Whenever I attend talks or read books on spiritual gifts, there is almost always a checklist/survey form to fill up in order to determine what spiritual gift a Christian has. This has striking similiarity with secular pyschological survey forms/checklists used in identifying character types. Although there are several lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament, I am quite sure I can't find any survey forms/checklists to help identify spiritual gifts.
Is there anywhere in the Bible that teaches us how to identify our gifts? If not, is it important to actually identify our gifts and what is the right way to go about identifying our gifts?
Thanks
Spiritual Gifts
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_Benjamin Ho
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:16 am
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Spiritual Gifts
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
Grace and peace,
Benjamin Ho
Benjamin Ho
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_Benjamin Ho
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:16 am
- Location: Singapore
Hi Steve,
BTW, is there a difference between spiritual gifts and a natural inclination or talent? Can a natural inclination/talent be equated as a spiritual gift if it is now used by a Spirit-filled person for the purposes of God's kingdom?
BTW, is there a difference between spiritual gifts and a natural inclination or talent? Can a natural inclination/talent be equated as a spiritual gift if it is now used by a Spirit-filled person for the purposes of God's kingdom?
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
Grace and peace,
Benjamin Ho
Benjamin Ho
Hi Ben,
There are not many passages that focus on the need for Christian individuals to recognize or use their spiritual gifts. There are the partial lists in Romans 12, in 1 Corinthians 12, and in Ephesians 4:11ff. There is instruction about the use of various gifts in 1 Corinthians 14 and in 1 Peter 4:10-11. There is no clear, comprehensive teaching in any passage that would answer most of our questions on the gifts of the Spirit. Their purpose, we are told, is for the edification of the church (1 Cor.14:3-5I know of no biblical test for knowing what your spiritual gifts are (except for prophecy, I suppose —Deut.18:22).
I don't think I agree with these personality-questionaire-type approaches to this subject. They seem to proceed on the assumption that personality, temperament or "motivation" is the indicator of spiritual gifts (e.g., those with the gift of mercy are nurturing, those with the gift of prophecy are cantankerous, etc.). This, I think, tends to confuse natural temperament/abilities with the working of the Holy Spirit. I see no reason why those with the gift of prophecy can't be generous of spirit, for example. The ability or motivation to lead others does not necessarily prove that a person is called and gifted to be the leader (many of the leaders God chose in the Bible were reluctant). Those who work miracles or speak in tongues are not manifesting talents that lay dormant in them prior to their conversions.
I believe that a spiritual gift represents a divine enablement combined with a spiritual anointing. A man may have an ability to teach (as many non-Christians do) without having any ability to edify the church through the exercise of this ability. Two men may say similar words with similar eloquence, and one, who is has the gift of teaching, will have a spiritual impact on his hearers that the other lacks. A non-Christian philanthropist who has money does not have the gift of giving. The person with a gift of giving may have less money than a rich and smug benefactor.
It is obvious that spiritual gifts do not exist where no abilities are present. The gift may possibly exploit a talent already resident in the person before conversion, or it may be a completely new ability that God gives at conversion. A person with natural talent might not be gifted in the area of his talents. For example, a great musician or vocalist might not be called or spiritually gifted to bring blessing or edification to the body of Christ through music. The goal of spiritual gifts from God is edification, not entertainment. A person with a mediocre voice might be very "anointed" at times to bless others in song.
There is a difference, I think between gifts-as-abilities and gifts-as-positions in the body. "You may all prophesy" (1 Cor.14:31) and we are exhorted to desire to do so (1 Cor.14:1), but "are all prophets?" (1 Cor.12:29)— No, "He gave SOME to be prophets" (Eph.4:11). Teaching is something every Christian should be able to do (Heb.5:12), but not all are teachers (1 Cor.12:29), nor should be (James 3:1).
I think that it is most commonly held, concerning 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, that one person has the word of wisdom and another the word of knowledge and another the working of miracles, etc., as abilities permanently residing in certain individuals and predictably manifested in the gatherings through them.
