Thanks so much for your quick and helpful reply
1. Do you still see the gifts of healings as likely applying to those that are healed?
This is an opinion that was original with me, in that I have not heard it expressed by any other teachers, to my knowledge. This means I cannot be totally confident about it. It still seems likely to me, however, since an actual gift of being able to supernaturally heal people would seem largely indistinguishable from the gift of being able to work miracles, which is listed separately.
Well, I found your argument convincing and recently shared this view as my preferred interpretation. The class seemed to think it made sense as well.
2. Do you still connect 'showing mercy' to evangelism?
I don't recall that being my opinion anytime in the recent past, and I am surptised if I expressed it in the lectures. I think the gift of showing mercy is more along the lines of what Mother Theresa did. What the Samaritan man did for the man who fell among theives was referred, in the account, to "showing mercy" to him. I also think that this can refer to a gift of hospitality, especially in the case where the guests are strangers or truly needy people.
In the recording you said something about changing your mind the very morning you gave the lecture. You said when you looked up the Greek it led you to the view that there was no difference b/w 'showing mercy' and 'evangelism.' With a little research, I could see why one might think that, but I found the interpretation doubtful and taught the gift more along the lines of what you said in the above post.
4. Do you tend to see spiritual gifts as 'resident' or flowing freely between members regularly?
If I understand your question correctly, think "resident" would be the paradigm that fits best the observable phenomena. The Bible is not quite clear.
Just to clarify, by 'resident' (a word you used in the lecture), I just mean that a person is given a gift at conversion that resides with them, generally, throughout the remainder of their Christian walk. This would be opposed to a view that spiritual gifts are more occasional (someone might be given a gift of X at Tuesday's gathering, Y on Wednesday, and Z on Thursday). I agree with you that while the latter is certainly possible, residency seems to be the norm.
5. Do you think God's ideal is that prophecies be uttered at every Christian gathering?
Yes, but there is some question as to what prophecy should look like. A "Thus saith the Lord..." utterance may be our first impression of the term. However, since Caiaphas prophesied without realizing it, it may be fairly common for casual utterances by Spirit-filled people to be instances of inadvertent prophecy. I can't say for sure.
A lot of the literature I've read on spiritual gifts in the past few months simply equates preaching with prophecy. I find this to be a cop out to some degree. A lot of 'preaching' is exegetical or topical teaching (explaining prior revelation) whereas prophecy, it seems to me, is fresh revelation. Additionally, preaching is often done by a select few whereas I think God would be pleased to have many prophecy.
But your answer could feel like a cop-out too. In absence of obvious prophetic utterances we just call casual utterances by God's people prophecy. One could accuse you of changing the target to match where the arrow hit, eh? I'm not trying to be confrontational... just trying to figure this out
I think it's an important question b/c if God would be pleased to have prophetic utterances in every gathering I want to work hard to try to create an environment where that is welcomed in my ministry. This would be against the grain of current practice. I was convicted, in my studies, by the line about eagerly desiring the gift of prophecy. I asked myself... "when is the last time I prayed for the gift of prophecy?" and my answer was never.