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GIFTS OF HEALING； HELPS； GOVERNMENTS； DIVERSITIES OF TONGUES。〃
THE DECLARATION THAT GOD HATH SET SOME IN THE CHURCH； ETC。； IMPLIES
SOMETHING MORE THAN THAT THE WAY WAS LEFT OPEN FOR THE GIFTS TO APPEAR IF
CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD CHANCE TO FAVOR。 IT RATHER SIGNIFIES THAT THEY WERE TO
BE PERMANENT PARTS OF THE TRUE SPIRITUAL CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH； AND
THAT IF THESE WERE NOT IN ACTIVE OPERATION THE CHURCH WOULD BE IN THE
CONDITION OF A HUMAN BODY； SOME OF WHOSE MEMBERS HAD； THROUGH ACCIDENT OR
DISEASE； BECOME CRIPPLED AND HELPLESS。 HAVING ONCE BEEN SET IN THE CHURCH；
THERE THESE GIFTS MUST REMAIN UNTIL THEY ARE FORMALLY REMOVED。 BUT THERE IS
NO RECORD THAT THEY EVER HAVE BEEN REMOVED。
FIVE YEARS LATER THE SAME APOSTLE WRITES TO THE EPHESIANS RELATIVE TO THE
SAME GIFTS； PLAINLY STATING THEIR OBJECT； AND THUS SHOWING INDIRECTLY THAT
THEY MUST CONTINUE TILL THAT OBJECT IS ACCOMPLISHED。 HE SAYS （EPHESIANS 4：8；
11…13）： 〃WHEREFORE HE SAITH； WHEN HE ASCENDED UP ON HIGH； HE LED CAPTIVITY
CAPTIVE； AND GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN。 。 。 。 AND HE GAVE SOME； APOSTLES； AND
SOME； PROPHETS； AND SOME； EVANGELISTS； AND SOME； PASTORS AND TEACHERS； FOR
THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS； FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY； FOR THE EDIFYING
OF THE BODY OF CHRIST： TILL WE ALL COME IN THE UNITY OF THE FAITH； AND OF
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD； UNTO A PERFECT MAN； UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE
STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST。〃
THE CHURCH DID NOT REACH THE STATE OF UNITY HERE CONTEMPLATED； IN THE
APOSTOLIC AGE； AND VERY SOON AFTER THAT AGE； THE GLOOM OF THE GREAT
SPIRITUAL APOSTASY BEGAN TO OVERSHADOW THE CHURCH； AND CERTAINLY DURING THE
STATE OF DECLENSION； THIS FULLNESS OF CHRIST； AND UNITY OF FAITH； WAS NOT
REACHED。 NOR WILL IT BE REACHED TILL
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THE LAST MESSAGE OF MERCY SHALL HAVE GATHERED OUT OF EVERY KINDRED AND
PEOPLE； EVERY CLASS OF SOCIETY； AND EVERY ORGANIZATION OF ERROR； A PEOPLE
COMPLETE IN ALL GOSPEL REFORMS； WAITING FOR THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN。
AND TRULY； IF EVER IN HER EXPERIENCE THE CHURCH WOULD NEED THE BENEFIT OF
EVERY AGENCY ORDAINED FOR HER COMFORT AND GUIDANCE； ENCOURAGEMENT AND
PROTECTION； IT WOULD BE AMID THE PERILS OF THE LAST DAYS； WHEN THE POWERS OF
EVIL； WELL…NIGH PERFECTED BY EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING FOR THEIR NEFARIOUS
WORK； WOULD； BY THEIR MASTERPIECES OF IMPOSTURE； DECEIVE IF IT WERE POSSIBLE
EVEN THE ELECT。 VERY APPROPRIATELY； THEREFORE； COME IN THE SPECIAL
PROPHECIES OF THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHURCH IN
THE LAST DAYS。
IT IS； HOWEVER； USUALLY TAUGHT； IN THE CURRENT LITERATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN
WORLD； THAT THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT WERE ONLY FOR THE APOSTOLIC AGE； THAT
THEY WERE GIVEN SIMPLY FOR THE PLANTING OF THE GOSPEL； AND THAT THE GOSPEL
BEING ONCE ESTABLISHED； THE GIFTS WERE NO LONGER NEEDED； AND CONSEQUENTLY
WERE SUFFERED SOON TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE CHURCH。 BUT THE APOSTLE PAUL WARNED
THE CHRISTIANS OF HIS DAY THAT THE 〃MYSTERY OF INIQUITY〃 WAS ALREADY AT
WORK； AND THAT AFTER HIS DEPARTURE； GRIEVOUS WOLVES WOULD ENTER IN AMONG
THEM； NOT SPARING THE FLOCK； AND THAT ALSO OF THEIR OWN SELVES MEN WOULD
ARISE； SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM。 ACTS
20：29； 30。 IT CANNOT THEREFORE BE THAT THE GIFTS； PLACED IN THE CHURCH TO
GUARD AGAINST THESE VERY EVILS； WERE READY； WHEN THAT TIME CAME； TO PASS
AWAY AS HAVING ACCOMPLISHED THEIR OBJECT； FOR THEIR PRESENCE AND HELP WOULD
