of the Bible, 1 Peter 4: 14 says, “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: in their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” It appears, therefore, that we should glorify the Holy Spirit after all. The phrase in italics, however, is missing from the oldest, best manuscripts, and for this reason, it is not included in newer Bible translations.

In the case of the dry bones, the prophet Ezekiel addresses the Spirit, and tells him to come (Ezek 37: 9-10). He only does this, however, at the express command of God, and furthermore he is prophesying to the Spirit here, not praying to him or worshipping him.

For this reason, we should probably not resort to the practice of asking the Holy Spirit to come and fill us. Although doing so should probably not be considered a serious sin, at best we would be “disregarding heavenly protocol,” as Derek Prince puts it ¹¹, and at worst we may be in danger of leaving Jesus out of the formula. And if we do this, who knows what spirit may turn up?

3. Manifestations of the Spirit

With all the supposed “manifestations” of the Spirit occurring nowadays, perhaps it would be useful to check if the Bible has anything to say about such things. The expression “manifestation of the Spirit” does in fact occur in the New Testament (Greek: h fanerwsiõ tou pneumatoõ – hé phanerósis tou pneumatos) so it is worth while noting what this might be. The phrase occurs in 1 Corinthians 12: 7, where the gifts of the Spirit are listed. We have already discussed these in section 2, and they are: the message of wisdom, the message of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues. (1 Cor 12: 8-10).

As has already been stated, where these gifts are manifested, and the content is tested by and is found to be in conformity with the word of God, then we can be reassured that we are dealing with the work of the Holy Spirit. It could be mentioned in passing, that although the Holy Spirit does not send himself and does not glorify himself, he is the one who decides who to distribute his gifts to on each particular occasion, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Cor 12: 11).

Taking this list as a basis then, how do we assess the series of strange manifestations that often occur in “charismatic” circles nowadays? Caution must be exercised here, that we do not reject everything out of hand because it is “unusual” – God is creative, and 1 Cor 12: 8-10 is probably to be taken as a guideline and not an exhaustive catalogue. The prophets in the Old Testament, for instance, had to do some very strange things, which actually were from God: one married an immoral woman (Hosea 1-2), another lay on his side for over three years (Ezek 4), and yet another buried a belt in a rocky crevice (Jer 13: 1-6). People falling off their seats under conviction of sin during a time of revival is not actually mentioned in the Bible as a work of the Holy Spirit either. When assessing the source of certain occurrences, however, it is worth asking the following questions:

(a)    Is there any point or purpose to what is going on? Is Jesus glorified? Is the gospel being confirmed by signs? Are people’s needs being met, for instance for healing or deliverance? Or is the whole thing just a chaotic mess, about which outsiders are going to think that everyone has gone crazy? (cf. 1 Cor 14: 23). For instance, if someone is healed of a physical ailment, this would fulfil a number of the purposes mentioned above. On the other hand, I personally do not really see the point of gold dust falling out of the air, or even of people just running aimlessly around the room.

(b)    Are genuine, Biblical gifts of the Spirit being manifested? Or is it a case of a whole bunch of other stuff instead, which is intrinsically more difficult to test? For instance, what does it mean if, supposedly miraculously, oil appears on people’s hands?

(c)    Does what is happening, although it may be unusual, testify to the work of a Spirit who is holy? Or are people being induced to do things which are ugly, distorted, or degrading for them is some way? What is particularly concerning here, is not necessarily displays of emotion, like laughing or crying, but rather the strange, jerking movements that are sometimes seen, and especially the examples of animal behaviour, such as barking, mooing, or strutting around and pecking like a chicken.

There is no example or precedent in the Bible where someone, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, began to behave like or imitate an animal. God created man to rule over the world, including the animal kingdom, and to subdue it (Gen 1. 27), not to take on its characteristics. There is an example of God having an animal speak like a man (Balaam’s donkey, Num 22: 1-22), but not of a man making animal noises. When King Nebuchadnezzar lived like an ox for seven years (Dan 4), this was the result of God’s judgement on his pride, not his blessing.

4. What kind of fruit does it produce?

 We must also ask the question, what is the long term fruit in the life of a person, with whom “manifestations” have occurred? After all, what was the point of someone falling on the floor if they are exactly the same when they stand up? The question of fruit has already been touched on in other sections, but let us consider it in more detail here. In the New Testament, the fruit in someone’s life refers to the kind of character a person has, and both good and bad fruit is mentioned.

Good fruit, in other words the development of good character traits, is to be considered a work of the Holy Spirit according to Galatians chapter five, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal 5: 22). The production of this kind of fruit in someone’s life is a work of the Spirit, but this is a different work from the distribution of gifts. The difference between the two can be pictured by thinking of two different kinds of tree, and I am indebted to Pauline Edwards for this illustration.

