Chapter 5: Spiritual Gifts Overview

IN THIS LESSON, you will discover:

• The meaning of the gifts of the Spirit.

• The background of the gifts.

• A profile of the gifts.

• The ninefold manifestation of the gifts.



AS A RESULT, you will be able to:

• Understand the purpose of spiritual gifts.

• Know the source of the gifts.

• Recognize the divine and human dimensions of the gifts.

• Realize that spiritual gifts are for today.

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 323-27.

Key Scripture: “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Cor. 12:1).

Key Words: Charismata, Charisma, Charis.

Dr. Williams begins his teaching by reading 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. The Greek term for “gifts” in this passage is charismata (charisma—singular). The root of charismata is charis, from which we derive the word “charity.” Biblically, charis means divine favor or blessing (Luke 1:28). More specifically, it means divine grace freely given. Charismata are, therefore, “gifts of grace.” The most outstanding example of such a gift is the charisma of eternal life purchased through Jesus’ death on the cross. The charismata described in 1 Corinthians 12 differ from this and other gifts of grace in that they are extraordinary “power gifts” and abilities given by the Spirit to believers. They are, in fact, supernatural manifestations of the Spirit Himself.

Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 also contain lists of spiritual gifts. Though there is some overlap, these gifts are better understood as “ministry gifts” and “spiritual offices,” rather than as “power gifts.” Those in the charismatic renewal movement believe that the spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12 continue to be part of Christ’s ongoing legacy to His church.

Controversy exists over whether the Spirit still bestows “power gifts” upon believers today. Some even question their importance for the early church. However, a close reading of 1 Corinthians shows that Paul was addressing a pneumatic community thoroughly familiar with the supernatural gifts. The Corinthians had directly experienced every type of divine empowerment, although they were spiritually immature — even carnal — in other areas. Paul did not write to the Corinthians to introduce them to spiritual gifts, but to educate them in their proper use.

Two important lessons are apparent here. First, the baptism in the Spirit clearly continued to occur among the Corinthians, just as it had in Acts. Instruction about spiritual gifts is only intelligible in the context of the outpouring of the Spirit. It remains true today that we cannot move in the gifts of the Spirit until we receive the gift of the Spirit. Second, the Corinthians, though carnal, were open to accept God’s gifts and thus received them. This teaches us that complete sanctification is not a prerequisite to receiving the Spirit and His gifts, but complete openness is.

The spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12 are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Those who dismiss contemporary demonstrations of pneumatic gifts as spurious — or even demonic — should seriously consider the weightiness of such accusations. The Pharisees who charged that Beelzebub was the source of Jesus’ miracles were solemnly cautioned that they were committing an unforgivable blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The Pharisee, Gamaliel, showed a more prudent respect for the sovereignty of God by withholding his judgment, lest he commit the error of “fighting against God” (Acts 5:39).

God equipped His church with a broad spectrum of spiritual gifts so that it could present the gospel in all its power and fullness. Dr. Williams tellingly observes that “the church cannot be fully or freely the church without the presence and operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit” (RT, p. 327). If our missionary task is to be fulfilled, we must courageously examine our present inventory of spiritual gifts in light of the biblical norm. Neither fear nor ignorance nor traditionalism can be allowed to prevent us from recapturing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in all its fullness. We must be open to receive all the gifts God has for us, if we are to become the church God intended us to be.

Further Study: Read “Gifts, Spiritual,” NIDB, p. 390; also read “Excursus on the Word Charisma,” RT, pp. 345-46.

Life Application: Dr. Williams reminds us that the study of spiritual gifts will be unsatisfying and incomplete unless we participate in them. To understand fully the upcoming teachings and testimonies about spiritual gifts, you must allow the Spirit to have free reign in you. You are a candidate to receive all that the Holy Spirit has to give! Let an attitude of faith and expectancy create a new openness in you. List any “worldview inhibitors” that need to be removed so that your mind can be renewed to the supernatural possibilities that accompany the Spirit’s presence.

Key Concepts:

1. The word charismata means “___________ of grace.” [323]

2. There are (five, nine) pneumatic gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. [324]

3. _________________________ is the only gift that overlaps the biblical lists of gifts in Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians. [324]

4. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was intended to help them (discover, use) their spiritual gifts. [325]

5. The background for the operation of spiritual gifts is the experience of the _______________________ of the Spirit. [326]

6. True or False. It is possible to speak fully about the gifts of the Spirit without participating in them. [326]

7. True or False. Without the presence and operation of the gifts of the Spirit, the church cannot be fully or freely the church. [327]
8. Participants in the charismatic renewal (accept, deny) the validity of spiritual gifts for today. [327]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 327-32.

Key Scripture: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

Key Word: Christocentric.

