03.01. Terms Referring to Spiritual Gifts

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT IN THE CORPORATE MEETING James W. Garrett In Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, Paul describes gifts of the Spirit. The Romans passage is an exhortation to individual believers to function diligently in the functional gifts that each one has received. The term, functional gifts, refers to the spiritual equipping that has been given to each Christian, enabling him to function in a particular role in the local church. This is an equipping that continues throughout the believer’s earthly life. Some call these motivational gifts, because they are what motivates the believer in his arena of ministry. In 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, Paul discusses spiritual manifestations in the corporate meeting of the local church. These manifestations are the means whereby the Holy Spirit, through various believers, manifests Himself in the corporate meeting. These may be spontaneous occurrences or something that the Holy Spirit does in a believer prior to the meeting (a prophetic word to be presented, for example).

These two portions of Scripture (Romans 12:1-21 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40) have become an arena of intense debate in recent decades. What one teaches on this topic can make him joyously embraced by some and excommunicated by others. Those who are committed to Our Lord and the authority of Scripture are represented on both sides of the debate.

Leaders who yearn to see the New Testament Church displayed in their own generation cannot avoid facing the questions related to this topic. In this paper we will seek to face several of the questions surrounding the gifts and seek to determine the biblical teaching concerning the multiple facets of the overall topic.

TERMS REFERRING TO SPIRITUAL GIFTS A common Greek term for gift, is doron (dw~ron), which is used only one time in the New Testament in reference to a spiritual gift. This one instance is in Ephesians 2:8, referring to the gift of saving faith, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. All other occasions of the term in the New Testament refer to gifts between individuals, or offerings presented to God. The term used for the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself is another common Greek word, dorea (dwrea)>.

1 This term, means simply, gift, and is not restricted to any special usage in the New Testament. The Gift of the Holy Spirit is not within the purview of this study. The topic of this paper is the manner in which the Holy Spirit manifests Himself, and the gifts that He bestows upon believers.

1 Examples of such usage: John 4:10 (compare with John 7:37 ff); Acts 2:38; Acts 8:20; Acts 10:45; Acts 11:17. Some also would include Hebrews 6:4 in this list.3 A term that is within the purview of our study is, merismos (merismo>v), meaning, distribution. is found in the plural in Hebrews 2:4, by various miracles and by gifts [merismo>v merismos distributions] of the Holy Spirit, according to His will. The term that the New Testament uses most frequently to refer to gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows on believers is charisma (ca>risma), which, in Romans 12:1-21 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, occurs in its plural form, charismata (cari>smata). This term emphasizes the fact that something is given, as opposed to something that is due a person because he has earned it. The term excludes the idea of giving a gift to honor someone, as for example, one would give a gift to honor a king. The act of giving a charisma arises exclusively out of the will of the giver (as if a king, strictly out of the goodness of his heart, decided to bestow treasures upon his irresponsible subjects).

Charisma occurs seventeen times in the New Testament, therein describing a variety of gifts. In each passage, the context must be considered in order to determine the meaning of the term. In most instances, the meaning is quite clear. Here are the seventeen occurrences of the term and the definitions as determined by context.

· The unique gifts that God had bestowed on Israel (listed in Romans 9:4) Romans 11:25-29 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery -- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation -- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob… This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

· The gift of celibacy (free from the sexual need to be married) 1 Corinthians 7:7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.

· God’s favor in circumstances 2 Corinthians 1:11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.

· The benefit a church receives from the general ministry of an apostle Romans 1:11 For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;4 · The free gift of salvation Romans 5:15-16 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift 2 by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift 3 is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

· Divinely imparted abilities to be used in ministry Romans 12:6-8 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 Timothy 4:13-15 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.

4 2 Timothy 1:6 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

5 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

2 This is the Greek term, dorea (dwre>a).

3 ditto

4 Because the exhortation to not neglect the gift is bracketed by reference to teaching and preaching, the obvious conclusion is that the gift which Timothy received by the laying on of hands of the presbytery was that of preaching and teaching. In the NAS, the word, “spiritual,” preceding the word, “gift,” was added by the translators. All other popular versions do not have this addition. The term is not in the Greek text.

5 Paul’s days were numbered when he wrote this epistle. He was passing on the baton to the next generation.

Timothy had been set apart to ministry by Paul and the presbyters. A spiritual impartation, equipping Timothy for the ministry to which he was being set apart, took place with the laying on of the apostle’s hands. Paul was exhorting Timothy to recommit, with fresh enthusiasm, to the ministry to which he had been set apart and for which he had been equipped by the Holy Spirit.5 · Gifts and/or Manifestations of the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 1:4-7 I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.

QUESTIONS

Those who seek to lead contemporary New Testament churches face many questions related to the charismata. The most obvious are, · Is 1 Corinthians 14:1-40 a description of a normal church service in the First Century, or was this just a “Corinthian” service and not the norm for all First Century churches?

· Are the manifestations described in 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, and elsewhere, something that should be expected in every age, or were they just for the First Century?

· If the manifestations are for every age, should church leaders seek to do what they can to promote the type of meeting described in 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, or are Paul’s instructions more in the vein of, “if you do have these things, here is how to manage them in a Godhonoring manner”?

We will research the second question first, and allow the answers to the other two questions to develop as we proceed through out study.