About Spiritual Gifts

The Bible teaches that through God's indwelling Spirit all Christians have unique gifts and abilities for works of service in the Church, the body of Christ. These abilities are often called spiritual gifts and their utilization is one the most important keys to a healthy Christian life and church involvement (1 Corinthians 12:13ff).

From the book of Romans we learn that a very simple overview of the human body is the key to an understanding of these gifts. Our physical bodies are made up of many parts (organs) and each part has a different function, or role. In other words, we understand that our ears are not very good at picking things up, and our hands are not very good at listening for sounds. Body organs are designed to do their part and when they do it, the whole body functions well. The Bible says that the Body of Christ (the church) operates exactly the same way.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully (Romans 12:4-8).

Each Christian is a member of the body with special gifts and abilities which should be utilized in the church to perform particular functions, just as the ear or the hand does for the human body. Furthermore, all Christians are a part of the body, so in this sense, all Christians are gifted to serve each other. God himself is the one who organized the Body of Christ in this fashion. Each of us has a potential area of service within the church ordained by God, according to the gifts and abilities which God has given to each one of us.

People often ask if there is a difference between spiritual gifts and natural abilities. The Biblical evidence indicates that we should not draw a too hard and fast line of difference between natural and spiritual gifts. It is true that there must be some difference, because God bestows "spiritual gifts" only upon the saved, those who have the Spirit. But we must remember that the God of the Bible is also one who is present throughout each moment of every person's life, from conception to death (Psalms 139). God providentially gives talents and abilities to all men and women. It is especially helpful to remember that some were even given certain God-ordained tasks from birth, before they even came to personal faith (Jeremiah 1:5: Galatians 1:15,16).

In this sense, many "spiritual gifts" are dormant and latent gifts which are brought to life by the Spirit when a person becomes a Christian. Everything is changed in that the objective, power, and motive for use of these gifts now finds its focus in the things of God. John Stott states this very well:

But would it not be more in harmony with the God of the Bible, whose plans are eternal, to suppose that his spiritual gifts dovetail with his natural endowments? ... In this case we must look for the peculiarities of the spiritual gifts of teaching and encouragement in the heightening, the intensification, the 'Christianizing' of a natural endowment already present, or at least latent.

— John Stott, Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today, p. 93, 94.

In this way, we are wise to look at all that we have and all that we are. These are our gifts and abilities -- given by God for the benefit of others.

In the early church, after conversion and the laying on of the apostle's hands, a significant number of Christians in the Bible were able to exercise miraculous spiritual gifts, such as speaking in foreign tongues, interpreting tongues, healing, and predicting the future (see 1 Corinthians 12–14). These miraculous gifts helped establish and confirm the Christian faith. When unbelievers saw miraculous healings or heard some suddenly speak about the things of God in a foreign language which they had not previously known, it drew attention to the validity of the Christian message. Signs and wonders of this type caused many to become Christians. Yet once Christianity was established and the apostles died out, these types of gifts became less and less common. Hebrews 2:3-4 gives the reason for these miraculous gifts:

This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

In the Bible there was also a clear link between these miraculous gifts, the unique first-century ministry of the apostles, and those people upon which the apostles laid their hands (See Romans 1:10; 15:15-19). In 2 Corinthians 12:12 the apostle Paul describes the unique role of apostles:

I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.

Because of this linkage, many believe that these gifts were not given to the church for all time—they were just given to Christians in the first century. There is an ongoing debate about this among churches because others believe that the miraculous gifts are for the church of today and are available.

Factually, miraculous gifts have been rare in the ancient, pre-modern world and throughout history in mainstream Christianity, which has emphasized objective biblical doctrine. Often claims about miraculous gifts have been proven to be false and some have also been associated with heresy. But there are now, in the last 30 years, an increasing number of churches and church leaders who claim the presence of these miracles.

It is important to note that there seems to be no clear biblical basis by which we rule them out or categorically deny the experience of these gifts as being available in our day. Countless Christians claim to be richly blessed by them—if not through public experience, through private personal prayer time. And contrary to what some say, there is nothing in the Bible that says God will stop giving people these miraculous abilities. (Most scholars do not believe that 1 Corinthians 13 teaches that they will pass away when the canon is complete.) We must be careful not to restrict God or lack faith in his miraculous abilities.

Yet again, given what has been learned in history and from the abuses in the Pentecostal, Charismatic, or Third Wave movements in our day, it is also wise to be cautious in these matters. Too many people attribute things to God that may not be from God. We want to be people who seek all that God has for us, but to also be wise and carefully examine all practices in the light of what the Bible teaches.

The following four points summarize our "seeking, but discerning" approach to this topic which encourages us to pray to God, to be objective, grounded in the lessons of history, and be seeking and open, all at the same time.

A good way to think about miraculous gifts, then, is to pursue the fullness of the spiritual life and be open to all that the Spirit of God is doing, while being grounded in Scripture, history, and critical evaluation.

This approach does not answer every question. On the one hand, it subjects all spiritual experiences to a careful evaluation. Yet, on the other hand, it encourages us to seek surprising new movements of God in our lives every day. Our "seeking, but discerning" approach seeks to avoid extremes.

There are four major sections in scripture dealing with spiritual gifts: 1 Peter 4:10-11; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:7-16; and 1 Corinthians 12:1-30. After an examination of each list it is easy to ascertain that each list of gifts is not exhaustive, but rather each list contains an example of the various gifts. From this we can anticipate that there are numerous gifts or abilities in the body, many described in the Bible and many not described in the Bible, but each in some way is given by God for the purpose of building up the church.

The following procedure has been found to be a good tool in helping Christians discover their gifts. Typically we have a sense of what our gifts are, but we need to gain experience in using them to bring confirmation.

When we truly grasp the reality of the Kingdom of God, we come to see that the people who serve God through the use of their giftedness in the church are the most actualized and fulfilled people in the world. Who could possibly want to miss out?

The Inventory you have in your hands is designed to help you come to a better understanding of your possible spiritual gifts. There are four points that must be stated at the outset.

Remember:

1. This Inventory is not exhaustive. The New Testament list of gifts give examples of gifts, but the lists are not exhaustive (ex. 1 Cor. 7:7; celibacy); hence, some gifts are included that are not clearly articulated within the Bible as being spiritual gifts. These are gifts, however, that have surfaced in numerous churches and whose utilization is thoroughly grounded in scripture. No doubt there are even more gifts than those listed in this probe.
2. The titles for the various gifts approximate, as near as can be ascertained, the appropriate Biblical concept.
3. This is only a guide. It will point out possible gifts/abilities, but it is not failsafe. This is especially the case if there is subsequent spiritual growth (particularly with new converts). It is always best to follow the process discussed above, and to be open to other possibilities as to your spiritual gifts.
4. It is your responsibility as a disciple of Christ to use your spiritual gifts and abilities. Opportunities to serve will be posted and interviews offered to those that are interested but it is up to the individual to get plugged into service.