This is the third week of our examination of Spiritual gifts. We have already discovered through stories in both the Old and New Testaments that the Spirit has been empowering human beings (prophets, priests, kings and just plain old folks) for thousands of years to accomplish the tasks which God set before them. In the New Testament the focus of these gifts is that they make it possible for the church to truly be the body of Christ in the world. In this article we will take a closer look at the individual spiritual gifts in order to see more clearly how God empowers us for mission and ministry.
The following list is compiled from the three main passages referring to spiritual gifts: Romans 12:6ff, I Corinthians 12:4ff and Ephesians 4:11. The gifts are prophecy (in all three lists), ministry, teaching (in two lists), exhortation, giving, leading, compassion, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, discernment, tongues, apostles, evangelists and pastors.
Prophecy – this is the only gift listed in all three passages. While many of us immediately think of prophecy as the ability to predict the future, this is not the case here. A prophet is one who can speak forth God's will for a community. Martin Luther King was a prophet in this sense. He could measure the times and clearly see God's will for that moment.
Ministry – this gift has also been defined as serving. Rather than seeing ministry as a professional task this gifts focuses on ministering to others. Anyone who works with SOS, deacons or helps people in any other way is exercising this gift.
Teaching – this gift has been at the center of modern Judaism and Christianity. We believe that faith seeks understanding and that our lives are to be conducted according to a particular set of Christ-like principles…thus teaching is needed. This gift is demonstrated by anyone who teaches in small groups, Bible studies or Sunday school…or at home in parent-child relationships.
Exhortation – have you ever known someone who can enter a room and encourage everyone? If you have then you have known someone with the gift of exhortation. This is also known as the gift of encouragement.
Giving – while all believers are called to share what they possess (time, talent and treasure) there are some who give over and above what is expected; and they do so not out of obligation but out of love for God. If you give each time a special appeal is made to the church then you too have this gift.
Leading – every church needs leaders. These are the men and women who can sense where God desires the congregation to go and then can guide the congregation in that direction. This is one of the gifts required for eldership.
Compassion – the church is not called to be a center of dispassionate study. It is intended to be a community of caring. Those with the gift of compassion can listen and then share the pain, hurt and joy of those with whom they interact.
Wisdom – there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom is that gift which allows someone to see through heated discussion and unlimited facts and sense what God would have a community to do.
Knowledge – this is the gift which allows someone to see deeply into the truths of Christian faith and doctrine; and then transmit those truths to others with in written or oral form. It is a critical gift for those who are seminary teachers.
I will break the list here because we are about to move into what are considered the more "spectacular gifts." I encourage you to look at your own life and see if you can sense which gifts you have been given and then ask yourselves how you can leverage those gifts even more in order to build up the community.
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