These are the written testimony of the church fathers before or a little after the council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. They teach that the gifts were for their days, after the apostles died.
These sample excerpts seem to assume ongoing manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit and represent many churches. They are not one-offs nor restricted to the elders, bishops, and other leaders recorded here.
The universality of these gifts was a blessing because people needed help in the middle of paganism and the worship of false deities. whom the church leaders understood to be demons. Possession was real. Medical science was primitive. And the kingdom of God advanced through the gifts. They apply to our world today, for the same reasons. They are expressions of the mercy and grace and love of God for needy, hurting people.
All bold font has been added. Links have been provided to identify who the leaders are, in more detail.
Lets begin without a longer introduction.
EPISTLE OF BARNABAS (AD 70-132):
Seeing that the divine fruits of righteousness abound among you, I rejoice exceedingly and above measure in your happy and honoured spirits, because ye have with such effect received the engrafted spiritual gift. (Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter 1 (ANF, 1.137).
MATHETES (c. 130-180):
Grace, widely spread, increases in the saints, furnishing understanding, revealing mysteries, announcing times, rejoicing over the faithful, giving to those that seek. Epistle to Diognetus, Chapter 11 (ANF, 1.29).
JUSTIN MARTYR (c. 100 to c. 165):
Daily some are becoming disciples in the name of Christ, and quitting the path of error; who are also receiving gifts, each as he is worthy, illumined through the name of this Christ. For one receives the spirit of understanding, another of counsel, another of strength, another of healing, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching, and another of the fear of God. [. . .]
It was prophesied that, after the ascent of Christ to heaven, He would deliver us from error and give us gifts. The words are these: ‘He ascended up on high; He led captivity captive; He gave gifts to men.’ Accordingly, we have received gifts from Christ, who has ascended up on high. Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 39 (ANF, 1.214)
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For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought to understand that [the gifts] formerly among your nation have been transferred to us. And just as there were false prophets contemporaneous with your holy prophets, so are there now many false teachers amongst us, of whom our Lord forewarned us to beware; so that in no respect are we deficient, since we know that He foreknew all that would happen to us after His resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven. Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 82 (ANF, 1.240).
Now, it is possible to see amongst us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God; so that it was prophesied that the powers enumerated by Isaiah would come upon Him, not because He needed power, but because these would not continue after Him. Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 87 (ANF, 1.243).
IRENAEUS (c. 130 to c. 202):
For the Lord, through means of suffering, “ascending into the lofty place, led captivity captive, gave gifts to men,” and conferred on those that believe in Him the power “to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy,” that is, of the leader of apostasy. (Against Heresies, 2:20:3 (ANF, 1.388).
For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the Church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and which she exerts day by day for the benefit of the Gentiles, neither practising deception upon any, nor taking any reward from them [on account of such miraculous interpositions]. For as she has received freely from God, freely also does she minister [to others]. (Against Heresies, 2:32:4 (ANF, 1.409)
[…] In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God, whom also the apostle terms “spiritual,” they being spiritual because they partake of the Spirit, […] Against Heresies, 5:6:1 (ANF, 1.531-532).
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (c. 150 to c. 215)
And since the omnipotent God Himself “gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;” we are then to strive to reach manhood as befits the Gnostic, and to be as perfect as we can while still abiding in the flesh, making it our study with perfect concord here to concur with the will of God, to the restoration of what is the truly perfect nobleness and relationship, to the fulness of Christ, that which perfectly depends on our perfection.
And now we perceive where, and how, and when the divine apostle mentions the perfect man, and how he shows the differences of the perfect. And again, on the other hand: “The manifestation of the Spirit is given for our profit. For to one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit; to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith through the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing through the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another diversities of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: and all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one according as He wills.” (Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.433)
TERTULLIAN (c. 165 to c. 220):
This was her vision, and for her witness there was God; and the apostle most assuredly foretold that there were to be “spiritual gifts” in the church. (A Treatise on the Soul, chapter 9 (ANF 3.188).
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Therefore, blessed ones, whom the grace of God awaits, when you ascend from that most sacred bath of your new birth, and spread your hands for the first time in the house of your mother, together with your brethren, ask from the Father, ask from the Lord, that His own specialties of grace and distributions of gifts may be supplied you. “Ask,” saith He, “and ye shall receive.” Well, you have asked, and have received; you have knocked, and it has been opened to you. Only, I pray that, when you are asking, you be mindful likewise of Tertullian the sinner. On Baptism, chapter 20, (ANF, 3.679).
