Before it is possible to examine spiritual gifts individually, it is necessary to examine them collectively. In order to avoid confusion, it will be necessary to develop a precise definition of spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are first mentioned, as such, in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 12:1.[1] There, the Greek word that is translated as spiritual gifts is the word pneumatikwn (pneumaticōn) and the English word “gifts” has been supplied by the translators. The addition of the word “gifts” may not have been the best addition. pneumatikwn is a broader term that includes administrations of the Spirit (v. 5) and operations of the Spirit (v. 6), as well as gifts of the Spirit (v. 4). In Verse 4, where “spiritual gifts” appears for the second time, the Greek word changes to carismata (charismata) and is used throughout Chapter 12. It is from this Greek word that we get the English word “charismatic”. At the root of carismata is the word cariV (charis), the word for “grace”. Therefore, spiritual gifts are gifts of grace. That is, they are unmerited and unearned. This will have importance in defining how spiritual gifts are given by God.
It is necessary to note a distinction between spiritual gifts and natural talents. Natural talents can be possessed by all, both saved and unsaved. They are typically transmitted genetically from parents to child. They may range from musical talents to abilities of memorization or any other such ability, and can be used for both righteous and unrighteous purposes. Spiritual gifts, though, are gifts that are God-given at the time of salvation and encompass activities related to ministry, and can be used only for such purposes.[2]
Another distinction that is necessary is the difference between the gift (singular) of the Spirit and the gifts (plural) of the Spirit. The singular gift is the Holy Spirit Himself. Every believer in Jesus Christ is a recipient of this gift. In the upper room discourse Jesus promised, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;” (John 14:14-16). On the day of Pentecost that promise was fulfilled as Peter declared, “Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’” (Acts 2:38) Writing to the Romans, Paul declared that anyone not possessing the gift of the Holy Spirit was simply an unsaved person (Romans 8:9). Therefore it must be concluded that the gift of the Holy Spirit is that which is possessed by all believers.
Spiritual gifts also need to be distinguished from the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit includes nine character qualities that every believer should model. These character traits are not sovereignly distributed, but rather generated by the Holy Spirit in every believer as He indwells and matures the believer in their faith.
One other distinction is the relationship of spiritual gifts and ecclesiastical offices. Spiritual gifts do not have any qualifications for use associated with them. Ecclesiastical offices (elder and deacon) have qualifications for service given in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Therefore, the possession of a leadership quality gift, such as governments or ruling, does not automatically install a believer into a leadership position. Conversely, the elder or deacon may, or may not possess gifts related to their office, and the lack of possession of any sort of leadership gift does not disqualify them from serving in that office.
Ephesians 4:7-11 lists four spiritual gifts that were given to the church.[3] In Verse 8, reference is made to Psalm 68:18, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” Dr. Paul Reiter comments on this verse by saying, “The background of this psalm is the spectacular, triumphant procession of a victorious king as he returns from the battlefield with the spoils of war. Seated upon his throne the triumphant conqueror bestowed upon his generals, his soldiers and his people the spoils ... as he chose. These spoils of victory were his to give, and he gave them as gifts.”[4] In that these gifts were given subsequent to the ascension of Christ into heaven, they are distinct from similar gifted individuals found in Old Testament times, and they are for the purpose of ministering uniquely to the New Testament church.
In the Old Testament, the kingdom of Israel was governed by authority possessed and administered by the king. In a similar fashion, the apostles would govern the early church. Prophets in the Old Testament had the primary function of receiving immediate revelation from God and communicating it, either orally or through written means, to the nation of Israel. Leon Wood notes that there existed a similarity in the ministry of the Old Testament prophets and that of the priests. He writes,
“The first responsibility [of the priest] was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people, and their second was also to give God’s message to the people. Their approach to giving this message, however, differed from that of the prophets. The priests taught the people, and their subject matter was the Law that God had given on Mount Sinai; they taught this by a precept-upon-precept, line-upon-line method (Isa. 28:13). The prophets, on the other hand, exhorted the people to obey the Law. The priests addressed basically the minds of the people, informing them what they should know, while the prophets addressed the emotions and wills, urging the people to do what they had already learned.[5]
In similar fashion, the New Testament prophets’ primary function was that of receiving revelation directly from God and communicating it to the church. And like the Old Testament prophets, the communication was not so much instructional as motivational. This will have significance later, when examining the nature and permanence of the prophetic gift. While apostles and prophets are described as foundational to the church (Ephesians 2:20), evangelists and pastor-teachers are gifts that develop the superstructure of the church. These gifts equip the saints for the work of ministry. As such, another part of the definition of spiritual gifts is made evident. Spiritual gifts are given for the purpose of ministry to others, not primarily to the development of self.
