Gifts for the benefit of all.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth, “but to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7). The apostle further emphasizes that the manifestation of the spirit is given to each and every believer when he writes just a few verses later, “but one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11).
These verses reveal a vital New Testament principle, describing for us one of the essential ministries of the Holy Spirit. Yet this ministry of the Holy Spirit is often overlooked and even more often misunderstood. If the Lord’s people were to truly grasp this essential truth, the church, and even the world, would be dramatically affected.
There is a manifestation of the Spirit associated with spiritual gifts. The Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary defines manifestation as “a perceptible, outward, or visible expression.” Using this definition, one should grasp that spiritual gifts are supposed to produce the visible expression of the Holy Spirit living within each and every believer. What does this manifestation look like?
Let’s first think about what a spiritual gift is before we think about what it may produce that’s visible. A spiritual gift may be understood as a capacity to serve in such a way as to positively influence the spiritual growth of an individual or the assembly. As already mentioned, the gift is a direct product of the Holy Spirit living within each believer.
Four passages
There are four major portions of Scripture that give Bible students detailed teaching about spiritual gifts. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 contain a wealth of truth regarding spiritual gifts while each emphasizing different aspects of the subject.
Romans 12 presents God as the giver of the gifts. The focus in Romans 12 is that the believer should use his gift with great fervency. The apostle writes, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…he who exhorts, in his exhortation, he who gives, with liberality, he who leads with diligence” (vv.?6, 8). In this section of Scripture, it is clear that God is the one who is said to have “allotted to each a measure of the faith” (Rom. 12:3).
In 1 Corinthians 12, the Spirit is revealed as the sovereign gift giver. The emphasis in this passage is the commonality of the benefit of the gift: the gift is given for the good of all.
In Ephesians 4, the ascended Lord Jesus, the Head of the Body, is seen as the giver of the gifts. In this passage, the idea seems to be that the recipients of the gifts are themselves gifts to the church. And, once again, the purpose is for the benefit of the church.
Finally, in 1 Peter 4:10, we are reminded that, “as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Here the stress is on our stewardship of the gifts. Are we using them faithfully and whole-heartedly for the glory of God?
The challenge
With all of these verses available to believers, why is there such a misunderstanding about this ministry of the Holy Spirit? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the manifestation of the Spirit is not what it ought to be! With that said, clearly the author is not blaming the Holy Spirit. Equally clear, the fault is not with the gifts themselves. The problem must therefore lie with the recipients of the gifts. In other words, either the gifts are not being used by each and every believer, or they are not being used properly, for the common good. If the use of gifts is flawed, then the manifestation of the Spirit will be hindered.
To be clear, the manifestation of the Spirit is not the ability to see the spiritual gift itself, but, rather, to see the results of the gifts having been given. What results should we see? First and foremost: “the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” (Eph. 4:12, 15).
If the Lord’s assembly, and the saints that make up that assembly, are being equipped for the work of service and if the body of Christ is being built up, then there will be no doubt that that Spirit of God is manifesting Himself through the results of His gifts working through the believers’ lives.
The manifestation of the Spirit should be visible (as the definition implies). Every believer should be exercising the spiritual gift(s) given to him or her. While using those spiritual gifts, the whole body is equipped to do the work of serving the Lord. Ultimately, the manifestation of the Spirit is the visible evidence of equipped believers doing the work of ministry. This can and should be seen! But sadly, it often is not.
In some local assemblies, professionals are hired to do the work of ministry and the rest of the believers sit back to be fed. The New Testament knows nothing of this! Such a concept is as foreign to the New Testament as American football is in Peru! But even those local assemblies that supposedly practice New Testament principles can fall prey to this practice in more subtle forms. Having a few believers exercising their gifts is certainly better than just one man. But biblical principles aren’t only for a few believers or even for a majority of believers. These principles apply to all believers. The testimony and effectiveness of the assembly is at stake. If every believer is not fully utilizing their gifts, then the manifestation of the Spirit is hampered significantly. Is there any wonder that the church seems so powerless today? Think of the impact that the first few generations of believers had and then compare it with the impact of our generation. Today, the church in the United States is known for our political involvement and our business acumen. Sadly, these are two things the Bible never endorses as important characteristics of the Lord’s people.
The common good
Another characteristic of the manifestation of the Spirit is that the entire assembly benefits from a variety of gifts, ministries, and activities. The gifts are “for the common good.” This is one area where much improvement is needed. One often overhears a well-meaning saint say, “That brother is really gifted.” We all know what is meant by that statement, but that ought not to be. Every brother and every sister is gifted, not just those who take the platform and exercise a public gift. The manifestation of the Spirit is damaged when one gift is honored above the rest. The manifestation of the Spirit is fully visible when the full complement of gifts is used for the common good.
The proper use of spiritual gifts is essential for a local assembly to fulfill its God-given function. The proper use of spiritual gifts is also necessary for the manifestation of the Spirit to be evident to all as an encouragement to the saints and as a witness to the world. May the giver of gifts give us help in understanding these truths and applying them in our individual and corporate lives.