I had no answer…. help…..
 

Wesleyan view… Chap 4 :The Constitution of the North American General Conference..

    Article 3, Covenant Membership Commitments…

        Section 265: Those admitted to Covenant Membership in our churches commit themselves to demonstrate their life in Christ in such ways as:

            Subsection 9: To preserve the fellowship and witness of the Church with reference to the use of languages. The Wesleyan Church believes in the miraculous use of languages and the interpretation of languages in its biblical and historical setting. But it is contrary to the Word of God to teach that speaking in an unknown tongue or the gift of tongues is the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit or of that entire sanctification which the baptism accomplishes; therefore, only a language readily understood by the congregation is to be used in public worship. The Wesleyan Church believes that the use of an ecstatic prayer language has no clear scriptural sanction, or any pattern of established historical usage in the Church; therefore, the use of such a prayer language shall not be promoted among us.

Anybody here never had ANY type of lesson, teaching, etc. on this subject matter before?
 

Into the meat of things… I Cor. 14.

Why tongues? Maybe James 3:6-10

 “Three Types of Tongues”…

    Other Languages:

    Acts 2: ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 ⁵And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

 ⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

 ⁷And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

 ⁸And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

 ⁹Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

 ¹⁰Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

 ¹¹Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

    Angelic Languages:

    I Cor 13: ¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

    Undefined:

    KJV:

    Romans 8: ²⁶Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

 ²⁷And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

    NIV:

    Romans 8: ²⁶In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

 Beat the lie…. you aren’t really saved. It was just an emotional thing. You were a kid. You did it for your friends. You wanted to look right in church. Have a gift of the Spirit manifest in your life, and Satan can never, ever again use that lie on you!

passed with the Apostles                 Where are YOU in here?                 Assemblies of God/Charismatic

Why do we tend to gravitate towards one end or the other?

Yet we settle for mediocrity in the middle, instead of “hard core”, “fan-aticism”?

Revelation 3:14-16

 ¹⁴And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the          beginning of the creation of God;

 ¹⁵I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

 ¹⁶So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Big word for the week (Thank you Jeff)… PROVIDENCE :
A manifestation of the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures; an event ordained by divine direction. [1913 Webster]

Prelude and Examples

Last Week’s Scriptures: I Corinthians 12:all, 13:1-2 contrasting to Galatians 5:22 and the Fruit of the Spirit

    Romans 10:9-10 Apostles saved when…?

    Acts 2 referencing Joel 2:28-32 and the prophecy of about the Holy Spirit

This Week’s Scriptures: John 14:16, 26; 15:26: 16:7

    Mark 16:17-18 ~~~> Acts 28 !!!

    Romans 12:4-8 Diversity of Gifts. Note v.6b: KJV: let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

        New Living: speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

        NIV: let him use it in proportion to his
faith.

        New KJV: let us
prophesy in proportion to our faith;

        Contemporary English Version: we should do it according to the amount of faith we have.

    Hebrews 5:11-14 milk to meat and growth in discernment… by exercise

        Could we say that even when gifts are given, they have to be grown? Exercised? And therefore may

        NOT be of full USE or perfected BY the user without exercise??

    I Timothy 4:14 gift given by word of another gift

    Acts 3:6-9 healing of the lame man

    and… the following repercussions in Acts 4:14-16 (remember Jeff’s sermon couple weeks back)

    Acts 6:8 faith, miracles (gifts related? coexisting? complementary?)

    Acts 8:5-7 miracles healings discernments

And maybe into… Luke 1:41, 67…. Matthew 3:11,16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAVjF_7ensg

Following the Pastor’s lead into scripture about the Holy Spirit and the Gifts thereof, the next few lessons will cover them in more detail from a different perspective…. i.e., I’m a new Wesleyan and have little idea of the practical Wesleyan doctrine on the subject… so I have no Wesleyan biases!

Ch 12:4-6: diversities of gifts

     differences of administrations

     diversities of operations

First let’s distinguish between gifts and fruits:

                                 –added info from Ch 13–

    gifts from 1 Cor 12…     Word of Wisdom            mysteries(v.2)

                    Word of Knowledge        knowledge(v.2)

                    Faith                 move mountains(v.2)

                    Gifts of Healing

                    Working of Miracles

                    Gift of Prophecy

                    Discerning of Spirits

    (note to self:        Divers kinds of Tongues        men and angels(v.1)

    1Cor14)            Interpretation of Tongues

Warning from Matthew Henry Commentary: “If we have any knowledge of the truth, or any power to make it known, we must give all the glory of God. The greater the gifts are, the more the possessor is exposed to temptations, and the larger is the measure of grace needed to keep him humble and spiritual; and he will meet with more painful experiences and humbling dispensations. We have little cause to glory in any gifts bestowed on us, or to despise those who have them not.”

Ch 12:28 Apostles        (administrations? operations? mixed list?)

        Prophets

        Teachers

        Miracles

        Healings

        Helps

        Governments

        Diversities of Tongues

Fruit of the Spirit : Galatians 5:22

love            joy

peace            longsuffering(patience)

kindness        goodness

faithfulness        meekness(gentleness)

temperance(self-control)

When were the Apostles saved? By the scripture of Romans 10:9-10, to make it “official”, they couldn’t be called “saved” under the new covenant until after Jesus had arisen and they KNEW it. So between the time He arose and the fiftieth day (Pentecost), they would have… confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in their heart that God had raise Him from the dead.

So generally, Salvation comes first, then the Baptism in the Holt Ghost?

…big doctrinal division here… (so many exceptions and early church experiences)

Gifts come from…. last days (Christian days) prophecy and by the word of Christ…

Acts 2:

¹⁶But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; (Joel 2:28-32)

 ¹⁷And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

 ¹⁸And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

 ¹⁹And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

 ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

 ²¹And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7 the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (go there)

Scriptures Relating to Various Gifts

Mark 16                (qualification… only to believe?)

¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

 ¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

    (Note!! See about serpents in Acts 28 before T brings up chickens and things)

Acts 28

 ¹ And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

 ² And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

 ³ And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

 ⁴ And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

 ⁵ And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

 ⁶ Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Romans 12

⁴ For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

 ⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

 ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

 ⁷ Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

 ⁸ Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness

I Timothy 4 (Paul writing to Timothy, the young pastor at the church of Ephesus)

¹⁴ Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery (elders).

Hebrews 5 (Author unknown, possibly Paul, written to the Hebrew believers)

¹¹ Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

 ¹² For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

 ¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

 ¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Acts 3

⁶ Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

 ⁷ And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

 ⁸ And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

 ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God: –> to Acts 4

Acts 4

¹⁴ And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

 ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

 ¹⁶ Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

Acts 6

⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Acts 8

⁵ Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

 ⁶ And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

 ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

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Did the Holy Ghost come before Pentecost?

Luke 1

⁴¹ And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied

…in specific instances, yes… to the whole world, not until Pentecost.

Matt 3 (Jesus was a special circumstance)

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

¹⁶ And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

…..next…. more details into the individual gifts… then, what does it take to get there??