You have been a Christian long enough to know that when most people want to know more about the Holy Spirit, what they really mean is that they want to learn about SPIRITUAL GIFTS.  You may also be aware that there is a great deal of controversy over this subject, as well as considerable confusion.  As you might expect, it would be impossible for me to discuss the matter of SPIRITUAL GIFTS in any complete sense in one lesson.  However, sometimes it is more important to get an overview of something before we examine it in depth.

  The New Testament is clear about the fact that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to Christians.

• Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 12:4, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit.”

Obviously, there are several questions that come to mind in relation to these gifts.

(1) What kind of gifts were given by the Holy Spirit?

(2) Why were these gifts given?

(3) Does the Holy Spirit give gifts today to all Christians?

(4)  Do gifts of the Holy Spirit make us perfect or complete?  Let us try to answer these questions, very briefly, in order.

1. WHAT KIND OF GIFTS WERE GIVEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?

As we read the New Testament, we begin to see that the gifts of the Spirit can be divided into two broad divisions:

• Miraculous gifts whose expression clearly defies all scientific explanation, and
• Non-miraculous gifts that show up in what you are good at and passionate about in your life.

The Miraculous gifts are described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 as follows:

“To one there is given through the Spirit the ability to speak with wisdom, to another the ability to speak with knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that  one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.”

The Non-miraculous gifts:  although there are more of these than will be cited, Paul gives us a fairly full list in Romans 12:6-8.  He writes,

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve;  if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” 

It should probably be pointed out that in this passage, prophecy seems to refer to preaching or proclaiming God’s word as revealed in Scripture, rather than the miraculous reception of personal inspiration from God.

2. WHY WERE THESE GIFTS GIVEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The major reason for giving such gifts to Christians is very clear.  Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 12:7,

“to each man the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 

Similarly, Peter says in 1 Peter 4:10,

“Each one should use whatever spiritual gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”  

Therefore, the primary reason any spiritual gifts is given to a Christian is so that he may use it to serve others for the common good of the church.

Beyond this basic understanding, we must also recognize that God gave the Miraculous Gifts for a special purpose and that by design they were not intended to continue beyond the first century.  Why were these miraculous gifts given to first-century Christians?  We must remember that the New Testament had not been written and collected at this time, and those early Christians needed some kind of CONFIRMATION that the gospel message was the valid and authoritative word of God!  That is why the writer of Hebrews says that in Chapter 2 vss. 3 &4,

“This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.  God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will”. 

Notice that the confirmation process is spoken of as past tense!

         In a similar passage of Mark 16:17, 18  it describes the miraculous works that the early Christians would do.

We again see the above idea.  It is written in Mark 16:19-20,

“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God.  Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.” 

These two passages that tell us that the miraculous gifts were given to confirm the validity and authority of the gospel message both say that CONFIRMATION has already taken place!  Therefore, there is no further need for these gifts.

• The same miracles that confirmed the gospel message to the first Christians are recorded in the New Testament to confirm the message to us!
• Consequently, the miraculous gifts were not designed to continue beyond the first century.

That is not true of the Non-miraculous Gifts, however.  They were designed by God to continue.

 Just from a practical point of view, let us compare the two lists of gifts.

• Since we have the New Testament in completed form, the church can live very productively without persons with miraculous gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and prophecy.
• However, the church could not live without persons with the non-miraculous gift of prophecy to delve into the Old and New Testament scriptures to reveal God’s will for our lives.
• Likewise, the church can survive in very healthy fashion without miraculous gifts of healing, powers, discerning of spirits, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues.
• However, the church would cease to exist without the non-miraculous gifts of service, teaching, encouragement, financial giving, leadership, and mercy!

3. DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVE GIFTS TODAY TO ALL CHRISTIANS?

Yes!  All Christians are given at least one gift that fits into the category of gifts cited in Romans 12:6-8.

• That means that you already have such a gift and God expects you to use it for the common good of the church.

4. DO GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKE US PERFECT OF COMPLETE?

No!  The Corinthian church was the most gifted church in the New Testament as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:7, yet they were also the most immature, imperfect, or incomplete Christians as seen in 1 Corinthians 3:1. The New Testament never associates having a spiritual gift with spiritual maturity.  Christian maturity, completeness, or perfection comes through the exercise of one of the fruits of the Spirit which is LOVE according to Matthew 5:43-48.  Since this is true, let us together continue to concentrate on love.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND STUDY

1. The gifts of the Holy Spirit can be divided into what two broad categories?

2. List the miraculous gifts of the Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10.

3. List the non-miraculous gifts of the Spirit found in Romans 12:6-8.

4. What is the major reason that spiritual gifts are given to us by the Holy Spirit according to 1 Corinthians 12:7 & 1 Peter 4:10?

5. Why did the Holy Spirit give miraculous gifts to the first-century Christians according to Hebrews 2:3,4 & Mark 16:19,20?

6. The church can function very well without possessing the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. What gifts can the church not do without? (Romans 12:6-8)

7. Do you think you have a spiritual gift or gifts as listed in Romans 12:6-8? If you were guessing, what would you guess it (them) to be?

8. The Corinthians were the most gifted church in the New Testament, yet they were also what according to 1 Corinthians 3:1?

• What does Matthew 5:43-38 say makes us mature, complete, and perfect?