Alternatively, some have understood Paul to be saying that these gifts may be given to different individuals at different times in the assemblies—i.e., this week, I teach and you give a word of wisdom; next week, I give a word of wisdom, you give an exhortation and someone else teaches; the following week, a third person has the word of wisdom, you interpret someone's utterance in tongues, and I just sit and listen, while someone else teaches.
It is possible that Paul may have such a scenario in mind, rather than the idea of each of these gifts "belonging" permanenly to certain individuals. The wording of 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 would seem to allow either viewpoint. I think I lean toward the first view.
If a person does indeed have a particular gift permanently residing in him/her, how would this be identified? I am not sure that it is necessary to ask this question. The person who gives with cheerfulness can be assumed to have the gift of giving, if the result is the edification of the body of Christ. The person who instructs others can be assumed to have a gift in teaching, if, again, the body is edified. If the other Christians are consistently being helped, encouraged, healed or assisted in any way through you that tends to result in edification of saints and glory to Christ, there is probably reason enough to suppose that these are spiritual gifts, or "manifestations of the Spirit" (1 Cor.12:7).
A person doesn't have to know what to call his/her gift in order to be doing it. There is a good chance that the church will recognize your gift before you even have identified it. I have a pretty good idea that my gift is teaching, but if I had never heard of such a gift, I would be doing the same thing anyway, with the same results in the body. Encouraging people to identify their own gifts might have the effect of turning their attention upon themselves, which may quench the Spirit's work that He has already been doing through them.
Some people may crave a label, and I don't say they shouldn't have one, but I think this is of less importance than simply serving the Lord and His body in whatever way you think He is leading you and through which you see the body benefited. If you never receive a label for what you do, that doesn't mean that you have neglected your gift. You may just have been employing it without a thought as to what it was called. It is more important to have helpers, givers, exhorters and mercy-givers actually functioning in the Christian community than it is to be able to call them by their respective titles.
There are not many passages that focus on the need for Christian individuals to recognize or use their spiritual gifts. There are the partial lists in Romans 12, in 1 Corinthians 12, and in Ephesians 4:11ff. There is instruction about the use of various gifts in 1 Corinthians 14 and in 1 Peter 4:10-11. There is no clear, comprehensive teaching in any passage that would answer most of our questions on the gifts of the Spirit. Their purpose, we are told, is for the edification of the church (1 Cor.14:3-5I know of no biblical test for knowing what your spiritual gifts are (except for prophecy, I suppose —Deut.18:22).
I don't think I agree with these personality-questionaire-type approaches to this subject. They seem to proceed on the assumption that personality, temperament or "motivation" is the indicator of spiritual gifts (e.g., those with the gift of mercy are nurturing, those with the gift of prophecy are cantankerous, etc.). This, I think, tends to confuse natural temperament/abilities with the working of the Holy Spirit. I see no reason why those with the gift of prophecy can't be generous of spirit, for example. The ability or motivation to lead others does not necessarily prove that a person is called and gifted to be the leader (many of the leaders God chose in the Bible were reluctant). Those who work miracles or speak in tongues are not manifesting talents that lay dormant in them prior to their conversions.
I believe that a spiritual gift represents a divine enablement combined with a spiritual anointing. A man may have an ability to teach (as many non-Christians do) without having any ability to edify the church through the exercise of this ability. Two men may say similar words with similar eloquence, and one, who is has the gift of teaching, will have a spiritual impact on his hearers that the other lacks. A non-Christian philanthropist who has money does not have the gift of giving. The person with a gift of giving may have less money than a rich and smug benefactor.
It is obvious that spiritual gifts do not exist where no abilities are present. The gift may possibly exploit a talent already resident in the person before conversion, or it may be a completely new ability that God gives at conversion. A person with natural talent might not be gifted in the area of his talents. For example, a great musician or vocalist might not be called or spiritually gifted to bring blessing or edification to the body of Christ through music. The goal of spiritual gifts from God is edification, not entertainment. A person with a mediocre voice might be very "anointed" at times to bless others in song.
