https://blog.truthforlife.org/are-all-spiritual-gifts-for-today

Are all spiritual gifts described in the Bible still active today? Christians vary widely in their answer to this question. In fact, more division and controversy ensue here than in any other area of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. And yet we must arrive at a biblical perspective on this crucial issue while recognizing that not all Christians will agree on everything.

Here’s a helpful rule of thumb for responsible Bible interpretation: the plain things are the main things, and the main things are the plain things. The “main things” are the basics of Christianity. These are doctrines like the full deity and humanity of Jesus, the authority of Scripture, the Trinity, etc. To affirm these tenets is to be Christian; to deny them is to break with orthodox Christian belief. But we should also acknowledge that in other areas, like spiritual gifts, Scripture isn’t so dogmatic.

So, did God intend for all of the New Testament spiritual gifts to continue unabated in the church today? We’ll examine the biblical evidence with humility, asking the Lord to give us understanding as we go (2 Peter 1:21). Their Spirit-inspired words completed the teachings of “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Based on the biblical evidence, it’s clear that while Spirit-filled preaching and teaching today should have a prophetic ring to it, these activities are distinct from the New Testament gift of prophecy. Because we have the Scriptures, the prophecy as we find in the apostolic period is no longer operative in the church. We don’t need twenty-first-century voices filling in alleged gaps in God’s revelation, tickling the ears of untaught or misguided Christians.

Biblical prophecy involved direct revelation from God, spoken through an individual and to an historic occasion.

In its revelatory sense, the gift of prophecy has ceased with the close of the New Testament canon. But is there any place for giving or receiving a “prophetic word” today? Oftentimes the Spirit will impress upon our hearts a burden or piece of counsel for a brother or sister in Christ. This isn’t the same as the gift of prophecy per se but simply an occasion for Spirit-filled encouragement. Even so, in these circumstances, we’d be wise to offer concrete biblical evidence to that person rather than a word loosely based in Scripture, lest people attach more importance to our words than to God’s written Word. In short, anytime we say, “Thus saith the Lord,” we ought to have a chapter and verse to back it up.

A Both/And Answer

We return to the central question before us: Are the gifts for today? The answer, on the strength of the biblical evidence, must both yes and no. It is yes in that the gifts are vital to the health of any church. If we are to reach people for Christ and build one another up in love, we require spiritual gifts. But we do not need the foundational gifts, like apostleship and prophecy, to attest to and authenticate the apostolic Gospel, for the foundational phase of establishing apostolic doctrine and the church has long since passed.

Nevertheless, Christians of all stripes would do well to hold their view on this matter with an open hand, having hearts that beat with both charity and humility toward those who believe differently. After all, as Paul reminds us even as he discusses the use of gifts in his days, those who have repented and placed their faith in the true Christ belong to Him, and us to one another, having all been baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13)—and beyond all the gifts, God has offered us “a still more excellent way” (v. 31) to display His power and glory.

This article was adapted from the sermon “Spiritual Gifts — Part Two” by Alistair Begg. Subscribe to get weekly blog updates.