the gifts of prophecy and of superna tural knowledge. The apostles were given supernatural wisdom, in order that they might write the New Testa ment, even as all prophecy came from God. But let us remember the words of Paul: “Whether there be prophe cies, they shall fa il; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge [supernatural knowledge], it shall vanish away” (1 Cor. 13:8). In the beginning of the Christian era, before men had the full revelation of God’s will, as set forth in His complete, written Word, He worked in supernatural ways to con vince sinners of the claims of Christ. While the New Testament was being written, He worked miracles through the apostles. But God’s Word was com plete when John wrote the twenty-sec ond chapter of Revelation on the Isle of Patmos. And when that which is perfect is come, Paul said, then that which is in part shall be done away (1 Cor. 13:10). This verse refers to the complete revelation of God and the passing of t e m p o r a r y gifts, which include tongues and supernatural knowledge. At the time Paul wrote Corinthians, the New Testament was in the process of formation; and therefore the gift of tongues was still in the church. In First Corinthians 14, he gives instruc tions concerning how this gift was to be exercised. You will please note that special instructions were given to women to remain silent in the as sembly. It would seem that in the Corinthian Church the women were prominent in the 'tongues movement, even as they are today. There is not an intimation in the New Testament that a woman was ever given this gift; for in First Corinthians the in structions are to “ him,” never to “ her.” But in reading such instructions in First Corinthians 14, ever bear in mind what Paul says in chapter 13, that tongues would vanish away. When? When that which is perfect is come. In other words, now that we have the full, complete, perfect revela tion of God, there is no need for this then temporary gift. We have the whole Bible and the unerring Holy Spirit to teach us all these things in an orderly, sane, dignified way, becom ing to the child of God who bears the wonderful name of Christ. Let us not drag that name down to confusion and shame. For emphasis, let me repeat: The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was accompanied by mir acles, in order to show to all men that (Continued on Page 18) T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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ing love (Jer. 31:3). And again, in Ephesians 2:1 we read that even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, He loved us, and died to redeem us. All through the eternal ages there will be an unfolding of the marvels of His Person and of His love and grace. The recent home-going of many great preachers whom I have known makes Heaven seem very real to me. Will we know each other there? Yes. We know One whom we are going to recognize in Heaven. The divine truth concerning this blessed reality and glorious experience is found in First John 3:2, which says, “ Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Here we learn that we shall be like Him, and that we shall see Him as He is. Also some have used the trans figuration experience of Christ, as recorded in Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; and Luke 9:26-28 as proof that we shall recognize one another when we reach Heaven in our glorified bodies. The argument presented is that the three disciples on the mount of transfiguration recognized Moses and Elijah. Moses represented the dead in Christ who shall be raised; Elijah represented those who will re main until the rapture and be called away to Heaven without dying. Sure ly there seems to be some support here for this teaching. Others quote First Corinthians 13:12, which reads “ For now 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.” Their ar gument is that this Scripture declares we shall know one another when we are in our glorified bodies. Many ques tions are asked in this connection, but where the Scriptures are silent, we must be silent also. Why do you say that speaking in tongues is not for this age? Those who claim that speaking in tongues is an evidence of the baptism of the Spirit overlook the plain teach ing of Paul, that the gift of tongues was only a temporary gift, as were
Why did God look with favor upon Abel’s offering, and with disfavor upon that of his brother, Cain? How could Cain know what kind of an of fering to bring if God did not tell him? (See Gen. Jjffl 5.) God did tell him. Abel, his brother, knew the kind of offering to bring, and he brought it. Cain also knew, but he refused to bring it. “ By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sac rifice than Cain” (Heb. 11:4). Faith is taking God at His Word. Cain is the type of the natural man, who refuses to believe in vicarious suffering. But you may ask, How did he know what offering to bring ? Why, from his parents, Adam and Eve. They would surely relate to their sons the story of the fall, and how God had made clear that sin carried with it a penalty to be atoned for only by the shedding of blood. They would tell their children that the only approach to God was by faith in the promised Redeemer (Gen. 3:15). But God also told Cain to bring the animal sacrifice. Read Genesis 4:5-7: “ But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” In the Hebrew the same word is used for sin and sin-offering. Thus Cain’s sin is here identified with the sin-offering— the animal sacrifice—that crouched at his tent door. In spite of God’s explicit exhorta tion, to say nothing of what Adam and Eve without doubt had taught Cain, even then Cain deliberately went out and killed his brother because of envy and jealousy. This shows that his heart was untouched by God’s exhor tation. The hardest, meanest man in the world is the self-righteous man, of whom Cain is a type. Why is it so hard for us to under stand the love of Christ ? We shall never fully understand or fathom that love. There are state ments in the Word of God concerning the love of God that stagger u s su ch as, I have loved thee with an everlast-
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