Who has Spiritual Gifts?
Romans 12:4-5
Each of the major ‘gifts’ passages (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4) are in the context of ‘body’.
1 Corinthians 12:18
WHO HAS SPIRITUAL GIFTS?
1 Peter 4:10
1 Corinthians 12:17
Possession of one or more SPIRITUAL GIFTS is part of God’s plan for every Christian.
WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT?
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.
THE BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
• You’ll be a more effective Christian, allowing God to make your life count for Him.
• You’ll impact the entire church.
• You’ll glorify God.
THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28:
Word of wisdom: The special ability to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the Body of Christ.
Acts 6:3, 10, 1 Cor 2:1-13, 12:8, James 1:5-6, 2 Peter 3:15-16
Word of knowledge: The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze and clarify information and ideas that are pertinent to the growth and well-being of the Body of Christ.
Acts 5:1-11, 1 Cor 2:14, 12:8,
2 Cor 11:6, Col 2:2-3
Faith: The special ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for the future of His work.
Acts 11:22-24, 27:21-25, Romans 4:18-21, 1 Cor 12:9, Hebrews 11
Healing: The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to cure illness and restore health apart from the use of natural means.
Acts 2:1-10, 5:12-16, 9:32-35, 28:7-10, 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28
v. 10
Miracles: The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to perform powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
Acts 9:36-42, 19:11-20, 20:7-12, Romans 15:18-19, 1 Cor 12:10, 28, 2 Cor 12:12
Prophecy: The special ability to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance.
Luke 7:26, Acts 15:32, 21:9-11, Romans 12:6, 1 Cor 12:10, 28, Ephesians 4:11-13
Discerning of spirits: The special ability to know with assurance whether certain behaviors purported to be of God are in reality divine, human or satanic.
Matt 16:21-23, Acts 5:1-11, 16:16-18, 1 Cor 12:19, 1 John 4:1-6
Tongues: The special ability to (1) speak to God in a language they have never learned and/or (2) to receive and communicate an immediate message from God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance in a language they have never learned.
Mark 16:17, Acts 2:1-13, 10:44-46, 19:1-7, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 14:13-19
Interpretation of tongues: The special ability to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:10, 30, 14:13-14, 26-28
Apostle: The special ability to assume and exercise general leadership within God-assigned spheres such as ecclesiastical, territorial, functional, marketplace, etc., accompanied by an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those within the sphere.
1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 2:20, 4:11
Prophet: See “prophecy” above
Teacher: The special ability to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body of Christ and its members in such a way that others will learn.
Acts 18:24-28, 20:20-21, Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-14
Worker of miracles: See “Miracles” above.
Helps: The special ability to invest their talents in the life and ministry of other members of the Body of Christ, most frequently leaders, thus enabling the leader to increase the effectiveness of his or her spiritual gifts.
Mark 15:40-41, Luke 8:2-3, Acts 9:36, Romans 16:1-2, 1 Corinthians 12:28
Administration: The special ability to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the Body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals.
Luke 14:28-30, Acts 6:1-7, 27:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Titus 1:5
Romans 12:6-8 gives another list:
Prophecy: See “prophecy” above
Service: The special ability to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired goals.
Acts 6:1-7, Romans 12:7, Galatians 6:2, 10, 2 Timothy 1;16-18, Titus 3:14
Teaching: See “Teacher” above
Exhortation: The special ability to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to other members of the Body of Christ in such a way that they feel helped and healed.
Acts 14:22, Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 4:13, Hebrews 10:25
Giving: The special ability to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness.
Mark 12:41-44, Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, 9:2-8
Leadership: The special ability to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate those goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God.
Luke 9:51, Acts 7:10, 15:7-11, Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 3:16
Mercy: The special ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals, both Christian and non-Christian, who suffer distressing physical, mental or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds that reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering.
Matthew 20:29-34, 25:34-40, Mark 9:41, Luke 10:33-35, Acts 11:28-30, Romans 12:8
Ephesians 4:11 (without repeating above)
Evangelist: The special ability to share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
Acts 8:5-6, 26-40, 14:21, 21:8, Ephesians 4:11-14, 2 Timothy 4:5
Pastor: The special ability to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers.
