Slideshow image

The Gifts to the Church

There are 104 references of some form of the word gift in the Bible. While some reference giving from one person to another, others refer to our responsibility to give to God, there are others that specifically reference what God has given to the Church.

Most notable being,

1) the gift of the Holy Ghost [Acts 2:38],

2) the gift of Righteousness [Romans 5:17],

3) the gift of Grace [Ephesians 3:7],

4) the gift of Eternal Life [Romans 6:23].

But for this session we will spend our time focused on the gift of ministering to the saints [2 Corinthians 8:4], and the gifts of the Spirit [2 Corinthians 12].

The Gift of Ministering To the Saints (Spiritual Authority)

Let’s begin by looking at the gift of ministering to the saints or the gift of Spiritual Authority in the Church.

2 Corinthians 8:4
4 praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

Several sessions ago we discussed how the principles of Alignment and Authority affect our daily lives (see Building a Spiritual Life: Session 7- Alignment and Authority). In that session there was one area we did not cover, Spiritual Authority in the Church.

God has given the church a gift known as the five-fold ministry.

Ephesians 4:11-13
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

The purpose of this gift is to edify the body of Christ, to promote unity, to instill knowledge, and to place us on the road to perfection. So, how is this accomplished?

Hebrews 13:17
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

We are specifically instructed to, not to just acknowledge, but to obey the authority structure God has instituted over our lives in the church. This means we have a responsibility, and it is the expectation of God, that we honor the authority of church leaders and are to follow them as they follow Christ [1 Corinthians 11:1].

1 Timothy 5:17
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Disregarding, rejecting, or substituting God’s order of authority will always bring calamity. This means we are to have and show respect for those God has placed in positions of authority. Hebrews 13:17 confirms that refusing to obey and submit to our leaders is “unprofitable”, meaning specifically that this disobedience brings with it serious consequences.

Romans 2:8-9
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish […]

The body of Christ is instructed to willingly submit to the offices of the ministry and to follow and obey the teaching of the Word of God. The reason? So that they may escape the wrath which is to come.

Now to those who hold these offices, the job is not to be taken lightly.

Jeremiah 3:15
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

They are instructed to feed the body, not tear it down, again this is what it means to have the heart of a servant. This is true Alignment to Apostolic Authority. The Pastors role is not to be your best buddy, but rather your example, your guide, your guard rail. There will be times of rejoicing, there will be times of rebuke. Jesus loved Peter, but He rebuked him. Jesus loved James and John, but He rebuked them. The church is commanded to “despise not chastening” [Hebrews 12:5], to “endure chastening” [Hebrews 12:7], and to rejoice that it is proof that we are loved of God [Revelation 3:19].

When the ministry and the saints of God work together, as God has ordained, the church will be the most powerful force in the community. But this power, this authority cannot be achieved unless the church submits and aligns itself to God’s structure and the ordained chain of command.

Only when we submit to God, His will, and His ordained leaders, will we find fulfillment and success in our own personal lives, and when we do, we will edify and build up the body of Christ, because we are walking in authority and are aligned with God, and have not refused this most sacred gift of God.

The Gifts of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:1-2; 4-6
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.  

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

It is clear from the opening words of Paul’s letter to Corinth that they had problems. It’s obvious that some of the members continued to have issues with their carnal nature. As we discussed last session, people are still people, we are imperfect striving for perfection, but still imperfect. However, we need to remember the words Paul gave the Church in Rome.

Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. […]

While they had problems, that did not stop God from giving to them Spiritual Gifts. Why? Because a gift is not something that is earned. This is where a lot of people get tripped up, they confuse the Gifts of the Spirit with the Fruits of the Spirit. Fruit is the evidence of work, the result of the maturation of the child of God. Not so with gifts, they are not earned, they are gifts. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be gifts. And to be clear, the working of the Gifts of the Spirit are not an indication of someone’s maturity, or proximity to God. Again, where not talking about fruit, we are talking about gifting.

For the sake of discussion, we will separate out the gifts into three groups, revelation, power, and voicing.

Revelation: the Gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Discernment

Word of Wisdom

Anyone can apply themselves to the pursuit of wisdom [Proverbs 3:13]. Also, wisdom is something that we can pray and ask God for [James 1:5]. But the gift of the Word of Wisdom is different. It’s not pursued, it is not achieved, it is a gifting where God supernaturally bestows upon a believer a portion of the Wisdom of God, wisdom for a specific situation that the believer would by no means know. This is wisdom that, in the moment, is released to provide the believer with the word to speak so that others will be edified.

Word of Knowledge

Like the Word of Wisdom, there is also a gift of the Word of Knowledge. Don’t misread or misinterpret the gift, it’s not the gift of knowledge, it’s the Word of Knowledge. Again, one can pursue knowledge, you can study and research and gain knowledge on a particular subject matter. That’s not what Paul is referring to. The gift of the Word of Knowledge is information about a subject in which the believer has no personal knowledge. It is God granting a believer the ability to “know” the way to go or the action to take.

