Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Affirmations of the power of the Spirit of God present in the world abound in both the OT and NT. God’s Spirit empowers individuals from the time of Moses and the wilderness wanderings (Num. 11:25, 29) and is often linked especially with the gift of prophecy (Isa. 42:1; 61:1-2; Joel 2:28-29[MT 3:1-2]; Zech. 12:10). The Israelite judges (e.g., Othniel, Judg. 3:10) received confirmation for their leadership through the gift of the Spirit of the Lord, and Isaiah prophesies that the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” will be the one on whom the Spirit of the Lord shall rest (Isa. 11:1-2). This text, moreover, specifies what the signs (traditionally, “gifts”) of this Spirit will be: “wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord.” To this list, the LXX adds “piety,” rounding out the number to seven. These OT references constitute at best implicit gifts of the Spirit; only in the Christian texts do we find a more precise vocabulary referring to spiritual gifts.

Paul speaks often of the Spirit’s presence and empowerment within the Christian community. In Gal. 5:22 he lists the “fruits” of the Spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These fruits are common to all spiritual manifestation and are given equally to every person. In contrast to the spiritual fruits, Paul uses two different Greek terms to identify the gifts of the Spirit: tá pneumatiká (“spiritual gifts”; e.g., 1 Cor. 14:1) or simply tá charísmata (“gifts, charisms”; e.g., Rom. 12:6). Gk. pneumatiká stresses that these gifts derive solely from the Spirit (pneúma); charísmata highlights the fact that they are entirely gratuitous, the effect of God’s grace (cháris). For Paul, there are two essential characteristics of these spiritual gifts. First, there is one Spirit who is the source of all gifts and empowerment (1 Cor. 12:4); therefore any manifestation of the Spirit ought to be a sign and source of unity. Second, the gifts of the Spirit differ and are bestowed on individuals in different forms but always for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7) and not for the individual’s benefit alone. It was a fundamental misunderstanding of these principles at Corinth that caused Paul to clarify his position so vehemently in 1 Cor. 12–14.

Three times in 1 Cor. 12 Paul lists the gifts of the Spirit (vv. 8-10, 28, 29-30), and gives a fourth list again in Rom. 12:6-8. No two lists are exactly alike, and each mixes both technically “spiritual” gifts with ordinary gifts of practical ministry. The lists are meant to be representative and not exhaustive, and their variety attests to their ad hoc nature. The various gifts enumerated fall into three general categories. First, there are gifts of “utterance” like “utterance of wisdom, utterance of knowledge” (1 Cor. 12:8), prophecy (vv. 10, 28, 29; Rom. 12:6), discernment of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10), teaching (v. 28; Rom. 12:7; cf. 1 Cor. 14:6), speaking or interpreting tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 30; cf. 14:5, 13). Second, there are gifts of practical ministry like helping, administration (1 Cor. 12:28), serving, comforting, contributing, giving aid, and working acts of mercy (Rom. 12:7-8). Finally, there are gifts of wonder-working like healing, miracles, acts of powerful faith (1 Cor. 12:9-10, 28-30).

One list seems to designate a hierarchy of gifts by its ordinal counting of “first apostles, second prophets, third teachers” (1 Cor. 12:28), but the ordinal references do not continue in the list. Surely, for Paul, the gift of apostleship is prior to any other, and in a sense encompasses the rest. It is the primary category Paul uses in his letters to identify himself and the one gift he prizes most of all. Whatever the gift, however, its value is measured by the degree to which the gift builds up the one body of Christ.

Barbara E. Bowe

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)