The first is a Christmas tree with presents hanging on it. The gifts are placed there by the giver so they appear instantly, they do not grow there, their nature does not depend on the type of tree, and they are freely given, not worked for or earned. These represent the gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Cor 12. The reception of a gift does not depend primarily on the goodness or most especially on the maturity of the recipient. (It does depend on faith, however, see Gal 3: 1-3 and Rom 12: 6). This is why a Christian who is five minutes old may well be able to speak in tongues and/or prophesy (see Gal 3: 2 and Acts 19: 1-7 again). As a corollary, the fact that someone is able to move in the gifts is not to be considered a measure of that person’s Christian maturity. This has already been discussed in section 1.

The other is a fruit tree. Fruit grows on the tree, and the type of fruit does depend on the nature of the tree. Grapes are not picked from thorn bushes (Mat 7: 16). Fruit does not appear instantly, but it does grow gradually if the tree is actually a fruit tree. This type of tree can represent the Christian life with development of the good character traits as listed, for example, in Galatians 5. These begin to appear in a person’s life after repentance, though they may take time to develop. The presence of fruit, however, is indicative of whether the person is a disciple, and it is also a measure of the Christian maturity of the person. This is clear from passages such as the following: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them.” (Mat 7: 15-16). “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13: 35). “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor 13: 2). “No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are.” (1 Jn 3: 9-10). “Then I saw another beast, coming out the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon… And he performed great and miraculous signs…” (Rev 13: 11, 13). This last quotation shows that even the false prophet in the last days will do great miracles (have gifts), but will be recognisable by his character (bad fruit).

            The development of fruit in a Christian’s life is, of course, not just something that occurs automatically if someone happens to “give his life to the Lord” on some occasion and subsequently does nothing else about it. It depends on “remaining in Christ,” which involves walking with him in obedience. Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me… If you obey my commands you will remain in my love…” (Jn 15: 4, 10). And just as in the case of the gifts, the new birth, and pretty well everything else in the Christian life, the growth of fruit is also a matter of faith: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Gal 5: 6). It is also true, that having been born again, a person does not only have a new, spiritual nature, but the old, carnal nature still remains and these two are in conflict. “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Gal 5: 17). Nevertheless, the Biblical authors clearly expect the normal state of affairs to be that the believer will fight and overcome the carnal nature, so that the spiritual nature will dominate. This is to be done by faith and with the help of the Holy Spirit: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will in no way gratify the desires of the sinful nature… Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires…” (Gal 5: 16, 24); “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live…” (Rom 8: 12-13).

            In contrast to the fruit of the Spirit, the acts of the sinful nature, which Paul refers to as the flesh (Greek: sarx), are also listed: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” (Gal 5: 19-21). As well as specifically physical sins, it can be seen that transgressions in the area of soul are also included in this concept, involving the intellect, the emotions and the will.

The idea of someone being controlled or driven by the soul rather than the Spirit occurs elsewhere in the New Testament writings too, and it is clear this is not at all positive. “The man without the Spirit (Greek: psuchikos – of the soul) does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (Greek: pneumatikos). (1 Cor 2: 14). “But if you harbour bitter envy and ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven, but is earthly, unspiritual (Greek: psuchikos), demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice.” (Js 3: 15). The following verse is also relevant here: “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’ These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts (Greek:  psuchikos) and do not have the Spirit.” (Jude 17-19).

Unfortunately, the type of carnal attitudes referred to here are not totally lacking from those who claim to be “Christians”, even from those who are not “charismatic.” Nevertheless, according to the Bible, these things belong to the territory of the flesh, are not of the Spirit of God, and according to the James passage quoted above, could even involve demonic activity.

            The point of this being, if the long-term fruit produced in someone’s life more resembles that of the flesh than that of the Spirit, then it does not matter what gifts they may have, or what manifestations they have experienced, Scripture would lead us to believe that they are not full of the Holy Spirit, even if they may have been at some time in the past. What occurred could have been of the flesh, of the soul, or even as a result of demonic intervention.

            Just to summarise what we have discussed on recognising the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is sent by the Father in the name of Jesus, and by his activities he will lift up and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Any Spirit which denies Jesus or draws attention away from him towards anything else, whatever that may be and however pleasant it may seem, has not been sent by God.

            The work of the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin which results in repentance before giving joy, peace and refreshment. Any activities which provide some “spiritual experience” without repentance and obedience to Christ, even if it is a good feeling and appears to be supernatural, is to be regarded with suspicion.

Any spiritual experience that does not begin to produce the fruit of the Spirit as indicated in Gal 5 is unlikely to be from God, and may well be harmful in the long term.

