GOD’S GIFTS TO THE CHURCH

"He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:10-12)

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed" (I Corinthians 12:1). We should not be uninformed about the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts.

The spiritual gifts are supernatural empowerments given to the church for the equipping of the saints (Ephesians 4:12). They were and are given in order to have in the Church a “full representation and expression of the ministering Christ”, and extend His Kingdom throughout the world. This is how he is going to bring a mature Body into existence on the earth. God’s desire is that these gifts flow in the strong anointing of the Spirit in order for the Body to receive the full “impartation” of Christ which is being expressed through them.

Spiritual gifts are not innate, natural talents, like an ear for music or the ability to draw, but rather they are empowerments that the Holy Spirit gives to a believer to minister to the body in ways that were not possible by mere natural effort. In the ministry of the apostles, we see that they performed miracles, healed people, preached, and spoke in tongues, which they had not been able to do apart from Christ.

Spiritual gifts are the source of much controversy and confusion among believers. This is interesting and something of a sad commentary, since these gifts are meant to be graces from God for the edification of the church. Even today, as in the early church, the misuse and misunderstanding of spiritual gifts bring division, rather than building up in the church. These gifts are not the end in themselves. The end desire is a mature, full-statured, corporate man on the earth who fully manifests the virtues of the Head, Jesus Christ.

GOD’S GIFTS AND GOD’S CALL

When related to the objective of doing God’s will or functioning in the Body of Christ, a person’s general call is equivalent to their spiritual gift. There is no better framework within which to interpret one’s call than one’s gift mix. God does not give gifts that He does not “call” the recipient to use, nor does He call someone to do something for Him without equipping that person with the necessary gift or gifts to do it.

However, besides the general calling, there will also be a specific calling. This specific call is one’s “ministry.” So the ministry or the specific call determines the particular way or the particular setting in which God wishes you to exercise the gift or gifts He has given you.  For example, a person can have the gift of teaching and be called specifically to use that gift among children or to write books. Within the general calling provided by each gift, there, are many more specific ways that such a gift can be ministered.

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT?

A spiritual gift is a special ability or capacity given by God to every member of the Body according to His Grace to enable the Christian to minister (serve) in the Body (I Corinthians 12). The Greek word for spiritual gifts is charisma. The term "spiritual gifts" comes from the Greek words charismata (gifts) and pneumatika (spirits). They are the plural forms of charisma, meaning "expression of grace," and pneumatikon meaning "expression of Spirit." While there are different kinds of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4), generally speaking, spiritual gifts are God-given graces (special abilities, offices, or manifestations) meant for works of service, to benefit and build up the body of Christ as a whole. (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28-31, Ephesians 4:7-13, 1 Peter 4:10).

Charismata comes from the word charis, which in Greek means grace. There is a very close relationship between spiritual gifts and the grace of God. Individual Christians disconnected from the Body are not very useful. Spiritual Gifts are not designed to function alone, they are designed for members of the Body. The Spiritual Gifts are not only functional, but they are also congregational. Everything that God does in the world is done through Christians who are working together complementing each other with their gifts. These gifts are to be used not just by individuals but by Christians working as a team to do a job in the best possible way.

THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Sometimes the question is asked, “Can spiritual gifts operate through me if I am not aware of my spiritual gifts?” One can manifest spiritual gifts without understanding or even being aware of them.

However, there are many good reasons for us to know and understand our gifts. We stand in a much more favorable position to become effective disciples when we identify and develop the spiritual gifts God has given us. Here are some reasons why you should become aware of your gifts:

1. HELPS YOU DETERMINE GOD’S WILL FOR YOU

Knowledge of your gifts will provide a context for making career and ministry decisions regarding what not to attempt as well as what to enter into with confidence.

2. MOBILIZES THE ENTIRE CHURCH FOR ACTION

Since a small percentage of the church consists of clergy and more than 90% of the church consists of non-clergy, the church obviously must equip and encourage every member to minister in his or her respective sphere of influence.

3. ASSISTS YOU IN SETTING PRIORITIES FOR STUDY, GROWTH, AND MINISTRY

Since each of us has a limited amount of time to develop our potential, it seems clear that we should develop ourselves in the areas of our special gifts.

4. GIVES EACH MEMBER A SENSE OF DIGNITY AND SELF WORTH

Every member is an important part of the total church. There are no “second class” citizens in the Body of Christ because each person constitutes a vitally significant member of the Body.

5. ENABLES YOU TO RECEIVE THE GIFT MINISTRIES OF OTHERS

When members become more knowledgeable of their spiritual gifts and those of other members, they can more easily function harmoniously as the Body of Christ, both giving and receiving ministries.

6. FOSTERS UNITY AMONG THE BELIEVERS

As the members of the church function inter-dependently (not independently), an awareness of spiritual gifts leads them to respect one another as they live together in the common life of the Spirit.

IDENTIFYING SPIRITUAL GIFTS

The great majority of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible are found in three key chapters: Romans 12; I Corinthians 12; and Ephesians 4. There are other gifts mentioned in I Corinthians 13-14; I Peter 4; I Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 3.

The equipping and Spiritual Gifts are extremely important to the Body of Christ, and they should be in operation in the Apostolic Church of the twenty-first century

Spiritual Gifts are classified into three categories: ministry gifts, manifestation gifts, and motivational gifts.

