How should we respond when witnessing others misunderstand or misuse spiritual gifts today? Setting the Scene: Acts 8:18–24 • “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money” (v. 18). • Peter rebuked him: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” (v. 20). • Peter called Simon to “repent of this wickedness” (v. 22). • The episode models a clear response to the misuse of spiritual gifts: immediate, scriptural correction coupled with a call to repentance. Identifying the Problem: Misusing Spiritual Gifts • Treating gifts as commodities (Acts 8:18–19). • Seeking personal status or profit (cf. 3 John 9–10). • Ignoring the Source—the Holy Spirit Himself (1 Corinthians 12:11). Scriptural Responses to Misunderstanding • Confront with truth in love – Ephesians 4:15: “speaking the truth in love.” – Peter’s firmness shows love’s urgency; error endangers souls. • Rely on apostolic teaching – 2 Timothy 3:16: all Scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” • Call for repentance and prayer – Acts 8:22: “Repent… and pray to the Lord.” • Guard the church’s purity – 1 Corinthians 5:6–7 warns that a little leaven affects the whole lump. Practical Steps for Believers Today • Observe carefully before speaking – Proverbs 18:13: “He who answers before listening, it is folly and shame.” • Address the issue promptly, not publicly humiliatingly – Matthew 18:15: “go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.” • Use Scripture, not opinion – Point to passages on the purpose of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:26; 1 Peter 4:10). • Emphasize the Giver over the gift – James 1:17: every good gift is “from above.” • Encourage proper pursuit of gifts – 1 Corinthians 14:1: “earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy,” for edification, not spectacle. • Pray for humility and discernment in all parties involved. Safeguarding a Biblical View of Spiritual Gifts • Remember the gifts exist to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–13). • Test every manifestation by Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:19–22). • Maintain Christ-centered worship; gifts should spotlight the Savior, not the servant (John 16:14). • Celebrate genuine, Spirit-empowered ministry while rejecting counterfeit or self-serving displays (Matthew 7:15–20). When spiritual gifts are misunderstood or misused, Scripture calls us to firm yet loving correction, anchored in truth, aimed at repentance, and always seeking the glory of God and the edification of His people. |
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