In this lesson we will study the background of the spiritual gifts. We begin by noting their source: all charismata are derived from Jesus the exalted Lord. The primary declaration of faith common to all Christians — “Jesus is Lord” — is itself a charismatic utterance. Paul tells us that no one can make this saving pronouncement without the revelation and empowerment of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3).

The manifestation of spiritual gifts and the proclamation of Jesus’ lordship invariably go hand in hand. This important knowledge safeguards us from interpreting spiritual gifts as mere psychic phenomena or parapsychological operations. At present there is a renaissance of magical and occult activity underway in the West. To avoid deception, Christians must use biblical norms to judge the spiritual validity of any manifestation of supernormal power (1 John 4:1-3). The proclamation of the lordship of Jesus is intolerable to human or demonic agents whose agenda it is to preach a “different gospel” (2 Cor. 11:4).

The focus of healthy Spirit-filled believers is not the Holy Spirit, but the exalted Lord. They are primarily Christocentric, or Christ-centered, in their life and witness. Yet the lives of those filled with the Spirit also express the richness of the triune Godhead. Read the Key Scripture carefully. Paul is not saying that “gifts” belong exclusively to the Spirit and “service” belongs exclusively to the Lord. The same triune God operates in all the gifts in a way that expresses God’s tri-unity. Thus, there is no gift that is not a service (or ministry), no ministry that is not a working (or operation), and no working that is not a gift.

In prayer we pray by the Spirit through Christ to the Father. Similarly, Dr. Williams detects an “ascending movement” in the interworking of gifts, ministries, and operations in which the Spirit’s activities lead us to the Son, and the Son, in turn, points us to the Father (RT, p. 329). We can speak still further of a “descending movement” in which the Father’s love spills downward through the Son’s mediation and outward through the Spirit’s ministry. This circular life of community, service, and worship constitutes the trinitarian character of the living church.

The power that energizes this trinitarian life and gives it unity is love, the supreme fruit of the “one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). Paul’s comparison of the church to a living body in verses 12-26 is a fitting one. Every organism must maintain a dynamic harmony among its constituent parts to live. The unity that love brings to the spiritual community directly reflects the unity found within the triune Godhead.

Paul states that spiritual gifts are the self-manifestation of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7). When a spiritual gift becomes operational in a believer, the invisible Holy Spirit becomes visible and audible, just as electricity becomes visible when routed through the coil of a light bulb. The ninefold fruit of the Spirit also express the Spirit’s nature, but their manifestation requires growth in sanctification and maturity. The ninefold charismata are unique in that they are immediate self-manifestations of the Spirit that can occur through any yielded Christian, whatever their level of spiritual maturity.

Like the Corinthians, Pentecostals and charismatics have been criticized for being preoccupied with the supernatural and the sensational. However, we must guard against thinking that we are free to pick and choose from among God’s blessings. We can no more decide to ignore spiritual gifts and cultivate only spiritual fruit than we can decide to ignore spiritual fruit and cultivate only spiritual gifts. No matter how many fruit of the Spirit we produce, something important is missing from our Christian experience without the spiritual gifts. For through the gifts of the Spirit the Giver Himself is revealed.

Further Study: Review the scriptures listed under “Gifts of the Spirit, A. Types of gifts,” NIVTSB, p. 62.

Life Application: Whether we are manifesting a spiritual gift, functioning in a ministry, or serving in a church office, our emphasis should be on Christ. We live Christocentric lives not by performing lip service to Christ or His church, but by manifesting Jesus’ character and attitudes. How can you use your gifts, perform your ministry, or discharge your office in a more Christ-like way? If those around you were asked what Christ-like quality was most apparent in your life, what would they say?

Key Concepts:

1. No one can truly say “Jesus is ________ ” except through the influence of the Holy Spirit. [328]

2. A truly charismatic community is not Spirit-centered, but ___________-centered. [328]

3. Paul associated “gifts” with the ______________, “ministries” with the exalted ___________, and “operations” with the Father. [329]

4. A truly charismatic community is both Christocentric and _______________ in its fundamental operation and lifestyle. [330]

5. All ______________________ are the Spirit’s self-manifestation. [330]

6. There is a ninefold manifestation of spiritual gifts and spiritual ____________________. [330]

7. The (gifts, fruit) of the Spirit appear only among those who are maturing in their Christian lives. [330]

8. True or False. The pneumatic gifts are given only to individuals who are mature Christians. [331]

9. True or False. Spiritual gifts protect the believer against carnality. [331]

10. True or False. We can ignore spiritual gifts and cultivate only spiritual fruit. [331]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, pp. 332-45.

Key Scripture: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 14:1).

Key Word: Teleion.

