Spiritual Gifts

AMG Bible Illustrations Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gifts

Paul compares the possessors of spiritual gifts to members of the human body because as the members of our body are none of our doing or deserving, neither are the spiritual gifts we possess. They are God’s gifts entrusted to us for a purpose. If that purpose isn’t fulfilled, His gifts are wasted. What’s the use of having an eye or a hand that doesn’t serve the entire body? A test of the genuineness of any gift is whether it benefits the body of Christ as a whole, or only the possessor. Does it tend to unite the body or to divide it? Does it make members who are different from us feel estranged or fellow members with us of one and the same body?

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Gifts, Spiritual

GIFTS, SPIRITUAL [Gk pneumatika (πνευματικα), charismata (χαρισματα)]. Special gifts bestowed by God on individual members of the Christian community for the edification of the whole community.

A. Background

B. Lexical Matters

C. Paul

1. The Service of the Church

2. The Assembly

A. Background

Biblical religion witnesses to the activity of the divine spirit (whether in the OT as rûaḥ Yahweh or in the NT as the HOLY SPIRIT) which infuses the human person in worship, service, and religious ecstasy. Examples in the OT range from the visitation of ruaḥ upon characters as diverse as Samson, Saul, Micah, and Ezekiel

Judg 14:6,

Judges 14:19; 1 Sam 10:10; Mic 3:8; Ezek 1:2)

To the cultivating of natural skills and abilities in the case of Bezalel (Exod 35:30, 31) and the oracles of the prophets and sages of Israel (Wis 7:25–27; 9:17). The possession of “spiritual gifts,” however, looks forward to the messianic age when Isa 11:2 was to be fulfilled and the spirit of Yahweh was believed to rest upon and endue God’s anointed one. The latter event is associated with Jesus’ baptism and ministry (according to the multistrand NT tradition, e.g., Luke 4:18–19) and epitomized in Acts 2:22; 10:38. After Pentecost, the birth of the Church was attested by apostolic “signs of power” as a mark of the new age of messianic fulfillment which had arrived with the exaltation of Jesus the Messiah and the gift of the divine Spirit (Acts 2:17–39). One phrase which sums up the manifestation of the Spirit in the experience of NT Christians is “spiritual gifts,” and the setting of the term in the new age, as part of the conquering, newborn elation the first believers felt, is an important factor in its understanding.

B. Lexical Matters

The general sense of the term “spiritual gifts” covers all endowments of the Spirit found in Christian experience and designed to be of service to the Church. Two Greek words are used in the NT: pneumatika (employed in the sense of “spiritual gifts” in e.g., 1 Cor 14:1, 12; and most likely 2:13; 12:1 and best translated with Sullivan as “gifts of inspiration”) and charismata which is the more important term, found only in the Pauline corpus (sixteen times) and 1 Pet 4:10. Charisma means literally a “gift-in-grace,” deriving from charis, “grace.” At the heart of the word is God’s free favor which rules out all notion of merit (Rom 4:4) or reward (Rom 6:23). It is, therefore, a term suited to express God’s initiative in restoring humankind to wholeness and harmony with the divine purpose and could stand as a synonym for “eternal life,” the supreme charisma (Rom 5:15; 6:23; 11:29). Paul’s ministry is closely bound with the experience of this gift-in-grace (2 Cor 1:11), an idea found also in 1 Pet 4:10 where charisma is one of service which speaks and embodies the word of “grace.” The intimate association of God’s grace which justifies the godless (Rom 4:5) with charisma is emphasized by Käsemann who regards Paul’s teaching on “spiritual gifts” as “the projection into ecclesiology of the doctrine of Justification by faith” (Käsemann 1964: 75–76).

Charisma, then, is bound up with charis. This link is attested in Philo (leg All III.78) but the use of charisma is rare, not found in non-Christian Greek writers or Josephus. The LXX evidence is uncertain (Sir 7:33 has charis in one manuscript tradition with charisma in Codex S; 38:30 has to chrisma with charisma as a textual variant in Codex B*). Theodotion uses charisma once to render the Heb ḥesed, covenant love (Ps 30[31]: 22[21]). The NT data have to be considered on their own, without much assistance from parallel sources; and the lexical distribution shows that both pneumatika and charismata are words preeminently belonging to the Pauline vocabulary.

