Last week, Theology 101 focused on Galatians 5:22 which directs us to seven basic qualities of the spiritual fruit the Holy Spirit seeks to produce in believers. This fruit has to do with the persons we are, such as joyous, loving and kind.
The Bible also directs us to what it terms gifts of the Spirit. These gifts have to do with the service the Holy Spirit desires to enable in believers.
A basic passage about the giftedness the Spirit enables is
1 Corinthians 12:1–11. Other passages include Romans 12:6–8 and Ephesians 4:7–12. A close reading and study of these passages is important for understanding Spirit-given gifts. Space permits only a limited look.
God supplies
The Romans passage focuses on gifts for Christian ministry such as teaching, giving, exhorting, showing mercy and leading. When God calls people to serve Him, He supplies the necessary giftedness. God is concerned with the manner in which the gift is employed, such as liberality in giving, diligence in leading and cheerfulness when showing mercy.
The Ephesians passage emphasizes that the Spirit-enabled giftedness of evangelists, pastors and teachers has one goal: the equipping of other believers for the work of ministry. The further goal is that of edifying the whole body of Christ.
This is sometimes described as “multiplication ministry.” Those who are taught by gifted leaders are in turn to teach others. The overall goal of the faithful employment of this giftedness is for the whole body to attain “the unity of the faith” and to spiritually mature toward attaining “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” which is demonstrated by no longer being like immature children who are “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”
Marvelous variety
The lengthy passage in 1 Corinthians declares that God does not want His children to be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts. In making this declaration, the passage reminds us of the marvelous variety God enables in the church.
The purpose of the variety of gifts is not for the benefit of the ones gifted, but for the profit of the whole body of Christ. There follows a sampling of nine specific gifts bestowed by the one Spirit, who distributes gifts to each individually “as He wills.” Since all ministering gifts have their origin with God’s Spirit, none are to be discounted and none are to be exalted.
Share with others: