Tag Archives: Spiritual gifts

David and the Holy Spirit in Psalm 51:11

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: How did King David receive the Holy Spirit? ANSWER: This question is probably suggested by Psalm 51:11, where David as king prays to God, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” This indicates that when he is saying this prayer, he does have the Holy Spirit in some way. How did he receive the Spirit in the first place? We must understand that in the Bible people can “have the Holy Spirit” in two very different ways. On the one hand, we may speak of the EQUIPPING presence of the Holy Spirit. This means that some people have … Continue reading →

“CALLED” TO THE MINISTRY?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: A friend of mine says he feels “called” to the ministry. What does this mean? How can one know whether he or she is thus “called”? ANSWER: There is considerable confusion over this issue. One reason is that there is no really clear Biblical teaching on the subject. The teaching that best seems to address the question is the material about what we call “spiritual gifts.” For example, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11). The “giver” in this verse is actually Jesus; but … Continue reading →

Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 14:34

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 14:34 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, September 25, 2009 at 8:02pm A RECENT REQUEST ASKS, “Could you point me to some literature regarding Paul’s intent with his comment in 1 Corinthians 14:34 and what we are to make of it today? I am just now beginning a study on this and wanted a place to begin. Also, what is your take on this text?” MY REPLY: The place to begin on this or any similar text is at this web site: www.cbmw.org . This is the site for a scholarly evangelical non-feminist organization (for which … Continue reading →

What about tongue-speaking?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

What about tongue-speaking? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 2:13pm A FaceBook fan asked, “What can you say about speaking in tongues?” My brief answer: Well, I have already said a LOT about it! In 2006 I published a small book, “The Holy Spirit: A Biblical Study” (College Press, pb., 131p.), in which the last three chapters are all about miraculous spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues. In 2007 I published a large book, “Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit” (College Press, hb, 506p.), in which the last (long) … Continue reading →