LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 454

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454

CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT AND LUTHERAN THEOLOGY

D. The Gifts of the Sprrtt Today

Of primary importance in the current discussion is the question whether
the Lord has promised to give His Spirit to the Christian church today in

the same manner that He gave the Spirit to the church of the first century.

enabling believers to perform miracles, heal che sick, cast out demons,
raise the dead, prophesy. or speak in tongues. Are the events recorded in
Acts 2, 8. 10, and 19 to be interpreted solely as historical happenings that
occurred in apostolic times, or should these passages be considered prom-
ises indicating what the Lord will do in behalf of His people also in future
generations’

These narratives are presented by Luke as historical accounts and with-
out any indication that they are to be considered promises also to future
generations. Accordingly. Lutheran theologians in the past have usually
interpreted them as experiences that occurred only in the apostolic church
Lutheran dogmaticians in earlier centuries carefully distinguished between
baptism with the Holy Spirit and baptism sn the name of Jesus. Only the
latter was considered a sacrament to be performed in the church unul
the return of Christ. For these dogmaticians. baptism with the Holy Spirit.
together wich charismatic gifts, was limited to the apostolic age

In more recent years, other Lutheran theologians idenuned the baptism
of the Holy Spirit with the conversion of the sinner, which takes place
through the Word and sacraments. Dr. Theodore Engelder, for example.
writes

All Christians are “baptized wich the Holy Ghost.” Luke 3:16. This
term describes che work of the Holy Ghost in saving, in regenerating
and justifying the sinner, sanctifying and preserving the Christian,
and bestowing upon him the gifts and power he needs in his Christian
calling, Aces 2:17: Is. 44:3, Zech. 12.10. Tieus 3.6, 1 Cor, b2.3.
Eph. $.18; 1 Cor. 6 11; Gal. 3:1. Luke 11.13 The cerm is used
in an unscriptural sense by che extreme enthusiasts, who define
“the baptism of the Holy Ghost’ as the bestowal of sinless pertec-

tion accompanied by miracle-working power, as the “second
blessing.” consequent upon the reconsecration of the soul to a higher
and deeper life Some even go so far as to designate it the chief

and greatest blessing, while according to Scripture jusahcation by
faith 15 the chief and supreme ching in the life of the Christian, the
greatest blessing, the source of all blessings.'?

While Lucheran theologians have at times differed in their understanding
of the term “baptism with che Holy Spirit.” they have rather consistently
held chat the extraordinary charismatic gifts mentioned in Acts and | Co-
rinthians were no longer given after the close of the apostolic age.

Even passages such as Mark 16:17-18 and | Cor. 13:8-10 do not clearly
promise that God will endow His church chroughout the centuries with
the charismatic gifts that were given to the early Christians. Mark 16:17-18

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The Christian church today wall accept with yoy and gratitude any gift
that the Spirit in His grace may choose to bestow on us for the purpose
of edifying the body of Christ Ie will recognize that the Lord does not
forsake His church but promises the abiding presence of His Spirit. The
church, therefore, will not reject out of hand the possibility that God may
in His grace and wisdom endow some in Christendom with the same
abilities and powers He gave His church in past centuries. It will take care
lest it quench the Spirit by neither praying for nor expecting God's pres:
ence and power in building His church Burt at will also take senously the
admonition of the apostle to “test che spirits to see whether they are
of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world “41 John
41.1 Cor 12 to's

The church should seek the Holy Spirie and His gifts where God has
promised them, in the Word and sacraments The Scriptures make this
point abundantly clear. In the house of Cornelius, for example, the preached
word of Peter about Jesus Christ was the occasion for the gift of the Holy
Spirit “on all who heard the word” (Acts 1044) In Ephesus i was Paul's
proclamanon of Jesus that led to baptism in the name of Jesus and the
coming of the Holy Spine to the disciples of John Acts 19 4-6). The
Galanans, writes the apostle Paul, received the Spirit “by hearing with
faith” «Gal 3 3, 5). Word and sacraments are the instruments of the Spint
of God through which God continues to give His gifts to the church in
this and every age.'®

Ill. Conclusions and Recommendations

AA Response to Isines Rutsed by the Chartsmutn Motement Within Lu
theraniim '7

1. Terminology. The terminology bapusm in the Holy Spirit” 1s noc
frequently employed in Lutheran theological lterature. However.
it should be recognized that this language was used both by Jesus
and by the apostolic church. Its use. theretore, should not be con-
sidered sectarian or contrary to sound doctrine
Historically, however, this term has frequently been employed
to describe concepts and docerines that are not in accord wath
Scripture. Lutherans will exercise great care, therefore, to use
this expression in such a way that i¢ represents a truly Biblical
concept

2. The Promise of the Spirit. In accord with Jesus promise «Acts 1 4.
5. 8), the followers of Christ were bapuzed with the Holy Spirit
on the first Pentecost when the Spirit's presence and power were
manifested in a most remarkable manner. and three thousand
of those in attendance were converted to the Chrisuan faith
Whether baptism in the Holy Spirie was a once-for-all event that
occurred solely on Pentecost or an experience that would be
repeated in the Christian church throughout the centuries can-

