In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, we find one of the “lists of spiritual gifts” in the Bible. (See also Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:9-11 for additional “lists”.)
To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10 NIV
Unfortunately, these lists have sometimes been used (by well-meaning Christians) to do more harm than good. In my mind, there are at least two main points of debate here, which we should probably understand, but not create divisions over.
The first question is whether these are meant to be exhaustive lists of specific gifts, or if they are simply representative.
Some will try to match what they believe God has gifted them with to a specific spiritual gift listed in the Bible. If you take a spiritual gifts assessment (various forms of which are available online), you’ll probably get matched up with one or more of the specific examples from the various “lists” in the Bible.
Given that the various lists in the Bible aren’t all the same, though, this suggests that they were not intended as exhaustive “checklists”. After all, God can do things for His kingdom beyond these lists, and the Holy Spirit may choose to mix and match these gifts for a certain person, so that God’s love and power can be shown to others at just the right time and place.
So, if it seems that God has equipped you with one of the gifts described here, that’s great! Just don’t limit your use of His gifts unnecessarily.
The second question is whether these gifts were limited to the early church, or whether they still exist today.
The argument for these gifts being limited (to a few generations, or even just one) suggests that the early church needed to “get off the ground”, we might say, and so the gifts provided testimony to a lost world that Jesus Christ was different and special: that He was truly the Messiah, and not just for the Jewish people but for everyone. Then, once the testimony of the apostles and other believers had been established, and the writings that we know as the books of the New Testament became available, this need for extra validation was no longer required.
The argument against this “time limit” suggests that God still works in these ways through His church today, and there are examples of things today that we would consider miracles (i.e., events beyond the normal operation of this world that serve to testify to the nature and truth of God). If members of the body of Christ still show special gifts in these areas, then we conclude that they are still active.
However, regardless of the most correct answers to these two questions (or if we’ve all missed the point entirely), I propose two considerations. (You don’t have to agree, and we could discuss other viewpoints, whether here or some other time, as long as we don’t divide Christ’s body over them.)
- God is more than we can know, especially while we live in these finite human shells, so His work doesn’t have to be limited to lists. If these spiritual gifts are merely Him passing His love, power, and grace through us, there’s more than enough of Him to go around.
- God’s power, love, and wisdom haven’t changed. As a result, He can definitely still work through us, however He chooses. Having said that, we don’t get to decide for Him how He should work through us. It’s up to Him.
So, maybe it doesn’t matter exactly what and when spiritual gifts were / are applied. Those who have met God grow to appreciate His abilities while trusting Him for what we don’t yet understand, and those who choose to follow Him should use what He has given us to live as He directs us.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for April 14, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, April 14, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 Corinthians, by Richard E. Oster, Jr. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 