            I should just like to finish off by offering yet another warning. The beginnings of the Pentecostal revival were rooted in various holiness movements, and so those involved knew all about living righteously and obedience to Christ even before they were filled with the Holy Spirit. One hundred years later, this is not necessarily the case any longer. There was a prophecy recorded from the 1906 ‘Azusa Street’ Revival, which is quoted by Andrew Strom: “In the last days three things will happen in the great Pentecostal Movement: 1) There will be an overemphasis on power, rather than on righteousness; 2) there will be an overemphasis on praise, to a God they no longer pray to; 3) there will be an overemphasis on the gifts of the Spirit – rather than on the Lordship of Christ.” ¹²

This is rather tricky, of course, and much more difficult to spot than the simple case of carnal behaviour, as discussed above. All these six things mentioned here are important. It is good if we can preach the gospel with power; it is a desirable and Biblical practice to praise God; it is useful if the spiritual gifts are in operation in the church. Even so, the three things that will be neglected are much more vital issues, and in fact they lay a foundation for the other three.

Let us be careful, then, to return to a life of prayer, holiness and obedience, so that the world can truly see Jesus’ disciples, and the genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit can be manifested amongst us.

 

Footnotes:

11. Prince, Derek, Protection from Deception, ch. 1.

 12. Quoted by Andrew Strom in The Coming Great Reformation, ch. 3.

  

Bibliography:

Conner, Kevin J., Malmin, Kenneth P, The Covenants, City Bible Publishing, Portland, 1997

Harris, Ralph W., Wenn der Geist redet…, Leuchter-Verlag EG, Erzhausen, 1974

Legrand, Fernand L.A., A Levegőbe Fogtok Beszélni, Evangéliumi Kiadó

 Liardon, Roberts, A Hit emberei, A hit gyülekezete, Budapest, 1996

 Osborn, T. L., Healing the sick, Harrison House, Tulsa, 1992

 Petts, David, The Holy Spirit, MFP Design and Print, Manchester, 1998

 Prince Derek, Protection from Deception, 1996, On line,

http://www.geocities.com/lostorfound_2/Deception.htm

Strom, Andrew, The Coming Great Reformation, 1996, On line:

http://65.108.220.179/books/THE%20COMING%20GREAT%20REFORMATION.htm

 20th Century Tongues, Faith or Fake?, On line:

http://www.bible.ca/tongues.htm

 On the gifts of the Holy Spirit

 Section 2

 Practical Applications

             With regard to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we have determined that according to the Bible these should be in operation in the church and in local congregations, as there is no indication that God would cause these to cease before the return of Christ. In this following section, some practical instructions on the use of the gifts are given. In connection with these, and for the sake of clarity, a few ideas are to be found which were also contained in the previous section.

1.      Foundations of the Christian life

At the end of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, we read the following exhortation, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2: 38-39). From this verse, we can see that the personal Christian life has three foundations: 1) the new birth following repentance, 2) baptism in water, 3) receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. With regard to the Holy Spirit, Peter says that this promise applies to every Christian who will turn to the Lord from then on. His remarks do not permit us to conclude that anyone is left out.

2.      Prophecies and promises

The following prophecy is to be found in the book of Joel, “And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2: 28-29). This is written in the Old Testament, but it looks forward to another period, as under the old covenant, only certain people anointed for specific tasks received the Holy Spirit. Peter quotes this prophecy on the day of Pentecost, claiming that it was fulfilled at that time. (Acts 2: 15-21).

John the Baptist also speaks of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1: 7-8; see also Mat 3: 11, Luke 3: 16; John 1: 33).

Jesus himself promises that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to all who ask him. (Luke 11: 9-13). For this reason, there is no need to be afraid that if we ask for the Holy Spirit, God will give us something bad instead.

Jesus also teaches at the Last Supper about the coming of the Holy Spirit. (John 14-16). Many verses could be quoted from these chapters, but I will just emphasise one or two points. Jesus must depart, otherwise the Holy Spirit will not come (16: 7). The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus (16: 16). If we are led by the Holy Spirit, then Jesus will be at the centre of our meetings, our lives, and our thoughts (see also 1 Cor 12: 3). Jesus will send “another Counsellor” (14: 16). We learn from 1 John 2: 1, that the first Counsellor is Jesus himself, as the same Greek word is used – παρακλητος (paraklétos). The meaning of the word is comforter, counsellor, encourager, exhorter, advocate, helper.

Several spiritual gifts also feature on the list of signs, which Jesus claims will follow his disciples, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16: 17-18).

It is written in the Acts of the Apostles, that after his resurrection, Jesus was with his disciples over a period of 40 days, and he taught them (1: 3). In this teaching, the last subject he spoke about before his ascension was the Holy Spirit, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” (1: 4-5). The disciples asked for some information on the role to be played by Israel in the kingdom of God, but Jesus got back to the point, “It is not for you to know… But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (1: 7-8). As these were the last words Jesus spoke during his time on the earth, they must be very important.

So the disciples had to wait for the Holy Spirit before beginning their ministry, as they needed power. Christians today do not need to wait for the baptism in the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, and has not departed from the earth since then. What this passage does say to us, is that ministry is difficult without the power of the Holy Spirit. If the apostles could not carry out mission work without the Holy Spirit, why should someone think that he can do so now?

