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SP-GIFTS.TXT
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1989-10-04
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Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
1. Definition: A spiritual gift is the special ability given by God
to each believer for ministry within the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:4-7,
11-19; 1 Pet 4:10; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11).
2. Spiritual gifts were instituted by Christ at His ascension (Eph
4:8,11) and given to individual believers according to the Father's
plan through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:8-11; Rom 12:3).
3. Every believer has a spiritual gift. All believers are
anatomically and functionally a part of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12;
Eph 4:16; 1 Pet 4:10-11).
4. There are different gifts. They work together harmoniously and
efficiently. The idea of different gifts does not imply superiority
or inferiority among believers (Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:4,14-25).
5. Gifts are given to benefit the body of Christ, the church, which
is composed of believer-priests who serve God (1 Cor 12:7,17,25; Eph
4:16; 1 Pet 4:10).
6. Spiritual gifts are grace gifts that are to be responsibly and
faithfully managed and used as any other responsibility assigned to a
person (Rom 12:3; 1Cor 4:1-2; 1 Pet 4:10).
7. Spiritual gifts should be allowed to operate (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor
4:1-2; 1 Pet 4:10). They determine the direction and thrust of the
believer's ministry.
8. Spiritual gifts are vital in the Christian's way of life, but they
should be balanced with the love spectrum of 1 Cor 13:4-7. Gifts are
to be used in love. God is able to accomplish everything He desires
quite easily, but He wants believers to respond to His love and to
manifest His love to others more than He wants them to do "things"
apart from love (1 Cor 12:31-13:8).
9. There are three dimensions of the CWL in relation to spiritual
gifts (1 Cor 12:4-6).
9:1. The gifts refer to the specific ability. This ability is
given by the Holy Spirit:
9:2. Ministries refer to the areas of service for that gift. The
Ministries are directed by Christ as Head of the church.
9:3. The effects refer to the production in the ministries
accomplished through the gift. The Father has planned the production.
10. The communication gifts have been given special importance (1 Cor
12:28-31; 14:3-5,19; Eph 4:11-12). This is because the communication
of the Word of God prepares the believer to live the CWL. Believers
should therefore make listening to the commication of the Word of God
a priority in life.
11. Temporary spiritual gifts are those spiritual gifts given to the
church in order to carry the church through its infancy. They were
operational only during the transitional first century. The
following are the temporary spiritual gifts. differentiating spirits,
faith, prophecy, tongues, word of knowledge, word of wisdom. The
principle of temporary spiritual gifts is taught in 1 Cor 13:8-10
and Heb 2:3-4.
12. Permanent spiritual gifts are those gifts that are consistently
given throughout the church age. There are ten permanent spiritual
gifts making up four categories. The categories and the gifts are
public communication (pastor/teacher, evangelist, and teacher),
operations (leadership, administrations, and service), individual
(helping, showing mercy, and encouragement), and material resource
(giving).
13. Summary definition for each of the permanent spiritual gifts.
13:1. Pastor/teacher: The man gifted with the ability to
authoritatively care for, lead, and communicate the Word of God for
understanding and application (spiritual growth) to people making up
the flock or the local church body (Acts 20:17-28; Eph 4:11-12; Heb
13:17).
13:2. Teacher: The ability to communicate the Word of God to
believers so that they may understand the content and grow spiritually
(Rom 12:7).
13:3. Evangelist: The person gifted with the ability to communicate
the gospel of Christ to the unbeliever so that the unbeliever will
understand and believe in Jesus Christ and then be integrated into the
church (Eph 4:11-12).
13:4. Leadership: The ability to lead, direct, and manage people,
areas of thought, and activity for the orderly, efficient, and
harmonious attainment of objectives (Rom 12:8).
13:5. Administration: The ability to steer, to guide, to implement
the accomplishment of a policy so that the best, most efficient
method, route, and procedure is used to secure the objective (1 Cor
12:28).
13:6. Service: This support gift is the ability to effectively
carry out a task, do a job, engage in an activity for another person
or group as a part of the body of Christ. The person with the gift of
service functions under authority, with loyalty to that authority, and
with an objective or objectives to accomplish (Rom 12:7).
13:7. Help: This is the ability to help, give assistance, give aid
to those within the church. Helping is often spontaneous,
independent, varied, and short term (1 Cor 12:28).
13:8. Mercy: This is the ability to express sympathy, kindness, and
help to the person experiencing earthly, human need (Rom 12:8).
13:9. Encouragement: The ability to use the content of the Word of
God so that the Holy Spirit can to bring about mental attitudes and
actions which are found in the Word of God (Rom 12:8).
13:10. Giving: This is the ability to share with other believers
from your material resources over and above the normal giving of
believers (Rom 12:8).
14. In order to help identify your spiritual gift, prayerfully think
through the following questions.
What is your desire in ministering? You should have a desire to serve
in the area of your gift. What do you find yourself doing? The
believer growing and living the CWL will find that the gift is
operating even if the particular gift is unknown to the person. In
what area are you a consistent blessing? Your gift will benefit other
believers and they will recognize the benefit:
Apply the three dimensions of the CWL that pertain to spiritual
gifts to yourself (12 Cor 12:4-6).
15. Allow God to work through you. You have a gift and ministries
and production:
Copyright 1989 by Tod M. Kennedy
You are allowed to reproduce this article only in its entirety and
without additions or deletions.