Discerning of Spirits

The gift of Discerning of Spirits is the ability for the believer to discern or distinguish what spirits are at work in a given situation. This includes both the Spirit of God and the spirit of the enemy. But let’s also include any human spirits that may be rising up, because we all know that not everything that happens is of God, and not everything that happens is of the enemy, it just is plain old carnality that needs to submit.

Power: the Gift of Faith, Healing, and Miracles

Gift of Faith

There are three kinds of faith mentioned in the Bible. 1) The faith that comes by hearing the Word of God [Romans 10:17], 2) the faith that is part of the fruit of the Holy Ghost [Galatians 5:22], and 3) the gift of faith [1 Corinthians 12:9]. The gift of faith is the sudden assurance given by the Holy Ghost that God will take care of the current situation.

Gift of Healings

In 1 Corinthians 12:9 the Greek word used for healing is  ἴαμα (EE-ah-mah) which in the New Testament is always used in the plural form. This indicates that there are different gifts given for different diseases. While there are similarities between healings and miracles, in many cases, there are also important differences. Healing may occur gradually, or it may happen instantly.

Working of Miracles

Miracles go beyond healing. They may involve the replacement of a missing limb, or a significant change in an existing part of the body. In fact, a miracle can extend beyond the body. It could be represented in a financial crisis, a familia issue, or simply a situation in which there is a need for divine intervention. This is where a miracle oftentimes supersedes the laws of nature and science.

Voicing: Prophecy, Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues

Gift of Prophecy

There is a difference between the office or ministry of a Prophet [Ephesians 4:11] and the gift of Prophecy. A true Prophet will have the gift of Prophecy, but just because you are used in the gift of Prophecy doesn’t mean you’re a Prophet.

Prophecy is the ability to speak words given by the Holy Ghost for a specific purpose or season. Like all of the vocal gifts it is subject to the believer. Meaning that while it’s prompted by the Spirit, it can be manipulated by the flesh (either by silencing or abusing). Therefore, Paul gave specific regulations for the proper use of this gift. [1 Corinthians 14:1-33]. Prophecy is to be used for three purposes: 1) edification, 2) exhortation, and 3) comfort [1 Corinthians 14:3]. Anything beyond this is of the flesh or the enemy.

Diverse Kinds of Tongues

This gift is given so that the believer is used to speak in a language not understood by the speaker but understood by the hearer. It is not to be confused with the initial infilling of the Holy Ghost, which is evident by speaking in tongues [Acts 2:39; Acts 5:32; 1 Corinthians 12:13]. This outpouring of tongues is for all believers. The gift of Diverse Kinds of Tongues is not, as it is reserved to be used not in rejoicing and worship, but to edify and direct an individual or a group of believers in the church.

Interpretation of Tongues

The gift of Interpretation of Tongues is the ability to interpret a message that is delivered to the church in an unknown language by the speaker and usually delivered to the body of believers.

The gifts of the Spirit are not intended to draw attention toward the gifted person but should always be to draw attention toward God. The use of these gifts should always be practiced “decently and in order” [1 Corinthians 14:40], simply meaning, the use of the gift should not create confusion or disruption in the House of the Lord. Doing so would be putting the giftee before the giver of the gift. Also, Spiritual Gifts are not to be forbidden or despised as this would be “quenching the Spirit” [1 Thessalonians 5:19].

Above All, Love

In his final line of teaching, Paul urges the believer to “earnestly desire the best gift” and then announced, “and yet I show you a more excellent way” [1 Corinthians 12:31].

So, here Paul is encouraging us to desire the Holy Ghost to endow us with Spiritual Gifts, but to also embrace something more, and that something is love. The entire next chapter [1 Corinthians 13] is devoted to this. Teaching us that no matter how much we may be used in Spiritual Gifts or how spiritual we may seem to others, it is love that determines who we really are. Prophecies, knowledge, wisdom, even great faith pale in comparison to love.

In fact, Paul goes on in the chapter to argue that if we don’t have love in the church, we don’t have anything. I would say it this way, if we don’t have the love of God in our hearts and in our church then we do not deserve healing or miracles, wisdom or knowledge, or even prophecy or tongues. Paul likens this to an annoying, crashing cymbal. But if we have love, true love, then we will suffer long with one another, we will be kind, we will not be prideful, we are not rude or self-serving. If we have love, we trust one another, rejoice with one another, weep with one another, bear one another’s burdens, and believe in one another.

What becomes clear through studying the Scripture is this, love is the guiding force by which the church operates. Love overcomes discrimination, prejudice, love will see that the destitute, the widows indeed, and the orphan are taken care of [1 Corinthians 13]. Love will cover a multitude of sin. [1 Peter 4:8] Love will not make us ashamed [Romans 5:5].

God has given His church gifts for the purpose of edifying the church. These gifts of the Spirit work when people in the body of Christ (the church) yield to the move of His Spirit. Yielding will happen when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts [Romans 5:5].