3.      Fulfilment

On the day of Pentecost, ten days after Jesus’ departure, the promised Holy Spirit came. (Acts 2). We have seen in the previous section, that according to Scripture, speaking in tongues always features among the signs accompanying the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 1-13; 10: 44-48; 19: 1-7).

4.      Baptisms

The letter to the Hebrews 6: 2 indicates that “baptisms” are part of foundational Christian teaching. Scripture recognises the following three baptisms in the life of the Christian:

i)                    An existing believer baptises a new convert in water, after he has been born again (e.g. Acts 2: 38). This symbolises the change that has occurred in his life, and means that from that point on, he commits himself to follow Jesus.

ii)                   Jesus Christ baptises the born-again believer in the Holy Spirit (e.g. John 1: 33). He thus receives power for ministry.

iii)                 The Holy Spirit baptises the new believer into the body of Christ, which is the church. (1 Cor 12: 13 – “For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”) This means that if someone belongs to Christ, he also belongs to the church. No-one can live an isolated Christian life. 

5.      The seal of the new covenant

             In contrast to the old covenant circumcision (Rom 4: 11), the seal of the new covenant is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.” (Eph 1: 13-14); “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4: 30); “He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Cor 1: 21-22).

            With regard to the fact that the Holy Spirit is the seal of the new covenant, there are several aspects to the work he accomplishes in the life of the Christian believer. In his book, “The Covenants,” Kevin Conner summarises these as follows: ¹⁰

1. The Holy Spirit brings about the new birth (John 3: 3-6; Titus 3: 5),
2. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer’s spirit (Rom 8: 9; John 14: 16-17; 1 Cor 3: 16; 6: 17; 1 John 2: 27),
3. The Holy Spirit is the anointing who abides within and teaches the new covenant believer (1 John 2: 20; John 16: 13),
4.  The Holy Spirit gives assurance of salvation (Rom 8: 16),
5. The Holy Spirit fills the believer with himself (Acts 2: 4; Eph 5: 18),
6. The Holy Spirit by the baptism in the Spirit enables the new covenant believer to speak in unknown languages and edify himself (Acts 2: 4; 10: 44-48; Mark 16: 17; 1 Cor 14: 2, 4, 18),
7. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to pray (Jude 20; Rom 8: 26-28),
8. The Holy Spirit enables the new covenant believer to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4: 23, 24; Phil 3: 3, 1 Cor 14: 15),
9. The Holy Spirit leads and guides the believer into all truth (John 16: 13; Rom 8: 14),

10.  The Holy Spirit enables the believer to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8: 13),

11.  The Holy Spirit produces the Christ-like nature and character in the life of the believer (Gal 5: 22, 23; 2 Pet 1: 4),

12.  The Holy Spirit empowers the new covenant believer to be a witness for Christ (Luke 24: 49; Acts 1: 8; cf. Isaiah 61: 1),

13.  The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to those whom he fills (1 Cor 12: 7-13),

14.  The Holy Spirit will bring about the resurrection and immortality of the believer’s body in the last day (Rom 8: 11; 1 Cor 15: 47-51; 1 Thess 4: 15-18).

In this article, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of grace are dealt with in particular, but that does not mean that the other aspects of his work are not acknowledged.

 6.      Practical matters 

 a.)    How to lead someone into the baptism in the Holy Spirit

 If someone asks for help in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I would lead him through the following steps:

• It is essential to make sure that he has understood the gospel, repented, been born again, and following this has been baptised. If this is the case, then just the third foundation is lacking. (Acts 2: 38-39).  
• It is important for him to understand the reality of the baptism in the Spirit from the Bible, the Old and New Testament promises, and their fulfilment (based on the above).
• He should realise that if he is filled with the Holy Spirit, God will give him the ability to speak in tongues. He should expect and desire this to happen.
• Some people have various reservations and fears with regard to this. The most frequent problems are the following:

i)                    “I am not holy enough yet to receive the Holy Spirit.”

This can be answered thus: in the same way as salvation, the Holy Spirit is received by faith, not by works. It says in Galatians 3: 1-3, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish?” Cornelius and his household received the Holy Spirit immediately on hearing the gospel, so they had no time for sanctification. (Acts 10: 44-46). We need the Holy Spirit in order to be capable of living holy lives at all (Gal 5: 16, 22-23). Whoever wants to be sanctified first and then receive the Holy Spirit has reversed the divine order, in fact, he may not have understood the gospel at all.

ii)                   “We have to wait for the Holy Spirit. I may not have waited long enough.”

Here is the answer: the disciples waited for the Holy Spirit until Pentecost, but then he came, and is still here. Since then, we have not had to wait. When Paul found out that the Ephesians had not received the Holy Spirit, he immediately took steps to rectify the situation (Acts 19: 1-7).

iii)                 “If I open myself up to the Holy Spirit, how do I know I will not get a demon instead?”

