Spiritual Gifts (Parts 3 & 4)
In order to understand what spiritual gifts are, it is also helpful to understand what they are not. We have already stated they were not roles, acquired skills, natural talents or church offices.
Technically they are not to be acquainted with the "fruit of the Spirit." However, it is doubtful that one can have spiritual gifts without bearing fruit of the spirit (Gal. 522-23). Without the fruit of the spirit no spiritual gift would be effective.
Technically, a spiritual gift is not "agape." Paul makes it plain that agape and spiritual gifts are different when he states that without "agape" (love) a spiritual gift is essentially useless. Agape can be used for love in other instances as well as for the "love of God." Almost always when it talks about God’s love the Greek manuscripts use "agape."
Spiritual gifts are not for self gain. They are not divisive. Some groups have split because of claims, uses, or denials of spiritual gifts. Furthermore, spiritual gifts are not the same for every one. People often have a gift mix rather than just one gift. Neither are the gifts in the same mix for every congregation.
And lastly, spiritual gifts are not satanic counterfeits. Satan can performs signs and wonders but these are not really spiritual gifts (Matt. 2424).
WHAT SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE They are extraordinary abilities that God gives to build up the Body of Christ, or a local congregation, for a service to its members and through its members and to the world.
1) They are unmerited blessings (gifts in grace) from God.
2) They are forms of service or ministries.
There are prerequisites
1) You must be converted and have the Holy Spirit to have spiritual gifts. (1Cor. 214).
2) You must believe in spiritual gifts.
3) You must be willing to work to understand and discover them.
4) You must pray that God will help you to identify yours.
We might classify the gifts like this
1) Speaking Gifts such as exhortation (Rom. 128), word of wisdom and knowledge (1Cor. 128), tongues, prophecy (1Cor. 1210), teaching (1Cor. 1228).
2) Serving Gifts such as administration, helps, leadership, giving, mercy and service.
3) Sign Gifts such as healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles, and discernment of spirits.
FOUR STEPS
1) Explore the possibilities begin thinking about gifts, read the passages.
2) Experiment with as many gifts as you can. Look for needs.
3) Examine your feelings. You may come up with this thought "This is really what I’d like to do for God more than anything else."
4) Pray and ask God to give you understanding.
We now want to elaborate on each of the spiritual gifts. We will start with what Paul said he preferred. He placed "prophecy" forthtelling not necessarily foretellingabove tongues.
The gift of prophecy has been defined by one scholar as " the extraordinary ability to link biblical truths and God’s will for today’s living and to be an instrument for revealing or interpreting historic or current messages from God for righteous and just living in today’s world."
A person with the gift of prophecy is usually articulate, s/he can identify motives, character and contrast righteousness with unrighteousness, justice with injustice. The gift of prophecy reaches the inner hearts of people and can bring about repentance and change. Passages relating to this gift are Acts 214-36 where Peter speaks forth. Acts 1128; 1532 2110-12; 219-11. There are others such as Rom. 126d; 1Cor. 1210; 143, 6, 24-28; Eph. 31-6.
The gift of pastor can be defined as "the extraordinary ability to carry varieties of spiritual, physical, and social concerns for groups and individuals and to persist over long periods of time and circumstances with effective caring." The Greek word is "poimen" and is translated in the KJV as "shepherd" and "pastor." It means someone who oversees, manages, cares for, assembles together, and feeds those who committed themselves to the poimen’s charge. Passages related to this gift are Matt. 2812-14; John 101-30; Acts 2028; 1Tim. 31-7; 1 Pet. 52-4; Eph. 411-14.
There is the gift of teaching (Gk. "didaskalia"). It means to "teach, to instruct, to clarify, to elucidate, to illuminate, to simplify, and to illustrate. This gift seems to underlie other gifts such as pastor or prophecy. For, if one cannot teach, it appears that prophecy or pastor would be ineffective. In fact, every elder must be "able to teach" (1Tim. 32). The passages referring to this gift are Acts 131; 1824-28; 2020-21; 1Cor. 1228; 1Tim. 27; 2Tim. 111; James 31; Eph. 411.
Another is the gift of wisdom (Gk.- "sophia"). This is defined as the super ability to make concrete, practical applications of knowledge to specific and concrete situations that call on God’s favor. A person with this gift is able to apply God’s truth to present situations. That person would be able to ask practical questions and use the information to make wise, proper and godly decisions.. While God gives wisdom to everyone who asks (James 15), the gift of wisdom is a super ability. See Acts 63, 10; 710; 1Cor. 118-27; 318-19; 1218; Col. 128; 316; 2 Pet. 315.
Solomon had that ability to the point people were astounded at this insights and practical applications of knowledge to a specific situation. Perhaps his most famous case was that of the two harlots who became mothers. One laid on her child accidentally during the night and it died. She then stole the other woman’s child and place the dead child in the bed with her. They came before Solomon each claiming the living child. Knowing how much a mother cares for her baby Solomon was able to use that knowledge to find out who the real mother was (1Kings 316-27).
