The Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Research Paper Example

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Introduction Christians believe in the existence of a single and most powerful superpower. They use the church for worship and education purposes. The church from a Christian point of view is not just the physical building, rather it constitutes the congregation as well as the believe system of the Christians. They are followers of Christ, and therefore do everything according to the teachings of the bible. In order to perform optimally in their activities, Christians are endowed with various gifts. These abilities enable them to perform both general and specialized duties and help each other in different ways. Believably, the gifs come from God and are given by the Holy Spirit to the deserving Christians. It is against this background that this paper provides an in depth analysis of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It argues that all gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today but some have ceased and are inexistent. To ensure a coherent view, it begins by defining the concept of spiritual gifts. Defining a Spiritual Gift The concept of a spiritual gift is complex and all encompassing. A spiritual gift is akin to spirituals, implying that it belongs to the spirit. In addition to having characteristics of a holy spirit, the gift is controlled by the spirit. Generally, Boice defines it as a special capability given by God which enables Christians to serve the church effectively1. They are supernatural in nature and Christians need them in order to fulfil different missions in the church environment. They are given graciously by God to any individual He feels can serve the church according to His wishes. From these considerations, individuals who are gifted do not earn the respective gifts. Neither do they deserve them. They are merely given sovereignty and freely by the Almighty God. They are not rewards and therefore everybody is entitled to them. Also worth appreciating is the recognition that all gifts are charismatic in nature. Put differently, all of these are given by God through the Holy Spirit. Based on the preceding explanation, it is certain that humans do not posses these gifts. They can be revoked at any time when God through the Holy Spirit feels that an individual is not using them as expected. They act as an ideal channel that the Holy Spirit uses to minister to the church. Christians in this sense are just instruments that are moulded to fit the spiritual expectations. In order to receive these gifts, the respective human soul needs to exhibit willingness. Only then can they be able to effectively utilize the gifts in line with the Godly expectations. An important characteristic of these gifts pertains to the recognition that they are closely related to natural abilities of an individual. Yet they also have a miraculous characteristic. This distinguishes them from the ‘normal’ abilities that the Christians have. To ensure optimal performance however, one is gifted with a gift that is closely related to his or her natural ability2. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today. They are relevant to the church settings and used by the Christians to benefit themselves as well as the entire church. They can only be recognized and utilized when they are needed. Seemingly, some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as apostolic and the gifts of signs have ceased. To a great extent, this is attributable to the recognition that they are no longer needed by the church. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Apostleship This gift is classified under the leadership category of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. According to Gangel, an apostle is a messenger who is sent by God with orders to deliver to a specific population3. An apostle is delegated authority by God through the Holy Spirit to represent Him in especially a foreign land. Biblically, apostles were the very initial leaders of the Christian church. They were commissioned by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel and ensure that is spreads to the entire globe. In this respect, apostles were a reserve of the first generation Christian population. Arguably, this office does not exist any longer. The first church leaders accomplished their mission and currently, the gospel is spread to the entire world. Prophecy This is the second most important gift of the Holy Spirit. From a Christian point of view, it comes after Apostle. In their review, Elwell and Barry define it as a special Godly gift that allows members of the church to receive and then communicate important messages from God to either gathered Christians, a group amongst the gathered Christians, or to an individual within God’s people4. This is done through utterance that is divinely anointed. This gift belongs to the speaking category of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Prophets literary speak to the people on behalf of God. Prophecy reveals God’s care, love as well as His desire to have his people do His will. Evangelism This is an equally important spiritual gift in the church setting. Those gifted in this regard are known as evangelists. It is the ability of an individual to devote himself or herself to preaching the word of God5. Evangelists understand the gospel and present is with utmost clarity to the target population. The underlying aim of this is to enable people appreciate the importance of the word of God and come closer to the messiah. Normally, evangelists move from one place to the other while spreading the gospel. It is classified under communication gifts. Biblically, Peter, Paul and Phillip were renowned evangelists. Discernment The gift of discernment of spirits gives the bearer great insight in the world of spirits. The respective individual is able to determine and know the motive behind a person or situation. At this point, it is worth appreciating that individual motives to engage or do certain acts are influenced by spirits. Individuals with this gift are able to perceive or recognize the differences between things and situations clearly. This way, they can counsel the affected individual accordingly and enable the same to make informed decisions. A classic biblical example of this gift is the when Apostle Paul clearly discerned a divination spirit in a girl (Acts, 16: 16-40)6. Knowledge Also worth appreciating is the important gift of knowledge. Lloyd and David consider the