The answer: this generally goes together with the misunderstanding dealt with under the first point, i.e., “I am still bad, so God does not love me.” This is refuted by Romans 5: 8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus also gave an answer to this, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For anyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11: 9-13). In other verses, scorpions and snakes symbolise demons (Luke 10: 17-20; Rev 12: 9). So if we ask for the Holy Spirit from our Father, that is exactly what we will receive, not something bad instead.

iv)                 “God gives other people the Holy Spirit, but maybe he does not want to give him to me.”

Peter’s promise can be given in answer to this, “… And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2: 38-39). There are no exceptions.

v)                  “Do I have to speak in tongues? That’s weird!”

I would answer in this way: speaking in tongues is not compulsory, but it is “part of the package” of the baptism in the Spirit, and it is an important practical tool/weapon to be used in the Christian life and in spiritual warfare. (We will return later to the question of why it is good to speak in tongues.)

vi)                 “I have been prayed for several times and nothing happened; I did not feel anything.”

I would answer thus: the Christian life works by faith, it is not based on feelings. The baptism in the Holy Sprit is frequently accompanied by powerful feelings, but not always. My wife and I once prayed for three members of the same family to receive the Holy Spirit. All three spoke in tongues, but one of them felt great joy, the second cried, and the third felt nothing at all.

If in reality, “nothing happened” with someone, maybe they were too passive when they were prayed for. When Peter said, “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” and also when Jesus told the disciples to, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20: 22), the Greek word λαμβανω (lambanó) is used. In contrast to the English, this verb is more active than passive, and it could be better translated as take, grasp. If someone sits there with lips tightly pressed together and expects the Holy Spirit to force him to speak in tongues, he will probably be disappointed. A person speaks in tongues, not the Holy Spirit. It says in Acts 2: 4 that “they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” So they began to speak, and the Holy Spirit gave them the words. Of course, someone will not speak in tongues either, if when hands are laid on him, he prays a lot and very fast in his own language.

• So my advice would be, that when someone has understood the foregoing, we should lay hands on the person and pray. His part is to accept in faith that the Lord has filled him with the Holy Spirit, thank the Lord for the gift, then open his mouth, switch on his vocal cords, and speak out loud. It is important that he should not speak in his own language, but just speak, and allow the Spirit to provide the words. It may help to use the illustrations found in John 7: 37-39 and 20: 21-22, by which we come to Jesus and drink in or breathe in the Holy Spirit, and then allow the anointing to flow up from our “innermost being” so that it breaks forth as words uttered in a new language.
• In my experience, many people (particularly Europeans) do not obey the instructions given, and a certain amount of encouragement may be required before they actually start to speak in tongues.

 b.)    Why should we speak in tongues?

 It can happen, that someone is filled with the Holy Spirit at some point and speaks in tongues, but subsequently does not use the gift in his everyday Christian life. Because he does not understand the words, perhaps he thinks he is making it all up, and it is not worth doing. On the other hand, the apostle Paul claimed to speak in tongues more than all the rest of the Corinthian believers, although he did not want to do this in the church meeting (1 Cor 14: 18-19). I list here various reasons why it is good to speak in tongues regularly.

i)                    Jesus said that his disciples would speak in new tongues. (Mark 16: 17).

ii)                   He who speaks in tongues, declares the wonders and mysteries of God in an unknown language (Acts 2: 11; 1 Cor 14: 2).

iii)                 He who speaks in tongues, exalts, praises and gives thanks to God (Acts 10: 46; 1 Cor 14: 16). He can also do this in song (1 Cor 14: 15; Eph 5: 19; Col 3: 16). If we praise God in our own language, sometimes words and ideas fail us, but we would like to continue. We can do so in tongues.

iv)                 He who speaks in tongues, speaks directly to God (1 Cor 14: 2).

v)                  If I speak in tongues, my spirit is praying (1 Cor 14: 14). Paul says he usually prays and sings praises both with his spirit and with his mind. (1 Cor 14: 15). We can also do this.

vi)                 He who speaks in tongues, edifies himself. (1 Cor 14: 4).

vii)               Speaking in tongues also helps us to be edified in faith (Jude 20-21, “You then, beloved, edifying yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God…” – based on Greek).

viii)              Speaking in tongues is a weapon to be used in prayer and spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6: 18 says, “With all kinds of prayer and requests pray always in the Spirit. So be alert and pray for all the saints with complete perseverance.” We know from 1 Cor 14: 14 that speaking in tongues is one kind of prayer and praying with the mind is another. Paul uses both. The Holy Spirit can also lead us in prayer if we pay attention to him (be alert), whilst alternately praying in tongues and our own language.

ix)                 We can pray in tongues (too), if we do not know what we should pray for. A prayer like this is always in perfect agreement with the will of God. Romans 8: 26-27 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our heart knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

x)                  The above points mainly apply to the use of speaking in tongues in our own private prayers and devotions, but it can also be used in a church meeting, with the proviso that the gift of interpretation of tongues is also in operation. In this case, speaking in tongues is a sign to unbelievers (1 Cor 14: 22), and it also fulfils the Old Testament prophecy found in Isaiah 28: 11, that “with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people.” If an unbeliever hears someone speaking in a language he has never learned, he must realise this is a supernatural phenomenon. In the following verses, however, Paul also adds that this must not be done by everyone at once, as in such a case, the unbeliever will be offended.

xi)                 If the gift of interpretation is in operation together with speaking in tongues, then the whole church is edified (1 Cor 12: 10; 14: 5).

xii)               Finally, together with Paul, “I would like every one of you to speak in tongues…” (1 Cor 14: 5).

