That some spiritual gifts are permanent in duration throughout the church age is apparent from two considerations. The first indication is there is no indication given anywhere in the New Testament that the gift is temporary in duration such as is given with the gifts of prophecy and knowledge (1 Cor. 13:10). The second indication is there is a continuing need for the gift that cannot be supplied in any other manner. For example, the gift of pastor-teacher is given for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:11). A specific time of duration is then given in Verse 12 as “until we all come in the unity of the faith.” In that people will be coming to salvation until the very day of the rapture of the church, the need for pastor-teachers will continue until then.
Listed below are ten gifts that are to operate permanently throughout the Church age. There is a possibility that some of these gifts may be carbon copies of other gifts with simply a different name given to them. Probably, though, since they are called by different names, there is at least a shade of difference between them and therefore they will be considered individually.
Ministering - It will be stated again below that this gift is at least similar to the gift of helps. The Greek word that is translated by the English word “ministering’ is also the word from which we get the word “deacon.” A.T. Robertson suggests the word “deacon” is composed of the Greek preposition “dia” meaning “through” and the word for “dust.” Consequently, the deacon is one who stirs the dust as he moves through life, the idea being one who energetically gets things done. The word is also commonly translated as “servant.”
The possessor of this gift is more than likely going to be a person who is involved in a “behind the scenes” capacity. Possibly the most notable possessor of this gift was Onesiphorus, who in 1 Timothy 1, ministered to Paul when Paul was in Ephesus. Exactly what he did for Paul is not stated, only that the ministry was done in abundance. It is highly doubtful that Onesiphorus ministered to Paul in “spiritual” things such as teaching, but, more likely in physical ministry such as housing or provision of meals, etc.
There are many areas in the ministry of the church where the person with this gift can be greatly used for the glory of God. Those who have decorative abilities can exercise them by adorning the church facility to make the building more attractive. Ushers and greeters who welcome guests may not necessarily preach or evangelize, but may create a positive environment that will make a visitor receptive to the sermon of the pastor or lesson of the Sunday School teacher. Whether it be the person who operates the audio/visual devices or someone who simply provides transportation to others in getting to the worship services, all these are vital to the overall ministry of the church. And while these gifts may not receive public acclamation, they are forever remembered by the Lord Himself (Hebrews 6:10).
Teaching - This gift has a two-fold nature. Obviously it is the effectual communication of biblical truth. But of necessity it is also the ability to discern, understand, systematize, and apply biblical truth to life. A distinction is made in Acts 15:35 between preaching and teaching, for the verse states that Paul and Barnabas did both while in Antioch. While both ministries are concerned with the communication of biblical truth, preaching seems to be more of a one-way communication while teaching seems to have a reciprocal aspect, a dialogue between the teacher and student, to it. Consequently, preaching seems to appeal more to the will of the hearer to act on something whereas teaching appeals to the intellect of the hearer to understand something. Obviously, preaching and the appeal to the will must be based on the understanding of truth and teaching is not simply for the purposes of a person’s IQ, but rather that they might accomplish the will of God. The difference is simply a matter of emphasis.
Peter says that there are certain things within revelation that are difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:16). It is imperative to note, though, that he did not say those truths are impossible to understand. The responsibility of the person possessing the gift of teaching, then, is to take what might be difficult for the person who does not possess the gift and make it understandable. McRae rightly states, “After you have heard a ‘teacher’ teach, your response should be, ‘I see what he means.’”[1]
In that the gift (as with all spiritual gifts) is given at the moment of salvation, the person who possesses it will not initially understand anything more than basic theology. But, as stated above, the person possessing this gift will also have the ability and consequently the desire to gain greater knowledge of the doctrines of Christ relying on the teaching gifts of others. Then, in time, as his knowledge increases he can continue to expand the understanding of the Scriptures by his personal meditation upon the Scriptures and communicating to others a deeper insight of the wisdom of God. This is what Paul had in mind in writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2. Unfortunately, someone has said that what describes much teaching today is simply the transfer of facts from the notebook of the teacher into the notebook of the student, without having gone through the mind of either one.
Exhortation - The word “exhortation” is a translation of the Greek word paraklhsiV (pronounced para-clay-sis). It is composed of the preposition para, meaning “beside,” and a noun form of the verb kalew, meaning “to call”. A person with the gift of exhortation is one who is called to the side of another for the purpose of motivating that one to a specific action. As such, its use will appeal more to the recipient’s will more than his intellect. Exhortation can be public and would be exercised by anyone in a preaching ministry. It also can be exercised in a personal manner such as in a counseling ministry.
