Spiritual Gifts is a topic that intrigues many people, believers and unbelievers alike—especially the more extravagant and marvelous ones like works of healing, miracles, and tongues. It is in our human nature to desire for and seek to see and experience spiritual things, and many people do not realize that this desire is placed in us by God and for God, in order that we might seek Him and believe in His Son. When it comes to Christians, then, who are promised to be given Spiritual Gifts by the Holy Spirit, we get ecstatic about learning which ones have been given to us.
At the same time, once believers discern their gift(s), it is often the case that some live their whole lives wishing they were given another gift other than the one(s) they've been given. But as the wind blows in various directions and distributes its power upon posted windmills and moves them differently, so does the Spirit distribute spiritual gifts to us as He wills, equipping us to do the works that God has appointed for us to do. Because Spiritual Gifts are important in the life of all believers, and especially the Church, this article will focus on crucial questions surrounding this interesting topic.
What Are Spiritual Gifts And Why Are They Given To Believers?
Spiritual Gifts are bestowals that the Holy Spirit of God distributes to believers in Christ. It is important to remember that these are given to already born-again Christians, not to unbelievers. God gives us these gifts so that we would edify (build up) one another, that is, the local church. Paul says in his Letter to the Corinthians, "To each [of us] is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7). The "common good," in context, refers to the edification of the body of believers in Christ. One could attempt to argue that the Spiritual Gifts are for the general common good (including the rest of the unbelieving world), but it would be difficult to explain towards what goal we would be "building up" unbelievers, since they are not part of the body of Christ. But it is true that our Spiritual Gifts help us edify our brothers and sisters in Christ in order that we might all carry out an important part of God's work: evangelizing.
Where Are The Spiritual Gifts Listed In The Bible, And What Are They?
There are actually two chapters in the Bible where lists of Spiritual gifts are provided, Romans 12:6-8, and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28. Although these lists, even combined, may not be exhaustive (that is, they may not tell us all of the Spiritual gifts that God gives His Church), they do present a wide variety of gifts. It may be possible to glean other Spiritual gifts, perhaps from looking at Jesus' life, but we will here intend on addressing only those listed in these two lists, for it is always best to study and affirm those we know are specifically listed in the Scriptures. Some people also like to include Ephesians 4:11 in the Spiritual gifts lists, but this verse is better taken to be a list of church offices instead.
The Spiritual gifts, then, as numbered in the New Testament, are:
From Romans 12:6-8:
- Prophesying
- Serving
- Teaching
- Exhorting/Encouraging
- Generous Giving
- Leading
- Mercy
From 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28 (repeated gifts from Romans omitted):
- Word of Wisdom
- Word of Knowledge
- Faith
- Works of Healings
- Works of Miracles
- Discerning of Spirits
- Speaking in Tongues (i.e., human languages)
- Interpreting Tongues
- Helping
- Administrating
Are Some Spiritual Gifts Greater Than Others?
It seems odd to ask if some gifts have greater importance than others within the body of Christ, but that is exactly what Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-14. In these three chapters, Paul corrects the Corinthians' error regarding the Spiritual Gifts. These believers elevated certain gifts (like miracles, healings, and speaking in tongues) over other ones because these were more "showy" or magnificent. Paul quickly and logically made the case for other bestowals being more useful within the body—mainly, the gift of prophecy, because it edifies the Church (much like teaching does, too), whereas some of the other gifts, like tongues, edify only the person performing it.
In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul exhorts the believers to "earnestly desire the higher/greater gifts," but what could those "greater" gifts be? Well, he tells us in chapter 14 when he says, "earnestly desire the Spiritual Gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1); and "My brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:39). And if you're not convinced, take a look at verse 5: "The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up" (1 Corinthians 12:5). Paul makes it clear that the greater gifts are those which build up the body, and that would include prophesying; although we also believe that teaching, knowledge, and wisdom can safely be placed under this category of the "greater" gifts.
Are There Spiritual Gifts That Have Limits Or Rules?
Short answer: yes. There are certain limits and rules that God has set around the usage of certain Spiritual gifts. Some of the ones that come to mind are the gifts of leading, teaching, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, and even prophesying. The gifts of leading and teaching, for example, must be carried out by qualified men, in terms of the church's Spiritual guidance (1 Timothy 3:1-7). Godly men are supposed to be the ones leading the church overall, not women. The office of a pastor is to be filled by a man, and so is any Bible teacher within a mixed group of men and women (1 Timothy 2:11-14). This does deny women from serving in the pastorate, especially when teaching is involved, because teaching implies authority. Of course, older women can teach the younger women within the church, so there is a place for women who are good teachers and leaders to serve with their gifts.
The gifts of speaking and interpreting tongues, and even prophesying, also have limits or rules set in place by God—and all to maintain order in the church. Paul tells believers that those who speak in tongues must do so with order, with two to three people speaking in turn (1 Corinthians 14:27). But not only that, each person who speaks in a tongue must pray that there is an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:13), and to continue speaking only if and when there is an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:28) in order that the body might be built up by understanding. And then those who prophesy must also speak in turn and have their prophecies weighed or judged by the rest of the congregation (1 Corinthians 14:29-32). The purpose of these limits is order and organization within the church (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40), and possibly to restrain any prideful hearts.
Can We Ask For Certain Spiritual Gifts?
While we do not think it necessarily wrong to ask God for a certain gift (for example, the gift of knowledge), it seems that God is the one who chooses what gift He is going to give to whom, without regard to an individual's preference or petition. God alone is truly the only sovereign and omniscient one who knows what His church needs—and remember, the Spiritual Gifts are for the edification of His Church, not the individual. We do not believe He is going to leave it up to us to choose which gifts we get, for we do not know if we would do well with them. On the other hand, if we were to ask for a bestowal that God already had in store for us, then since it is within His will, we believe He would grant us the gift.
How did we come to this conclusion? Well, in 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, Paul says, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good...All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills." This verse shows us that it is the Holy Spirit who decides which gifts to give us—they are apportioned according to God's will, not our will. Therefore, although Paul says to "earnestly desire the greater gifts," we believe this is simply a correction of the Corinthians' perspective on the Spiritual Gifts (encouraging them to desire to have more of the gift of prophecy within the body instead of speaking in tongues) instead of an imperative to ask God for gifts other than those which one has already been given.
* Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon!
Recommended Resources
