Page 47 - Pneumatology - A Study of the Holy Spirit

The Gifts of the Spirit

When a person receives Christ as Savior, upon his rebirth, the Holy Spirit
comes into the believer and brings with Him special spiritual gifts to
empower the believer for service. These gifts are for the edification of
others, not for the believer himself. Every person receives one of these
special gifts, and perhaps multiple gifts. It should become your desire to
seek to determine what special gift the Spirit empowers you so you can start being a blessing to other
believers.

There are actually three Biblical lists of the “gifts of the Spirit”, also known as spiritual gifts. The three main
passages describing the spiritual gifts are Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28.
The spiritual gifts identified in Romans 12 are prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership,
and mercy. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:4–11 includes the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith,
healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, and
interpretation of tongues.

Many of these gifts are considered permanent gifts given to believers throughout the church age. Others
were given as temporary “sign gifts” for the purpose of validating the message of the one exercising the gift.
They were given to the early church to enable the gospel to be preached throughout the world to all the
nations and in all known languages. It involved the divine ability to speak languages previously unknown to
the speaker. This gift authenticated the message of the gospel and those who preached it as coming from
God. The phrase “diversity of tongues” means several kinds of languages, and it eliminates the idea of a
personal prayer language, as some today say the gift of tongues is. I Corinthians 13 tells us that the gift of
tongues will cease of itself or fade away.

I Corinthians 13:8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as
for knowledge, it will pass away.

It is evident in this verse that prophecies and knowledge will pass, and tongues will cease. The Greek word
st
for “cease” literally means “cease of itself” or “to vanish away.” In church history, shortly after the 1
Century church was passed and as the canon of Scripture was completed, the gift of tongues (being able to
speak in an unknown foreign language) ceased as a gift. Let’s take a few minutes to help you understand
what these gifts are:

Prophecy – it means “speaking forth” or declaring the purposes of God. It does not mean predicting the
future. The prophet or preacher declares God’s will, interprets the purposes of God, and makes God known
to others in a way that the truth of God is upheld.

Serving – It comes from the Greek word diakonian, where we get our modern word, deacon. It means to
serve to minister to the practical needs of others.

Teaching – This gift involves the analysis and proclamation of the Word of God, explaining the meaning,
context, and application to the hearer’s life. This gift enables the teacher to have a unique ability to clearly
instruct and communicate knowledge, especially the doctrines of the faith.

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