WEAPONS III
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaKOYlKyqvc
The new LetGo ad has the shot of an avalanche crashing down on a cabin and in the process someone is loading an old video machine onto a truck, trying to take it with him when he really needs to just get out of the way of the avalanche. The truck driver encourages him to get rid of it and offers it online and then someone with a sled shows up to buy it and both drive off just in time as the avalanche crashes into the cabin they were leaving. A lot of us have felt the avalanche coming after this election. And God is encouraging us to get rid of all that old stuff we've been carrying around, to let the Spirit refresh us more completely and direct us in our pursuit of Him an d His goals for us.
And, with that feeling, has come a sense of urgency, the need to get the truth out as fast as possible and to reach as many as we can. So seeing what the weapons of our war are means a lot more now.
Recall from last time that those weapons were personal and meant for us to hold our ground in Christ as Jesus held his ground during temptation. Meanwhile the Spirit has gifted is for the mission, has given us offensive weapons to advance the Gospel as we hold our place in service.
As I write this, I am aware there are those of you reading this that are on missions or are caught in circumstances I can barely comprehend. You find solace and I hope help and encouragement in these words. Be brave and in the depth of God's love, Read about the gifts He gives and grow in Him even as you face obstacles and hatred. Wars swhirl around us all and the USA is doing little to found peace. Let God's peace dwell in your heart as you read of His Spirit. I pray this helps you in direction for your ministry in the Mission.
Understand again that these are the gifts of the Spirit to accomplish THE mission. I don't know what part in the Mission exists for each person reading this, so please pay attention to the gifts offered and in a two following posts on the fruit if the Spirit and the various "offices" that exist. You may be familiar but perhaps this will serve to stir memory. If you are not, I hope this serves to uplift you in the knowledge there is a specific place for every one of us in the Body, that we are meant to serve, are designed to serve the Lord and the Mission and that it is our humbling privilege to serve, it is what we are supposed to do. That the purpose of our Refreshed Flesh is to enable that service.
Now about the gifts:
Ro 12:6 And having different qualities by reason of the grace given to us, such as the quality of a prophet, let it be made use of in relation to the measure of our faith;
7 Or the position of a Deacon of the church, let a man give himself to it; or he who has the power of teaching, let him make use of it;
8 He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.
(BBE)
1Co 12:4 Now there are different qualities given to men, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are different sorts of servants, but the same Lord.
6 And there are different operations, but the same God, who is working all things in all.
7 But to every man some form of the Spirit's working is given for the common good.
8 For to one are given words of wisdom through the Spirit; and to another words of knowledge through the same Spirit:
9 To another faith in the same Spirit; and to another the power of taking away disease, by the one Spirit;
10 And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:
11 But all these are the operations of the one and the same Spirit, giving to every man separately as his pleasure is.
(BBE)
1Co 12:26 And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and every one of you the separate parts of it.
28 And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.
29 Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? have all the power of working wonders?
30 Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?
31 But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.
(BBE)
Two things to note:
1) Again, we are of one body, one functioning entity, Homo Gestalt, many separate beings melded together to perform the single task of missions and bringing the lost to the Lord, We each feel the pain of those among us who are hurting and we each feel the joy when one of us succeeds. If we feel envy or feel less when someone among us achieves, we are not acting as the Lord wishes. We need to realize we are only doing what He wants when we succeed in the Mission.
We need to truly see that the guy sweeping the church building at night and keeping the furnace going and the sidewalk clean in winter is as vital as the guy behind the pulpit a couple times a week. Someone can give money and another can go into the land to evangelize. It doesn't relieve you or I from also needing to evangelize. There will be Billy Grahams but there will also be Joe Everymans who perhaps reach only one or two people in their lives, but heaven celebrates EVERY soul delivered. Never be discouraged if your gift is helps or encouragement. These accrue over time and strengthen the body mush more that speaking in a tongue and are spectacular in the heart.