McRae says the gift may be used either prospectively or retrospectively. Prospectively, the gift urges one to a course of conduct and as the teacher enables one to say, “I see that,” the exhorter emboldens the exhorted to say, “I’ll do that.” Possibly the best example of the use of this gift is found in Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to be an exhorter (2 Timothy 4:2). Here he instructs Timothy to preach the word (note that it is preaching, not teaching that is being emphasized) with reproving, rebuking and exhortation. In that the reproving and rebuking deal with the activity of ungodly behavior, the exhortation must deal with the activity of promoting godly behavior.
The retrospective use of the gift comes after some sort of tragedy or failure. In 1 Thessalonians 3:2, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them in order that he might establish them and comfort (parakalew) them in their faith after suffering some sort of affliction.
Whether it be retrospectively or prospectively, exhortation may occur mildly or as my Bible College ecclesiology teacher would say, “with a good kick in the pants.” The mild use was undoubtedly the methodology used in Acts 11:23, by Barnabas who exhorted the believers at Antioch to cleave unto the Lord. The “kick in the pants” methodology was most likely used by Paul when he withstood Peter in Antioch (Galatians 2:11-12). The possessor of the gift must be sensitive to the leading of the ultimate exhorter, the Holy Spirit (John 16:7), in determining which methodology is appropriate to use. Chuck Swindoll writes, “Even when the words are firm and forthright, an exhorter comes across as a friend. This person has the ability to tell you the truth about yourself with an arm around your shoulder.”[2]
Giving - While contributing to the Lord’s work is the responsibility of every believer, the person with the gift of giving is one who consistently looks for the opportunity to give. The person possessing this gift may not necessarily have abundant resources from which to give, but has an abundantly generous heart from which he gives. The difference in giving between the person who possesses this gift and the one who does not might be illustrated this way: The ungifted giver determines what God would have him to give in the regular offering at the worship service, writes the check and puts it into the offering plate, and that is the end of the story. The person possessing the gift of giving may do the same, but also looks for needs that can be fulfilled either personally or corporately. This may include aspects of the gift of showing mercy in having a sensitive spirit to those with financial difficulties or simply aspects of the gift of ministering in seeing areas of ministry that are worthy of financial support.
Ruling - This gift may also be the same as the gift of governments listed below, but I believe there is a slight difference between the two gifts. This gift is listed in Romans 12:8 and is a translation of the verb proisthmi (pronounced pro-hiss-tay-mee) and literally means “to stand before or to preside.” The verb is used eight times in the New Testament and in six of those usages it refers to someone who is in some sort of leadership position, either in the church or the home. The other two usages are in the third chapter of Paul’s epistle to Titus. Both times there, the word is translated “maintain” in the KJV. A number of other bible versions translate this word in Titus as “devote to doing.” The basic idea in all these verses is of a person who has a vision of what must be done in order to accomplish God’s will. The person with this gift may or may not be in a position of leadership (although unless otherwise disqualified, you would want him to be) but is at least able to suggest ideas concerning the operation of a ministry to someone who is.
Showing Mercy - In many ways this gift may be similar to the gifts of helps and ministry in that it is a gift that ministers in a physical/material/emotional way and not primarily a “spiritual” way (such as teaching or exhortation, etc.). Possibly the difference between this gift and the gift of helps is that helps seems to be more of a preventative ministry whereas showing mercy seems to be more of a recuperative ministry.
By definition, mercy is the withholding of something (usually some form of judgment) that is deserved by another in order to keep him from harm. It is the companion of grace. Grace, however, is the giving of something (always beneficial) to one who does not deserve it. Romans 12:8 says that the gift is to be exercised with cheerfulness. This indicates that the natural emotion connected with a person being merciful might be nothing more than a sense of duty, if that. More than likely, in the normal realm, people showing mercy might do so grudgingly. After all, the person to whom they are granting mercy, does not deserve it.