So if a Christian thinks that he can always praise God perfectly, pray in accordance with God’s will, he does not need to be edified, and does not require help with witnessing either, then he should not be filled with the Holy Spirit or speak in tongues.

1. c.)    The gift of prophecy

 In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul teaches on the use of spiritual gifts, and in chapter 14 he particularly emphasises speaking in tongues and prophecy. Between these two sections, in chapter 13, he indicates that it is great if we wish to use spiritual gifts, but we must always be motivated by love. We surely know already that the general command of the New Testament is for us to love one another, but if we do not know what divine agapé love is like, this chapter defines it rather well! If after this we still find it difficult to love one another, then the good news is that the Holy Spirit helps us in this area too (Gal 5: 22; Rom 5: 5). So no-one should use prophecy, or speaking in tongues, or any of the other gifts, so that everyone will look up to him and see what a spiritual person he is. Paul also exhorts us to seek and use the spiritual gifts, not for our own benefit, but so that the church can be edified (1 Cor 12: 11; 13: 1; 14: 1; 14: 4).

In the previous subsection we discussed speaking in tongues, let us now consider the matter of prophecy. We find lists of gifts in three letters of the apostle Paul. In 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11 are the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the charismata, 12: 27-28 contains gifts for church government, Romans 12: 4-8 features the gifts of God, and in Ephesians 4: 11, Christ gives ministry gifts to the church. The lists overlap to some extent, and prophecy/prophesying is found in all four passages. We know that there were prophets in the early church (e.g. Acts 13: 1, 15: 32), and we also have some insight into the ministry of Agabus (Acts 11: 27-28; 21: 10-11), when God gave him messages applying to current situations. There were also others who prophesied, but were not necessarily prophets (Acts 21: 8).

With regard to the charisma of prophesy, Paul wants us to desire and be eager to prophesy (1 Cor 14: 4, 31). Let us consider now what prophecy is to be used for, and what it is not to be used for:

i)                    He who prophesies, edifies the church. (1 Cor 14: 4). 

ii)                   Prophecy generally speaks to believers. (1 Cor 14: 22).

iii)                 However, prophecy may convince an unbeliever that God is present in the church, for the specific purpose of bringing him to repentance (1 Cor 14: 24; cf. John 16: 8). This is often the role of the “word of knowledge.” If the Holy Spirit reveals through someone what is in the heart of a visitor, then it will be clear to him that this must be the work of God.

iv)                 Prophecy is for edification, encouragement and comfort (1 Cor 14: 3). The content of spiritual gifts should therefore be basically positive and constructive. Even if the Lord points out some problem or misunderstanding, the purpose is to provide a solution, and emphasise the possibility of repentance. The Holy Spirit always exalts Jesus, and places him in the centre of attention (John 16: 14; 1 Cor 12: 3).

v)                  The purpose of prophecy is not for someone to show everyone how well he can prophesy. Such a person exalts himself, and is therefore not acting in love.

vi)                 Prophecy is not to be used by an embittered person to rebuke his brethren in the name of the Lord. [The fact that the traditional Hungarian Bible translated by Károli Gáspár frequently uses “rebuke” for the Greek word παρακλησις (paraklésis), including in 1 Cor 14: 3, is rather unfortunate, and has often led to incorrect practice. The word here is in fact related to the paraklétos name of the Holy Spirit, and it means encouragement, exhortation, supplication, request, comfort. A better word than “rebuke” would therefore be “encourage” or “exhort”, as found in newer translations. For rebuke and correction, we have God’s word (2 Tim 3: 16). If someone hurts us, we need to deal with the matter privately (Mat 18: 15). God has provided other means for rebuke, not the gifts of the Spirit.]

vii)               Prophecy is not for teaching. God’s word is given for this purpose too (2 Tim 3: 16). If someone teaches something by means of a spiritual gift which is completely new, or is not in agreement with God’s word, then it must not be accepted.

viii)              Prophecy is not to be used to manipulate people. It cannot be used to prove that a person’s opinion is correct, because God has supposedly revealed this to him. Prophecy is not suitable for giving “guidance” to another Christian either. The Holy Spirit leads the children of God individually (Rom 8: 14). It can happen, that by means of a gift of the Spirit the Lord can confirm guidance which he has already given to someone, but if an instruction is totally new and unexpected for a person, I would strongly suggest that he test it thoroughly, and continue to pray.