John 10:1-8, Ephesians 4:11-14, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-3
Other texts
Celibacy: The special ability to remain single and enjoy it and not suffer undue sexual temptations.
Matthew 19:10-12, 1 Corinthians 7:7-8
Poverty: The special ability to serve God more effectively by renouncing material comfort and luxury and adopting a personal lifestyle equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society.
Acts 2:44-45, 4:34-37, 1 Cor 13:1-3, 2 Cor 6:10, 8:9
Martyrdom: The special ability to undergo suffering for the faith even to death while consistently displaying a joyous and victorious attitude that brings glory to God.
Acts 22:20, 1 Corinthians 13:3, Revelation 2:13, 17:6
Missionary: The special ability to minister in another culture other spiritual gifts.
Acts 8:4, 13:2-3, 22:21, Romans 10:15, 1 Corinthians 9:1-18
Hospitality: The special ability to provide an open house and warm welcome for those in need of food and lodging.
Acts 16: 14-15, Romans 12:9-13, 16:23, Hebrews 13:1-2, 1 Peter 4:9
Deliverance: The special ability to cast out demons and evil spirits.
Matthew 12:22-32, Luke 10:12-20, Acts 8:5-8, 16:16-18
Intercession: The special ability to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian.
Luke 22:41-44, Acts 12:13, Colossians 1:9-12, 4:12-13, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, James 5:14-16
Leading Worship: The special ability to usher a congregation into the presence of God through music, prayer, dance and other visual forms.
1 Samuel 16:23, 1 Chronicles 9:33, Psalms 34:3
DANGER SIGNS TO AVOID
1. Ignorance of spiritual gifts:
“Among born again adults, the percentage that say they have heard of spiritual gifts but do not believe God has given them one jumped from 4% in 1995 to 21% in 2000.” George Barna (www.barna.org)
1 Corinthians 12:1
2. Abuse of spiritual gifts:
• Gift exaltation: “My gift is more important than yours…”
• Gift projection: “Do what I do, and God will bless you in the same way…”
CLEARING AWAY THE CONFUSION
1. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with natural talents.
• “The GIFT? of basketball?” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A.C. Green
• The secularization of ‘charisma’ – Was Hitler a charismatic?
• Spiritual gifts are reserved exclusively for Christians – no unbeliever has one, and every true believer in Christ does.
2. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with the ‘fruit of the Spirit’.
Galatians 5:22-23
Love is not a spiritual gift.
• The fruit of the Spirit is the normal, expected outcome of Christian growth, maturity, holiness and fullness of the Holy Spirit.
• All Christians have the responsibility for growing and developing the fruit of the Spirit.
• Gifts are discovered, fruits are developed.
• Spiritual gifts define what a Christian DOES, fruit helps define what a Christian IS.
• The fruit of the Spirit is the foundation from which the gifts are exercised.
• Gifts are temporal, fruit is permanent.
• Gifts are task-oriented, fruit are God-oriented.
3. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with Christian roles.
You have certain roles simply because you are born again. Like…
Faith – No one can be a Christian without faith. It is the essential part of our life-style. Yet it is also a ‘gift’ that some members of the Body of Christ have that goes way beyond the normal faith experience of most of us.
The gift of faith: The special ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for the future of His work.
Hospitality – All Christians are expected to be hospitable, using their homes, cars and other resources to help people out, but some Christians have the GIFT of hospitality where they have an extraordinary enjoyment and effectiveness in caring for people this way.
The gift of hospitality: The special ability to provide an open house and warm welcome for those in need of food and lodging.
Tithing – The giving of 10% (as a starting point) to God’s work is to be a normative part of every Christian’s lifestyle. But there are some Christians with the gift of giving who give away enormous amounts of money (by percentage of income) with freedom and joy.
The gift of giving: The special ability to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness.
Prayer – is the privilege and responsibility of every Christian. No spiritual gift of prayer is needed for you to have a living, dynamic and powerful prayer life. And yet, some Christians have the gift of intercession where they regularly spend two, three or even more hours per day in prayer.
The gift of intercession: The special ability to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian.
4. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with counterfeit gifts.
Matthew 24:24
Matthew 7:22-23
See Exodus 7 for further study on how Satan counterfeits the work of God.
God knows all about this deceitfulness and He has given adequate power to His children to prevent it!