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does indeed state that ‘these signs will accompany those who believe in
My name they will case out demons: they will speak in new tongues: they
will pick up serpents. and if they drink any deadly thing, 1 will not hurt
them. they will lay cheir hands on che sick, and they will recover.” There
is today almost unanimous agreement among scholars that verses 9 to 2U
are not a part of the authentic text of the 16th chapter of the Gospel
of Mark.'* But even if these verses are authentic, they do not support che
view of chose who claim that in all ages of Christendom believers will be
accompanied by a display of miracles. Understanding these verses in such
an absolute sense would force one to conclude that these words of Jesus
are unfulflled, since such miracles have not always accompanied believers

First Corinthians 13.8-10 has at times been quoted to prove that extra-
ordinary charismatic gifts will remain in the church unnl the return of
Christ, at which time that which is impertect will pass away. However, if
this passage 1s employed in this manner, one must conclude that not only
tongues. prophecy, and knowledge will continue to exist in the church
but also apostles and prophets, since they too are included among the
spimtual or charismatic gitts listed in 1 Cor. 12.28. On the other hand,
1 Cor 13 8-10 should not be used to prove the opposite. The apostie's
statements that prophecies will pass away and tongues will cease are
spoken in an eschatological context and do not prove that such gifts will
end with the apostolic age Moreover, his chief point in these verses ts to
stress the abiding character of love rather than the exact duration of extra-
ordinary charismauc xitts

Ie as noteworthy that the Scripture nowhere promises of encourages us
to hope char extraordinary charismatic gifts will become the possession of
the Christian church throughout the centuries. The patrern set in Seripeure
may actually indicate the opposite. While gifts of the Spirit are spoken
of throughout the Bible, different gifts were given at different ames in
history depending on the needs of the Kingdom. The church can be sure
that the Spirit will granc it those blessings that it will need to build the
church, but i¢ will remember that the Lord may have other gifts in mind
for His people than chose He granted the Christians in apostolic umes
The church today must not reason in a manner that would lead us to con-
clude that because the Holy Spirit gave Samson the ability co fight lions
or David the talent to govern, we can therefore expect Him cto endow us
similarly The church must not conclude that because the Christian com-
munity in apostolic mes had members who could speak in congues,
therefore the church today must possess similar gifts or it 1s somehow
incomplete It must not contend that because the church of the apostles
had in its midst those with the ability to perform muracles of healing.
therefore the church of the twentieth century mast have members with
similar gifts or it lacks an essential characteristic of the body of Christ
To be sure, the Lord mu; choose to give such gifts, but He gives to His
church according to His good and gracious will and in keeping with His
promises

a4

not be determined with certainty But it 1s quite clear from
Scripture chat the gift of the Holy Spine has been promised
to all generations of Chrisuans Acts 2 49

While we Christians reyoue in this gracious promise, Wwe should
recogmze that this aft of the Spirit does nor necessarily include
the promise of all extraordinary spiritual qitts that were once
given to the apostolic church, such as speaking in tongues, miracles
of healing, or prophesy According to che pattern of Sacrec
Scnpeure, God Joes not necessarily give His church in all axes
the same special gifts. instead, He bestows His hiessings accord:
ing to His good pleasure and the aceds of the church

Even in the apostolic church, where the xitts of tongues and
healing were very evident, its noe clear that all Chrisuans pos-
sessed these charismatic gifts There is mo indication that many
important persons referred to in the Book of Acts as believers
in Jesus, pertorming effective work in the Kingdom. were en-
dowed with che aift of tongucs or of healing The Christian
church must therefore be extremely caretul not to place coo
much emphasis on any one of these wifes For example, it 18 not
in accord with the clear intent of Scripeure when glossolalia
is made the primary or indispensable sign of baptism in the Spirit

3 Chrtitelvena’ Comers In view of present world conditions.
many Christians welcome the xreater emphasis that has been
placed on the work of the Holy Spire in recent years They
yearn for a spiritual renewal in the church. for a ereater amount
of zeal and commitment and for less apathy in carrying on the
Lord's work, and for power in prociaiming the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to the nations Christians in general are agreed that there
1s great need for a deeper appreciation of the work of the Spint
in the church today

But in the hight of recene developments in Christendom, the
Lutheran Church 15 also deeply concerned lest the function ot
the Spirit be emphasized in a manner that would tend to make
the saving work of Christ appear less important: This may be the
unintentional result of reaching a Christian that i¢ is necessary
for him to experience two separate encounters frst, an encoun:
ter with Christ for conversion and forgiveness. and second, a
further encounter with the Spirit to obtain power to serve effec-
nvely in Christ's kingdom Lutherans believe that when they
have Christ by faith, they also have the Holy Spirit and with
Him all chat is necessary for time and eternity as far as their
spiritual life 1s concerned

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