GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

There are at least six different lists of these gifts given in the New Testament; four of them are located in I Corinthians 12-14. Some of these lists are in terms of the gift and some concentrate on the person receiving the gift:

I Corinthians 12:8-10

utterance of wisdom

utterance of knowledge

faith

healing

prophecy

distinguishing spirits

tongues

interpreting tongues

I Corinthians 12:27-31

apostles

prophets

teachers

workers of miracles

healers

helpers

administrators

speakers in tongues

interpreters of tongues

I Corinthians 13:1-3

tongues

prophecy

knowledge

faith

contribution

self-sacrifice

I Corinthians 14:26

hymn

teaching

revelation

tongue

interpretation

Romans 12:3-8

prophecy

service

teaching

exhortation

contribution

aid

mercy

Ephesians 4:11

apostles

prophets

evangelists

pastors

teachers

Interestingly, I Peter 4:10-11 summarizes these gifts under two categories: speaking gifts and gifts of helps.

What do you think about this statement?: “God has gifted me in a tremendous way.”

Do you get the same sort of negative feeling when someone says, “God has given me peace”?

Actually, neither one should be taken as bragging.

I haven't been as prone to take credit for any little bit of ministry I have done over the years since my time in graduate school. Before that time period, I would actually get physically ill if I had to get up in class or church to say even a few words. But in graduate school I began teaching a little in our college class at church and found out that for some reason I was not nervous in the least. It was obviously nothing that I had any conscious control over and had to come from God. I think of Moses and his stammering tongue or Paul who admitted that he was not an impressive speaker.

Many of you have probably attended a Gifts Workshop sometime in your life. Gordon Fee in his excellent book Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God has one chapter devoted to the lists of gifts in I Corinthians. His personal problem with most of these workshops (which he labels as fads) is that Paul's main purpose in that epistle is to correct problems in that congregation, not to provide an all-inclusive listing of gifts for the modern church. It is easy to show that none of the lists above is comprehensive since they all vary a great deal with one another. The implication is that these various lists only hint at the various ways the Holy Spirit supplies the church body with what she needs to grow spiritually and numerically.

And even if we just look at an individual gift, we should keep in mind that the modern expression of that gift may include a wide variety of possible ministries. For example, “helps” and “administration” could encompass activities such as providing legal aid, computer services, psychological counseling, public relations or construction.

My own problem with some of these workshops and seminars is that they concentrate on finding “your gift.” This phrase reveals several basic misunderstandings of Scripture. In the first place, the gifts are not yours, they are given for the benefit of the whole body. That contention is rather easy to prove by quoting Paul's words:

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” I Corinthians 12:7

“So with yourselves, since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for the building up the church.” I Corinthians 14:12

Secondly and thirdly, some of these seminars and workshops assume that each person will be given one gift and that it will not change throughout that person's lifetime. Again, it is helpful to look at some random NT examples to dispel that notion.

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” I Timothy 5:17 Thus, one could be an administrator, teacher and preacher at the same time.

Phillip was a deacon (gift of helps) first, but later was used in evangelistic efforts.

The Apostle Peter preached at Pentacost, took charge of financial affairs in the fledgling church, was an active administrator during the Jerusalem Conference, later became a traveling evangelist, taught through his letters, and died a martyr.

Paul himself was an apostle, prophesied on occasion, said that he spoke in tongues, started out as an evangelist, became a teacher through his letters to the new and established churches, and was an encourager of Timothy and Titus, exhorted Philemon, spearheaded contributions for the Jerusalem church, wrote hymns and hymn-like compositions, and was one of our supreme models of self-sacrifice.

My own example pales in comparison but serves to bear out the fact that God through the Holy Spirit will equip the church with whatever resources it needs to survive and thrive, and those needs may vary from place to place, and from time to time. When I began my work career in upstate New York, there were not that many evangelistic churches to chose from, and we settled on a start-up congregation with about a dozen members. Over my time at that church, I served as deacon, preacher, teacher of the adult class, chairman, treasurer, and janitor while my wife served as pianist and junior church leader. When we left that church I was convinced that it would fall apart. To my surprise, God lifted up other members of the congregation and equipped them to fill in the gaps, and that church continued for many decades afterward.

The next church we attended was well supplied with all of those functions but needed help teaching the teenage class and providing pulpit supply at smaller churches in the area, so I filled in as needed. When moving to Texas, there was a wealth of larger churches to chose from, but the one we joined, and subsequent congregations in the general area, had a great need for adult Bible teachers. But I later found more of my calling in organizing the Bible classes and mentoring new teachers. After retiring from my job, I next concentrated on using what artistic gifts I had been given to creating paintings and collages based on biblical subjects and displaying them at churches, Christian colleges, and on-line. And I have even found that my teaching gift has taken on different forms recently in terms of on-line postings, seminar series, and one-on-one mentoring. It will be exciting to see what other ways the Holy Spirit can equip and use me in the future.

My personal advice is not to spend as much time trying to figure out what your “spiritual gift” is, but concentrate on finding out what the needs are in your present setting. Even if those needs don't seem to be a match with your natural talents or desires, God can often use you to fill those needs by gifting you with the resources necessary, just as He did Moses