BE NEEDED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS MORE THAN WHEN THE APOSTLES THEMSELVES WERE
ON THE STAGE OF ACTION。
WE FIND ANOTHER STATEMENT IN PAUL'S LETTER TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH； WHICH
SHOWS THAT THE POPULAR CONCEPTION OF THE TEMPORARY CONTINUANCE OF THE GIFTS
CANNOT BE CORRECT。 IT IS HIS CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PRESENT； IMPERFECT STATE；
AND THE GLORIOUS； IMMORTAL CONDITION TO WHICH THE CHRISTIAN WILL FINALLY
ARRIVE。 1 CORINTHIANS
13。 HE SAYS （VERSES 9； 10）。 〃FOR WE KNOW IN PART； AND WE
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PROPHESY IN PART。 BUT WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME； THEN THAT WHICH IS
IN PART SHALL BE DONE AWAY。〃 HE FURTHER ILLUSTRATES THIS PRESENT STATE BY
COMPARING IT TO THE PERIOD OF CHILDHOOD WITH ITS WEAKNESS AND IMMATURITY OF
THOUGHT AND ACTION； AND THE PERFECT STATE； TO THE CONDITION OF MANHOOD WITH
ITS CLEARER VISION； MATURITY； AND STRENGTH。 AND HE CLASSES THE GIFTS AMONG
THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NEEDED IN THIS PRESENT； IMPERFECT CONDITION； BUT
WHICH WE SHALL HAVE NO OCCASION FOR WHEN THE PERFECT STATE IS COME。 〃NOW；〃
HE SAYS （VERSE 12）； 〃WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS； DARKLY； BUT THEN FACE TO FACE：
NOW I KNOW IN PART； BUT THEN SHALL I KNOW EVEN AS ALSO I AM KNOWN。〃 THEN HE
STATES WHAT GRACES ARE ADAPTED TO THE ETERNAL STATE； AND WILL THERE EXIST；
NAMELY； FAITH； HOPE； AND CHARITY； OR LOVE； 〃THESE THREE； BUT THE GREATEST OF
THESE IS CHARITY。〃
THIS EXPLAINS THE LANGUAGE OF VERSE 8： 〃CHARITY NEVER FAILETH；〃 THAT IS；
CHARITY； THE HEAVENLY GRACE OF LOVE； WILL ENDURE FOREVER； IT IS THE CROWNING
GLORY OF MAN'S FUTURE； IMMORTAL CONDITION； BUT 〃WHETHER THERE BE PROPHECIES；
THEY SHALL FAIL；〃 THAT IS； THE TIME WILL COME WHEN PROPHECIES WILL BE NO
LONGER NEEDED； AND THE GIFT OF PROPHECY； AS ONE OF THE HELPS IN THE CHURCH；
WILL NO LONGER BE EXERCISED； 〃WHETHER THERE BE TONGUES； THEY SHALL CEASE；〃
THAT IS； THE GIFT OF TONGUES WILL NO LONGER BE OF SERVICE； 〃WHETHER THERE BE
KNOWLEDGE； IT SHALL VANISH AWAY；〃 THAT IS； KNOWLEDGE； NOT IN THE ABSTRACT；
BUT AS ONE OF THE SPECIAL GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT； WILL BE RENDERED UNNECESSARY
BY THE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE WITH WHICH WE SHALL BE ENDOWED IN THE ETERNAL
WORLD。
NOW； IF WE TAKE THE POSITION THAT THE GIFTS CEASED WITH THE APOSTOLIC AGE；
BECAUSE NO LONGER NEEDED； WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE POSITION THAT THE
APOSTOLIC AGE WAS THE WEAK AND CHILDISH AGE OF THE CHURCH； WHEN EVERYTHING
WAS SEEN THROUGH A GLASS； DARKLY； BUT THE AGE THAT FOLLOWED； WHEN GRIEVOUS
WOLVES WERE TO ENTER IN； NOT SPARING THE FLOCK； AND MEN WERE TO ARISE； EVEN
IN THE CHURCH； SPEAKING PERVERSE THINGS TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEM；
WAS AN AGE OF PERFECT LIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE； IN WHICH THE IMPERFECT AND
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CHILDISH AND DARKENED KNOWLEDGE OF APOSTOLIC TIMES HAD PASSED AWAY！ FOR； BE
IT REMEMBERED； THE GIFTS CEASE ONLY WHEN A PERFECT STATE IS REACHED； AND
BECAUSE THAT STATE IS REACHED； WHICH RENDERS THEM NO LONGER NECESSARY。 BUT
NO ONE； ON SOBER THOUGHT； CAN FOR A MOMENT SEEK TO MAINTAIN THE POSITION
THAT THE APOSTOLIC AGE WAS INFERIOR IN SPIRITUAL ELEVATION TO ANY AGE WHICH
HAS SUCCEEDED IT。 AND IF THE GIFTS WERE NEEDED THEN； THEY CERTAINLY ARE
NEEDED NOW。
AMONG THE AGENCIES WHICH THE APOSTLE IN HIS LETTERS TO BOTH THE CORINTHIANS
AND EPHESIANS ENUMERATES AS 〃GIFTS〃 SET IN THE CHURCH； WE FIND 〃PASTORS；〃
〃TEACHERS；〃 〃HELPS；〃 AND 〃GOVERNMENTS；〃 AND ALL THESE ARE ACKNOWLEDGED； ON
EVERY HAND； AS STILL CONTINUING IN THE CHURCH。 WHY NOT； THEN； THE OTHERS
ALSO； INCLUDING FAITH； HEALING； PROPHECY； ETC。？ WHO IS COMPETENT TO DRAW THE
LINE； AND SAY WHAT GIFTS HAVE BEEN 〃SET OUT〃 OF THE CHURCH； WHEN ALL WERE；
IN THE BEGINNING；