Getting into these 3 chapters concerning the use of gifts in the church, the foundation has been properly laid understanding that the sign gifts (healings, miracles, tongues and the interpretation of tongues) were all prevalent in the first century to convince the Jews that Jesus was truly the resurrected suffering Savior / Messiah they had been waiting for. In Exodus 4:1-9 God establishes that signs will be used to convince Israel to follow Moses. The law of first mention establishes this truth for the history of the nation, as they have been given sign after sign concerning God’s holiness and sovereign authority in the affairs of man. The Jews are still seeking signs even today.
1 Corinthians 1:22: For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
The book of Acts records the history of the infant church as it transitions from a Jewish focus to a Gentile focus. It transitions from Jerusalem to Antioch, and from Peter, James, and John’s ministry to Israel, to Paul and his ministry to the Gentile world. In this transition there are 3 occasions where the use of tongues is recorded — Acts 2:1-11 on the day of Pentecost, where Jews from all over the Roman Empire were celebrating this great feast. Acts 10:44-48 records Peter’s interaction with Cornelius and the Gentiles with him, who received the truth and spoke in tongues to confirm to Peter and his companions from Jerusalem that salvation had come to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. The sign of tongues was for the benefit of the Jews that were present, not for the Gentiles. The last recorded incident is found in Acts 19:1-7, where Paul is introduced to 12 Jewish disciples, in Ephesus, who were seeking the truth of Jesus the Messiah, who were all baptized with John’s baptism of repentance. Please see Matthew 3:1-4:17
John and Jesus both preached “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Baptism was part of the ritual of Jewish repentance. Peter preached the same message in Acts 2:36-28 — Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. These men in Ephesus had never heard of the Holy Spirit, so, Paul gave them clear understanding of who Christ was and what he accomplished on Calvary. They received his message of the gospel and were all baptized with New Testament, believer’s baptism.
Acts ends with Paul being under house arrest in Rome, and receiving visitors and sharing the truth of the resurrected Lord with them. The Jews had difficulty believing that they had been set aside as the conduit of salvation to the world, but the book clearly ends with that message.
Acts 28:28-29: Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
Definition of a Spiritual Gift: A God-given ability to serve God and other Christians in such a way that Christ is glorified and believers are edified. Spiritual gifts are tools to build with, not toys to play with or weapons to fight with.
Ephesians 4:8-12 records the gifts for the Dispensation of Grace — Apostles (only 13 in the first century — the 12 including Matthias (Acts 1:21-26) and Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles; Prophets — those who would speak the truth by supernatural power through the Holy Spirit when the early church would meet, in the absence of the written word; evangelists, which are still in operation today. Some are endowed with the gift, but we are all called to do the work of an evangelist. 2 Timothy 4:5
1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
The last two are local church focused — pastors and teachers, given for the maturing of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. We must always keep these things in mind as we study through these 3 chapters.