ix)                 Prophecy does not exercise an irresistible influence on a believer. Our brother should not claim that the reason he interrupted the sermon with his prophesying, was that the Holy Spirit made him do it. The word says, “the spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” (1 Cor 14: 32). So the prophet himself is able to choose the most appropriate time and means of passing on his revelation.

x)                  Prophecy does not necessarily contain information about the future, although it may do so, e.g. in the case of Agabus. The main purpose of prophecy is for encouragement, edification and comfort (1 Cor 14: 3).

xi)                 Prophecy, as a gift of the Spirit, is not infallible and certainly not of equal value with the word of God, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part.” (1 Cor 13: 9). Due to this, prophecies must be tested, “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said” (1 Cor 14: 29); “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt; test everything; hold on to the good” (1 Thess 5: 19-21).

xii)               As prophecies are not infallible and need to be judged, then it is better if they are given in the church meetings, and not passed on privately. In this way, it is easier to avoid making mistakes, or even manipulating one another.

When dealing with usage of the spiritual gifts, therefore, two extremes must be avoided:

a)      The use of spiritual gifts in the church must not be forbidden, because we are afraid people will abuse them, or make mistakes. The reason Paul included this teaching in his letter, was so that the Corinthians would use the gifts correctly and not incorrectly, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Cor 12: 1); “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (12. 31); “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy” (14: 1); “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues” (14: 38); “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.” (1 Thess 5: 19-20).

b)      Prophesies must not be accepted without question as infallible messages from God, but as we have seen above, they must be weighed.

The question therefore arises, how should we examine prophecies? I would suggest the following:

A)    First of all, prophecies and spiritual gifts must be examined in the light of the word of God. They must not contain any information which is in conflict with the teaching of the Bible. Some cults have been led astray, because they have explained the Bible (away) based on the revelations of a modern prophet, rather than testing the prophet’s revelations by the teaching of the Bible. This first point is therefore perhaps the most important.

B)     Prophesying should be carried out in an orderly manner.

C)    Jesus must be exalted, not the prophet.

D)    Prophecy should be encouraging, edifying and comforting, in other words, a positive message. Even if there is a call for the congregation to change, they should not be forced into depression!

E)     Besides the above, the gift of discernment (1 Cor 12: 10) can help to determine the source of a revelation: demonic, divine, or simply human imagination.

F)     If several prophets receive the same message independently of each other, and it also meets the above criteria, then it can be accepted with even greater conviction.

Another question is, who should examine prophecy? 1 Cor 14: 29 as well as 1 Thess 5: 19-21 compared with 12-13 would indicate that in the first place those who themselves prophesy should examine each others’ revelations, with especial regard to the opinion of those in congregational leadership. Having said that, all believers are of course responsible for examining what they hear.

 d). Other charismata

 The apostle Paul lists nine spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10. As this is just a list, various explanations exist as to how these gifts should be understood. It appears, however, that some of these worked in the lives of both Jesus and the early Christians. Let us see what these charismata could have been:

i)                    Word of wisdom

A person receives wisdom in a supernatural way, as to what he should do in a difficult situation, or how he should solve a particular problem.

Jesus always knew how he should answer the questions asked by his critics, and always managed to avoid the traps. For example, should tax be paid to Caesar or not (Luke 20: 20-25); should the woman caught in adultery be stoned or not (John 8: 1-11). Jesus told his disciples that when they were persecuted and taken before the authorities, the Holy Spirit would give them what they should say in that situation (Luke 12: 12). This in fact happened with the apostle Paul (Acts 26).

ii)                  Word of knowledge

The Holy Spirit provides information about a person or a situation, which could not have been known by natural means. This can happen in a church meeting, but it can also be useful in personal witnessing.

When Jesus talked with the woman of Samaria (John 4), he told her she had had five husbands, and the present one was not her husband. The apostle Peter knew that Ananias and Sapphira had lied about their giving (Acts 5).

iii)                Faith

It is interesting that faith is included with the gifts of the Spirit, as it is also found on the list of fruits (Gal 5: 22 – Greek  πιστις (pistis)  = faith, trust, faithfulness), and it is also written that faith comes from hearing the word of God (Rom 10: 17). A special kind of faith is probably meant here, such as is needed for carrying out a particular task, or taking a specific step. In any case, the three areas should probably not be sharply distinguished.

Peter had enough faith to walk on water, as he had received the authority to do so, but only as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus (Mat 14: 29-31). The lame man in Lystra had the faith to be healed (Acts 14: 8-10).

iv)                Gifts of healings

The New Testament offers several means for physical healing, including healing received via gifts of the Spirit. Physical healing can occur gradually or suddenly, by faith or by receiving prayer, with or without the laying on of hands.

