1950 This Means Everlasting Life - A2Z.org

174 "THIS MEANS EVERLASTING LIFE"
the fruitage of the spirit, and all those who copy
the world and have its spirit and practice the
works of the flesh with it will never inherit God's
kingdom .-Galatians 5 :19-23, NW .
' On the Christian congregation during the first
century the miraculous gifts of the spirit were instantaneously
bestowed . But love is a fruitage of
the spirit which it takes time, devotion and constant
effort to cultivate to its perfection . In the
infancy of the Christian congregation it was possible
to have miraculous gifts of the spirit and yet
fail of cultivating love and attaining to its perfection
. That is why the possessing of miraculous
gifts is not all-essential and will not gain for the
possessor everlasting life . But the cultivating of
love to perfection is essential to gaining it, for
love is godlikeness. While the spirit's miraculous
gifts are not to be despised, the bringing forth of
its fruitage is a more vital thing for us ; so Paul
could say to the congregation of that apostolic
period : "But keep striving after the greater gifts .
And yet I show you a surpassing way." 1 Corinthians
12 :31, NW He then proceeds to show how
in the good that it does to lover and loved one the
way of love surpasses the way of operating by
miraculous gifts .
5 Did Paul speak in more foreign tongues than
all those did to whom he wrote? Did he have an
excess of revelations, even being caught up to the
4. How do love and miraculous gifts compare? Which
is more needed?
5. How is love's way shown to surpass that of miraculous
gifts?