gift of knowledge to constitute the revelation or disclose of the present, past or future facts that cannot be learnt through the natural mind7. Relative disclosures are believed to be made possible by the Holy Spirit and are from God. In Mathew 17: 27, Jesus for instance tells Peter that he would find his taxation money in the mouth of a fish. The gift of knowledge form a Christian perspective is instrumental in confirming the deeds of words of God. It is useful when pursuing evangelistic or counselling missions. Pastor The gift of being a pastor in the Christian church cannot be underestimated. Essentially, Pastors are akin to shepherds8. They have special abilities to not only lead the congregation but to also guide them accordingly. Most importantly, they set good examples in the church with respect to behaviour and lifestyles. The mannerisms that they adopt are usually consistent with the teachings of Christ. They offer counselling services to the congregation with reference to the biblical teachings. Notably, all pastors need to have teaching abilities in order to perform their duties with ease. However, it worth appreciating that although all pastors need to be teachers, not all teachers are gifted as pastors. Teacher As indicated above, the gift of being a teacher is vitally important in the church environment. In his research, Derickson defines this gift as the ability of one to devote himself or herself to teach and preach the Christian faith9. Notably, this gift is characterized by two distinct abilities; to teach and preach. Just like pastors, teachers need to have the ability to communicate persuasively and clearly with the congregation. This way, they are able to articulate important spiritual facts to the target population. This gift is categorized under communication gifts. By informing the population about the Christian faith, teachers play a leading role in enhancing understanding of the bible. Exhortation Likewise, this is categorized under communication gifts. It refers to the ability to persuade and encourage others to assume Christian behaviours or act according to the biblical principles. Furthermore, persons with this gift are able to console or comfort others when needs arises. The ultimate aim of the gift is to enable the person gifted to motivate the Christians to exercise brotherly love, patience, endurance and engage in good works10. Often, individuals with this gift need to have the ability to persuade others and show why they should adopt lifestyles that are consistent with Christian values. Miracles Equally important in the Christian church is the gift of performing miracles. This is classified under the power gifts. Individuals gifted in this regard are able to perform deeds that are beyond human imagination and understanding11. This is a special gift and those who have it are considered to have very deep faith. They are able to perform the miracles to the congregation after teaching them about a similar situation in the bible. Basically, they base their actions on biblical facts. Miracles were initially commonly performed by the first generation Christians as well as apostles. Currently, they are seldom experienced in the church environment. Arguably, this is attributable to the little faith that modern Christians have. This has been contributed to by a strong believe in scientific principles that the Christians have. Healing This is also categorized under the power gifts. Fundamentally, this is the ability of an individual to perform extra ordinary strong works and administer healing to the affected population12. Arguably, this is a gift that one is not permanently endowed with; rather, it only comes in times of need. Just like the gift of performing miracles, the gift of healing is powerful and requires one to have deep faith. This can be used to explain why those that are gifted in this regard are very few. From the biblical point of view, this gift was not easily recognized even in the early church. Service The gift of service is classified under service gifts. It is also referred to as ministerial gift that is all encompassing because of the complex nature of the ministerial services13. Arguably, it refers to various services that are performed in the church. Certainly, individuals that are gifted in this way are able to perform various tasks in the church environment. For instance, they can sing, dance, clean the church, teach others about the word of God, visit the sick and pray for the troubled amongst others. In most cases, such individuals perform relative tasks effectively and with utmost ease. Help Help is also categorized as a service gift that is usually related to helping the poor and the sick. Individuals with this gift are exemplary in different ways. They have unconditional love for persons who are afflicted by various life situations. They extend this love to the troubled individuals without expecting anything in return. In essence, they have Godly love and are always ready to serve the sick and the poor they derive great satisfaction from seeing all individuals living a rewarding and comfortable life14. In the current modern environment, this gift is apparent in individuals who establish institutions to help the poor such as homes for the destitute. Leading In order to perform its duties with ease, the church needs to have leaders. Leading is categorized under leadership gifts. At this point, it is worth appreciating that the church has various leadership roles that need to be performed by persons gifted accordingly. These include strategic planning, administration, management of finances and so forth. Notably, effective performance of relative roles requires supernatural empowerment15. Such individuals have the ability to lead others and provide guidance and direction accordingly. Supernatural empowerment gives the leaders wisdom and knowledge to perform the roles they are assigned effectively. Administration This is classified under the leadership gifts that are critical for effective functioning of the church. It refers to the ability to perform governance duties with ease16. In most instances, persons that are gifted in this regard assume leadership positions. With this ability, they are able to guide others accordingly. This gift is particularly important in instances when the church is faced with difficult situations or challenges. Using their wisdom, these individuals are able to devise viable options that resolve the problems accordingly. Thus they are able to prevent the church form engaging in ungodly activities. This