What are spiritual gifts?
They are not:
• natural talents
• secular skills
• evidences of spirituality
but they are:
• the God-given ability to serve Him in a particular way – Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12
• manifestations of Christ’s character
• the permanent gifts all reflect various aspects of the normal Christian life
What main passages in the Bible are concerned with spiritual gifts?
Rom. 12:1-8; 1 Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4:7-16; 1 Pet. 4:10f
Who are spiritual gifts given to?
Every believer – 1 Cor. 12:7, 11; 1 Pet. 4:10
When are spiritual gifts given?
Since every believer has been gifted, gifts must be given at conversion rather than as some subsequent “second blessing”
How are spiritual gifts given?
• by God – 1 Cor. 12:4-6, 11, 18; Eph. 4:7f
• as He chooses – 1 Cor. 12:11, 18 (deity of the Holy Spirit)
• on the basis of grace rather than earned; they are gifts, after all – Rom. 12:6; Eph. 4:7
• these points ought to reassure us that God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us the gift best suited to us
• no assembly is overlooked or short-changed
Why are spiritual gifts given?
• for the common good, not for self – 1 Cor. 12:7
• to build up others so that they can serve more effectively (a chain reaction) – Eph. 4:12ff; 1 Pet. 4:10
• to glorify God – 1 Pet. 4:10
Why is it important to study spiritual gifts?
• to use them effectively and responsibly
• to focus our service appropriately
• to confirm in our minds and in our daily living that the “service” of the church is the job of every believer, not an elite few
• to keep from thinking too little of ourselves – 1 Cor. 12:15-17
• to keep from thinking too much of ourselves – 1 Cor. 12:21ff
• God cares about us individually and has equipped us to serve Him in a unique way – are we? – 1 Cor. 12:4-6
• to be faithful stewards of the grace of God – 1 Pet. 4:10
• Rom. 12:1 is only realized through the proper exercise of gift
The Trinity and spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12)
v. 4 gifts general types of service Spirit
v. 5 ministries specific avenues of service within each gift Lord
v. 6 effects results of service God
Distinctions
• speaking and serving – 1 Pet. 4:11
• public and private
• permanent and temporary
• men (Eph. 4) and abilities (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12; 1 Pet. 4)
The gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit (1 Cor. 13:1ff)
• the gifts describe what we do – the fruit describes how we do it
• the gifts describe service – the fruit describes character
• the fruit of the Spirit is greater than the gifts of the Spirit
How do we know some gifts were only for the early church?
• some are specifically stated to be foundational – Eph. 2:20
• some are specifically stated to be temporary – 1 Cor. 13:8ff
• their purpose was fulfilled – Heb. 2:3f; Acts. 2:43; 5:12; 1 Cor. 14:21f
• miracle workers are very rare in the Bible
• we see them fade away in the book of Acts
• we see them fade away in early church history – 2 Tim. 4:20
• those who claim to have them today ignore the scriptural commands concerning their use – e.g. 1 Cor. 14:27ff
• we don’t see them operating in the world today; rather, we see pale, easily-counterfeited imitations: So-called “healing” of lower back pain instead of instantly restoring withered limbs and raising the dead, ecstatic speech (an easily produced emotional phenomenon practiced by unbelievers around the world) instead of speaking in genuine human languages previously unknown to the speaker, and vague, ambiguous, unverifiable “prophecies.”