What are the Spiritual Gifts?

I grew up in a conservative, traditional Baptist home. My father was a minister of music and, later, in another church, he became a deacon. Our church wasn’t a large, megachurch, though it was large for our small, college town in Southwest Arkansas. It was a proper Baptist church that never strayed far from proper Baptist ways.

I have a twin brother and this is probably what we looked like as we sang in the youth choir in our Baptist church...

I recall the controversy that boiled up when people began to clap along to certain songs or get too boistrous in their foot-tapping as the church choir sang a special. I also recall the strange feeling of dread when a particularly moving song made me want to lift up my hands in praise. I recall looking upon myself with suspicion for wanting such a thing, as if I was seeking the attention or fearing the judgment of those around me. I recall peeking around to see if anybody else was feeling spiritual in those moments (they generally weren’t showing it though, those that were, we jokingly called “Bapticostals”).

When I was a teen, my older brother married a Pentecostal girl and he started going to her church. My fellow pastor and former missionary friend, Joe Powell, used to say that “meeting a girl has the power to change a man’s religion.” I suppose that there’s some truth in that.

I remember at one point—I might have been in High School or College—my brother invited me and my twin brother to a concert or a revival or some form of meeting at their church out in the piney woods of Arkansas. Well, let’s just say that this traditional Baptist boy hadn’t ever seen anything quite like what he saw that night.

We probably looked like this that night as we saw people jumping and hollering in that country Pentecostal church...

And then as the night went on, we may have looked more like this...

I have gotten over my fear of lifting my hands in praise. I realize now that I may have been infected with some of the legalism that existed in my old church and I certainly have broadened my exposure to the variety of ways that people enter into a worshipful experience with Father God.

I have worshiped in all manner of churches in Africa and South America. I have worshiped in Catholic and Presbyterian churches, Pentecostal churches and Methodist churches. I have worshiped in small churches and large churches. I have found that it helps to have a good understanding of Scripture.

The Apostle Paul gave the young missionary pastor, Timothy, some advice in his first letter...

1 Timothy 2:8 CSB

8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

I will admit that there are things about the Holy Spirit that still confound my proper Baptist sensibilities. But I try now to approach these Pentecostal mysteries with a bit of grace, rather than outright suspicion.

The Day of Pentecost

I’ve told you several times in our study of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised he would ask God to send a Counselor...

John 14:15–17 CSB

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.

And we can see the record of this in Acts 2...

Acts 2:1–12 CSB

1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

[pray]

Our text explains the initial empowering of Christians by the Holy Spirit, as promised by Christ to his disciples. In this case, we see an empowering of the gift of tongues. The truth is that there are many different kinds of gifts.

When we look back at our base text, the gift of known tongues being spoken by people who had no reason to be speaking these different languages prompted the question: “What does this mean?”

Some of the bystanders mocked them saying, “They’re drunk on new wine.” But that certainly wouldn’t explain how these believers were speaking languages that were unknown to them. And they weren’t simply babbling. They were “declaring the magnificent acts of God in [their] own tongues.” They were proclaiming the Gospel message in such a way that it could be understood by others and spread to other nations and cultures.

I believe that this moment was a pivotal moment in the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ beyond the walls of Jerusalem into the known world. Many of these people who heard the gospel in their own language believed and became devout and active Christians. They took the Good News home to their friends and family.

In the following passage, we can see that the Apostle Peter took advantage of this event to proclaim clearly the gospel message. He told them about the “pouring out of the Spirit on all people.” He was quoting a prophecy from the minor prophet, Joel, regarding the dissemination of the spiritual gifts...

Acts 2:17–21 CSB

17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy. 19 I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Our text, in Acts 2, addresses only one of the gifts, speaking in unknown languages. There are many spiritual gifts that we can identify in the New Testament record. However, there is no a single definitive list of spiritual gifts recorded in Scripture.

There are three key texts that tell us what we know about the spiritual gifts: Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; and 1 Peter 4. There are others, but these are the main texts. And these lists are debated and discussed. We’re not going to debate the list of gifts or their merit today, or even during the course of this series. There is some room for interpretation and discussion in how these gifts are used in the local church. Our position here is that the spiritual gifts exist and many of them are active and necessary in the life of the church. As a church body, FBC Pharr experiences many of the benefits of the healthy use of the spiritual gifts within our local context.

