This paper will give a brief overview on the gifts and empowerments of the Holy Spirit in Acts, and then proceed to examine whether these empowerments were intended only for the apostles, or whether they are available to Christians today.
The book of Acts is one of the most important books in the Bible for understanding the Holy Spirit, and how He works. A study of miracles must extensively rely on Acts for information regarding how the early church operated in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Regarding the gifts of the Spirit, there are two opinions on them. The first says that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were given only to the apostles, and that they passed away when the apostles died. The second view is that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are just as relevant to Christians today as they were in the time of the apostles. This paper will first examine the ways in which the Holy Spirit worked with the apostles, and it will then discuss whether the Holy Spirit still works in the same way with believers.
Acts 2 is where the Holy Spirit first came universally. Throughout the gospels, the Holy Spirit had been working through Jesus, and occasionally though the disciples, but now things were different. The Holy Spirit came down on all the praying believers--- not just a select few of them. They all began to speak in other languages, known as the gift of tongues. Modern understanding of the gift of tongues seems to be slightly different than the early church experienced it. The apostles did not view the gift of tongues as speaking incoherently, but rather they spoke in various languages with real meaning. Modern Christians should realize that tongues is more than just a prayer language. It is also the ability to speak languages unknown to the speaker.
Speaking unknown languages of course was not the only gift given to the apostles. Another gift they often operated in is the gift of healings. Acts 3:6-7 is the first recorded healing in Acts. The apostles healed a man who had been unable to walk for his entire life. The next healing recorded occurs in Acts 5:15, where large numbers of people were healed. There were most likely many healings that had taken place before this that were not recorded though. Acts 8:7, 9:33 – 34, 9:36 – 41, 14:8 – 10, 19:11 – 12, 20:9 – 12, 28:3 – 6, and 28:8 – 9 record other times when the apostles healed people. The gift of healings was one of the main ways the apostles showed the power behind the gospel.
Besides these two gifts, the apostles’ ministries were empowered by the Holy Spirit, in various other unique ways. God miraculously set Peter free from prison, and later did the same for Paul and Silas. The apostles also cast out demons. In Acts 16:16 – 18 Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a fortune-teller. Acts 8:7 records the apostles casting many demons out of people.
Prophecy was another common occurrence in Acts. Acts 11:27 records that several prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, predicted that a famine would come across the entire world. Later, In Acts 21:10 – 11, he prophesied that Paul would be captured by the Jews in Jerusalem. In Acts 5, Peter received a prophetic message (perhaps technically a word of knowledge), that Ananias and Sapphira had lied about sharing the proceeds of the sale of their property.
Part 2. whether or not the Holy Spirit works in the same way today: This paper will now examine whether or not the Holy Spirit operates the same way in modern times, as He did in the book of Acts. One view is called “cessationism,” which says that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were only for the apostles of the first century church. There are several arguments that have been made in support of it. The primary one is based on 1 Corinthians 13:10: “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.” The “perfect” is interpreted as being the completed canon of scripture, and the “part” is seen as referring to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Looking at verse nine it is seen that “prophesy” is one of the things done in part. The cessationist view extends the “part” to refer not only to prophesy, but also to all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Interpreting “that which is in part” as referring to the gifts of the Spirit, and them being done away with, is agreed on both by cessationists, and Pentecostals. There is a problem with thinking that Paul was referring to the end of the first century as the time the spiritual gifts would be done away with though. Paul never specified when “that which is part” would be done away with. It depends on one’s interpretation of what “that which is perfect” is. This is where the interpretive rift forms between Pentecostals and cessationists. Cessationists hold that “that which is perfect” refers to the completed canon of scripture. Evidence for this is seen in that we no longer have partial knowledge when we understand the Bible, therefore making our partial knowledge one of the things that are done away with as the Bible gives us perfect knowledge of God. This sounds nice, but it does not stand under scrutiny. First of all, there is nothing in the context that suggests that Paul was referring to the canon of scripture here. Besides this, as useful as the Bible is, it does not give us a full knowledge of God. There are many things about God that we still do not understand, even after reading and studying the Bible.
The Pentecostal view sees the perfect thing to be the return of Christ, His restoration of the universe to remove the effects of sin, and the future glorification of our bodies. Verse twelve of 1 Corinthians says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. ” It makes sense to take this literally, and see the “face to face” experience as us seeing Christ face to face. As great as the Bible is, it does not give us a “face to face” experience with Christ.
Paul also says, “Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Paul expected to experience the “perfect” for himself. He cannot therefore be referring to the canon of scripture, because Paul was dead long before the canon was finished. Paul did know that he would see Christ “face to face” at His second coming. This is strong evidence that Paul was referring to the second coming of Christ as “that which is perfect,” and certainly not the completion of the canon.
The passage in 1 Corinthians is not the only relevant passage though. There are several more that will prove useful in examining the continuation or cessation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:38 -39 Peter says, “; . . . and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” This disproves the opinion that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were intended only for the apostles. If this were the case, then Peter would have been lying to the crowd, by saying it was for them and their children.