I remember, when I was younger, often hearing Bible teachers state ‘all scripture is for us, but not all scripture is about us’. This remains good advice and a helpful starting point for Bible study. We need to understand what the scripture is teaching and when it applies to our Christian lives and service. This is important when approaching the subject of spiritual gifts.
Summarizing our last article, we emphasized:
- every believer has received a spiritual gift, 1. Cor. 12. 1; 1 Pet. 4. 10.
- all believers need to work together using their different gifts, 1 Cor. 12. 15-30.
- that God has given individuals with gifts to benefit the people of God, Eph. 4. 12.
In this article, we are going to touch on gifts themselves. However, this is a big subject, covered in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 to 14, Romans chapter 12, and Ephesians chapter 4. The aim is to set out some principles and encourage you to dig deeper into these passages!
Are all spiritual gifts active today?
1 Corinthians chapter 12 provides a long list of spiritual gifts. Paul was teaching about gifts that were active at the time of the apostles and, in chapters 13 and 14, how they were to operate harmoniously in love - this is what we must strive for today and is the emphasis of the teaching. Butt many of the gifts listed by Paul were temporary; here are examples from verse 28:
- Apostles were chosen by the Lord Jesus, Mark 3. 13-15, and they were also personal witnesses to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Acts 1. 22; 4. 33. Apostles also had the task of completing the written word of God, John 16. 13-15, and 2 Pet. 3. 2. This gift was therefore limited to the twelve (including Matthias), plus Paul, to whom the risen Lord uniquely revealed Himself on the Damascus Road.
- Prophecy revealed the mind of God, and was only necessary until the completion of the scriptures, Rom. 16. 26.
- Miracles as a gift, were limited to the early days of the church, and examples include the raising of Dorcas from the dead, Acts 9. 40.
Lasting gifts from 1 Corinthians chapter 12
Of the many spiritual gifts listed, the following are lasting and required until the Lord Jesus returns to take us to be with Himself:
- Teachers, w. 28, 29, are those that explain and apply the scriptures practically to Christians.
- Helps, v. 28, seems to be a wider ranging spiritual gift such as the ability to ‘support the weak’, Acts 20. 35, and to ‘comfort the fainthearted’, 1 Thess. 5. 14 NKJV. Phebe is described as ‘a servant of the church’, Rom. 16. 1, whose work was to protect and care for the believers, v. 2.
- Governments, v. 28, refers to guiding and leading through difficulty, just as a captain steers a ship.
In Romans chapter 12, there is service, v. 7, ‘exhortation’, v. 8, meaning to comfort and encourage, and showing ‘mercy’, v. 8; this is practically relieving the burdens of others.
Paul also speaks about ‘evangelists and . . . pastors’, Eph. 4. 11, focussing on men given by God to local churches. There is a sense in which all Christians should be involved in ‘the work of an evangelist’, 2 Tim. 4. 5, but recognizing that there are some that the Lord has specially fitted for this work.
Practical points to note
In considering the spiritual gifts in the scriptures, the following points may help you:
- Be serious about studying the scriptures to understand what is being taught.
- Pray for help to understand and base your convictions on the scriptures. This will safeguard you against: other views that you will come across.
- Continue with the points from the last article: commit to God and be serious about your spiritual gift and ask the Lord for help in finding ways to serve Him; consider the guidance of older believers and be prepared to work at being prepared by God for service. Gal. 1. 15-18.