Jesus Promised These Spiritual Gifts to His Disciples

If we back up to read the broader text from John 14, we can see that Jesus made great promises to his disciples regarding the Spiritual Gifts.

John 14:12–14 CSB

12 “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Now, just because Jesus says that he will do whatever we ask, does not give us the right to demand things of God. That would be a silly position to take, however, some people still think they can make demands of God.

Jesus is clear to add the stipulation here that the request be made in his name. This is so important that he said it twice. That being said, we cannot just tag on the phrase “in Jesus’ name” to sprinkle magic pixie dust over our request and make it more palatable to God. All of our requests should line up with the will of the Father and be of benefit to his work and beneficial for the common good of the local body of believers.

Jesus went on to say this...

John 14:15–17 CSB

This Counselor, is the Holy Spirit, the one who we have identified previously as the paraklete (Gr.), the advocate, helper, and counselor who draws us to God, holds us close to God, and equips us for God’s service.

I. What are the Spiritual Gifts?

Let’s take a few moments to look at a quick overview of the spiritual gifts that we can see in Scripture.

The Miraculous Gifts

Tongues: Speaking in either human languages unknown to the speaker or in some unknown “heavenly” language (1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 30).

Interpretation: the ability to understand and provide interpretation of some language unknown to the hearer (1 Corinthians 12:10, 30).

Miracles: the ability to perform works that defy common expectations or somehow supercede the normal or natural order (1 Corinthians 12:10, 28).

Healing: the ability to cure or heal a person of some infirmity, sickness, or injury through supernatural means (1 Corinthians 12:9, 28).

These miraculous gifts are sometimes hotly contested as having ceased with the age of the apostles appointed by Jesus. While cessationists believe that the miraculous gifts have ceased, continuists believe that these gifts are still active in today’s age. Just as some early church historians documented the cessation of these gifts, others documented their continuation.

I’m not going to tell you what you should believe as there are very good arguments on each side of this debate. I personally believe that these gifts were elevated in the early life of the church and were particularly active when Jesus was alive and active in ministry on this earth. I also believe that God can and does activate these spiritual gifts when it serves his purposes. I also believe that as we near the time for Jesus’ return, we will see a resurgence of these gifts as we have never seen before in our age. That being said, these miraculous gifts can also cause a lot of confusion and should be practiced sparingly in the life of the believer and in the context of the local church.

Enabling Gifts

Faith: This gift is an exceptional reliance upon and trust in God (1 Corinthians 12:9).

Discernment: Discernment is sound judgment in distinguishing between good and evil. Understanding and recognition of spiritual realities. The ability to recognize spiritual activity that is beyond the ability of others [Closely related to wisdom] (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Discernment is a beautiful gift that gives the gifted believer an insight into others that can sometimes seem eerie or spooky to those of us who are not gifted in this area.

Speaking a Word of Wisdom: The ability to understand and speak scriptural truth in such a way that it skillfully applies to a situation (1 Corinthians 12:8).

Speaking Word of Knowledge: Understanding truth with an insight that can only come through revelation from God [Closely related to wisdom] (1 Corinthians 12:8).

Some charismatic/pentecostal traditions view these so-called “word gifts” as the Holy Spirit speaking through one believer to another or as being a word given directly on behalf of God. These usage of the word gifts come dangerously close to denying the sufficiency of Scripture and are treated, at times, as superceding the wisdom or knowledge that can be found in scripture. I believe there is a way to communicate God’s wisdom and knowledge to a fellow believer, but anyone who boldly proclaims that “God told me to tell you...” might automatically be viewed with suspicion.

This kind of gift should be handled very carefully or it can easily step into a form of spiritual abuse, that is not beneficial to the hearer.

Corporate Gifts (for the church body):

Speaking Gifts

Teaching: the ability to understand and make clear the truth of God’s Word with simplicity and accuracy (Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28).

Evangelism: passionately leading others to the saving knowledge of Christ. Believers with this gift often feel compelled to speak about Christ and salvation. (Ephesians 4:11).

Evangelism is a task that every believer should practice, though some are more gifted at it than others. Those with this gift will be passionate about sharing their faith.