Jesus Christ healed many people in the course of his ministry (e.g. Mark 1: 29-34). Peter (Acts 3: 6-8) and Paul (14: 8-10) also performed healings. In the 20^th century, the gifts of healings began to work in the church in greater measure once again. Many people have been healed at Kathryn Kuhlman’s meetings and T. L. Osborne’s evangelistic campaigns, among others.

v)                  Miraculous powers

A healing which occurs with dramatic suddenness can be considered a miracle, as the Holy Spirit intervenes in the general processes of nature. Other miracles can also happen, which conflict with the laws of the natural world. It is important to note, that these never occur without a reason. They always confirm the message of the gospel, and meet human needs as well.

Jesus changed water into wine (John 2: 1-11), multiplied loaves of bread (Mark 6: 30-44; 8: 1-10), and calmed the storm (Mark 4: 35-41). The apostles (Acts 5: 12-16) and even the deacons (Stephen  – 6: 1-8, Philip the evangelist – 8: 6-7) performed miracles.

vi)                Prophecy

A message from God for the encouragement, edification and comfort of the congregation.

Examples have been discussed above, but it should also be mentioned, that Jesus himself was also a prophet, e.g. he predicted the fall of Jerusalem (which occurred in AD 70) and listed the signs preceding the end of the age as recorded in Matthew 24. It can seen in the book of Acts that in the early period church leaders frequently received wisdom, insight and guidance through gifts of the Spirit, often in the form of visions or prophecies (Acts 10: 9-16; 13: 1-3; 15: 28; 16: 6-10).

vii)              Discernment of spirits

Unfortunately, many excesses have resulted from this one verse. It probably means, that we can be shown by supernatural means what the spiritual source of a certain phenomenon, sickness, problem, teaching or revelation is. Of course, this should only be used in conjunction with application of the Biblical tests.

Jesus always knew what the source of a person’s problem was, and treated it accordingly, e.g. he healed one deaf-mute (Mark 7: 31-37), but cast a demon out of another one (Mark 9: 14-29). In Philippi, the apostle Paul cast a spirit of divination out of the slave girl, even though she told the truth (Acts 16: 16-18).

viii)            Speaking in tongues 

In a church meeting, someone may be prompted by the Holy Spirit to speak or even sing in an unknown language, as the Spirit gives the words. In contrast to speaking in tongues for prayer or praise, not everyone will do this (1 Cor 12: 28-30; cf. 14: 4-5).

ix)                Interpretation of tongues

Also in a supernatural way, someone will receive from the Holy Spirit an understanding of the content of the preceding tongue. This is not a translation, as neither the speaker nor the interpreter understands the language. Considering the fact that he who speaks in tongues speaks to God and not to men, and he who speaks in tongues prays, gives thanks and worships, then the interpretation should also be of this character.

 e.)    How does it work in practice?

This is the most difficult question, as the Bible does not give detailed teaching on it. I can just pass on some advice here, based on the Word and my own experiences:

i)                    There are various kinds of gifts, and the Holy Spirit distributes these according to his will (1 Cor 12: 11). As the word “distributes” is in the present continuous tense in the Greek, this means that in a meeting, the Holy Spirit can give any one of the gifts to any one person, but it does not mean that if I have e.g. prophesied on one occasion, then I now “have the gift” and can prophesy at will at any time. This is a dynamic and not a static concept. (I should note, that this is not the case with the “ministry” gifts, but that is a different subject.)

ii)                   The Word exhorts us to desire the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12: 31; 14: 1, 12). We should do this, and expect our desire to be fulfilled!

iii)                 In the same way as everything in the Christian life, the gifts operate by faith, but faith can be of differing degrees (Romans 12: 6). We should not force anything that we cannot do in faith. On the other hand, if we begin to step out in the gifts, our confidence can grow as we gain experience. The Bible indicates we are able to “stir up the gift of God” which is in us (cf. 2 Tim 1: 6).

iv)                 With regard to the gift of tongues for the church, my experience is that I feel strongly prompted by the Spirit when I should do this. Interpretation, prophecy and word of knowledge have worked in a variety of ways. In some cases, I just know I should step out in faith and speak, even before I have received anything. At other times, I just receive one or two words, and I have to step out with the confidence that the rest will follow. But it can also happen, that I receive the whole message at once. These gifts can be given in words, but visions are common too, and God can even speak in dreams (Acts 2: 17-18). In the case of a vision, it can be as clear as a cinema film, but sometimes a hazy picture just jumps into my mind for half a second, and I am not even sure if it was significant or not. 

v)                  When someone thinks he has received something, then he must decide whether to pass it on to the church or not. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets (1 Cor 14: 32). But if due to laziness or fear, he does not pass it on, then he is being disobedient to the Holy Spirit, and is also withholding a blessing from the congregation. Of course, when someone is walking in love, he does not wish to do this. 

 Footnotes:

10. Conner, K. J., The covenants, p. 89.