There is a difference, I think between gifts-as-abilities and gifts-as-positions in the body. "You may all prophesy" (1 Cor.14:31) and we are exhorted to desire to do so (1 Cor.14:1), but "are all prophets?" (1 Cor.12:29)— No, "He gave SOME to be prophets" (Eph.4:11). Teaching is something every Christian should be able to do (Heb.5:12), but not all are teachers (1 Cor.12:29), nor should be (James 3:1).
I think that it is most commonly held, concerning 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, that one person has the word of wisdom and another the word of knowledge and another the working of miracles, etc., as abilities permanently residing in certain individuals and predictably manifested in the gatherings through them.
Alternatively, some have understood Paul to be saying that these gifts may be given to different individuals at different times in the assemblies—i.e., this week, I teach and you give a word of wisdom; next week, I give a word of wisdom, you give an exhortation and someone else teaches; the following week, a third person has the word of wisdom, you interpret someone's utterance in tongues, and I just sit and listen, while someone else teaches.
It is possible that Paul may have such a scenario in mind, rather than the idea of each of these gifts "belonging" permanenly to certain individuals. The wording of 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 would seem to allow either viewpoint. I think I lean toward the first view.
If a person does indeed have a particular gift permanently residing in him/her, how would this be identified? I am not sure that it is necessary to ask this question. The person who gives with cheerfulness can be assumed to have the gift of giving, if the result is the edification of the body of Christ. The person who instructs others can be assumed to have a gift in teaching, if, again, the body is edified. If the other Christians are consistently being helped, encouraged, healed or assisted in any way through you that tends to result in edification of saints and glory to Christ, there is probably reason enough to suppose that these are spiritual gifts, or "manifestations of the Spirit" (1 Cor.12:7).
A person doesn't have to know what to call his/her gift in order to be doing it. There is a good chance that the church will recognize your gift before you even have identified it. I have a pretty good idea that my gift is teaching, but if I had never heard of such a gift, I would be doing the same thing anyway, with the same results in the body. Encouraging people to identify their own gifts might have the effect of turning their attention upon themselves, which may quench the Spirit's work that He has already been doing through them.
Some people may crave a label, and I don't say they shouldn't have one, but I think this is of less importance than simply serving the Lord and His body in whatever way you think He is leading you and through which you see the body benefited. If you never receive a label for what you do, that doesn't mean that you have neglected your gift. You may just have been employing it without a thought as to what it was called. It is more important to have helpers, givers, exhorters and mercy-givers actually functioning in the Christian community than it is to be able to call them by their respective titles.
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
In Jesus,
Steve
Steve
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_Benjamin Ho
- Posts: 137
- Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:16 am
- Location: Singapore
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your most comprehensive and gracious answer. I really appreciate the time you took to meditate and think through this issue in spite of your very busy schedule.
I want to ask a follow-up question. Paul says in 1 Cor 12:31 and 14:1 to earnestly desire spiritual gifts; what does that mean in practical terms? I mean, how does a church (or an individual???) go about in desiring for spiritual gifts? Is it through praying or laying hands--or do we just expect that a person receives a spiritual gift when he becomes a believer? How do we know which specific gift to ask for in a particular individual?
Thanks for your most comprehensive and gracious answer. I really appreciate the time you took to meditate and think through this issue in spite of your very busy schedule.
I want to ask a follow-up question. Paul says in 1 Cor 12:31 and 14:1 to earnestly desire spiritual gifts; what does that mean in practical terms? I mean, how does a church (or an individual???) go about in desiring for spiritual gifts? Is it through praying or laying hands--or do we just expect that a person receives a spiritual gift when he becomes a believer? How do we know which specific gift to ask for in a particular individual?
Last edited by Guest on Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason:
Reason:
Grace and peace,
Benjamin Ho
Benjamin Ho