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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" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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May 6, 1990
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Contents:
1) Miraculous Gifts -- Their Temporary Nature (Part Three) (Tom Edwards)
2) Worshiping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Tom Edwards)
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-1-
Miraculous Gifts --Their Temporary Nature (Part Three)
by Tom Edwards
Nature and Purpose for the Gifts
Why was it that God even gave miraculous gifts? How were they to help
the church in its infancy? And is it possible for man to know and do
all that God requires of him if he has not been endowed with these
miraculous gifts in our age? Let us look to the Bible for some answers
to these questions.
As we observe the list of miraculous gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, it
is apparent that six out of the nine pertained more to the message of
God's word itself (the word of wisdom; word of knowledge; prophecy;
distinguishing of spirits; tongues and their interpretation), and the
other three (faith; gifts of healing; effecting of miracles) served to
confirm the preaching and teaching of God's message (Mark 16:20;
Hebrews 2:3,4). Therefore, working together, they not only imparted
God's message, but also verified its Divine origin -- thus giving proof
to all men for all time that God has spoken and His message is found in
the Bible.
Obviously, the early church was in great need of these gifts; for
during its beginning stage, it had been temporarily without the
complete revelation of the New Testament which would help it to develop
maturely. Notice the following purpose and the importance that
Paul shows to Timothy for the writing of his inspired epistles: "...I
write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the
household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
support of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). What Paul shared in his letters
was that which God had miraculously imparted to him. Writing to the
Ephesians, the apostle proclaims, "that by revelation there was made
known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring
to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery
of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of
men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in
the Spirit" (Eph. 3:3-5).
When today we turn to the pages of God's inspired word, we can receive
naturally those same truths that inspired men of long ago had to
receive supernaturally. The fact that some men were endowed with the
Holy Spirit in such a fashion as to be foretellers of the future or,
even more often, to be inspired "forth tellers" of His word, did not
enable these men to have any more insight than those whom they told
their revelations to. Both would have acquired equal knowledge of God's
word.
The main purpose for miracles was in order to establish the
authenticity of God's message. According to Mark 16:20, after the
ascension of Jesus and while the apostles went out everywhere in order
to preach the gospel, "the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the
word by the signs that followed."
Since this has already happened there is no need for God's word to be
confirmed anymore. Certainly, you would not continue every month to
take the same document back to a notary republic in order to have it
notarized again and again.
It's interesting to note that even during the age of miracles there
were some who were closely associated with the apostle Paul, yet still
had their share of infirmities. Timothy, for example, not only had
stomach problems,
but also frequent illnesses. Yet, rather than merely working a miracle
in order to heal his good friend, Paul prescribed for Timothy a "little
wine" to be used for medicinal purposes that would help him with his
ailments.
Mention is also made of Epaphroditus and his sickness in Philippians
2:25-30. And even the apostle Paul had his "thorn in the flesh," which
he earnestly prayed for the removal of; but God's response was simply:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" (2
Cor. 12:9). Realizing this, Paul then stated, "Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may
dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults,
with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's
sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:9,10).
The accumulated implication of these various passages is clear: the
main purpose for miracles was not for the mere sake of restoring the
physically impaired or chronically ill -- for God can even use sickness
and affliction for his glory and for the eternal well being of the one
so suffering -- but rather these miraculous signs served to
substantiate the word of the Lord.
May we never forget that the spiritual shall always be more important
than the physical: the sickly crippled on his way to heaven is far
better off than the healthiest individual who is on a road to hell (an
eternal separation from the love and mercy of God). Let us,
therefore, live our lives with this proper perspective in mind.
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-2-
Worshiping the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Tom Edwards
It must have been a joyous and glorious occasion in time's past when
the king was ushered through his domain with a train of attendants
humbly following and his loyal subjects cheering with shouts of
adulation and praise towards their noble and highly esteemed leader.
Often the cry, "Long live the king!" would emanate from the throng; for
he was their sovereign and the one to whom they showed their respect
with reverential fear.
While considering this type of praise that was often given to kings of
the earth, how much more should one give to Him whom the Bible speaks
of as being the "King of kings and Lord of lords"?
Jesus, who is this great King, deserves an honor greater than that
given to any man -- so much so, that if we honored Him any less than we
honored God the Father, we wouldn't be honoring Him enough. The Lord
states in Jn. 5:22,23: "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He
has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son,
even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not
honor the Father who sent Him." Though this is true, how was Jesus
received by the multitudes? Did they give Him the reverence He so
verily deserved?
Christ was the Son of God, Creator of the very earth His contemporaries
stood upon; yet, Isaiah prophesied of the crowd's response and foretold
700 years prior to the Lord's incarnation the following: "He is
despised and rejected; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and
we hid as it were our faces from Him; he was despised, and we esteemed
Him not" (Isa. 53:3).
The NT reveals the fulfillment of this. One such passage is John 1:11,
which says: "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not
receive Him." The sin of racial prejudice has probably existed down
through the years, but Jesus was rejected by His very own race and even
by many of those whom He grew up with.
We hope that you are not one who is rejecting Jesus, the great King of
kings and Lord of lords, and would like to offer you a free Bible
course through the Internet that will help you in becoming one of the
Lord's loyal subjects. If you would like to receive this, just contact
me with your request at tedwards1109@gmail.com. Thank
you.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ
(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for,
if
not,
salvation
can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
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First published for the Tri-state church of Christ in Ashland,
Kentucky, at 713 13th Street.
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards
tedwards1109@gmail.com
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