We have faith for a defense […] We often aid in this manner even the pagan, seeing that we have been endowed by God with power that the apostle first used when he despised the viper’s bite. (Scorpiace 1)
ORIGEN (c. 185 to c. 253):
Now it ought to be known that the holy apostles, in preaching the faith of Christ, delivered themselves with the utmost clearness on certain points which they believed to be necessary to every one, even to those who seemed somewhat dull in the investigation of divine knowledge; leaving, however, the grounds of their statements to be examined into by those who should deserve the excellent gifts of the Spirit, and who, especially by means of the Holy Spirit Himself, should obtain the gift of language, of wisdom, and of knowledge: while on other subjects they merely stated the fact that things were so, keeping silence as to the manner or origin of their existence; clearly in order that the more zealous of their successors, who should be lovers of wisdom, might have a subject of exercise on which to display the fruit of their talents,—those persons, I mean, who should prepare themselves to be fit and worthy receivers of wisdom. De Principiis, preface (ANF, 4.239).
For if this Spirit is of divine nature, i.e., is understood to be a Holy Spirit, we shall understand this to be said of the gift of the Holy Spirit: that when, whether by baptism, or by the grace of the Spirit, the word of wisdom, or the word of knowledge, or of any other gift, has been bestowed upon a man […] De Principiis, 2:10:7 (ANF, 4.296).
As holy and immaculate souls, after devoting themselves to God with all affection and purity, and after preserving themselves free from all contagion of evil spirits, and after being purified by lengthened abstinence, and imbued with holy and religious training, assume by this means a portion of divinity, and earn the grace of prophecy, and other divine gifts; so also are we to suppose that those who place themselves in the way of the opposing powers, i.e., who purposely admire and adopt their manner of life and habits, receive their inspiration, and become partakers of their wisdom and doctrine. And the result of this is, that they are filled with the working of those spirits to whose service they have subjected themselves. De Principiis, 3:3:3 (ANF, 4.336)
What spirit must it be that fills her [Pythian priestess] mind and clouds her judgment with darkness? Must it not be one of the same order with those demons that many Christians cast out of persons possessed of them? And this, we may observe, they do without incantations or curious arts of magic. Rather, they use only prayer and simple adjurations that the plainest person can use. In fact, for the most part, it is unlettered persons who perform this work. (Against Celsus 7.4)
[…] We have to say, moreover, that the Gospel has a demonstration of its own, more divine than any established by Grecian dialectics. And this diviner method is called by the apostle the “manifestation of the Spirit and of power:” of “the Spirit,” on account of the prophecies, which are sufficient to produce faith in any one who reads them, especially in those things which relate to Christ; and of “power,” because of the signs and wonders which we must believe to have been performed, both on many other grounds, and on this, that traces of them are still preserved among those who regulate their lives by the precepts of the Gospel. Against Celsus, 1:2 (ANF, 4.397-398).
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Therefore we may see, that after the advent of Jesus the Jews were altogether abandoned, and possess now none of what were considered their ancient glories, so that there is no indication of any Divinity abiding amongst them. For they have no longer prophets nor miracles, traces of which to a considerable extent are still found among Christians, and some of them more remarkable than any that existed among the Jews; and these we ourselves have witnessed, if our testimony may be received. Against Celsus, 2:8 (ANF, 4.433).
Not a few cures are brought about in the in name of Jesus, and certain other manifestations of no small significance have taken place. (Against Celsus, ANF 4. 475)
It is not the part of a divine spirit to drive the prophetess into such a state of ecstasy and madness that she loses control of herself. For he who is under the influence of the Divine Spirit ought to be the first to receive the beneficial effects; and these ought not to be first enjoyed by the persons who consult the oracle about the concerns of natural or civil life, or for purposes of temporal gain or interest; and, moreover, that should be the time of clearest perception, when a person is in close intercourse with the Deity.
Accordingly, we can show from an examination of the sacred Scriptures, that the Jewish prophets, who were enlightened as far as was necessary for their prophetic work by the Spirit of God, were the first to enjoy the benefit of the inspiration; and by the contact— if I may so say— of the Holy Spirit they became clearer in mind, and their souls were filled with a brighter light. And the body no longer served as a hindrance to a virtuous life; for to that which we call the lust of the flesh it was deadened. For we are persuaded that the Divine Spirit mortifies the deeds of the body, and destroys that enmity against God which the carnal passions serve to excite. If, then, the Pythian priestess is beside herself when she prophesies, what spirit must that be which fills her mind and clouds her judgment with darkness, unless it be of the same order with those demons which many Christians cast out of persons possessed with them? And this, we may observe, they do without the use of any curious arts of magic, or incantations, but merely by prayer and simple adjurations which the plainest person can use. Because for the most part it is unlettered persons who perform this work; thus making manifest the grace which is in the word of Christ, and the despicable weakness of demons, which, in order to be overcome and driven out of the bodies and souls of men, do not require the power and wisdom of those who are mighty in argument, and most learned in matters of faith. Against Celsus, 7:3-4 (ANF, 4.613).