1 John 4:4
Each of the major ‘gifts’ passages (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4) are in the context of ‘body’.
1 Corinthians 12:18
WHO HAS SPIRITUAL GIFTS?
1 Peter 4:10
1 Corinthians 12:17
Possession of one or more SPIRITUAL GIFTS is part of God’s plan for every Christian.
WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT?
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.
THE BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
• You’ll be a more effective Christian, allowing God to make your life count for Him.
• You’ll impact the entire church.
• You’ll glorify God.
THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28:
Word of wisdom: The special ability to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the Body of Christ.
Acts 6:3, 10, 1 Cor 2:1-13, 12:8, James 1:5-6, 2 Peter 3:15-16
Word of knowledge: The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze and clarify information and ideas that are pertinent to the growth and well-being of the Body of Christ.
Acts 5:1-11, 1 Cor 2:14, 12:8,
2 Cor 11:6, Col 2:2-3
Faith: The special ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for the future of His work.
Acts 11:22-24, 27:21-25, Romans 4:18-21, 1 Cor 12:9, Hebrews 11
Healing: The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to cure illness and restore health apart from the use of natural means.
Acts 2:1-10, 5:12-16, 9:32-35, 28:7-10, 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28
v. 10
Miracles: The special ability to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to perform powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
Acts 9:36-42, 19:11-20, 20:7-12, Romans 15:18-19, 1 Cor 12:10, 28, 2 Cor 12:12
Prophecy: The special ability to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance.
Luke 7:26, Acts 15:32, 21:9-11, Romans 12:6, 1 Cor 12:10, 28, Ephesians 4:11-13
Discerning of spirits: The special ability to know with assurance whether certain behaviors purported to be of God are in reality divine, human or satanic.
Matt 16:21-23, Acts 5:1-11, 16:16-18, 1 Cor 12:19, 1 John 4:1-6
Tongues: The special ability to (1) speak to God in a language they have never learned and/or (2) to receive and communicate an immediate message from God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance in a language they have never learned.
Mark 16:17, Acts 2:1-13, 10:44-46, 19:1-7, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 14:13-19
Interpretation of tongues: The special ability to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:10, 30, 14:13-14, 26-28
Apostle: The special ability to assume and exercise general leadership within God-assigned spheres such as ecclesiastical, territorial, functional, marketplace, etc., accompanied by an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those within the sphere.
1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 2:20, 4:11
Prophet: See “prophecy” above
Teacher: The special ability to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body of Christ and its members in such a way that others will learn.
Acts 18:24-28, 20:20-21, Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-14
Worker of miracles: See “Miracles” above.
Helps: The special ability to invest their talents in the life and ministry of other members of the Body of Christ, most frequently leaders, thus enabling the leader to increase the effectiveness of his or her spiritual gifts.
Mark 15:40-41, Luke 8:2-3, Acts 9:36, Romans 16:1-2, 1 Corinthians 12:28
Administration: The special ability to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the Body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals.
Luke 14:28-30, Acts 6:1-7, 27:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Titus 1:5
Romans 12:6-8 gives another list:
Prophecy: See “prophecy” above
Service: The special ability to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired goals.
Acts 6:1-7, Romans 12:7, Galatians 6:2, 10, 2 Timothy 1;16-18, Titus 3:14
Teaching: See “Teacher” above
Exhortation: The special ability to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to other members of the Body of Christ in such a way that they feel helped and healed.
Acts 14:22, Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 4:13, Hebrews 10:25
Giving: The special ability to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness.
Mark 12:41-44, Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, 9:2-8
Leadership: The special ability to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate those goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God.
Luke 9:51, Acts 7:10, 15:7-11, Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 3:16
Mercy: The special ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals, both Christian and non-Christian, who suffer distressing physical, mental or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds that reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering.
Matthew 20:29-34, 25:34-40, Mark 9:41, Luke 10:33-35, Acts 11:28-30, Romans 12:8
Ephesians 4:11 (without repeating above)
Evangelist: The special ability to share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
Acts 8:5-6, 26-40, 14:21, 21:8, Ephesians 4:11-14, 2 Timothy 4:5
Pastor: The special ability to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers.
John 10:1-8, Ephesians 4:11-14, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-3
Other texts
Celibacy: The special ability to remain single and enjoy it and not suffer undue sexual temptations.
