[Transcript]
The topic of spiritual gifts is a lightning rod. Some people strongly believe they were only active during the Apostolic age and gradually disappeared after the Apostles passed away. On the other hand, some firmly believe that spiritual gifts never completely vanished and are still relevant and active in the Church today. Then, others attempt to find a middle ground by stating that the miraculous speaking gifts of prophecy and tongues have ceased, but the rest of the gifts remain useful and active.
If we are people of the Book, then we must accept the truth that the Scriptures do not teach the cessation of spiritual gifts before Christ’s return. The arguments claiming that spiritual gifts have entirely or partially ceased frequently stem from extra-Biblical arguments. If we truly adhere to Sola Scriptura, then we must necessarily believe that the gifts have continued for the ongoing building up of the Church. We will proceed through the following few chapters based on this belief.
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.” – 1 Corinthians 12:1
Paul’s opening statement on this topic is curious. It suggests there was some confusion around the subject. He then reminds them that when they were pagans, they were “led astray to mute idols, however you were led.” This seems to imply that the confusion about spiritual gifts might stem from their past experiences with idol worship. It is well-documented that pagan religions had prophets, employed ecstatic speech, and generally experienced a form of spiritual empowerment during their festivals. Similar behaviors were now also appearing within the Church, hence the confusion.
This helps us understand what Paul meant in verse three. If the concern was that pagan practices were being brought into their gathered worship, Paul reassured them that spiritual manifestations from the Holy Spirit will never curse Christ, and even to believe that Jesus is Lord, one must have the Holy Spirit. In other words, if one is in Christ, there will be a variety of spiritual gifts that manifest because the Holy Spirit is at work.
At this point, I must confess that there are numerous interpretations of verses two and three. I read up on many of them, and honestly, not all, but some of them are tainted by the presumption that spiritual gifts have ceased. Since I reject that idea, I rejected those interpretations. But, I want you to know that I once believed in a partial ceasing of the gifts. I no longer do, but I bring that up just so you understand that I’ve been on both sides of this discussion. My journey to full continuationism was rooted in the simple desire to take the text at face value. What does the Bible teach? That there are spiritual gifts and that we should pursue them. That simple question and answer flipped my whole world in regard to this subject. I had to drop all of my “yeah, buts” and let the Word shape me. And once I did that – and it took a while – the Lord began to manifest some of these gifts in my life. It’s almost as if my unbelief was the thing that kept them from happening… I mean, I had prayed a thousand times, something like, “Lord, if these gifts are still for today, I’m open to it.” But inherent in that prayer is unbelief.
So hear me: I’m not on a mission for every believer to speak in tongues or to get words of knowledge. Not at all. In fact, that would be in opposition to some of the things we’re going to learn in the coming chapters. But I am on a mission to help people believe what the Word teaches. We get messed up by our denominations and traditions and read the Bible through those filters. I’m only wanting you to read without the filter and believe accordingly.
Let’s start with a broad statement that will become more nuanced as we explore the following three chapters. When spiritual gifts appear in our worship gatherings, we shouldn’t be surprised or concerned that something unspiritual is happening. Later, the nuances we discuss will include how to discern if a gift is being used appropriately, whether it’s genuinely from the Holy Spirit, and what good order looks like when gifts are used appropriately. But generally, not only should we expect the Holy Spirit to manifest gifts in His people, but we should also desire it because they strengthen the Body of Christ.
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” – 1 Corinthians 12:7
First, these gifts come from the Holy Spirit. These are not talents or traits you had before becoming a Christian. Indeed, we are naturally born with traits such as personality and temperament that predispose us to certain skills and abilities. Some people are born as natural leaders. Some are naturally talented in music and art. Others are skilled craftsmen. And still others are gifted with remarkable intellect. However, these are not spiritual gifts. They are qualities inherent in men and women because they are made in God’s image. Since spiritual gifts come from the Holy Spirit, they can only manifest in those who are new creations in Christ. They must be unique gifts that appear after someone is born again.
Second, to be considered a spiritual gift, it must benefit all. The ESV says they are given for the “common good.” This distinction is crucial because it helps us discern what is genuine. If spiritual gifts build up the local church, then things that seem spiritual but appear to serve an individual’s ambitions would not be true spiritual gifts. Can a spiritual gift then be misused? Since spiritual gifts depend on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, when someone uses a gift for selfish reasons, the Spirit’s empowerment is missing. At that point, they are relying on their past experiences with the gifts rather than the present empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Such misuses will eventually become evident because they lack genuine power from the Holy Spirit.
If a spiritual gift is for the common good, does that mean there’s no personal benefit at all? Anything meant for the common good will also benefit the individual. While it’s important to keep the church in mind when discussing spiritual gifts, it’s fair to say that using your gifts helps build up the body of Christ while also strengthening you in the process.
Third, because spiritual gifts are for the common good of the church, discovering them will happen in the context of your local church. The Lord gives your spiritual gifts according to His plans for using you to build His kingdom. Therefore, gift discovery occurs as you serve and is affirmed by the believers in your local church. Anyone outside of your local church does not possess the proximity to affirm your gifts. That’s not because they’re unwise, but simply because they aren’t present to witness your journey.
