Assessing Your Spiritual Gifts And Their Use By God
Part 2: The Gifts Uncovered in the Believers (People)
Spiritual Gifts are given to individual believers. In the early church, before the completion of the New Testament, the gifts were also given for authentication of early church as God's authorized and empowered house of witness
1 Corinthians 12:8-11
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; -- To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; -- To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The First Supernatural/Sign Gifts
Word of wisdom: the communication of spiritual wisdom.
Word of knowledge: communication of practical knowledge.
Faith: not saving faith but great faith able to believe and see God do great things.
Gifts of healing: supernatural healing of disease and infirmities.
Workings of miracles: able to do supernatural wonders.
Prophecy: foretelling the future and forth-telling the judgment of God.
Discerning of spirits: Supernatural ability to judge spiritual forces
Divers kinds of tongues: ability to speak different languages.
Interpretation of tongues: ability to understand different languages.
The Permanent Gifts given for the work of the church until Christ returns
Prophesy (Judging, Discernment)
Ministry (Serving, Helping)
Teaching (Instructing, Guiding)
Exhortation (Encouraging, Uplifting other)
Ruling (Administration, Organization)
Giving (Contributing, Supplying)
Mercy (Comforting, Forgiving)
Why didn’t Paul include the same list of gifts?
Also before you can answer this question you must, keep in mind which book was written first.
1 Corinthians written around 54 AD while Romans was written around 58 AD.
Much had been happening and changing in the life of the church since its founding to the time of Paul’s writing to the Romans. Though the purpose of the gifts within the church was the same, the purpose outside the church was now different. Sign gifts and miracles once use to identify God’s new house of witness were phasing out. The time to “walk by faith not by sight” was fast approaching.
This does not mean God no longer heals or performs miracles but that it is not done as a “sign” to unbelievers, nor is it done through “gifted” individuals within the church body.
The epistle to Corinth was written to deal with a specific situation, the abuse of the gifts, while Romans was written to give a full understanding of the gospel of salvation and the church’s role in carrying forth that gospel.
The main difference between the two lists is the absence of the “sign” or miracle gifts. This is not by accident it is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through Paul. The “sign” gifts would cease once God’s Revelation was complete.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Paul names the supernatural sign gifts he listed in chapter 12 and says they will cease. The question then is when they would cease.
He tells us in verse 10 it will be “when that which is perfect is come.” “That” cannot be Jesus or his return but must refer to the revelation of God which is in view in the context. Perfect does not refer to sinlessness but to completeness. The subject has been imperfect knowledge which will be superseded when perfect knowledge, complete knowledge is given. That will be with the completion of God’s revelation which occurred at the completion of the Bible when John wrote the final book of Revelation.
We see instance where the “sign gifts” had already begun to cease
1 Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.
Philippians 2: 25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
Why didn’t Paul heal these men?
In Acts we are told “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”
Yet now he left one man sick, told another to drink wine as a medicine and prayed to God for healing another just like you and I do today. The answer is that the “sign or miraculous gifts” were fading. It was time to mature and walk by faith.
Therefore, the only gifts of God for the church today are
those in Romans 12 and Ephesians 4.
We have these gifts in operation today.
Prophesy / Judging
The gift of prophecy makes a Christian extremely sensitive to sin and they react against it strongly sometimes forgetting to love the sinner while hating the sin.
Ministry / Serving
The Server has a great capacity and desire to serve God by rendering practical help in both physical and spiritual matters. The gift of ministry is seen in those who the first offer help, the last to quit and the ones who never take nor get credit for what they do.
Teaching/ Instructing
The gift of teaching makes a person want to share the depths of God’s word. This gift is seen in those who find the greatest joy in a Bible Study and spend all their time looking for someone they can talk with about what they have discovered.
Exhortation/ Encouraging
The gift of exhortation is seen in those who are “spiritual cheerleaders.” They motivate others both by example and positive words of encouragement.
Ruling/ Administration
This is the gift of the overseer. This person is Gods steward and make sure that the affairs of the Church are in good order.
Giving/ Contributing
This gift is found in those that God has provided the ability to give of their material resources. They give far beyond their tithe, sometime even beyond their means to carry out the Lord’s work
Mercy/ Comforting
This gifted individual has an overwhelming concern for everyone around them. They feel the hurts or others as if they were their own.
The Evangelist / Proclaiming the Gospel
This is the gift of a missionary, it is the special gift and calling of God to take the Gospel to people and lands around the world.
The Pastor/ Teacher
The shepherd of the Lord’s church whose greatest desire is to care for and teach the flock of that God has given to him.
Everyone has at least one gift, most have several with one or two being prominent.
It is not important whether you call it a gift, a talent or an ability. All these things, as we have seen, are given in the providence of God and therefore He can use them through us no matter what we label them or when we think we received them.
There are several resources you can use to discover your spiritual gifts.
Parents, Pastors, Spouses and Christian Friends all will have insight into your service for God.
There are “Spiritual Gift Inventory or tests that can be used as well. Just be careful you use one that differentiates between the gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans –Ephesians.
I highly recommend “The Spiritual Gifts Inventory” by Dr. Larry Gilbert available through Church Growth Institute. I have used it several times over the years and its ease of use and clear results make it one of the best. It is now online at https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg//gifts.cgi
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