As with many of the other gifts, every Christian is called to exercise mercy (Luke 6:36). An example of this might be the attitude and consequent actions there were missing from the Corinthian church when its people were taking one another before secular judges. Rather than being merciful and taking a loss from a brother who failed in a financial responsibility, they were suing to get back what rightfully belonged to them. Their merciless attitudes and actions presented a terrible testimony to the unsaved concerning the love of God. This then may give an indication to the purpose of the gift of showing mercy beyond the merciful aspects. It seems the exercise of this gift is often the precursor to evangelism. Such was the case with Tabitha or as she is more commonly known, Dorcas. Acts 9:36 describes Dorcas as a person who did many good deeds for others. Among those deeds was the making of coats and garments for widows. When she died, Peter was summoned to Joppa, and when he arrived, he miraculously raised her from the dead and consequently many believed on the Lord (v. 42). While it is true that the miracle performed by Peter set the stage for these to come to faith, it is also true that without the merciful testimony maintained by Dorcas throughout her life, Peter may never have been summoned to Joppa.
Being merciful does not necessarily mean that the believer allows any and all unrighteousness to be perpetrated against him. Jude 21-23 indicates there are times to be merciful and thus gain an opportunity to present the love of God to the lost (v. 22). But in verse 23, Jude also says that there are times that sin must be confronted head on as a means of sharing the gospel.
Helps - This gift is at least similar to, if not identical to the gift of ministering. In that a different Greek word is used for this gift than that of ministry, it is probable that this gift is a special expression of the more general gift of ministry. The gift is only mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and that is the only place where the Greek word is found in the New Testament. The Greek word translated “helps” is a compound of a preposition ¢nti (anti), meaning “against,” and a form of the verb lambanomai (lambanomai), “to receive to oneself”. Robertson says the word, “probably refers to the work of the deacons, help rendered to the poor and the sick.”[3] The English word “helps” is also found in one other reference, Acts 27:17 (although a different Greek word is used). There, the ship that was teetering in a tempestuous wind was undergirded with helps. One commentary describes the support as, “ … passing four or five turns of cable-laid rope round the hull or frame of the ship, to enable her to resist the violence of the seas, an operation rarely resorted to in modern seamanship.”[4] It seems then that helps has the idea of supporting those who are suffering by personally providing physical assistance of some sort. This might incorporate aspects of the gift of showing mercy and giving. A practical example might be the preparation of meals for someone who is ill and unable to do so for himself.
Governments - As noted above, this gift may be synonymous with the gift of ruling. However, the word translated as “governments” is different from the word used for ruling. In other versions it is translated as “administrations.” The Greek word is used in extrabiblical Greek to describe a helmsman, the person who pilots a ship. The difference between ruling and governments then can be illustrated in this manner. The captain of the ship (ruler) determines where the ship will sail. The pilot or helmsman then controls how the ship will reach its desired destination. The person with the gift of ruling says, “This is what we need to do in our ministry,” while the person with the gift of governments says, “This is how we will get the job done.” As with the person who possesses the gift or ruling, this person may or may not be in an official position of leadership.
Evangelist - This gift is only mentioned once in the New Testament (Ephesians 4:11), and there it describes a gifted person, not specifically as an impersonal gift. In the same manner, there is only one evangelist who is specifically called by that title: Philip (Acts 21:8). As with all permanent gifts, every believer should, to some degree, be involved in its activity. No believer is exempt from showing mercy or ministering to others, just as there is no believer is exempt from sharing the gospel with the lost. Apparently Timothy, like many today, thought that since he did not possess the gift of evangelism, it was therefore unnecessary for him to be evangelistic. As a result, Paul had to exhort him to that ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). What differentiates the gifted evangelist from every other believer not what they are to do. The gifted evangelist simply has greater ease and success in evangelism than the believer who does not possess the gift. Associated with this gift may also be the responsibility to disciple a congregation of believers in the ministry of evangelism in that the gift is given for the purpose of edifying the church. This would then incorporate a teaching ministry to some degree.
The evangelist may evangelize on either a personal level or in a public setting. If the evangelism takes place in a public setting, then the evangelist likely possesses some oratory ability. If the evangelism takes place on the personal level, then the evangelist may not necessarily possess oratory skills but, rather an ability to befriend another and then communicate on a one-to-one basis. Apparently Philip possessed both in that he evangelized a large group in Samaria (Acts 8:5-8) and then a single Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-38).