I should expound on that third point a bit. So, in my journey to understand spiritual gifts, I came across testimonies of people who said they went to a camp, or a conference, or a revival, or some other kind of event where they received a spiritual gift and then returned to their churches, where they were able to use those gifts. Look, I’m not one of those guys who’d say that never happens. I cannot rule out that possibility, but what I can say is that what we are taught about spiritual gifts is all local. Paul didn’t send the believers in Corinth to Ephesus so that they could receive an anointing or vice versa. The discovery of their gifts seemed to happen within their local church for the upbuilding of their local church. That has been my experience personally, and of the people I’ve personally talked with over the years. I was at a conference a few years ago, and someone shared a prophetic word with me that they believed was for me. This didn’t know me, but because of my beliefs about the Holy Spirit and His gifts, I listened. The word that was shared was accurate and affirmed things that I already knew, and most importantly, that other believers in my local church had already affirmed in me. So, it was true, but it wasn’t new. It reinforced what was already apparent to me, but it came at a time when I needed that reminder, and it was specific enough that I knew this person couldn’t just cold-read me and figure it out!
“All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” – 1 Corinthians 12:11
Verses eight through ten provide a sample of spiritual gifts, possibly ones Paul observed in Corinth during his stay. All of chapter twelve lists thirteen different spiritual gifts and is the longest list of gifts anywhere in the New Testament. Additionally, there are lists in Romans 12 and Ephesians 4.
| Romans 12 | 1 Corinthians 12 | Ephesians 4 |
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The purpose of our study doesn’t include providing a precise definition for each of these gifts, although in chapter fourteen, we will do so for tongues and prophecy since they receive particular attention. The question we should consider at this point is this: which of these does the Lord seem to use through me? And then, as a follow-up, how do I know if it’s a natural ability or a spiritual gift?
Consider faith. Calling yourself a believer means you have faith. You believed the Gospel through faith and received eternal life in Christ. Faith is the essential act of being a Christian. What does it mean for faith to show up as a spiritual gift in someone who, by definition, already has faith? And let’s complicate it further by saying this believer is naturally an optimist who tends to believe the best no matter what. What sets spiritual gift faith apart from a general tendency toward optimism?
First, not all faith is saving faith. Saving faith is what grants you entrance into the Lord’s family. The spiritual gift type of faith shows itself in moments of intense opposition. It can be faith directed at something personal or on behalf of someone else who is struggling. It stands in confident defiance of the odds, simply based on the belief that Jesus will deliver. Here, in these deep waters, optimism will give out. This is supernatural territory, and only supernatural faith will keep you afloat. And supernatural gift faith like this always sees the Lordcome through because He’s the one giving it to you!
I’ve been here. For time’s sake I can’t hit every detail, but this is where I was in the fall of 2022 for my youngest daughter, Ayva. I was in such a dark place over it, that I was about to give up my ministry. But the Lord gave me such a specific word about her, that I had to believe. He told me that in March of 2023, in Cape Town South Africa, He would save her. I chose faith. I mean if it had been some vague, “I’m gonna save her someday,” kind of word, I likely would’ve dismissed it as my own intrusive thoughts. But the specificity of it was what got me, and I believed it. And HE DID IT!
Therefore, to be a genuine spiritual gift, it will have supernatural empowerment with supernatural results, from the top to the bottom of the list. If it can be explained by any other means, then, though it may be a good thing, it’s not a spiritual gift. You may wonder how a gift like helping is supernatural, with supernatural results. On one hand, you won’t know unless you’re paying attention. But on the other hand, sometimes we must look beyond the immediate things we do to the bigger picture. Not every gift will seem supernatural standing alone, but in concert with everything else, it becomes an indispensable part of a supernatural outcome.
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
Paul mentioned three things in these verses: gifts, service, and activities. While the temptation might be to take these as categorizations, that doesn’t seem to be Paul’s intent. Instead, Paul invoked the triune members of the Godhead to make a point. Just as the members of God are different, but also the same, so are spiritual gifts. All spiritual gifts have the same source and purpose. They come from the Lord for the common good of the church.
The tendency that we have to put spiritual gifts into categories isn’t new. Sorting things helps us organize and think more effectively. Some common ways to categorize the gifts are into three categories: service gifts, speaking gifts, and sign gifts. These categories aren’t inherently bad and can be helpful in some circumstances. However, overall, creating these categories may work against Paul’s overarching theme in chapter twelve.
If all the gifts serve the same purpose – building others up – then why create categories? Why does it matter if some gifts focus on service and others on speaking? Categorizing gifts is the first step toward forming a kind of caste system where you have helpers, speakers, and sign-workers, and people are pigeonholed into these lanes. Also, because of the more overtly supernatural expression that some gifts take, it becomes easier to say this category is “normal” and the other is “miraculous.”
If we must categorize, then let’s use a single category: supernatural. All gifts given by the Holy Spirit, by nature, aren’t things we naturally possess; thus, by definition, they are supernatural gifts. Until we recognize that helping is just as supernatural as speaking in tongues or giving as prophecy, we have an unbiblical view of the spiritual gifts.
Chapter twelve begins the longest discussion of spiritual gifts and their proper use in the entire Bible. Because the Scriptures teach us to expect these gifts, we have every reason to believe they are still available and useful for the common good of the church. Here’s what you should know from the passage.
- A gift from the Holy Spirit will not curse Christ (12:3).
- As the Father, Son, and Spirit are equally God, but serve in different coequal roles, the gifts are all equally important, though they serve different functions (12:4-6).
- Each believer receives gifts from the Holy Spirit for the common good (12:7)
- Every gift comes from the Spirit according to His will (12:11).
