The Spirit's Gifts

Spiritual Gifts and Missions

Introduction

            The Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit are an integral part of the life of the Christian, the Church, and the ministry. We will discuss the role of the spiritual gifts in ministry in their biblical, practical, and personal contexts. Because of the brevity of this discussion, we will discuss only the gifts outlined in 1 Corinthians 12, verses eight through ten. What does the Bible say as to the place of spiritual gifts in ministry, and how are these applied in practical and personal ministries? We will then examine the role of the Holy Spirit in missional ministry in the same areas. We will answer the same questions as to the place of the Holy Spirit in the accomplishment of the ministry.

Biblical Perspective of the Gifts

            Paul introduces the gifts by a short discussion in verses four through seven, lists them, and presents how they are distributed.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. (1 Cor. 12:4 – 11 NASU)

These gifts are not natural abilities or the potential within a person. They are occasional and therefore for a particular time, at the Spirit’s direction. They are not permanent abilities but possible ways the Spirit may choose to work at a particular time in a particular individual. The gifts are not owned by those through whom they are used. In this sense, the person does not have the gifts; instead, they are the conduit through which the Spirit is ministering. The gifts are one way in which the Spirit is displayed, shown, or manifested. They are a testimony to the love of God for the individual and for the Church. The gifts may be grouped into three categories. The revelatory gifts are the word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and the discerning of spirits. The prophetic gifts are prophecy, different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. The gifts of power are miracles, healings, and faith. These gifts are prominent in Luke’s history of the early Church. Philip was guided to go into the desert and minister to the eunuch (Acts 8:26). This was an example of revelation. The Holy Spirit spoke to the church at Antioch through the gift of prophecy to send Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey (Acts 13:3). Through the gift of miracles, God used Peter to heal a lame man (Acts 3:6–7). Paul stresses the efficacy of prophecy in witnessing to others (1 Cor. 14:24–25).

Practical Use of Gifts in Ministry

            A church or ministry that leans upon its own power or the systems of the world is certain to operate in a way that diverges from the will of God. The Spirit is the guardian and guide of the Church. Even as there is no salvation apart from the regenerating work of the Spirit, so there is no ministry that can operate effectively without the gifts. The Holy Spirit gives these gifts. He administers and dispenses them according to His will, not man. Divine guidance is the identifying characteristic of the Christian and so the Church (Rom. 8:14). The gifts are not only necessary for ministry, but they are normative for every service in some way. Paul, when instructing the Corinthians on the use of prophecy, tongues, and interpretation, exhorts, “What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification” (1 Cor. 14:26 NASU). These gifts are for the ministry of the Body to itself. To not have them in operation is not only counter to Scripture, but is detrimental to the health of the members of the Body of Christ.

Personal Perspective on Gifts

            “1 am persuaded that certain gifts of the Spirit, and not least the gift of tongues, fulfill a real function in the spiritual life by enlarging and liberating the soul in communion with God” (Fee 1963, 100). Being an educator, the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and discernment of spirits are extremely valuable. Some churches have experienced extreme congregational growth without appreciable growth of the Church. To do this, they bring people into the church and get them connected to a ministry as rapidly as possible. The gifts are taught in a more modernistic approach. For instance, to defend the five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in every group, the prophet is reduced to one who brings people together for parties and other social encounters. The apostle forms groups of some kind. The pastor is the person who checks up on people who miss class. Although a church pastor may do this, there is so much more. The teacher is a trainer, which is not far from what a teacher actually is, but one out of five is not good. We cannot imagine Elijah putting a party together for the sons of the prophets. The five-fold ministry, as taught by these growth leaders, is not something we see as biblical. In order to grow, people who do not necessarily agree with our doctrine have been allowed to join and become teachers and leaders.

The hyper-faith movement permeates our churches. With its less-than-sufficient atonement, god-like stature of the believer, and rhema word as supreme over Scripture, these gifts are vital. This belief is dangerous and is reminiscent of the Pharisees promoting the Oral Law above the written word. The judge of all utterances is Scripture and not the other way around. We can study and know the Scriptures, but the Holy Spirit, using the gifts through us, is the only answer to heresy. One can win the argument and lose a soul. One can detect the false teacher, but not have the power to convict them. That is no victory! It is the Spirit’s ministry to convict and convince, and we must be yielded vessels to this ministry. The ministry is not ours, but the Lord’s.

