Page 50 - New Testament Survey Student Textbook
P. 50
*Excursus: Spiritual gifts in the New Testament—lists:
1 Cor 12:8-10 1 Cor 12:28-30 Rom 12:6-8 Eph 4:11 1 Pet 4:10-
11
word of wisdom apostles prophesying apostles speaks
word of knowledge prophets serving prophets serves
faith teachers teaching evangelists
healing workers of miracles encouraging pastor-teachers
miraculous powers healing contributing to needs of
others
prophecy able to help others leadership
distinguishing spirits administration showing mercy
speaking in tongues speaking in tongues
interpretation of interpretation
tongues
*Excursus, cont.: Spiritual gifts in the New Testament--classification
(adapted and amplified from W. J. Larkin, Jr. Study Guide for BIB 5133):
A. Gifts of Speaking
1. Apostle: proclaimer of the gospel among peoples who have never heard so that churches are
founded
(1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11;
*Exercise of gift: Pioneer church planting in Galatia by the apostles (pl.) Paul and Barnabas (Acts
14:4, 14; Gal 1:19; 1 Thess 2:6b; Rom 16:7; 1 Cor 15:7; Phil 2:25; 2 Cor 8:23).
2. Prophet: speaker of spontaneous, Spirit-inspired, rational, intelligible, oral messages to the
gathered assembly for edification through warning and encouragement (1 Cor 12:10, 28; Rom
12:6; Eph 4:11).
*W. Grudem’s thesis: divinely given insight channeled through human words, tested by the
congregation
(1 Cor 14:29-32; 1 Thess 5:20-21).
*Exercise of gift: Agabus’s predictions of widespread famine (Acts 11:27-28) and of Paul’s
imprisonment in Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-11) (foretelling); ministry of Judas and Silas
strengthening and encouraging the church in Antioch (Acts 15:32) (forthtelling).
3. Distinguishing between spirits: either (i) discerning between what is of the Spirit of God and
what is from other spirits (1 Jn 4:1; Acts 16:6-8) or (ii) testing the spirits of the prophets as to
whether the content conforms to apostolic tradition (1 Cor 12:10).
*Exercise of gift: The Corinthian prophets themselves and the congregation had the
responsibility to weigh the validity of prophetic utterances (1 Cor 14:29-32; 1 Thess 5:20-21).
4. Word of wisdom: an utterance characterized by wisdom—the proclamation of Christ crucified,
received by those who have the Spirit (1 Cor 12:8).
*Exercise of gift: Paul evidenced an undistracted focus on the proclamation of God’s wisdom
discerned by those in step with the Spirit (1 Cor 2:2-16).
5. Word of knowledge: a spiritual utterance of a revelatory type, either (i) an endowment with
factual knowledge not humanly obtainable or (ii) Christian insight into the meaning of Scripture
(1 Cor 12:8; cf. 1 Cor 13:8; 14:6).
49