Prophecy: boldly and fearlessly proclaiming God’s truth (Romans 12:6; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28).

Prophecy is not as much about predicting the future as it is about passionately proclaiming the word and admonishing the hearer in an exhortatory manner. There are times that it can manifest as a boldness in bringing the body of believers to an action that is biblical, truthful and perhaps morally right. This is an oral, divine message that comes through the gifted person to a person or group of people with the intention of eliciting a specific response. This is the work of the pastor. There is a place in the body for the pastor or respected leader in a body of believers to practice this gift with discretion in leading their church to a place that God is directing.

That being said, one should always be careful about those who claim to be prophets or practice the gift of prophecy for the same reasons that the word gifts should be taken with caution.

Exhortation: boldly and fearlessly motivating others to action, application, and purpose. There is sometimes an element of correction or rebuke associated with exhortation (Romans 12:8).

These speaking gifts are often associated with pastors as they bring the message or with other teachers in the church. Additionally, the book of James tells us that teachers are held to a higher standard...

James 3:1 CSB

1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.

Ministry Team Gifts

Shepherding: overseeing, training, feeding, coaching/leading (Ephesians 4:11)

Serving: providing practical help both physically and spiritually (Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28)

Mercy: identifying with and comforting those in need (Romans 12:8)

Giving: releasing material resources to further the work of the Church (Romans 12:8)

Administration: organizing, administering, promoting, leading (Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:28)

Hospitality: the ability to welcome and care for guests or strangers graciously and with affection. This can also be practiced in providing relief for the poor or dispossessed or including an outsider in the fellowship (Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9).

These gifts are all used in the accomplishment of ministry, specifically the ministry of the local church body.

Now, I could go through this list and point out to you members of this congregation and which gifts I see regularly exhibited. With the exception of the miraculous gifts, I see all of these gifts being practiced in our church almost every week. I’m not going to name names though. This isn’t the time or place for that. However, if you are not sure what your spiritual gifts are and you want to know, let’s have a conversation to see where God has gifted you and how you might activate those gifts within this body of believers.

II. Why Do We Need The Spiritual Gifts?

The Spiritual Gifts are not given to us based upon our merit, that is to say “we do not earn the spiritual gifts.” They are not necessarily connected to our personal talents or abilities. God grants these abilities for the purpose of extending his kingdom and enabling the work of the church. I also believe that these gifts can shift according to our circumstance, especially so as we move in and out of the will of God and practicing the calling that he has placed on our lives.

That is to say that, one who is not fulfilling their calling will not be able to practice certain gifts that are connected to that calling.

There is quite a bit of diversity in the gifts...

Romans 12:3–8 CSB

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

However, the gifts are to be used together in the life of the church, that is to say, they should provide for the unity of the church for the edification of the body of Christ and to the glory of God...

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 CSB

4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:12–16 CSB

12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. 14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body.

[skip]

1 Corinthians 12:24–29 CSB

24 which our respectable parts do not need. Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, leading, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles?

We’ll dial in on this passage in a few weeks. But I wanted to point out that all of these gifts that we’ve talked about this morning are to be used

for ministry, that is for the advancement of the kingdom and for the advancement of the gospel

for fulfilling our calling, that is the work that Jesus has appointed to us

for the “common good” said Paul in verse 7...

1 Corinthians 12:7 CSB

7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good:

The common good means that our gifts are to be used in the work of the local church body.

Conclusion

You might know your spiritual gift or you might not.

Principle: If you are a believer in Christ, you have a spiritual gift. It is up to you to recognize it and use it for these reasons mentioned.

I will also say, that if you are not a believer in Christ, then you do not have a spiritual gift. You might be adept at one or more of these things, for example, administration or hospitality. But you simply cannot have a spiritual gift without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

You also may not be able to practice the fullest potential of your spiritual gifting if you are not a regular and active participant of a local body of believers. I recommend church membership and active participation in a local body of believers.

We are going to have a brief time of reflection here as we close our service. I invite you to respond in your own way. You might need to come pray here at the altar or quietly at your seat. You might be prompted to explore this idea of belief in Jesus Christ. Or you might be thinking that you need to be baptized or become a member of this church. I’ll be here at the front to receive you if you want to explore these things or you can talk with Brother Joe or one of our other leaders.

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