We begin to develop a profile of the spiritual gifts by underscoring that the operation of every gift involves both divine and human action. This may seem paradoxical, but it is the same paradox we detected throughout our study of salvation.

On one hand, all manifestations of the Spirit are supernatural. Their origin is the Holy Spirit and their nature is miraculous. Spiritual gifts are not simply enhancements of natural gifts or talents. They are endowments or apportionments of the Spirit Himself. On the other hand, while the Holy Spirit is the origin of spiritual gifts, human beings are instrumental in their manifestation. Every expression of divine activity requires openness and willingness on the human side. For the Spirit to give utterance, the believer must open his or her mouth and be willing to speak. Miracles of prophecy and healing require not only supernatural power, but also courage to step forward in faith and risk failure. God does not ordinarily use us against our will. There is nothing automatic about the use of a spiritual gift, nor does one become “possessed” or enter some trancelike state in order for a gift to function.

God may pass over a trained physician and use an untrained layperson to perform miracles of healing. Still, all that we are — our background, abilities, training, and experience — comes into play when we allow the Spirit to work through us. Peter, though rash and uneducated, became a great leader and evangelist after Pentecost. Yet it is also true that Paul’s great learning was used by the Holy Spirit in the writing of much of the New Testament. In these areas the workings of the Holy Spirit are unpredictable and spontaneous. He acts “just as he determines” (1 Cor. 12:11).

In sketching a portrait of the gifts of the Spirit, we must consider the Spirit’s purpose in giving them to us. Spiritual gifts are intended to be used for the edification or upbuilding of the body of Christ. Our exercise of the gifts should always be other-oriented, as Jesus’ parable of the importunate neighbor searching for bread for his friend illustrates (Luke 11:5-13).

Dr. Williams emphasizes that every believer has a distinctive role to play in edifying the spiritual community through spiritual gifts. Too often our churches are institutions in which the congregation plays the role of audience and the clergy that of performer. New Testament house churches were very different, for in these small groups each member assumed the responsibility of serving as an instrument of ministry as he or she was moved by the Holy Spirit. Today similar small gatherings can help us become adept in the use of spiritual gifts, so that we may be of maximum service to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Though the Spirit distributes His gifts according to His own counsel, Paul encourages believers to “eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 14:1). God delights in giving spiritual gifts to those who selflessly desire them. Without this unselfish motivation, gifts such as prophecy and tongues may be used in a hurtful and abrasive way. Without love, gifts become ends instead of means; supernatural “merit badges” that swell the pride of their practitioners and destroy the root of true spirituality in them.

As an antidote to this attitude, Paul taught the Corinthians about love, the “super excellent” way; the “way beyond measure” that is the root and the goal of all the gifts (RT, p. 343). First Corinthians 13 contains Paul’s immortal description of agape love. There he tells us that when the teleion — “the perfect” — comes, spiritual gifts will pass away. We will no longer need supernatural knowledge, for we will see Christ face to face. On that day we will know ourselves as fully as God knows us. According to John, God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4). Our knowledge of the Lord will be so complete that we will be transformed into His image. Even then, faith, hope, and love will remain operative with the greatest of these being love.

Love — as the natural hunger of the human heart for God and as the healing fruit of the Spirit given by God — is the bridge that ties heaven and earth together. It is at once a longing for, and a partial enjoyment of, the unspeakable richness and joy that is God and that awaits us in God. Through faith we touch the substance of our heart’s desire; through hope we see His face; through love we stand before Him, heart to heart.

Further Study: Review the scriptures under “Gifts of the Spirit, B. The purposes of gifts; C. Gifts are subordinate to love,” NIVTSB, p. 62.

Life Application: Spiritual gifts are given so that we might minister to others. One of the simplest and most eloquent prayers is: “Lord, reduce me to love.” Pray this prayer, and for the next twenty-four hours observe and listen carefully to those around you. Try to sense their needs, their hurts, and their fears. Effective ministry depends on inner stillness, which allows you to hear the silent cry of another’s pain; and on an awakened and compassionate heart, which is ever ready to offer help. Both are the fruit of love.

Key Concepts:

1. The operation of spiritual gifts involves both divine and __________ activity. [332]

2. True or False. All spiritual gifts are supernatural. [332]

3. Spiritual gifts are (enhancements of natural talents, endowments of the Spirit). [332]

4. True or False. The background, ability, training, and experience of an individual is present in the functioning of spiritual gifts. [333]

5. True or False. Once granted, spiritual gifts are continuing possessions. [335]

6. The validity of an exercise of a spiritual gift depends upon whether it results in the ____________________ of the community. [336]

7. First-century Christians exercised spiritual gifts in small gatherings called _________________ churches. [337]

8. True or False. It is wrong for Christians to desire spiritual gifts. [340]

9. True or False. Spiritual gifts will someday pass away. [343]

10. Love is a (fruit, gift) of the Spirit. [344]

Reading: Renewal Theology 2, p. 347.