MINISTRY GIFTS

The ministry gifts serve to reveal the plan of God. They are characteristic of a full-time office or calling, rather than a gift that can function in and through any believer. The ministry gifts can be illustrated as a hand:

1. Apostle

An apostle establishes and builds churches; he's a church planter. An apostle may function in any or all of the ministry gifts. He is the "thumb," the strongest of all of the fingers, able to touch every finger.

2. Prophet

Prophet in the Greek means to "forth tell" in the sense of speaking for another. A prophet functions as God's mouthpiece, speaking forth God's Word. The prophet is the "index finger," or pointer finger. He points to the future and points out sin.

3. Evangelist

An evangelist is called to be a witness for Jesus Christ. He works for the local church to bring people into the body of Christ where they can be disciplined. He is the "middle finger," the tallest one who stands out in the crowd. Evangelists draw a lot of attention, but they are called to serve the local body.

4. Pastor

The pastor is the shepherd of the people. A true shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The pastor is the "ring finger." He is married to the church; called to stay, oversee, nurture and guide.

5. Teacher

The teacher and the pastor are often a shared office, but not always. The teacher lays the foundation and is concerned with detail and accuracy. He delights in research to validate truth. The teacher is the "pinky finger." Though seemingly small and insignificant, he is designed specifically for digging into tight, dark places, shining light, and picking apart the Word of truth.

MANIFESTATION GIFTS

The manifestation gifts serve to reveal the power of God. These gifts are supernatural or spiritual in nature. They can be further subdivided into three groups: utterance (for telling), power (action), and revelation (revealing).

1. Prophecy

This is the "forth-telling" of the inspired Word of God primarily to the church, for the purpose of confirming the written Word and building up the entire body. The message is usually one of edification, exhortation, or consolation, although it can declare God's will in a particular circumstance, and in rare cases, predict future events.

2. Speaking in Tongues

This is a supernatural utterance in an unlearned language that is interpreted so that the entire body will be edified. Tongues may also be a sign to unbelievers.

3. Interpretation of Tongues

This is a supernatural interpretation of a message in tongues, translated into the known language so that the entire body will be edified.

4. Faith

This is not the faith that is measured to every believer, nor is it "saving faith." This is special, supernatural faith given by the Spirit to receive miracles or to believe God for miracles.

5. Healing

This is supernatural healing, beyond natural means, given by the Spirit.

6. Miracles

This is the supernatural suspension of the natural laws or an intervention by God into the laws of nature.

7. Word of Wisdom

This is supernatural knowledge applied in a godly or correct way. Insight into doctrinal truth.

8. Word of Knowledge

This is supernatural knowledge of facts and information that can only be revealed by God for the purpose of applying doctrinal truth.

9. Discerning of Spirits

This is the supernatural ability to distinguish between spirits such as good and evil, truthful or deceiving, and prophetic versus satanic.

MOTIVATIONAL GIFTS

The motivational gifts serve to reveal the personality of God. These gifts are practical in nature. They describe the inner motivations of the Christian servant.

1. Prophecy

Those with the motivational gift of prophecy are the "seers" or "eyes" of the body. They have insight, and foresight, and act like watchdogs in the church. They warn of sin or reveal sin. They are usually very verbal and may come across as judgmental and impersonal; they are loyal to truth over friendship, serious, and dedicated.

2. Ministering/Serving/Helps

Those with the motivational gift of serving are the "hands" of the body. They are concerned with meeting needs; they are highly motivated, doers. They find joy in serving and meeting short-term goals.

3. Teaching

Those with the motivational gift of teaching are the "mind" of the body. They realize their gift is foundational; they emphasize the accuracy of words and love to study; they delight in research to validate truth.

4. Giving

Those with the motivational gift of giving are the "arms" of the body. They truly enjoy reaching out in giving. They are excited by the prospect of blessing others; they desire to give quietly, in secret, but will also motivate others to give. They are alert to people's needs; they give cheerfully and always give the best that they can.

5. Exhortation/Encouragement

Those with the motivational gift of encouragement are the "mouth" of the body. They encourage other believers and are motivated by a desire to see people grow and mature in the Lord. They are practical and positive and they seek positive responses.

6. Administration/Leadership

Those with the motivational gift of leadership are the "head" of the body. They have the ability to see the overall picture and set long-term goals; they are good organizers and find efficient ways of getting work done.

Although they may not seek leadership, they will assume it when no leader is available. They receive fulfillment when others come together to complete a task.

7. Mercy

Those with the motivational gift of mercy are the "heart" of the body. They easily sense the joy or distress in other people and are sensitive to feelings and needs. They are attracted to and patient with people in need, motivated by a desire to see people healed of hurts. They are truly meek in nature and avoid firmness.

The purpose of all spiritual gifts is "that in everything God might be glorified through Jesus Christ" (v. 11). This means that God's aim in giving us gifts, and in giving us the faith to exercise them, is that his glory might be displayed. He wants us and the world to marvel at him and to think he is fantastic. The stupendous reality of God is all-encompassing. "For from him and through him and to him are all things" (Romans 11:36). And there is nothing more thrilling, more joyful, more meaningful, more satisfying than to find our niche in the eternal unfolding of God's glory. Our gift may look small, but as a part of the revelation of God's infinite glory it takes on stupendous proportions.

The gifts of the Spirit are to serve His purposes in the church and in our world. With the guidelines we have been given in God’s Word, believers everywhere should embrace the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and move out to fulfill our Lord’s Commission.