July 16, 2013 (Tuesday)
Yesterday’s blog mentioned a list of virtues known as “the fruit of the Spirit.”
In addition to “the fruit of the Spirit,” the New Testament also teaches us about “the gifts of the Spirit,” or, “Spiritual gifts.”
I personally believe the gifts mentioned in the Bible should not be understood as a final list. The Spirit of God is alive and continues to supply the church with whatever is needed as time progresses. The list, taken from several scripture passages, is usually presented thusly: Support Gifts (Ephesians 4): Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastor/teachers; Service Gifts (Romans 12) Prophecy, Serving,Teaching, Exhorting, Giving, Leading, Showing mercy; Sign Gifts (I Corinthians 12): Distinguishing of Spirits/Discernment, Miracles, Healings, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues.
We are familiar with giving and receiving gifts. No gift is given unless it is given to someone specifically. We make gifts to our church, other charities, individuals, loved ones, etc. The “gifts of the Spirit” are given to the church. In Corinth some in the church made the mistake of thinking the gifts were to them as individuals. This resulted in confusion and strife in the church.
In a long discussion of the gifts, Paul includes 1 Corinthians 13, the Love Chapter. He seems to say that the gifts are like the scaffolding of a building that is no longer needed once the building is completed. Encompassing all the gifts is love for God and others. Once we really understand that and put it into practice, the gifts will have served their purpose.
We are thankful for spiritual gifts to the church in the lives of the people of God. We should be wary of categorizing people in such a way that we think of each other with preconceived ideas. God wants us to celebrate the diversity within the church. God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–is alive. His word is alive. Our attempts to lock them up in legalistic theology will always fail. We will always be surprised by God as He continues to work in and through His people.