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And I consider that the Holy Spirit supplies to those who, through Him and through participation in Him, are called saints, the material of the gifts, which come from God; so that the said material of the gifts is made powerful by God, is ministered by Christ, and owes its actual existence in men to the Holy Spirit. I am led to this view of the charisms by the words of Paul which he writes somewhere, “There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit, and diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. And there are diversities of workings, but it is the same God that worketh all in all.” Commentary on the Gospel of John, 2:6 (ANF, 9.329).
NOVATIAN (c. 200 to 258):
And, “When the Spirit of truth shall come, He will direct you into all the truth.” And because the Lord was about to depart to the heavens, He gave the Paraclete out of necessity to the disciples; so as not to leave them in any degree orphans, which was little desirable, and forsake them without an advocate and some kind of protector. For this is He who strengthened their hearts and minds, who marked out the Gospel sacraments, who was in them the enlightener of divine things; and they being strengthened, feared, for the sake of the Lord’s name, neither dungeons nor chains, nay, even trod under foot the very powers of the world and its tortures, since they were henceforth armed and strengthened by the same Spirit, having in themselves the gifts which this same Spirit distributes, and appropriates to the Church, the spouse of Christ, as her ornaments. This is He who places prophets in the Church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healings, does wonderful works, offers discrimination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggests counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts there are of charismata; and thus make the Lord’s Church everywhere, and in all, perfected and completed. A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity, chapter 29, (ANF, 5.640-641).
ARNOBIUS (284-305)
By his own power, He not only performed those miraculous deeds, […] but He has permitted many others to attempt them and to perform them by the use of His name […] He chose fishermen, artisans, peasants, and unskilled persons of a similar kind, so that they, being sent through various nations, perform all those miracles without any fraud and without any material aids (6.427)
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONS (375-380 A. D.):
This document was finalized by those dates. but was compiled earlier. These next passages are written as if the apostles are testifying about their ministry. But then the authors of this work shift grounds and assume that people of the fourth century can have these gifts.
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It is not therefore necessary that every one of the faithful should cast out demons, or raise the dead, or speak with tongues; but such a one only who is vouchsafed this gift, for some cause which may be advantage to the salvation of the unbelievers, who are often put to shame, not with the demonstration of the world, but by the power of the signs; that is, such as are worthy of salvation: for all the ungodly are not affected by wonders; and hereof God Himself is a witness, as when He says in the law: “With other tongues will I speak to this people, and with other lips, and yet will they by no means believe.” […]
Let not, therefore, any one that works signs and wonders judge any one of the faithful who is not vouchsafed the same: for the gifts of God which are bestowed by Him through Christ are various; and one man receives one gift, and another another. For perhaps one has the word of wisdom, and another the word of knowledge; another, discerning of spirits; another, foreknowledge of things to come; another, the word of teaching; another, long-suffering; another, continence according to the law. […]
Wherefore let none of you exalt himself against his brother, though he be a prophet, or though he be a worker of miracles: for if it happens that there be no longer an unbeliever, all the power of signs will thenceforwards be superfluous. For to be pious is from any one’s good disposition; but to work wonders is from the power of Him that works them by us: the first of which respects ourselves; but the second respects God that works them, for the reasons which we have already mentioned. (Apostolic Constitutions, 8:1 ANF, 7.479-480).
An exorcist is not ordained. For it is a trial of voluntary goodness, and of the grace of God through Christ by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For he who has received the gift of healing is declared by revelation from God, the grace which is in him being manifest to all. (Book VIII, 3, Concerning the Exorcist)
ARTICLES IN SERIES
1. Gifts of the Spirit in Early Church Fathers
2. Healings and Deliverances in Early Church Fathers
3. Prophecies, Visions, and Hearing from God in Early Church Fathers
RELATED
1. Gifts of Spirit: Word of Wisdom (begin a series)
Gifts of the Spirit in Romans 12:6-8
Other Posts about Church Fathers:
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
2. Church Fathers and Mark’s Gospel
3. Church Fathers and Luke’s Gospel
4. Church Fathers and John’s Gospel
SOURCES
A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs. Ed. David W. Bercot (Hendrickson, 2017)
Ante-Nicene Fathers
New Advent,
Early Christian Commentary: Spiritual Gifts
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 