In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul states in three verses that every believer possesses at least one spiritual gift. The first of these three verses is Verse 7. There he writes that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man for the purpose of profiting the whole body. The second occurrence is found in Verse 11, where Paul writes that the Spirit divides to every man a gift. The third occurrence is found in Verse 18, where Paul has likened the universal church to the human body and described individual believers as the various parts (members) of that body. He writes, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.”
While every believer possesses at least one gift, it is possible that believers may possess more than one gift. This can be deduced in that Paul likens the distribution of spiritual gifts to the operation of the various members of the body. One of the principle functions of the hand is the sense of touch. But obviously that is not the only function of the hand. While believers may possess more than one spiritual gift, Paul also states that no believer possesses all the spiritual gifts in Verse 21.
If every believer is the possessor of a spiritual gift, it is necessary to conclude that spiritual gifts are given at the time a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior. While no specific verse is found in the New Testament making this statement, to conclude otherwise would create contradictions to some statements and significant problems with others. For example, if a person were endued with a spiritual gift prior to being saved, and since spiritual gifts are possessed for the purpose of ministry to the body of Christ, then would an unsaved person be responsible for ministering to the body of believers? This seems highly unlikely, if not impossible. In the same manner, in that the Holy Spirit Himself is not possessed by a person until the individual comes to faith in Jesus Christ, could it be possible that a spiritual gift be operative without the Spirit? As with the first scenario, this seems impossible. If spiritual gifts were subsequent to a person trusting Christ, then it is possible that there would be a member of the body without a function, at least for a period of time. Without trying to be cute, that believer would be nothing more than a wart on the body. The body of Christ does not contain warts! Therefore, it is best, if not absolutely necessary, to conclude that spiritual gifts are imparted at the time of one’s salvation.
That spiritual gifts are imparted at the time of one’s salvation impacts how gifts are distributed to the body. 1 Corinthians 12:11 says that spiritual gifts are distributed according to the sovereign will of the Holy Spirit. As noted earlier, spiritual gifts are gifts of grace and consequently are not earned by spiritual merit or accomplishment. In that they are imparted at the very moment of salvation, the new believer would not possess any spiritual merit or accomplishment other than that which is imputed to him. In the same manner, spiritual gifts are not distributed according to spiritual maturity, for at the moment of salvation, the believer possesses none. This also precludes the possibility of spiritual gifts being given on the basis of prayer. If spiritual gifts were distributed on the basis of prayer, then the prayer offered would need to have been prayed prior to the person coming to faith in Christ. Obviously, few if any people are concerned about what spiritual gifts they might possess while in an unsaved state. But beside that, there are two conditions concerning prayer that would make it impossible for gifts to be given in answer to prayer. First, God does not respond to the prayers of the unrighteous, according to Isaiah 59:1-2.[6] Second, prayer is to be made according to the will of God.[7] How could an unsaved person know the will of God concerning spiritual gifts when he was uncaring about the will of God concerning salvation? It is clear then, that the Holy Spirit imparts gifts simply as He sovereignly desires.
The final part of the definition of spiritual gifts deals with the purpose or function of spiritual gifts. It has already been stated that according to 1 Corinthians 12:7, spiritual gifts are given for the purpose of ministering to the body of Christ, for the accomplishment of the work of God on earth and not primarily for the benefit of the believer who possesses the gift. This becomes especially important in understanding 1 Corinthians 14:4. There Paul says the tongues speaker edifies himself. Many people, understanding it is God’s will that all believers be edified, say this must be a good thing. But Paul is not commending the Corinthians for this; but rather he is criticizing their use of the gift. The edification the tongues speaker in Corinth received was mostly because of his ego.
In summary then, a spiritual gift is defined as an ability or abilities, graciously and sovereignly imparted to the New Testament believer by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, that enables him to accomplish ministry to the body of Christ.
[1] While the existence and exercise of spiritual gifts are mentioned in the book of Acts and the book of Romans mentions gifts in chapter 12, the specific reference to “spiritual gifts” is first given in 1 Corinthians.
[2] This does not mean that a spiritual gift cannot be misused, for they were greatly misused in the Corinthian assembly, which is the cause for Paul penning chapters 12-14. It is only intended to mean that the God-ordained purpose of spiritual gifts is that of ministry.
[3] It is debated whether these four (apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers) should be considered as individual gifts or people with certain spiritual gifts peculiar to their ministry.
[4] Reiter, Paul C., unpublished Ecclesiology Notes, Appalachian Bible College, 1985.
[5] Wood, Leon J., The Prophets of Israel, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979), p. 17.
[6] “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)
[7] “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (1 John 5:14)