The Biblical Role of the Spirit in Ministry

            The work of the Holy Spirit permeates ministry. Missio Dei, the plan of God, is initiated, guided, and empowered by the Spirit. The call of the minister is a work of the Spirit, as is evidenced by the call of Paul, who was “called through His grace” (Gal. 1:15). The timing of his first missionary journey was under the control of the Spirit (Acts 13:2 – 4). The Spirit directed to whom he would and would not preach (Acts 16:6 – 10). This situation is evident in the missions endeavors of Peter (Acts 10:19–20) and Phillip (Acts 8:29). The boldness and wisdom with which they spoke was a direct result of the Spirit’s empowerment (Acts 4:31). The Spirit is responsible for convicting the sinner “concerning sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8 NASU). The Spirit is the regenerator and baptizer into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The disciple receives all power for life and ministry through the Spirit. Even though the disciple is called to spread the Gospel, they must not do so without the anointing of the Spirit (Acts 1:8). To do otherwise would be to rely on the flesh, and the flesh is contrary to the will of God. Only by being led by the Spirit is the defining character of a child of God (Rom. 8:14). The reception of the Spirit at the time of conversion is only the beginning of the role of the Spirit in the life of the believer. To properly minister, it is imperative to be baptized in the Spirit. Without this, the disciple has skipped the empowerment and acted presumptuously in starting ministry. After being filled with the Spirit, a ministry may begin, at the leading and call of the Spirit, and the cycle begins again. The Spirit is so prevalent that one might say that the ministry, as well as the minister, is baptized in the Spirit.

 Practical Perspective

            The need for the move of the Spirit is as great today, if not greater, than in the days of the first-century Church. Even as the leading and presence of the Spirit is the basis for our daily lives (Rom. 8:15–17), so the same leading and presence is necessary in our churches and on the mission field. There is no place on earth where the devil is not prowling around seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8 NASU). Heresies and cults in Christian garments abound in our churches, radio, television, and the internet.

            As Pentecostals, we have often been accused of emphasizing the experiential. At times this has been true. However, the Christian life is more than assent to a list of doctrines. It is a life that is lived through experiencing God. When we look at unknown tongues as they are manifest in the Scriptures, we see three diverse roles. The first type is in the sphere of praise. Here, the believer speaks of the extraordinary acts of God as both praise and witness. This is seen in the accounts in Acts two, eight, and ten. The role of tongues in proclamation, when coupled with interpretation, is equivalent to prophecy, which both edifies the church and testifies to the presence of God in the church (1 Cor. 14:5, 24–25). The third role of tongues is that of prayer. The Spirit intercedes through the believer when words fail (Rom. 8:26).

            The church is constantly confronted with doctrines that are odd, different, heretical, or cultic, even in combination! The gifts of knowledge, wisdom, and discerning of spirits are vital to the survival of the ministry. Those in error are not necessarily uneducated. There are entire universities that teach various forms of Christianity. With the influx of internet sponsorship of teachers from these groups, the modern church must have leaders and disciples who are not only trained but who are empowered to be used by the Spirit to do combat. Each believer needs to be sufficiently in touch with the Spirit so that they can be informed when confronting what appears to be genuine. Education is no substitute for the inspiration of the Spirit and the gifts.

            Miracles, healings, and faith constitute some of the most dramatic and memorable manifestations of the Spirit. The gift of faith goes beyond the definition of faith: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6 NASU). It is more than belief; it is an absolute knowledge and confidence in what the Spirit is prompting the disciple to do. Healings are similar to miracles, but they need not be instantaneous. This can be seen in the cleansing of the lepers (Luke 17:11-14). Miracles are instantaneous witnesses to the power and love of God.

            The gifts of the Spirit are more than practical; they should be normative within the Church. As Paul said, “… When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation…” (1 Cor. 14:26 NASU). To neglect or disparage the gifts is to handicap the ministry and deny the members of the Body of Christ part of their heritage in God.

Personal Perspective

            As an educator, I find the guidance and wisdom of the Spirit to be an absolute necessity. The knowledge gifts are needed whenever we teach. This is especially true when you consider the ethnic mixture in our church. We have people from over forty countries, and they have some beliefs that are a mixture of what Americans would consider normal, along with some that would be considered pagan. Superstitions from Africa along with those from South America must be dealt with in a decisive way without confusing the student. Family values are different and often against biblical norms. Add to this, questionable beliefs concerning faith, the atonement, the trinity, along with the other fundamental doctrines, and you can see where we need to rely on the Spirit and not just our training and knowledge! We are told to welcome new leaders who have no training and who often do not believe in the doctrines of the Church. Without the guidance of the Spirit, teaching would be impossible. Living in a Church which desires growth above all else and with an education department in shambles due to the application of questionable structure changes, we must rely on God to promote change. With our ministry, it is “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zech. 4:6 NASU).