C. Paul

From the wording of 1 Cor 12:1–11 it is clear that the issue of “manifestations of spirit” was a heated topic at Corinth. Paul pays tribute to the rich—if exotic—endowments of spiritual life found in that congregation (1 Cor 1:7). Evidently, the Corinthians had inquired of Paul how these gifts were to be exercised; hence the formula “I would not have you ignorant” (12:1) is meant to address the phenomena of enthusiasm and ecstatic utterances that were prominent features of Corinthian church life. The question raised has to do with ta pneumatika, best taken in the neuter sense of gifts exercised in public worship. Paul concedes that such signs of enthusiastic “spirit-power” (pneumatika may well be the Corinthians’ own designation, conceded in 1 Cor 14:12; Schulz 1976: 454–56) are expressions of the Spirit’s activity, but he proceeds to set them within a larger framework of God’s charismata, a broader term referring to all manifestations of God’s favor, finding particular and concrete expression in service of whatever kind. In so doing Paul has introduced a new set of criteria for evaluating spiritual gifts by setting them in an order of precedence and importance, and thereby he has corrected the Corinthians’ value judgments.

1. The Service of the Church. “Spiritual gifts” (charismata) in the wider application which Paul prefers relates to the service of the Church and is set within the apostolic teaching of Christian calling. The chief criterion is not the display of some supernatural or paranormal activity but the use that is made of it. “The criterion of a genuine charisma lies not in the mere fact of its existence but in the use to which it is put” (Käsemann 1964: 71). Specifically, this implies that Christians recognize the charisma as the Lord’s gift-in-grace, and employ it as a way of expressing obedience to his call and requirement. Seen in this total way, many facets of life are brought under the rubric of charismata (Rom 12:6). The Pauline categories are (a) kerygmatic, the means by which the Gospel is proclaimed and applied by apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers (1 Cor 12:28–31; 14:3–5, 29–32; cf. Eph 4:11; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6 for later development into “office”); (b) diaconal, gifts of service (1 Cor 12:5: “acts of service”) involving deacons, deaconesses, administrators, those who give assistance to others in distress, including almsgiving, hospitality, and care of the sick and widows (Rom 12:7–8, 13; 1 Cor 12:28; Phil 1:1; cf. 1 Tim 5:9–10, 16–17; Titus 1:8); (c) miracle-working and healing ministries covered by the term in 1 Cor 12:6 which takes in the role of those who practice healing with prayer, laying on of hands and exorcism (1 Cor 12:10, 28); (d) the endurance of suffering for the Gospel’s sake (2 Cor 1:5–7; 4:7–12; 12:9–10; Col 1:24–25; and especially Phil 1:27–30 where both apostle and congregation are “gifted” [1:29] with the privilege of suffering on behalf of Christ); (e) special vocational giftedness which includes such general references as Rom 1:11 (“some spiritual gift”); 1 Cor 1:7 (“you do not lack and charisma”) and more particular callings like that of celibacy or self-restraint within the married state (1 Cor 7:7). The fact that Paul can regard such abstinence from sex as a concession and as applicable for only a limited time (7:5) suggests that the charisma of continence within marriage is a special case and may not be available to those who practice normal marital relations. His eye is possibly on an unusual Corinthian practice of sexless marriage (1 Cor 7:36–38).

