Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Do you understand the meaning of a spiritual gift? I do not refer to an imaginary gift, but a very real gift in our anthropology, which is a different sense of perception other than rationalism or empiricism. Faith is a system of perception provided by God which allows us to perceive things spiritually.
Some have a gift in ministry, where they perceive an explicit right thing to say, at the right place, at the right time, to the right person per God's Plan. The information conveyed by God the Holy Spirit might be very personal. Absolutely nothing is hidden from God, and He might communicate to the human spirit of a believer to communicate to another believer or an unbeliever the right thing to say for that particular situation in glorification of the Son.
Scripture is Divinely inspired. That means a very real communication was made from God the Holy Spirit to a particular author who wrote the letter or book which has been translated for us to read today.
That spiritual gift used by God to communicate the Word during the scribing of the canon of Scripture is complemented by other spiritual gifts today from God the Holy Spirit to each and every believer, as well as during the sanctification process of the believer in learning Bible doctrine.
You are correct that it is possible to read the Bible and not grow in the human spirit. If one is out of fellowship and doesn't breath in the Word, the soul is not sanctified in that process. Worse, the Word of God is not without effect. Those who study while outside of fellowship risk hardening their heart to the Word and degenerating in their Christian life.
That's not how Noah or Abraham got their faith. That's not how Paul got his either.
There is nothing magical about hearing the word of God. Many hear it and never believe.
Do you understand the meaning of a spiritual gift. I do not refer to an imaginary gift, but a very real gift in our anthropology, which is a different sense of perception other than rationalism or empiricism?
We could say the same thing for lunatics who "see" and "hear" things, even talk to "God." What's the criteria for a "differential diagnosis?"
Prove it that what people believe is from God. Every religion men made up claims the same thing while rejecting the other man's religion as false. The Jews reject Christ; the Christians reject Judaism and Islam; the Muslims reject Christianity and Judaism, etc. yet they all claim their faith is from God.
Some have gift in ministry, where they perceive an explicit right thing to say, at the right place, at the right time, to the right person per God's Plan
What proof do you have that it's "per God's Plan?" Why would an all-knowing God need a plan?
I guess the "spiritual gift" includes some horse trading as well, since some of the controversial books were included by that "spiritual" method, to wit: Revelation and Hebrews.
What fellowship? The Apostles wree not fwllos with Jesus. They called Christ their Lord (kyrios); He was their teacher and master, and they were his disciples, students.
In the NT the Apostles refer to themselves as servants, not fellows of Christ. Fellowships are for fellows, something that is between equals.
There is nothing in the term koinonia that implies any equality of members. All members of the American Medical Associations are fellows; all American citizens are fellow citizens with equal rights; military officers are fellow members of the Officers' Mess, etc. But we are not fellows with God no matter who saintly we may think we are.
We may be in communion with other members of the same faith, professing one and the same God, and we may think of ourselves as a community (fellowship) of believers, the Church, and some may even think as being "in" Christ, but there will always be God whose ways and thoughts are not ours and we can never be what He is by nature, even though we may be with Him by grace. It will always be, the Lord-servant servant relationship, glorfying God, and not a fellowship.
Insisting that one can read the Bible only if he has the "fellowship" and is privy to special "gifts," i.e. on the "membership" of special knowledge and perception, is pure Gnosticism. Needless to say, Gnostics found Paul very close and dear to their hearts, for obvious reasons. And Gnosticism, to my surprise, seems to be the backbone of Portestanitsm.