While the responsibility of the teacher is to instruct the believer on the infinite wonders of the gospel, the function of the evangelist is to communicate to the unbeliever the simplicity of the gospel (2 Corinthians 3:12). While the evangelist is gifted in how to present the gospel, and consequently has freedom in the manner or presentation he or she may use, the evangelist does not have authority to change the content of the gospel. It cannot be emphasized enough that anyone coming to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation does so, not because of the ability of the evangelist, but because of the power of the Word of God to save. Therefore, it is crucial that in presenting the gospel in a simple manner that the evangelist does not lose the theological accuracy of the gospel message. William McRae warns that many “gospel” presentations have moved from a theocentric (God-centered) message to an anthropocentric (man-centered) message. He writes, “These presentations of the gospel often ignore the truth that sin is an offense against God. God’s justice must be satisfied. Christ died to meet the demands of a holy and just God. The gospel is theocentric as presented clearly in Romans 1-5.”[5]
Robert Thomas notes the importance of this gift and writes, “Without the functioning of evangelists, numerical growth in the body of Christ is severely limited. If people are not coming to Christ, teachers will have no one to teach ... Were it not for the great work done by evangelists of this generation, our theological seminaries would face shrinking enrollments.”[6] Unfortunately, many seminaries are facing shrinking enrollments. Could it be that many of those who possess this gift (along with those who do not) are not exercising it?
Pastor-Teacher - Like the gift of an evangelist, this gift is also a gifted person rather than an impersonal gift. This gift, though, is unique among all the spiritual gifts in that it is a dual-function gift. The person who possesses this gift not only has the abilities and responsibilities associated with the gift of teaching, but also has pastoral abilities and responsibilities. It may be that the pastoral responsibilities include, at least to some degree, all the other spiritual gifts.
The word translated as “pastor” literally means to shepherd. Probably the most well-known passage of Scripture dealing with a shepherd is Psalm 23, which outlines the activities of the shepherd. The psalm begins with the declaration that because of the ministry of the shepherd, the sheep do not want. Jesus noted that the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. While this obviously refers to the substitutionary death of the Savior, it also reflects the giving ministry of an earthly shepherd and hence encompasses the gift of giving. The shepherd leads the sheep beside still waters and in paths of righteousness. The shepherd decides where the sheep are travel and how they get there, even taking them through the valley of the shadow of death. Here the gifts of ruling and governments may be seen.
The shepherd’s rod and staff provide comfort to the sheep and so the shepherd provides exhortation. The shepherd prepares a table (literally tableland) where the sheep may safely graze even in the presence of enemies. This might be the gift of ministering and helps. The shepherd also restores the soul of the downcast sheep. This certainly imitates the gift of showing mercy. Possibly the gift of an evangelist might be seen in that goodness and mercy follow after the shepherd and his sheep.
There exists a significant distinction with this spiritual gift and the supposed office of a pastor. As stated in a previous section, there are two offices in the administration of the church: elder and deacon. Regardless of one’s understanding of the singularity or plurality of elders in the local church, the pastor is, in reality, officially an elder. In I Peter 5, Peter writes that elders are to shepherd (pastor) their flocks. In the same manner, when the apostle Paul called the elders of the Ephesian church, he exhorted them to feed the flock. Every elder then is in a pastoral office. But not everyone with a pastoral gift may be in the office of an elder.
The office of an elder has certain requirements that are necessary if a person is to minister in that capacity. If those qualifications are violated, the ministry of an elder is terminated (or at least should be). However, spiritual gifts are without revocation (Romans 11:29). No matter what sin may enter into the life of a believer, his spiritual gifts are not lost. However, the exercise of those gifts may be restricted greatly. For example, the person with the gift of giving who falls into sin still will possess the spiritual gift. However, sin can be very expensive and his ability to give generously may be impaired greatly. It also may be possible that while the office of an elder is restricted to men, a woman may possess a pastoral gift with the limitation of the exercise of that gift to other women.
[1] McRae, p. 49.
[2] Swindoll, Charles, Spiritual Gifts Study Guide, (Fullerton CA: Insight For Living) 1986, p. 15.
[3] Robertson, A.T., Word Pictures In The New Testament, Vol. IV, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House) 1931, p. 174.
[4] Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, A Commentary Critical, Experimental and Practical On The Old And New Testaments, Vol. VI, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.) 1967, p. 180.
[5] McRae, William, Dynamics Of Spiritual Gifts, p. 57.
[6] Thomas, Robert, Understanding Spiritual Gifts, p. 193