Spiritural Gifts
pneumatikos {pnyoo-mat-ik-os’}
1) relating to the human spirit, or rational soul, as part of the man which is akin to God and serves as his instrument or organ
charisma { khar’-is-mah}
1) a favour with which one receives without any merit of his
own
2) the gift of divine grace
3) the gift of faith, knowledge, holiness, virtue
4) the economy of divine grace, by which the pardon of sin and
eternal salvation is appointed to sinners in consideration of the
merits of Christ laid hold of by faith grace or gifts denoting
extraordinary powers, distinguishing certain Christians and
enabling them to serve the church of Christ, the reception of
which is due to the power of divine grace operating on their
souls by the Holy Spirit
spiritual gifts, a concept present only in the NT, primarily in the Pauline Letters, although the idea of being empowered by the Holy Spirit for particular tasks is by no means alien to the OT (e.g., Judg. 3:10; Num. 11:29). Various Greek terms are employed when these are in mind, but most notably pneumatika, which emphasizes the spiritual origin of the gifts (pneuma means ‘spirit’; see 1 Cor. 14:1), and, more often, charismata, which emphasizes that they are bestowed as an act of divine grace (charis means ‘grace’; see Rom. 12:6). In distinction from ‘the fruit of the Spirit,’ which all Christians are to manifest without variation (Gal. 5:22-23), the gifts of the Spirit are understood to vary from one believer to another (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; cf. 1 Pet. 4:10). In the Letters of undisputed Pauline authorship, there are four separate listings of the Spirit’s gifts (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-10; 12:28; 12:29-30), but since no two of the lists are identical it seems clear that no one list is intended to be definitive. The various gifts may be grouped under three general headings:
The gifts of utterance include prophecy (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:10, 28; cf. 1 Cor. 12:8; 14:6), with which the ability to distinguish between true and false prophecy is closely associated (1 Cor. 12:10; cf. 14:29 and 1 Thess. 5:19-21); instruction (Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28; cf. 1 Cor. 14:6); speaking in tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 28; cf. 14:1-19); and the ability to interpret speaking in tongues (1 Cor. 12:10, 30; cf. 14:5, 13).
The gifts of practical ministry are caring for the needy (Rom. 12:7-8): serving, encouraging (TEV), contributing, performing acts of mercy, and perhaps giving aid (1 Cor.12:28: helping); and administration (1 Cor. 12:28; perhaps giving aid in Rom. 12:8).
Healing (1 Cor. 12:9, 28) and performing miracles (1 Cor. 12:10, 28) are gifts of wonder-working faith, this ‘faith’ (1 Cor. 12:9; cf. 13:2) being distinguishable from the faith ‘reckoned as righteousness’ (Rom. 4:5) of which Paul usually writes. Paul emphasized that every believer is graced by some gift and that all gifts are bestowed by ‘the same Spirit’ (1 Cor. 12:4-11). Nevertheless, since their purpose is to serve ‘the common good’ (12:7).
outline:
1) spiritual gifts are intended for the
church (1Cor.14:1)
a) for upbuilding and maturing (1Cor. 12:7)
"now to each one the manifestation of the spirit is given for
the common good.
1) manifesting (phanerosis {
fan-er’-o-sis} ) " of the spirit" , i.e.,
to make evident or make known, also the revealing of the spirit
given for our profit.
2) given according to God’s will
(1Cor. 12:8-12)
a) given as god sees fit (vs. 11)
b) given for God’s purposes (rom.12:3-8)
c) cannot be earned by works
3) spiritual gifts must edify ( build
up) the body (1Cor.14:12,26)
a) build up in love (1Cor.14:1)
b) use with wisdom (1Cor.14:6-12, 26-33, 39-40)
c) not used for personal gain (Acts 8:18-24, 2 Peter 2:1-3,
13-15)
1) personal monetary profit
2) personal fame
In summary, God distributes his spiritual gifts in the church as He wants to. We won’t know the type or number of gifts that will flow through us, but we can desire certain ones. The final desicion will be made by God taking into account our limitations, strengths, and the need of the body at that time. We never possess these gifts for our profit or benefit, and God will search our hearts in his determinations. In a technical sense, we do not possess these gifts, but are vessels that God uses for ministry. We can no more claim ownership of God’s gifts than we can God himself.
Finally, all ministry gifts must be used in love for the edifying, or the building up of the christian.