It is evident that Paul as himself an apostle of Christ (Rom 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1) appealed to the witness of his “mighty works” (Rom 15:17–20) as tokens of divine power which accompanied his ministry, though he is careful to hedge about these statements by never appealing to such signs as validating proofs and by qualifying his assertions with his stress on “Christ working through him” (Rom 15:18). In a polemical passage (2 Cor 12:11–13), he insists that what counted for him was fidelity to his apostolic call, not the “signs, wonders and miracles” which his opponents evidently laid claim to (2 Cor 12:12). Also to be considered here is Paul’s own ecstatic or transcendental experience as “a man in Christ” (2 Cor 12:1–10). He was the recipient of “visions and revelations” and heard heavenly messages (12:4) which may be the same as what he elsewhere (1 Cor 2:9–10) refers to an unmediated contact with God by the Spirit. The “journey to paradise” motif (2 Cor 12:2) is based on Jewish apocalyptic idiom (Revelation 4) which is mentioned in connection with favored Jewish heroes and holy people who were raptured to God’s presence. In view of the special nature of this “mystical” experience for Paul—he summoned it from the past over fourteen years ago (2 Cor 12:2)—it is significant that he never built his case for apostolic authority on what was seen and heard, and has set the experience within a double frame (2 Cor 11:30–33 the flight from Damascus as he was lowered in a basket; 2 Cor 12:7–10 the dialogue with the Lord who did not grant his request for the removal of his thorn in the flesh) that emphasizes vividly his frailty and continuing weaknesses. His critics at Corinth charge him with being deficient in spiritual ecstasies (2 Cor 10:10; 13:9). In reply Paul makes it clear that such dissociative experiences as he has known (2 Cor 5:13; 1 Cor 14:18) have not brought him nearer to God than at other times. They have been marked by an intimacy too precious to reveal, and too exceptional for any case of apostolic validation to be built upon them. Paul gloried in his weakness. The failure on the part of the Corinthians to appreciate this led to serious consequence. As Lang (1986: 18) puts it, overrating the charismata misled the Corinthians into devaluing the cross of Christ.

2. The Assembly. Because of problems within the Corinthian community and in particular its services of worship Paul devotes considerable attention to spiritual gifts in a liturgical setting. In the section of 1 Cor 7:7 “each person has his charisma from God,” Paul elaborates the rule expressed as to each person his or her own gift. Each person in the assembly is gifted with some charisma, though not all have the same gift. The setting here is seen in the dialogue-analogy of 12:14–21 (reflecting the unity of the human anatomy): the foot has no reason to object that because it is not the hand it is not part of the body; conversely the eye must not say to the hand, I have no need of you. God has designed the ecclesial body to be one, yet composed of many members (12:12, 20, 27). He has fashioned charismata to express unity-in-diversity, with no division within the body (12:25: schisma looks back to 1 Cor 1:10), no rivalry between the parts since all the members share a common life-in-the-Spirit (12:12, 13), and no justifiable sense of superiority since the stronger parts (those gifted with a more active faith based on “knowledge” and “wisdom,” 12:8–9) have need of the weaker elements in the Church (those possessing only limited endowment). In fact, there should be a mutual interchange (12:25) and a complementarity based on the way all the charismata cohere to fit with the divine scheme (12:18).

The fact that the Spirit imparts charismata “as he determines” (12:11) and each gifted part of the ecclesial body is to occupy a place “as God chooses” (12:18) sounds the death knell to inordinate pride on the one side, and low self-esteem on the other. All the members have a special charisma, but one does not have all the charismata; and some charismata are not universally available (12:29–30; these rhetorical questions expect the answer no).