2) Use the gifts you have. I am meant to encourage you and point you to the mission. And do what the Lord enables me to do with whatever opportunity He may give me on any day. It is the same with all of us. The reason we fight that holding action with all those weapons from the last time is to be ready to serve.
Keep in mind:
http://iblp.org/questions/what-spiritual-gift-teaching
A Christian’s motivational spiritual gift represents what God does in him to shape his perspective on life and motivate his words and actions. Romans 12:3–8 describes “basic motivations,” which are characterized by inherent qualities or abilities within a believer—the Creator’s unique workmanship in him or her.
Through the motivational gifts, God makes believers aware of needs that He wants to meet through them, for His glory. Then, believers can minister to others through the ministry and manifestation gifts of the Spirit, in ways beyond mere human capability and ingenuity, with maximum effectiveness and minimum weariness.
Gotquestions offers a well-ordered list that I'll intrude on with comments as we did last time.:
https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-gifts-list.html
Answer: There are actually three biblical lists of the “gifts of the Spirit,” also known as spiritual gifts. The three main passages describing the spiritual gifts are Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28. The spiritual gifts identified in Romans 12 are prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 includes the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:28 includes healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. A brief description of each gift follows:
Prophecy – The Greek word translated “prophesying” or “prophecy” in both passages properly means to “speak forth” or declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people. The idea of telling the future was added sometime in the Middle Ages and is in direct contradiction to other scriptural passages that condemn such fortune-telling or predicting the future (Acts 16:16-18).
From Chuck Smith:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/HolySpirit/hs_18.cfm
1 Corinthians 12. Paul speaks of the gift of prophecy. Now we realize immediately that the gift of prophecy is not something new to the New Testament, but that the gift of prophecy has been exercised throughout the entirety of biblical history. Prophecy is men speaking forth the word of God through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Peter tells us,
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21)
So prophecy is something that has been a part of God's ministry to His people. There are those men and those women who have been anointed by the Holy Spirit to speak forth God's word to God's people.
Now we usually think of prophecy as something that is predictive of the future. And it can be that because God knows the future and if God is speaking He can speak of the future. But it is not always just predictive. It can also be speaking forth God's truth-God's Word.
In the New Testament it is recognized that in the Old Testament there were men who were anointed by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word of God. 2 Samuel 23:1 says,
Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, "The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue."
Those were some of David's last words. "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and His word was in my tongue." This is confirmed in the New Testament in Acts 1:16 as Peter is quoting David, he said,
Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
He is acknowledging that David spoke by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:25 says,
Who by the mouth of Thy servant David has said, "Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things?"
God spoke by the mouth of David saying, "Why do the heathen rage?" So David acknowledges, he recognizes that his words were anointed by the Holy Spirit. And I do not believe that a person could really read the psalms of David without recognizing that these are anointed words. Now some of the psalms of David are predictive. Many of the psalms of David were prophesying of the Messiah who would come. But many of the psalms are instructive and many of them are prayers. Many of them are just pure worship unto the Lord. And so, in the prophecy, it can be predictive, but not exclusively so.
In 1 Corinthians 14:3 Paul declares,
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Now Paul is making reference to this gift of prophecy. And in contrast to the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy is addressed to men. God is speaking unto men and speaking unto the church through this gift of prophecy, for their edification.
Now the word edification means to be built up in a scriptural sense. It means to be built up in your walk with Christ and in your relationship with Christ. And so the purpose of prophecy is just to build you up in Jesus and in the things of the Spirit.
The gift of prophecy is also for exhortation. And I do believe that there is a gift of exhortation. And of course it would be in line with this prophetic gift, whereby we are exhorted into action. There are a lot of things that we know we believe, but we are passive in our reaction to them. We know that we should pray, but we do not always pray. We know that we should be worshipping the Lord, but we do not always worship Him. We know that we should be faithful, but we are not always faithful.
...