We’ll examine other gifts in our next Sabbath Thoughts.
Technically they are not to be acquainted with the "fruit of the Spirit." However, it is doubtful that one can have spiritual gifts without bearing fruit of the spirit (Gal. 522-23). Without the fruit of the spirit no spiritual gift would be effective.
Technically, a spiritual gift is not "agape." Paul makes it plain that agape and spiritual gifts are different when he states that without "agape" (love) a spiritual gift is essentially useless. Agape can be used for love in other instances as well as for the "love of God." Almost always when it talks about God’s love the Greek manuscripts use "agape."
Spiritual gifts are not for self gain. They are not divisive. Some groups have split because of claims, uses, or denials of spiritual gifts. Furthermore, spiritual gifts are not the same for every one. People often have a gift mix rather than just one gift. Neither are the gifts in the same mix for every congregation.
And lastly, spiritual gifts are not satanic counterfeits. Satan can performs signs and wonders but these are not really spiritual gifts (Matt. 2424).
WHAT SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE They are extraordinary abilities that God gives to build up the Body of Christ, or a local congregation, for a service to its members and through its members and to the world.
1) They are unmerited blessings (gifts in grace) from God.
2) They are forms of service or ministries.
There are prerequisites
1) You must be converted and have the Holy Spirit to have spiritual gifts. (1Cor. 214).
2) You must believe in spiritual gifts.
3) You must be willing to work to understand and discover them.
4) You must pray that God will help you to identify yours.
We might classify the gifts like this
1) Speaking Gifts such as exhortation (Rom. 128), word of wisdom and knowledge (1Cor. 128), tongues, prophecy (1Cor. 1210), teaching (1Cor. 1228).
2) Serving Gifts such as administration, helps, leadership, giving, mercy and service.
3) Sign Gifts such as healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles, and discernment of spirits.
FOUR STEPS
1) Explore the possibilities begin thinking about gifts, read the passages.
2) Experiment with as many gifts as you can. Look for needs.
3) Examine your feelings. You may come up with this thought "This is really what I’d like to do for God more than anything else."
4) Pray and ask God to give you understanding.
We now want to elaborate on each of the spiritual gifts. We will start with what Paul said he preferred. He placed "prophecy" forthtelling not necessarily foretellingabove tongues.
The gift of prophecy has been defined by one scholar as " the extraordinary ability to link biblical truths and God’s will for today’s living and to be an instrument for revealing or interpreting historic or current messages from God for righteous and just living in today’s world."
A person with the gift of prophecy is usually articulate, s/he can identify motives, character and contrast righteousness with unrighteousness, justice with injustice. The gift of prophecy reaches the inner hearts of people and can bring about repentance and change. Passages relating to this gift are Acts 214-36 where Peter speaks forth. Acts 1128; 1532 2110-12; 219-11. There are others such as Rom. 126d; 1Cor. 1210; 143, 6, 24-28; Eph. 31-6.
The gift of pastor can be defined as "the extraordinary ability to carry varieties of spiritual, physical, and social concerns for groups and individuals and to persist over long periods of time and circumstances with effective caring." The Greek word is "poimen" and is translated in the KJV as "shepherd" and "pastor." It means someone who oversees, manages, cares for, assembles together, and feeds those who committed themselves to the poimen’s charge. Passages related to this gift are Matt. 2812-14; John 101-30; Acts 2028; 1Tim. 31-7; 1 Pet. 52-4; Eph. 411-14.
There is the gift of teaching (Gk. "didaskalia"). It means to "teach, to instruct, to clarify, to elucidate, to illuminate, to simplify, and to illustrate. This gift seems to underlie other gifts such as pastor or prophecy. For, if one cannot teach, it appears that prophecy or pastor would be ineffective. In fact, every elder must be "able to teach" (1Tim. 32). The passages referring to this gift are Acts 131; 1824-28; 2020-21; 1Cor. 1228; 1Tim. 27; 2Tim. 111; James 31; Eph. 411.
Another is the gift of wisdom (Gk.- "sophia"). This is defined as the super ability to make concrete, practical applications of knowledge to specific and concrete situations that call on God’s favor. A person with this gift is able to apply God’s truth to present situations. That person would be able to ask practical questions and use the information to make wise, proper and godly decisions.. While God gives wisdom to everyone who asks (James 15), the gift of wisdom is a super ability. See Acts 63, 10; 710; 1Cor. 118-27; 318-19; 1218; Col. 128; 316; 2 Pet. 315.
Solomon had that ability to the point people were astounded at this insights and practical applications of knowledge to a specific situation. Perhaps his most famous case was that of the two harlots who became mothers. One laid on her child accidentally during the night and it died. She then stole the other woman’s child and place the dead child in the bed with her. They came before Solomon each claiming the living child. Knowing how much a mother cares for her baby Solomon was able to use that knowledge to find out who the real mother was (1Kings 316-27).
We’ll examine other gifts in our next Sabbath Thoughts.
<< Home