The second criterion laid down by Paul is that all the charismata serve one purpose, stated as the “good of all” (2 Cor 12:7). This axiom will be elaborated in chap. 14 where the apostolic directive is that all the gifts on display in congregational assembly should be directed to the upbuilding (oikodomē) of the entire company (14:5, 12, 26). In the list of nine gifts in 12:4–10 a representative number are itemized, probably in descending order of Pauline evaluation. There are three groups, each with a distinctive aim: (a) pedagogical ministries in the utterances of “wisdom” and “knowledge” twin capacities highly prized at Corinth and needing to be brought under the control of the Spirit lest they should minister to pride and speculation (1 Cor 8:1), and reliance on a private gnosis which benefits only the possessor. “Wisdom of this age” (1 Cor 1:20–25; 2:5–6; 3:19) does not serve to build up the congregation; but wisdom as a God-given insight into divine mysteries (2:7: cf. Eph 3:10–11; Col 1:9) does; (b) supernatural powers exemplified in deeds of faith, miracle-working abilities, and effective healings (12:9, 28, 30) suggest the presence of divine activity in relation to human weakness, sickness, and distress, though the Paul of Acts (Acts 14:8–10; 16:16–18; 19:11–12; 28:3–6, 7–10) is given a reputation as a wonderworker that is only marginally represented in the epistles (by contrast 2 Cor 12:1–10; cf. 2 Tim 4:20). (c) gifts of communication are expressed in the following terms—prophecy linked to the ability to evaluate the inspired utterances (of the prophets? 1 Cor 14:29–31); glossolalic speech, often simply called “tongues” (1 Cor 12:10, 28; 12:30; 13:1, 8; 14:5–6, 22–23, 39) or a “tongue” (14:2, 4, 9, 13–14, 26–27), best understood as an ecstatic cry or type of prayer-speech thought to articulate the language of heaven (T. Job 48–50) as a vehicle of praise and communication. So, because Paul will have the “tongue” express meaning for others and not simply serve to build up the glossolalic (14:2, 4a), he insists on the need for “interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor 12:10; 14:26), and the presence of an “interpreter” (14:28) who will exercise this charisma (12:30; 14:5, 13, 27). Only thus—in Paul’s pastoral counsel—will the church be edified and worship be brought under the aegis of the rational in tandem with the affective. See 1 Cor 14:6 for Paul’s preference for the more noetic gifts of “revelation” (uncovering the will of God for his people perhaps as directives and commands); “knowledge” of God’s salvific plan in all its ramifications for the Church; “prophecy,” inspired utterances which, unlike glossolalia, are marked by intelligibility and comprehensibility in the minds of the hearers; and “teaching,” perhaps scriptural expositions based on the OT. Glossolalia, on the other hand, is to be understood as “speaking” and “praying” when the mind is inactive (14:14). For Paul this is less desirable on the ground that the congregation is not built up by this exercise (14:11); rather the individual glossolalic serves only to build up himself (14:4). Prophecy, to the contrary, involves the interplay of spirit and mind, and aims to edify the hearers, whether one’s fellow-believers (14:3, 16–17) or outsiders (14:24–26).

This last reference introduces yet another criterion for the right and profitable use of charismata in the Pauline churches. It may be stated as a concern for good order and seemly behavior among the worshippers not only because other types of corporate practice—such as the confusion of all speaking in a strange tongue (14:11) or all speaking together—lead to disarray (1 Cor 14:17–28) but because Paul looks to the character of God as setting the standard. He is not a God of disorder but of peace (harmony) (14:32), and any tendency that promotes the abandonment of control and produces the onset of uninhibited and unrestrained outpourings in glossolalic speech suggests that the worshippers are “possessed” by a demonic spirit (14:23). Thereby, they betray the nature of worship under the lordship of Christ (12:1–3). So the apostolic call is to permit glossolalia, with the necessary safeguards; to give priority to intelligible prophecy and revelation (14:30); and above all to promote good order and decorous conduct (14:40).

Another way of putting these three criteria—the unity to be safeguarded amid competing interests at Corinth, the concern for upbuilding of the entire company at worship, and the restraints needed to retain a semblance of good order—is to make love the indispensable accompaniment of whatever charismata are found in the Church. “Love” (agapē) is not one of the charismata; it is rather the Spirit’s fruit (Gal 5:22). As such, it is the test of all the charismata, for if love is absent, all the gifts, however valued and heroic they may appear, lose their value (1 Cor 13:1–3). Only love, best defined as a determination to seek and apply the interests of God in other people, can act to ensure that the true meaning of a spiritual gift may be properly achieved. That implies that its function is controlled and channeled along those lines which promote the intention of God whose nature for Paul as for the other NT writers is most adequately described as love. Even gifts that Paul otherwise would applaud, such as “knowledge” and “prophecy,” have their true function within a relationship of love; and even so they are limited to this age, in Paul’s eschatology (1 Cor 13:8–13). Love which is as eternal as God’s nature endures.