And then the gift of prophecy can be used to comfort believers. As a person is going through trials and tribulations, testings and hardships, it is comforting to know that God is on the throne. It is comforting that the Lord understands and knows your circumstances and that the Lord has not forsaken you. He is watching over you and He is going to bring you through victoriously. And Paul the Apostle speaks of the comfort that he is able to give to the Corinthians, calling God, "the God of all comforts," who comforts us with the comfort wherewith we are able to comfort others.
Serving – Also referred to as “ministering,” the Greek word diakonian, from which we get the English “deacon,” means service of any kind, the broad application of practical help to those in need.
The spiritual gift of service, or ministering, covers a wide range of activities in its application. There are two Greek words for this gift. The first one, found in Romans 12:7, is Diakonia. The basic meaning of this word is “to wait tables,” but it is most often translated in the Bible as “ministry.” It refers to any act of service done in genuine love for the edification of the community. The word Antilepsis is translated “helping” and is found in 1 Corinthians 12:28. It has a similar meaning: to help or aid in love within the community.
The Holy Spirit endows some believers with this gift to fill the many gaps of ministry and meet the needs of the church as it fulfills the Great Commission. The goal is to energize the church and free up others to use their gifts to the fullest. The result is the continued edification of the church and the added ability to see beyond its own needs and reach out into the community.
We see people with this gift in passages like Acts 6:1-7,
Ac 6:1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was increasing, protests were made by the Greek Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were not taken care of in the distribution of food every day.
2 And the Apostles sent for all the disciples and said, It is not right for us to give up preaching the word of God in order to make distribution of food.
3 Take then from among you seven men of good name, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to whom we may give control of this business.
4 Then we will give all our time to prayer and the teaching of the word.
5 And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew:
6 These they took to the Apostles, who, after prayer, put their hands on them.
7 And the word of God was increasing in power; and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem became very great, and a great number of priests were in agreement with the faith.
(BBE)
1 Corinthians 16:15-16,
1Co 16:15 Now I make my request to you, my brothers, for you have knowledge that the house of Stephanas is the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they have made themselves the servants of the saints,
16 That you put yourselves under such, and under everyone who is helping the Lord's work.
(BBE)
and many others. Those with the gift of service are committed to the spread of the Gospel. They serve in ways that benefit others with different gifts and ministries that are more public. They have a heart devoted to Jesus and a desire to follow His command and example in Matthew 20:25-28 (cf. Mark 10:42-45). Those with this gift do not seek recognition or a position in the “spotlight,” they just love to help out. They are content with serving in the background knowing that their contribution will bless the church, display the love of Christ to the world, and bring glory to God. See also Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 28, Acts 20:35; 2 Timothy 4:11; Revelation 2:19.
Teaching – This gift involves the analysis and proclamation of the Word of God, explaining the meaning, context and application to the hearer’s life. The gifted teacher is one who has the unique ability to clearly instruct and communicate knowledge, specifically the doctrines of the faith.
http://iblp.org/questions/what-spiritual-gift-teaching
A teacher’s basic motivational drive is to discover and validate truth. Teachers are very sensitive to doctrinal integrity, they have great research skills, and they are sincere.
Christians who have the gift of teaching search for truth.
Teachers study diligently, “sifting through” the Scriptures as an archaeologist would carefully sift through artifacts from past civilizations, hoping to find answers to numerous questions.
A teacher’s passion to discover and validate truth is commendable, but he must not become so focused on his mission that he loses balance in his perspective about his role.
Teachers help keep the Church focused on truth. They are alert to false doctrine and do not honor experience over the authority of Scripture.
A teacher instinctively questions anything that seems inaccurate, and usually that doubt motivates him to search out the answers needed to establish truth.
A Teacher’s Strengths
A teacher carries out research to gain information and insights. He views Bible study primarily as an academic activity with a spiritual benefit, rather than a spiritual activity with an academic benefit.
He is passionate about correcting error before it leads to apostasy.
A teacher receives special delight in uncovering facts or insights that others have either overlooked or considered insignificant.
