Q. You claim to have the gift of healing.  I have trouble believing this because the gifts of the Holy Spirit are usable when needed.  If someone is gifted in teaching it is evident as the person teaches.  If a Christian is gifted in mercy, that is also evident.  The recipient of these gifts does not require faith to receive them.  Why didn’t Paul just heal Timothy of his stomach problem?  He told him to drink wine instead. Read Post »

Q. Despite attending a church that preaches spiritual gifts can be “imparted” by the laying on of hands from one believer to another, I have always held that we receive our gifts from  God as He determines.  However, I’ve been doing an in-depth study of Paul’s letters to Timothy and found in 2 Timothy 1:6 where Paul indicates Timothy received one of the gifts from him by the laying on of hands.  Can you clarify this? Read Post »

Q. God Bless you and your ministry. You have helped me and countless others to grow in an understanding of God’s Word, and I thank you.

I also believe that not everyone has the same Spiritual Gifts, and that God gives them according to His perfect will; I also believe that our gifts don’t change, but that God sometimes gives us a gift we don’t have to fulfill a specific purpose. But I was reading I Corinthians 12 and found something that confused me. Verse 31 says,” But earnestly desire the greater gifts.” Also, I Cor. 14:1 says, “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”

When he said “desire the greater gifts” and “especially that you may prophesy” was he speaking to those who didn’t know what their gifts are? Or am I missing something? Thanks in advance for your help! Read Post »

Q. I have two questions about this verse: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” My first question is,why Jesus imply to ask the Holy Spirit from God,if the Spirit is already sealed in us by God when we first believed? Read Post »

Q. I am a Pentecostal and believe that every one of the gifts is in operation today in the body of Christ and they are freely accessible by faith. That being said though I do believe that some gifts are over emphasized and have caused some misgivings and/or divisions in the BOC.

For example, where did the belief that one has to speak in tongues in order to give evidence that one is baptized in the HS come from? Mind you that I have the gift of tongues, I just don’t understand the over emphases on it. Read Post »

Q. Over the past couple of years or so, I’m sensing that I may have the gift of discernment, in that I seem to be able to see the root of issues while others focus on the symptoms. (I have a difficulty even writing this because is appears to be pompous.) Various people have commented that they see wisdom in my words, which has caused me to watch my “tongue”. Read Post »

Q. What is baptism of Holy Spirit? Do we have it when we say the sinner’s prayer? Does Holy Spirit convict us of sin or righteousness? Thanks for answering once again! Read Post »

Q. I have a question about speaking in tongues (Praying in the Spirit). Do you believe in praying in the Spirit just in your room? Not in front of other people? Paul, the apostle spoke in tongues according to the book of Corinthians.

A. I fully believe in the operation of all the Spiritual Gifts in the Church today, as long as their use conforms to the instructions Paul gave us.

What I’m opposed to is the flagrant abuse and even counterfeiting of the gifts that I see in some parts of the Church. Paul spoke in tongues and wrote that the Holy Spirit prays our behalf (Romans 8:26) And he said that sometimes people who speak in tongues speak to God and no one understands them (1 Cor. 14:2) He also said that if there is no interpreter present this should not be done in public (1 Cor. 14:28) because it only causes confusion. He didn’t place any restriction on praying in the Spirit privately.

Q. In regard to the article “Did Tongues Cease”, I concur with your answer. I was raised to believe that they had ceased but did not see how my pastor/teachers arrived at their conclusion using the texts that are commonly used to support this belief.

However, I do believe that the Greek supports the idea that the gift given in apostolic times was a “known earthly language” being spoken for the furtherance of the gospel as well as a sign of it’s authority as being given from God. I don’t think the “gift of tongues” used today falls under that category. Read Post »

Q. The gifts of the Spirit in the Bible lists speaking in tongues. Why do only Charismatic type churches practice this gift. Most other churches say it ended, I am confused. Where does it say it ended. The Bible does not say the other gifts ended, why that one? Read Post »