Holy Ghost Gifts

By Rev. William H. Carey

An examination of the Nine Gifts of the Spirit that have been placed in the Church, including their proper use and manifestation. Expounds on earlier works on the subject by other authors. Also examines reasons why the Apostolic churches don't grow.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lighthouse
• Release date: Apr 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9798985956788

Rev. William H. Carey

Rev. William H. Carey is a retired Apostolic minister. He was cofounder of the National Gay Pentecostal Alliance (NGPA), later known as Apostolic Restoration Mission (ARM). He has worked in ministry in the LGBTQ community around the United States, and has published numerous books and tracts on topics including Church Administration, doctrine and the nature of the Godhead, published in English, and some also in   Russian, Spanish, French and Hebrew. Rev. Carey began studying Greek at the age of 11, and Hebrew at the age of 19. He taught beginning classes in both languages for many years. He attended Apostolic Pentecostal Bible School and Wide World of Truth Ministries Bible School (both formerly in Schenectady, NY), and wrote most of the ministerial training curriculum for the Apostolic Institute of ministry, the educational division of ARM. This same curriculum has been used by other denominations as well. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he attended high school in Galway, NY, and college in Schenectady and Albany, NY. He currently resides in Ferndale, Michigan with his husband,   Larry. Other books by this author include: New Testament – A new modern English translation of the Westcott-Hort Greek text How Many is God? – A short explanation of the difference between the Trinitarian doctrine and the teaching of Oneness. Derailed – The true story of how one man’s ego and pride destroyed a mighty move of God. Repairing the Apostolic Church – replacing the traditional Protestant model of church administration with the original Apostolic model. The Basics of New Testament Teaching: An Apostolic Guide to Doctrine Inside – A novel (fantasy/fiction)

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the only True God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who has loved us and bought us for His own.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.  (I Timothy 1:17)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author is indebted to Bro. Lee Stoneking, whose 1975 book The Gifts of the Spirit taught me much of what I know about this subject. His book remains, in my view, one of the best resources for information on the Gifts of the Spirit, and much of what I learned from him can be found in this new book.

PREFACE

The Gifts of the Spirit are the heritage of the Apostolic Church. Sadly, in actual practice, we don't see all nine being used, and those that are in use are sometimes misused. The purpose of this book is to serve as a guide. It covers all nine Gifts, how they may be received, their classification, proper use, and potential for misuse.

It is hoped that this book will help to clear up the confusion concerning the Gifts that is found all too often, even among Apostolic Pentecostals.

The nine Gifts of the Spirit are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. In verse 1 of that chapter, Paul wrote: But about the spiritual things, brethren, I am not willing for you to be ignorant. We should be knowledgeable in the use of the Gifts, and not afraid to be used in them.

Understanding Differences

The greatest error of the various Spirit-filled churches today is perhaps the failure to distinguish between the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues, and the different kinds of tongues mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:10 (more commonly called the Gift of Tongues). Many mistakenly believe these two things to be the same.

The baptism, or gift, of the Holy Ghost is actually the birth of the Spirit mentioned in John 3:1-8, and promised in John chapters 14 and 15. This baptism/gift was first experienced in Acts 2:1-4. Peter, who held the keys of the kingdom, stated clearly that this experience, this gift, this promise, was for everyone: "For the promise is to you and to your children and to ALL that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."(Acts 2:39).

1 Corinthians 12, while stating that the nine Gifts are given by God to individuals as He will, also states that the manifestation (evidence, showing) of the Spirit is given to EVERYONE, for the common good. (verse 7) What this means is that every person who receives the Spirit will display the evidence that it has happened. What is that evidence? Some would say it's the Fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5. But fruit doesn't grow immediately. It has to be cultivated and grown. All believers should, in time, bear such fruit, but it would hardly make a useful initial evidence. Notice that the word manifestation in verse 7 is singular. This indicates that there is only one such evidence of Spirit baptism. But how can we know what it is?

Scripture teaches the concept of two or three witnesses: In the Old Testament, no person could be put to death on the word of only one witness. Two or three witnesses in agreement were required to convict someone of a capital crime. (Deut. 17:6; 19:15) This principle was used in the New Testament as well... for confronting someone who has wronged us, for an accusation against an elder, and to establish a truth. (Mt. 18:16; 1 Tim. 5:19; 2 Cor. 13:1) It is this last use that will help us to find the initial evidence of receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost. We need to review all the recorded instances of people receiving this experience, and look for any accompanying sign that was present two or three times.

In Acts chapter 2, the first four verses record the first such baptism. There was wind, there was fire, and there was speaking in tongues. In Acts chapter 8, the Samaritans received the baptism, but no sign is specified. However, since Simon the Sorcerer, a man accustomed to great illusion, offered money to be able to produce the same effect, we know that there had to be a miraculous sign, and an impressive one, at that. In Acts chapter 10, verses 44-46, in the middle of Peter's sermon, the Gentiles were suddenly all filled with the Holy Ghost. Peter and the Jewish Christians with him were astonished, because up to that moment, they didn't think Gentiles could be Christians without first converting to Judaism. But how did they know the Gentiles had received the baptism? They heard them speaking in tongues!

The final recorded account is in Acts 19. Here, Paul encountered people who identified as believers. But sensing something not quite right, he asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed. In other words, he didn't sense the presence of the Spirit in them. They replied that they didn't even know what the Holy Ghost was. Confused, he asked how they had been baptized. They told him that John the Baptist had baptized them. Then Paul understood, and taught them about Jesus. They accepted his word, and were re-baptized in Jesus' name, and then received the Holy Ghost. The signs? They spoke in tongues and prophesied. (Acts 19:1-6)

In only one instance do we encounter wind and fire, so neither of those can be the required evidence. In only one place do we find prophecy, so it, too, cannot be the sign. The only consistent sign was speaking in tongues.

On the other hand, the Gift of Diverse Tongues is one of the nine Gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. It is something that can only be given to someone who has already received the Spirit, a product of the already present Holy Ghost. The Gift of Tongues, then, is only possible after someone has received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. It is that experience which makes it possible to receive any of the gifts of the Spirit.

If someone has spoken in tongues, it does not automatically mean s/he has the Gift of Tongues. It only confirms that s/he has received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

If you have not yet received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues, I urged you to seek it. It is promised to all who, upon belief in Jesus, have repented of their sins and have been baptized by full immersion in water in the name of Jesus Christ:

Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of