An Introduction to Spiritual Gifts  Dr. Don Meecha 

 The 21^st century Body of Messiah seems to teach very little about Spiritual Gifts.  In my opinion, very few people seem to be utilizing their Spiritual Gifts, because if they were congregations would be growing, instead they are in a decline.  Why?  I believe it is because Spiritual Gifts are gravely misunderstood & untaught on a broad scale.  However, when individual believers begin to discover their gifts, become skilled in the Word of God & begin to live out what they have learned, at that point, we will find transformed lives, families, congregations & communities. 

 In this study I hope to take the approach of the Berean, because far too often the definition of a Spiritual Gift is what one “feels” about the gift instead of discovering what the real definition of the gift is, in the Bible. Furthermore, the individual who operates in something misunderstood is ultimately misunderstood by others as well.  Even more important what about the individual themselves?  If they do not understand their gift how can they understand who they are in the Body? It appears that the Biblical model is to study: “These were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica & they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so & many of them believed, along w/a number of prominent women and men.” Acts 17:11-12a (NASB).

 I believe that by asking a series of questions & answering them is the best approach to dispel any erroneous Information one may have accumulated. So, what is a spiritual gift?In order to determine just what a spiritual gift is, it is good to see how others have defined this term: C. Peter Wagner in “Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts” states that a Spiritual Gift is “A special attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body according to God’s grace for us within the context of the Body.”  Thomas Edgar from his book “Are Miraculous Gifts for Today,” says that a Spiritual Gift is, “An ability supernaturally given to an individual so that the recipient may utilize that ability to minister beyond his/her normal human capacity” In “The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit” Rene Pache defines a Spiritual Gift as “A certain qualification given by the Spirit to each individual believer to enable him/her to serve within the framework of the Body [of Messiah].” Therefore, for the purpose of this study I will define a Spiritual Gift as “A qualifying skill (s) & supernatural attribute (s) given to each individual believer by the Ruach HaKodesh.  It is a gift & a measure of God’s grace & the believer is to utilize this God-given ability to serve the Body of Messiah in a measure above & beyond a normal human capacity (i.e., with true consistency).” So, where are the Spiritual Gifts mentioned in the Bible?

The formula is 12/12 & 4/4! 

1.  Romans 12:1-21
2.  1 Corinthians 12:1-31
3.  Ephesians 4:1-32
4.  1 Peter 4:1-19

 As these passages list the Spiritual Gifts, if you read the entire chapter in each case they also address & instruct us about our behavior & how we must walk in order to utilize these gifts properly & with the utmost confidence & success.  So, what is the relation to Spiritual Gifts & our behavior?  It is simple; the individual who obeys the commands of God will grow in their gift & the individual who disobeys the commands of God will never grow in their gift to a mature person.

 Romans 12                                                    1 Corinthians 12

Wisdom (8)                                                   Prophecy (6)

Knowledge (8)                                             Service (7)

Faith (9)                                                      Teachings (7)

Healing (9)                                                  Exhortation (8)

Miracles (10)                                               Giving (8)

Prophecy (10)                                              Leadership (8)

Discerning of Spirits (10)                          Mercy (8)

Speaking in Tongues (10)

Interpretation of Tongues (10) 

 Ephesians 4                                                                1 Peter 4

Apostles (11)                                                            Speaking (11)

Prophets (11)                                                           Service (11)

Evangelists (11)                                                       Teachers (11) 

 The total number of gifts for the purpose of this study is 18: Apostle                                    Prophets

Evangelist                               Pastor/Shepherd

Teacher                                  Service

Exhortation                           Giving/Hospitality

Leadership/Admins               Mercy

Wisdom                                  Knowledge

Faith                                      Healing

Miracles                                 Discerning of Spirits

Tongues                                  Interpretation

• Some add Celibacy, Prayer, Hospitality, Intercession, etc…

 What is the purpose of the Spiritual Gifts? The Newer Covenant states that the gifts are for the common good of all believers: “But, to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).  Also, Spiritual Gifts are very rarely out of context with the individual’s personality, natural talents, education/aptitude & experiences. But, the gift given is for the edification of everybody & not just the receiver of the gift.  What does this mean?  1 Peter 4:10 states, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”  Each gift is given for the common good & to be utilized to build up the local body.  Individuals who do not utilize their gifts and/or cause others to not walk in their giftedness rob the entire body of that person’s gift & giftedness.  But, when taught properly individuals flourish in their growth.