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There were two converging reasons for the abundance of gifts that were poured out
upon the early Church. The first of these is given in Gal. 3::
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us . . . . .
that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3: 13, 14).
Here it is made clear that the promise to Abraham, which we have already seen
includes the gospel as preached in Romans, and was, as Gal. 3: 8 testifies, "foreseen"
by the Scriptures, includes also "the Spirit". It may perhaps be objected that this
reference to "the Spirit" does not include "spiritual gifts" but just gospel grace. The same
chapter in Galatians, however, contains a complete proof that "spiritual gifts" are in view.
"Received ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? . . . . . He
therefore that ministereth to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it
by the works of the law, or by the hearing of the faith? Even as Abraham believed . . . . ."
(Gal. 3: 2-6).
It is clear, therefore, that the spirit given through the faith that is reckoned for
righteousness, is also the spirit associated with "working miracles", and that being so, our
case is proved.
The outer line of teaching associated with spiritual gifts is that found in I Cor. 14: 21.
Those addressed in I Cor. 10:-11: were by nature "Jews"--for it obviously could not be
written of Gentiles that "all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the
sea" (I Cor. 10: 1). To those who have "ears to hear" this fact and its bearing upon the
only reference to the Lord's Supper in Paul's writings (in I Cor. 11:) will speak with no
uncertain sound.
In I Cor. 12:, however, the Apostle turns from the Jewish section of the Church and
addresses the Gentiles:
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know
that ye were Gentiles" (I Cor. 12: 1).
To those who believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" these things
will be the end of all argument.
I Cor. 12:-14: deals with these spiritual gifts from various angles. We are not at the
moment concerned with the nature of these gifts, their variety, permanence or cessation,
but we are concerned with the reason why Isa. 28: should have been quoted. This
quotation from Isaiah is rather similar to the passage in Deut. 32::
"I will move them to jealousy with those that are not a people. I will provoke them to
anger with a foolish nation" (Deut. 32: 21).
This passage is quoted or referred to in Rom. 10: 19, 11: 11, and 11: 14. After having
stressed the blessing of the Gentile, the Apostle uses the illustration of the olive tree. The