Key Scripture: “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor. 12:8-10).

Before beginning a detailed study of the ninefold manifestation, Dr. Williams examines allegations that the gifts of the Spirit are no longer available to believers. One theory put forth to support this view is that the gifts were essentially apostolic credentials, which ceased to operate after the apostles died. However, the New Testament shows that the gifts were present throughout the first century. Also, as our previous historical vignette illustrated, church leaders across the centuries have testified to the presence of spiritual gifts, especially during periods of revival and renewal.

A second theory speculates that spiritual gifts were no longer needed after the formation of the New Testament canon. This hypothesis is linked to Paul’s statement: “When perfection comes, the imperfect disappears” (1 Cor. 13:10). This is a highly implausible reading of this verse for a number of reasons. First, the role spiritual gifts play in the life of the church is entirely different from that of Scripture. Second, Paul could not have intelligibly made such an argument in a letter to the Corinthian church (RT, pp. 344-45n. 94). But the most telling objection to this theory is that the identification of the New Testament canon with “the perfect” (to teleion) is impossible from a textual and grammatical context.

Greek is a very precise language, and Paul was skilled in its use. To teleion (from telos, “end” or “goal”) is clearly an eschatological reference. It has to do with the goal or perfection of creation and of Christian experience. However high our view of Scripture, no one can seriously maintain that it allows us to “know fully, even as [we are] fully known,” much less to see Christ “face to face” (v. 12). Only at the Second Coming will these conditions be fulfilled. Then — and only then — will the charismata of the present age be rendered obsolete by the presence of the full glory of God.

Turning to a consideration of the ninefold gifts themselves, Dr. Williams notes that the list given in the Key Scripture may be an exemplary rather than an inclusive tally of spiritual gifts. Yet, since Paul calls them the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, we can be assured that they are among the most important spiritual manifestations.

The question arises whether the gifts listed by Paul fall into identifiable groups or categories. Pentecostal/charismatic teachers often arrange the nine gifts into a “three-three-three” grouping. The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the distinguishing of spirits are grouped together as “wisdom” gifts. Prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues are labeled “word” gifts. Faith, healing, and miracles are seen as “wonder-working” gifts.

Dr. Williams finds this breakdown unlikely for two reasons. To achieve the “three-three-three” pattern, the gifts must be taken out of sequence and rearranged. This seems to violate Paul’s intent. When we look at the grammatical construction of these verses, we find that the connectives Paul uses naturally break the gifts into a “two-five-two” pattern (RT, p. 347n. 2). Following Paul’s own arrangement, the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge are twin gifts, the next five gifts are “active ministry” gifts, and tongues and the interpretation of tongues are a second set of twin gifts.

This “two-five-two” sequence identifies the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge as gifts of utterance, not wisdom. Such an understanding accords better with the experiential nature of the gifts, for neither gift involves increased wisdom per se. The speaker does not know the content of the word until the “speaking-forth” occurs. In this sense one cannot be said to “possess” a gift of wisdom or knowledge — only to exercise it. A spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Spirit, not ownership or control of the Spirit. Spiritual gifts always remain God’s property, not ours.

Further Study: Read “i. Varieties of gifts (12:1-11),” pp. 1374-75 and “iii. The supremacy of love (13:1-13),” pp. 1376-77 in the IBC.

Life Application: If our spiritual gifts belong to God, then we are their stewards rather than their owners. Are you a good steward of your spiritual gifts? Do you invest time in using them, thereby strengthening them? Do you share them freely when needs arise? Do you give God the “interest” or glory connected with the exercise of your gifts? How can you be a better steward of your gifts?

Key Concepts: [All answers above]

1. Church leaders across the centuries have affirmed the reality of spiritual gifts, especially during periods of ______________ and renewal.

2. It is clear from the context that to teleion “the perfect” of 1 Corinthians 12, is a/an (canonical, eschatological) reference.

3. True or False. The list of spiritual gifts given in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 is all-inclusive.

4. Paul divides the nine spiritual gifts into groups of (“three-three-three,” “two- five-two”).

5. The twin gift to the word of wisdom is the word of _________________.

6. The twin gift to tongues is __________________________ of tongues.

7. The five “in between” gifts are sometimes called “active _____________” gifts.

8. The speaker (does, does not) have knowledge of the content of a word of wisdom until the “speaking-forth” occurs.

9. The word of wisdom and word of knowledge are gifts of ______________, not wisdom.

10. True or False. Those who exercise a gift of wisdom or knowledge possess it.