The Gifts

This is the second in the series "What are the Spiritual Gifts all About? It is essentially an exposition of 1 Corinthians 12:8-11:

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Last week we discussed some general principles about gifts, including these gifts.

• They are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. They are not gifts in the sense that they become our possession. They are not signs of who we are. They are signs of the activity of the Holy Spirit.
• They are given for the common good. They are given to up build the church.
• The are given to each one. Not everyone has the same manifestation at the same time, but they are open to everyone, not just the privileged few.
• It is the Spirit Himself who determines the distribution of His gifts.

The question is often asked whether these are the only gifts of the Spirit. Frankly, it seems that many people, particularly those of who are labeled "Charismatic", would answer,"Yes." This is incorrect, however. One of my favorite passages is Exodus 31:1-11:

Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent- the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand- and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you."

This passage demonstrates the unlimited potential of the Holy Spirit working in us. He can work in art and craftsmanship. Romans 12: 3-8 discusses prophecy, but also serving, teaching, encouraging, giving and leadership. 1 Peter 4:10-11 discusses ministering God's gifts of grace in its various forms. There are also a few other "lists of gifts." I guess that the point is that the ways that the Spirit can manifest Himself is unlimited. The gifts that are enumerated here in 1 Corinthians 12 are generally related to worship in the church.

Another question that is often made addresses the differences between "gifts" and "fruit." Galatians 5:22-23 lists the Fruit of the Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Some people discuss these as if they were "gifts," but they are really character traits. The "gifts" are actions of the Holy Spirit performed through us for the service to the entire church.

Returning to our passage, I have already stated that these gifts are primarily for use in worship. Of course they can be used at other times. It seems that they fall into three categories:

• Word gifts -- they are utterances under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Prophecy, Speaking in Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues).
• Gifts of Knowledge and Wisdom (this would also include Discernment or Distinguishing between spirits).
• Power Gifts -- Faith, Healing, Miraculous Powers.

Following is a short look at each one of these gifts:

• A message of wisdom -- Putting the facts together so that a wise course of action may be taken.
• A message of knowledge -- Revelation of something previously unknown.
• Faith -- this is not the body of belief. This is the strong conviction that God will act in a particular situation.
• Miraculous Powers -- God acting in ways that seem beyond normal human comprehension (in Jesus' life -- raising the dead, walking on water, feeding the 5,000 etc.)
• Prophecy -- Speaking God's word. This is not necessarily foretelling the future, it may be telling it like it currently is. This is not merely preaching, although some preaching may be prophetic in nature.
• Distinguishing between spirits -- This was a real necessity in a pagan place like Corinth. There were spiritual entities connected with the idol worship that could manifest themselves. It was important to understand what was happening at the time.
  
• Speaking in Tongues -- This deserves in blog of its own, but it really is merely someone speaking words that they don't understand under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Interpretation of Tongues -- Interpreting what was said under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Of course the controversy comes with the question, "Are the gifts still for today?" I answer an unqualified, "Yes!" I believe strongly that God wants to be active in our worship. He wants to manifest Himself in the church. We are to work under His empowerment using the gifts that he gives us. This empowerment and gifting is not for the elite. It is for all Christians. We only need to be open to His working in our lives.