Family of God: [Church_of_Christ] Re: Spiritual gifts

Greetings Kent, ED replying

I must say to begin, I enjoy our exchanges because you are careful to present your views as a son of Israel (literally "prince of God"), rather than couched in subtle attempts to demean another.

Acts 8 - It appears to me that this passage is intended to teach us how the spiritual gifts were given. I could be wrong, but here is why I believe this:

Philip, an evangelist, had spiritual gifts and demonstrated them with great effect, 6-13.
Once word reached Jerusalem that there were Samaritan converts but they had not received the HS, two apostles went to Samaria, evidently to supply what was missing, v 14. I infer from this that Philip was not able to pass on what he had demonstrated.
The first thing they did was pray that they might receive the HS. But they didn't expect them to receive it until they laid their hands on them, vs 15-17.
They laid hands on them for the express purpose that they might receive the HS, vs 16, 17. And Simon saw "that thru the laying on of the apostle's hands the HS was given" v 18. The way this whole thing is drawn out and explained in very detail says to me this is intended to teach us something and that something is how the HS manifestations were imparted on others than the apostles.
Simon thought he could bribe his way into having the same ability as the apostles. Not to simply receive a gift, but to do what the apostles could do, v 19.
Peter rebuked him and in the rebuke he told Simon "you have neither "part nor portion in the matter". Two reasons Simon didn't get what the apostles had: first, it cannot be bought & second, he didn't have "part or portion" - what does that mean? The word "part" is the same word used in Acts 1:25 when they were replacing Judas in the apostolic ministry. Simon couldn't do what they could do because he wasn't part of the apostles, it was not his portion!

This is offered as mere considerations.

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