Tongues, Healing & Prophecy: Grudem Sys Theo

Wayne Grudem tackles the gamut of spiritual giftedness, taking specific classes to focus on the gift of tongues, healing, and prophecy (sometimes inaccurately called a word of knowledge).

Wayne does a gracious job of providing a balance of perspectives. He is not a cessationist, but he does have some helpful controlling ideas that should be true of these gifts and their use. I found this to be a very helpful series of addresses in understanding some of the difficult aspects that these issues tend to carry.

Grudem has almost changed my mind about prophecy and it’s place today. He carefully explains what it’s not, which paves the way for understanding what it is. He did his doctorate on this subject of prophecy, and his efforts in this area should not be quickly dismissed.

There are 3 messages on Chapter 53 of his systematic theology.

Tongues, Healing & Prophecy >>>

Spiritual Gifts: Grudem Sys Theo

Wayne Grudem takes 3 sessions to look carefully at the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the believer in general.  This does not include a specific look at the ecstatic, charismatic gifts.

I think two of the most helpful things to come out of these 3 sessions, which is not talked about so much, is, one, that these lists of gifts that Paul talks about are not meant to be exhaustive.  There are very common and needed gifts for the proper functioning of the church body, such as pastors, teachers, etc. But the Spirit can gift a believer with a giftedness for some very specific work of God, or gifts that are needed in different ages.

And two, giftedness sometimes changes as the needs around believers change.  We are not given wooden gifts that never change.  Giftedness changes according to God’s work among a people.

The Gifts of the Spirit, chapter 52 >>>