I. Introduction
God has given each believer a combination of
opportunities and gifts that is perfectly suited to his or her situation
in life. Every Christian is really a minister with a unique
contribution to make to the body of Christ. The central thrust of your
ministry depends on the spiritual gifts you have received. In this
booklet, we will look at the definition, design, desirability, and
description of the gifts of the Spirit. We will also see how to discover
and develop spiritual gifts and consider the danger of their abuse and
directions for their use.
II. Diversity and Unity in the Body of Christ
When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2,
a new organism was created. This organism consists of all those who
have received the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. In Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 4:4-7, and Ephesians 2:19,
it is described as a spiritual household or family. By virtue of both
adoption and new birth, we have become sons and daughters of God. This
organism is also called a holy temple in Ephesians 2:20-22 and 1 Peter 2:4-5, and believers are its living stones. But the most frequently used metaphor for this new creation is the body of Christ (see Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:6; 4:4-16; 5:5:23-30; Col. 1:18; 2:19).
The three major New Testament lists of the gifts are
all introduced by a description of the unity and diversity in the body
of Christ. Paul's metaphor for the church could not be more appropriate,
because both the universal church (all believers) and the local church
(geographically localized groups of believers) are unities which are
built out of diverse elements. All believers have been baptized by the
Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Christ is the head, the ruler of the body (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; Col. 1:18),
and believers are the individual members or components. In this
analogy, each Christian has been given a special function to perform and
the ability to fulfill it in a way that will benefit the other members.
There is quantitative and qualitative growth when believers discover
and actively use their spiritual gifts. Each part of the body depends on
the rest for its well-being, and there are no useless organs. This is
why edification through teaching and fellowship is so necessary in the
local church. The biblical concept of koinonia or fellowship
communicates the fact that isolation leads to atrophy. Just as no organ
can function independently of the others, so no Christian can enjoy
spiritual vitality in a relational vacuum. The Spirit has sovereignly
distributed spiritual gifts to every member of the body, and no single
member possesses all the gifts. Thus, growth does not take place apart
from mutual ministry and dependence.
The body of Christ is an organism, not a
dictatorship or a democracy. As such, the local church is best
structured around the distribution and function of the spiritual gifts
found in its members.
Exercise: In Ephesians 4:4-16,
Paul outlines the role of God-given gifts in the edification of the
body. What are the seven points of unity found in verses 4-6? According
to 4:7-10, what is the basis for the giving of gifts to the church?
Verse 12 speaks of quantitative (corporate) growth, while verse 13
speaks of qualitative (individual) growth. How does 4:11-13 relate to
4:14-16?
III. Definition and Design of Spiritual Gifts
A. Definition
The Greek word most frequently used for spiritual gifts is charismata, a word that relates to the grace (charis)
of God. Concerning these gifts, Paul writes, But to each one of us
grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Eph. 4:7 NET Bible). Another word, pneumatikos,
means spiritualities, or spiritual things. William McRae defines a
spiritual gift as a divine endowment of a special ability for service
upon a member of the body of Christ. C. Peter Wagner offers a similar
definition: A spiritual gift is a special attribute given by the Holy
Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ according to God's grace
for use within the context of the Body.
B. Design
Here are twelve principles that relate to God's design for spiritual gifts:
1. Every Christian has one or more spiritual gifts.
To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all (1 Cor. 12:7).
It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these
things (1 Cor. 12:11).
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Eph. 4:7).
Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace
of God. (1 Pet. 4:10).
Spiritual gifts are not limited to a sub-group of
believers; they are distributed by the Spirit to all Christian men,
women, and children.
2. Many believers have evidently received more than
one spiritual gift. Because there is such a variety of gifts, the number
of possible combinations is great. Each multi-gifted Christian has
received a combination of spiritual abilities that is perfectly suited
to his or her God-given ministry.
3. Spiritual gifts may be given at the moment of
regeneration, but they may lie undiscovered and dormant for a long
period of time. Multi-gifted Christians often discover their combination
of gifts through a gradual process.
4. Spiritual gifts can be abused and neglected, but
if they are received at regeneration, it would appear that they cannot
be lost. The Corinthian church illustrates the fact that believers can
be highly gifted but spiritually immature.
5. Spiritual gifts are not the same as the gift of the Spirit. The gift of the Spirit has been bestowed on all believers (John 14:16; Acts 2:38),
and every member of the body should appropriate this gift. The gifts of
the Spirit, on the other hand, are distributed as he decides to each
person (1 Cor. 12:11).
6. Spiritual gifts are not the same as the fruit of
the Spirit. Spiritual fruit is produced from within; spiritual gifts are
imparted from without. Fruit relates to Christlike character; gifts
relate to Christian service. The fruit of the Spirit, especially love,
should be the context for the operation of the gifts of the Spirit. Paul
made it clear in 1 Corinthians 13 that spiritual gifts without spiritual fruit are worthless. Fruit is eternal, but gifts are temporal (1 Cor. 13:8); the former is a true measure of spirituality, but the latter is not.
7. Spiritual gifts are not the same as natural
talents. Unlike the natural abilities which everyone has from birth,
spiritual gifts belong exclusively to believers in Christ. In some
cases, the gifts of the Spirit coincide with natural endowments, but
they transcend these natural abilities by adding a supernatural quality.
Both are given by God (Jas. 1:17), and should be developed and used according to their purpose for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
8. All Christians are called to a ministry, but not
all are called to an office. Ministry is determined by divinely given
gifts and opportunities (Eph. 3:7).
Offices (e.g., elder, deacon, evangelist, and teacher) are humanly
recognized and appointed spheres of ministry within the body.
9. Some spiritual gifts are more desirable in the
church than others because they result in greater edification of the
body. Paul exhorted the Corinthian church to be eager for the greater
gifts (1 Cor. 12:31; see 12:28-30; 14:5).
10. Charismata literally means
grace-gifts--they are sovereignly and undeservedly given by the Holy
Spirit. There is no basis for boasting or envy. Every member of the body
has a special place and purpose. Whether more or less prominent in the
eyes of men, the same standard applies to all: it is required of
stewards that one be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2). Work with what God has given to you (2 Tim. 1:6), and seek to please Him rather than men (Gal. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:4).
11. Gifts are God's spiritual equipment for effective service and edification of the body.
They are not bestowed for the self-aggrandizement of the
recipient, or as an evidence of a special enduement of the
Spirit, but for the profit and edification of the Body of
Christ. The possessor is only the instrument and not the
receiver of the glory (J. Oswald Sanders).
Gifts were given so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 4:11).
12. High mobilization of spiritual gifts was the key to the rapid multiplication of the church in the New Testament (cf. Rom. 1:11, Eph. 4:12, 2 Tim. 2:2).
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