goes a long way in enhancing the image of the Christian church. Tongues Speaking in tongues is categorized under communication gifts. According to Arndt and Gingrich, this constitutes the ability to speak in a language that one is unfamiliar with17. Publicly, speaking in tongues needs to be interpreted in order to benefit the congregation. Privately however, speaking in tongues is useful for strengthening the spiritual wellbeing of a Christian. Although the language being used by the speaker is known to earthly populations, it meaning tends to be unknown to the speaker. Also worth noting is the recognition that the respective language is not known to the individuals hearing it. It is for this reason that it needs to be interpreted. Interpretation of Tongues Relative to the gift of speaking in tongues is the gift of interpreting the respective tongues. Likewise, this belongs to the category of communication gifts. As indicated earlier, speaking in tongues at an assembly does not have any benefit to the congregation unless the respective tongues are interpreted. This gift refers to the supernatural ability to effectively interpret another tongue that is unknown to the interpreter under normal circumstances18. Within the church assembly, interpretation of tongues is vital in relaying important messages to the congregation. It enables them to understand and appreciate the messages as well as make the hearers attentive to the tongues being spoken. Giving This falls under the category of enablement gifts and contributes a great deal to effective functioning of the church. It constitutes the ability of an individual to share his or her possessions with others19. Undoubtedly, individuals with this gift exhibit extra ordinary form of generosity. From a biblical point of view, all Christians are expected to be givers. Nonetheless, those with this gift extent beyond the normal giving. Notably, they have the interests of others at heart and prefer to give out their possessions to those who need them. The characteristic sharing simply gives them satisfaction. Faith This also falls under the broad category of enablement gifts of the Holy Spirit. From a christen point of view, all individuals are required to have faith. However, those gifted with faith exhibit a higher degree of the same20. The gift of faith refers to the ability to exhibit strong faith. Biblical teachings attribute this gift to individuals who are able to cast devils out or move mountains. In addition, such individuals are able to face faith related challenges without flinching. Classic examples of these in the Christian history include the martyrs who readily gave up their lives for the sake of Christian faith. Notably, this differs considerably from the normal Christian faith and characteristic saving. Mercy The gift of mercy is also important in the church environment. It belongs to the category of service gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is the ability of individuals to exercise a high degree of empathy. It is closely related to the gift of help. Individuals with this gift show great love and compassion to the poor as well as the sick. They assist them physically and offer prayers on their behalf. They visit individuals who are afflicted in different ways and empathise with them. Basically, they derive immense satisfaction from seeing others lead normal lives. Conclusion In conclusion, gifts of the Holy Spirit are god given. They are endowments of abilities that enable an individual to perform distinct responsibilities in the church. As it has come out form the study, gifts such as administration and leadership are critical to effective functioning of the church. Notably, they benefit the church as an institution, individuals within the congregation as well as persons outside the church. Seemingly, a significant percentage of these gifts are for today. They are relevant in the church settings and used by the Christians for different purposes. Nonetheless, gifts such as apostleship and the gift of signs have seized with time. Bibliography Arndt, William F. and Gingrich, Wilbur F. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2000. Boice, James Montgomery. Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Ministry Resources Library, 1988. Derickson, Garry W. The Cessation of Healing Miracles in Paul’s Ministry. Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 155. Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1998. Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001. Elwell, Walter A. and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988. Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998. Fahlbusch, Erwin and Geoffrey William Bromiley. The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 2005. Fee, Gordon D. Hermeneutics and Historical Precedent—A Major Problem in Pentecostal Hermeneutics in Perspectives on the New Pentecostalism. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1976. Gangel, Kenneth O. Marks of a Healthy Church. Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 158. Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002. Lloyd-Jones, and David Martyn. God the Holy Spirit. Wheaton, IL: Crossways Books, 1997. Louw, Johannes P. and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996. MacArthur, Jr. John F. Charismatic Chaos. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992. Martin, Ralph P. and Peter H. Davids. Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments. electronic ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Metzger, Bruce M. The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Morton, Russell. Gifts in the Context of Love: Reflections on I Corinthians 13. Ashland Theological Journal Volume 31. Ashland, OH: Ashland Theological Seminary, 1999. Olander, David E. Signs, Miracles and Wonders. Conservative Theological Journal Volume 10. Fort Worth, TX: Tyndale Theological Seminary, 2006. Porter, Stanley E. and Craig A. Evans. Dictionary of New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship. electronic ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Smith, Dean R., “The Scottish Presbyterians and Covenanters: A Continuationist Experience in a Cessationist Theology,” Westminister Theological Journal 63 (2002). Stitzinger, James F. Spiritual Gifts: Definitions and Kinds. Master’s Seminary Journal Volume 41. Sun Valley, CA: Master’s Seminary, 2003. Thomas, Robert L. The Hermeneutics of Noncessationism. Master’s Seminary Journal Volume 14. Sun Valley, CA: The Master’s Seminary, 2003. Read More