Original_To:  CHRISTIA
Original_cc:  HUTTER
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Tue, 8 Sep 1992 09:24:00 N
From:         Wolfgang Hutter <HUTTER@DULRUU51.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Spiritual Gifts

jstahley@ATHENA.QUALCOMM.COM asked:

>Can anyone define what spiritual gifts are and how to tell which spiritual
>gifts I may have?

Ian Williams <iwilliam@AU.ORACLE.COM> answered by referring to 1 Cor.12:

>They are the following manifestations of the Holy Spirits power for the
>edification (building up) of the church
>such as
>
>Speaking in Tounges
>Interpretation of Tounges
>Healing
>Great Faith
>Prophesy
>Working of Miracles
>Word of Knowledge
>Word of Wisdom

Why in all the world is everybody seeming to put tongues in the first
place, when Paul lists them last? And you forgot 'discerning of
spirits', which is included in the 1 Cor. 12 list.

>You cannot work out which gift you have because no one has them, they are
>given for a period of time by the Holy Spirit to acheive a certain
>purpose and then are taken away again.

I would doubt this, since I found no passage of Scripture that tells us
that the gifts are not permanent with regard to the individual. Or how
then would Paul be able to say that someone who wanted to speak out in a
tongue should check beforehand if there is one who has the gift of
interpretation?

CO1 14:28  But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in
 the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

>You may like to check out Romans for 'gifts' that we are more likely to
>'have' such as The Gift of Serving, Leadership, Helps, Encouraging etc ect
>(i cannot remember the reference off hand).

The passage is:

ROM 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that
 is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the
 proportion of faith;
ROM 12:7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that
 teacheth, on teaching;
ROM 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let
 him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that
 sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Another passage talking about spiritual gifts is found in Ephesians;

EPH 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led
 captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
[...]
EPH 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
 evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Here we also read some kind of definition for the gifts:

EPH 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
 ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

which is similar to the one in Corinthians when Paul says:

CO1 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man
 to profit withal.

This can be summarized in a definition that is similar to the one Ian
gave: a gift of the Holy Spirit is an ability that the Holy Spirit gives
to a member of the Body to perform a special task for edification in a
special way. There are some who hold that for every spiritual gift (that
only some receive) there is also a corresponding 'universal role' that
every believer should fulfill. This is best understood when regarding
the gifts of 'evangelisation' (-> witnessing) or of healing (-> praying
for the sick).

To find out which gifts the Holy Spirit has given you, three things come
to my mind:

* To fulfill God's plan always makes us joyful. So think about what
  brings you joy and satisfies you spiritually. This might be the
  direction of your gift(s).

* Just do it. Spiritual gifts will become evident.

* Ask someone who knows you well and who is spiritually mature.

I will check out at home. I may find some more elaborate notes which I
will send to you personally or to the group if there is a public demand
for it.

Wolfgang <><
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU