Letter to Dr. Albert from Jules Dervaes
Copyright © Jules Dervaes
June 16, 1986
Dear Dr. Albert,
Thank you for the sermon that you gave on Pentecost. The topic of spiritual gifts was very relevant, interesting, and of great importance to us all. I realize that time constraints made it impossible to cover the entire scope of this subject on this occasion. However, I have heard you lecture in the college classes this year; and, at those times also, you have made some similar comments, both directly and indirectly, that are worrisome to me.
What you taught in class to AC students could have been considered, I presumed, your opinion. What you preached yesterday to the Auditorium PM congregation should be, I presume, the Word of God. Here I have to question whether all of what you said—and implied—was indeed biblical.
From my notes, I have you saying that “the chief gifts correspond to the chief offices.” I don’t believe that you can make such a blanket statement without any biblical support. In fact later on you point out that Romans 12 states that the gifts come “according to the proportion to your faith.” This directly contradicts your previous assertion, since gifts do NOT come in proportion to your office and since faith is NOT a limited commodity restricted to ministers only.
Consider the following written by Dr. Hoeh from the article Government in Our Church (The GOOD NEWS, August ’53):
All offices in God’s Church are gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is God who created us with our natural talents and who adds to those talents portions of His talents through the Holy Spirit. Many of the gifts are offices with authority, but others are purely Spiritual gifts which belong not only to the ministry but to others also. These are gifts of healing and speaking and interpreting foreign languages. There are the gifts of knowledge by which truth hidden for centuries is revealed, and the gifts of wisdom and faith.
All these gifts are distributed throughout the Church as God sees fit so that He may work through the Church and govern it. God, not man, decides who shall be given the responsibilities in carrying out His work.
To me this goes against the grain of what you were suggesting through your sermon. You also strongly imply that knowledge of truth comes only “from the top.” Then, consider what Mr. Herbert Armstrong wrote in the article A Correction (The GOOD NEWS, June/July ’79):
What I did mean is, if ever you think you see in your Bible that what I, or the Church, teach is in error-or if you see a biblical TRUTH the Church does NOT preach, then YOU MUST NOT MENTION THAT TO ANY OTHER MEMBER, OR TO ANYONE EXCEPT YOUR LOCAL PASTOR OR WRITE TO THE PASADENA OFFICE OR DIRECT TO ME.
Also, notice what Mr. Armstrong says in The GOOD NEWS, April ’79 issue regarding new truth:
Now suppose a member thinks he or she has found an error in our doctrines. How must you proceed? If you have found truth we all want to know and embrace it! … If it is felt to be a valid truth, it will be brought to me personally, and the living Christ will make it clear to my mind!
To me, this shows that Mr. Armstrong recognized this vital and significant truth: that TRUTH can come from anywhere! In fact his experience with the Sardis Church contradicts your assumption that God only works from the top down.
YES, it IS authority from the top down. But, NO, it is NOT always truth from the top down. There is a big difference.
It looks to me as if you are assuming that there is a residual holiness that comes from holding an office in the Church and from being in it for a long time. It seems that you are indicating that wisdom comes automatically as part of the position. Consider this remark from Mr. Tkach in his article Spiritual Vision: Seeing Through A Glass Darkly (The GOOD NEWS, August ’79):
Seniority isn’t going to accomplish anything for us. A babe in Christ may obtain a higher position in the Kingdom of God than those suffering spiritually from the blurred vision that comes from old age.
As I read the Bible, in Colossians 3:16, James 1:5, and more, and as I view the examples in its pages, I believe that you have missed the mark in emphasizing position as the criterion for spiritual gifts. Such an emphasis can lead to dangerous results. Position DOES NOT EQUAL growth; and, furthermore, knowledge DOES NOT EQUAL salvation.
There is a warning here for ALL of us. There should be a clarification of the above issues so that no one should be misled. I have written this for the purpose of making sure that we base all our beliefs ON THE BIBLE and not on human reasoning plus assumptions. Please, let the Bible guide you.
After the Apostle Paul describes the spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 that you spoke of, HE immediately continues with an explanation of what HE considered the MOST important aspect:
And now I will show you the most excellent way. … If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
May you grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus.
Jules Dervaes
(A copy of this letter has been sent to Mr. Tkach.)