Matthew 19:10-12, 1 Corinthians 7:7-8
Poverty: The special ability to serve God more effectively by renouncing material comfort and luxury and adopting a personal lifestyle equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society.
Acts 2:44-45, 4:34-37, 1 Cor 13:1-3, 2 Cor 6:10, 8:9
Martyrdom: The special ability to undergo suffering for the faith even to death while consistently displaying a joyous and victorious attitude that brings glory to God.
Acts 22:20, 1 Corinthians 13:3, Revelation 2:13, 17:6
Missionary: The special ability to minister in another culture other spiritual gifts.
Acts 8:4, 13:2-3, 22:21, Romans 10:15, 1 Corinthians 9:1-18
Hospitality: The special ability to provide an open house and warm welcome for those in need of food and lodging.
Acts 16: 14-15, Romans 12:9-13, 16:23, Hebrews 13:1-2, 1 Peter 4:9
Deliverance: The special ability to cast out demons and evil spirits.
Matthew 12:22-32, Luke 10:12-20, Acts 8:5-8, 16:16-18
Intercession: The special ability to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian.
Luke 22:41-44, Acts 12:13, Colossians 1:9-12, 4:12-13, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, James 5:14-16
Leading Worship: The special ability to usher a congregation into the presence of God through music, prayer, dance and other visual forms.
1 Samuel 16:23, 1 Chronicles 9:33, Psalms 34:3
DANGER SIGNS TO AVOID
1. Ignorance of spiritual gifts:
“Among born again adults, the percentage that say they have heard of spiritual gifts but do not believe God has given them one jumped from 4% in 1995 to 21% in 2000.” George Barna (www.barna.org)
1 Corinthians 12:1
2. Abuse of spiritual gifts:
• Gift exaltation: “My gift is more important than yours…”
• Gift projection: “Do what I do, and God will bless you in the same way…”
CLEARING AWAY THE CONFUSION
1. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with natural talents.
• “The GIFT? of basketball?” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A.C. Green
• The secularization of ‘charisma’ – Was Hitler a charismatic?
• Spiritual gifts are reserved exclusively for Christians – no unbeliever has one, and every true believer in Christ does.
2. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with the ‘fruit of the Spirit’.
Galatians 5:22-23
Love is not a spiritual gift.
• The fruit of the Spirit is the normal, expected outcome of Christian growth, maturity, holiness and fullness of the Holy Spirit.
• All Christians have the responsibility for growing and developing the fruit of the Spirit.
• Gifts are discovered, fruits are developed.
• Spiritual gifts define what a Christian DOES, fruit helps define what a Christian IS.
• The fruit of the Spirit is the foundation from which the gifts are exercised.
• Gifts are temporal, fruit is permanent.
• Gifts are task-oriented, fruit are God-oriented.
3. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with Christian roles.
You have certain roles simply because you are born again. Like…
Faith – No one can be a Christian without faith. It is the essential part of our life-style. Yet it is also a ‘gift’ that some members of the Body of Christ have that goes way beyond the normal faith experience of most of us.
The gift of faith: The special ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for the future of His work.
Hospitality – All Christians are expected to be hospitable, using their homes, cars and other resources to help people out, but some Christians have the GIFT of hospitality where they have an extraordinary enjoyment and effectiveness in caring for people this way.
The gift of hospitality: The special ability to provide an open house and warm welcome for those in need of food and lodging.
Tithing – The giving of 10% (as a starting point) to God’s work is to be a normative part of every Christian’s lifestyle. But there are some Christians with the gift of giving who give away enormous amounts of money (by percentage of income) with freedom and joy.
The gift of giving: The special ability to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness.
Prayer – is the privilege and responsibility of every Christian. No spiritual gift of prayer is needed for you to have a living, dynamic and powerful prayer life. And yet, some Christians have the gift of intercession where they regularly spend two, three or even more hours per day in prayer.
The gift of intercession: The special ability to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian.
4. Don’t confuse spiritual gifts with counterfeit gifts.
Matthew 24:24
Matthew 7:22-23
See Exodus 7 for further study on how Satan counterfeits the work of God.
God knows all about this deceitfulness and He has given adequate power to His children to prevent it!
1 John 4:4
posted by Doug Love at 9:30 AM
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