Rainee asks should healing be listed as a gift to be debated on this topic?
In the sense that it is a benefit of the atonement hand in hand with forgiveness I understand her point but how are any of the benefits of the gospel to be dispensed?
Jesus dispensed them in Person by the working of the Holy Ghost, His ministry was in the supernatural gifts of word of knowledge, word of wisdom,prophecy, healing, miracles and administration.
After He ascended into heaven the Holy Spirit had no body to dispense the blessings of the gospel through. After pentecost He did and you see all the gifts and ministry of the Lord Jesus being done through the members of His body the church at Jerusalem.
The church is the assembly of God's people. Wherever Paul went and preached he set up everywhere an assembly of saved ones to operate as the body of Christ in that community. We have a rare glimpse of one of these assemblies at Corinth they are functioning and ministering in exactly the same way as the assembly did at Jerusalem and as Jesus did in Person in Galilee.
The Holy Spirit ministered through the assembly ar Corinth in the same way as He ministered at Jerusalem, of COURSE setting up an assembly among former heathens newly saved and brought into a knowledge of God for the first time was always going to be a tougher call than among the Jews, calling for special wisdom. This was the dispensation given to Paul.
But the working of the Holy Spirit through this assembly or body of Christ was the SAME. No one person in the assembly had all the gifts and ministry that Christ had, no one person is the body of Christ but we are each members of His body it is as we meet together we act as the body of Christ.
Most assemblies today meet together to listen to a one man ministry, to hear him preach a nice sermon, to sing a few hymns......where is the room for the Holy Spirit to function among the assembly? He is denied His leadership...He has been usurped.
This happened early on in the church, the church split between the "clergy" and the "laity" THAT is why the gifts ceased. The church as set up by Paul by the wisdom given Him by the Holy Spirit had changed.
The reformation was a great leap forward in doctrine only....the ministry remained the same.
In the sense that it is a benefit of the atonement hand in hand with forgiveness I understand her point but how are any of the benefits of the gospel to be dispensed?
Jesus dispensed them in Person by the working of the Holy Ghost, His ministry was in the supernatural gifts of word of knowledge, word of wisdom,prophecy, healing, miracles and administration.
After He ascended into heaven the Holy Spirit had no body to dispense the blessings of the gospel through. After pentecost He did and you see all the gifts and ministry of the Lord Jesus being done through the members of His body the church at Jerusalem.
The church is the assembly of God's people. Wherever Paul went and preached he set up everywhere an assembly of saved ones to operate as the body of Christ in that community. We have a rare glimpse of one of these assemblies at Corinth they are functioning and ministering in exactly the same way as the assembly did at Jerusalem and as Jesus did in Person in Galilee.
The Holy Spirit ministered through the assembly ar Corinth in the same way as He ministered at Jerusalem, of COURSE setting up an assembly among former heathens newly saved and brought into a knowledge of God for the first time was always going to be a tougher call than among the Jews, calling for special wisdom. This was the dispensation given to Paul.
But the working of the Holy Spirit through this assembly or body of Christ was the SAME. No one person in the assembly had all the gifts and ministry that Christ had, no one person is the body of Christ but we are each members of His body it is as we meet together we act as the body of Christ.
Most assemblies today meet together to listen to a one man ministry, to hear him preach a nice sermon, to sing a few hymns......where is the room for the Holy Spirit to function among the assembly? He is denied His leadership...He has been usurped.
This happened early on in the church, the church split between the "clergy" and the "laity" THAT is why the gifts ceased. The church as set up by Paul by the wisdom given Him by the Holy Spirit had changed.
The reformation was a great leap forward in doctrine only....the ministry remained the same.