A teacher places a great deal of emphasis on original language—the original words used and their meanings.
Usually, an individual with this motivational gift is not hesitant to challenge statements made or ideas presented by other teachers. This is an example of “iron sharpening iron” (see Proverbs 27:17), which is a positive outcome of the teacher’s passion for verifying information.
Teachers have excellent study habits, including orderly investigation and the ability to document information in an organized manner. They are usually neither sloppy nor slothful when it comes to research.
Although the teacher’s passion is to prove that facts are either true or false, he usually receives far more satisfaction from his research than he does from presenting what he has discovered in his research.
Teachers are known to faithfully study the Word of God, because researching truth is a source of great joy for them. Unlike many of the rest of us, who must work hard to set aside time to study the Bible, the teacher often has to work hard to quit studying long enough to carry out other necessities of life! For example, many believers with this motivational gift would much rather research a topic than do their laundry, entertain guests, fix their meals, or go shopping for basic needs.
A teacher solves problems by studying more.
The person with the gift of teaching is diligent, steadfast, and sincere.
A Teacher’s Weaknesses
A teacher may be tempted to equate or confuse knowledge with wisdom. Knowledge is information; wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective. The two are neither equivalent nor worthy of the same esteem.
Teachers tend to be exclusive, preferring to limit their interaction and support to individuals or groups who share their doctrinal beliefs. Their concentration on facts rather than people sometimes makes them appear to be cold or insensitive.
Teachers can harbor disdain toward instructors who use illustrations to get attention rather than to illustrate truth in a meaningful, memorable manner. They can easily reject unbiblical illustrations, condemning them as irrelevant and distracting.
A teacher, more than most of us, can be tempted to be content with having accurate knowledge and be uninterested in taking the next step: application of that knowledge.
Because a teacher is able to accumulate knowledge skillfully and apparently with ease, he can easily be tempted to be prideful and have a condescending attitude toward others who do not demonstrate these gifts.
A teacher’s quest for truth, which motivates him to constantly question (what seems like everything) often earns him the reputation of being a critical, negative person.
Teachers are often impractical, analytical, and unemotional. They tend to not be very interested in social activities and consequently may be regarded as a snobbish or selfish person. Enthusiasm is seldom a strength of a person with this gift.
Teachers have a tendency to give you more information than you asked for. They can easily be boring, since their hearers are not nearly as interested in the details as they are.
Encouraging – Also called “exhortation,” this gift is evident in those who consistently call upon others to heed and follow God’s truth, which may involve correction or building others up by strengthening weak faith or comforting in trials.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/adrianwarnock/2010/10/barnabas-the-prophetic-gift-of-encouragement-part-one/
You need biblical encouragement if you want to mature as a Christian. You need to learn to dispense biblical encouragement to others if you want to be obedient to Jesus command to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. I truly believe that Jesus will be much more interested in the deep lasting impact you have made in the lives of a few choice people that he gave you to care for and strengthen than in how big a crowd you managed to gather.
I encourage you to allow God to speak to you, challenge, and convict you.
(And we have the perfect Biblical example of this gift. W)
What is encouragement
In Acts 4 we see Barnabas’ first appearance in Scripture as an early disciple. We read from verse 36: “Then Joseph who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Barnabas was a big man who didn’t need a big role to make a big difference. He came, he gave his money, and he was an encouragement. He did not look for a position or a title before he began to play his part. The apostles named him “Son of Encouragement,” but interestingly that word Barnabas can also mean “Son of the Prophet”. You might say “Why is that?” We see that the purpose of prophecy, according to 1 Cor. 14, is to encourage, to comfort, to console, and to build up. Sometimes true encouragement is actually an exhortation or rebuke. It’s actually about purpose and mission. It’s coming alongside someone “parakalesis” coming alongside someone to help them to a purpose, to a cause, to a mission. It’s catching someone up in what God is doing. Now Barnabas it seems was probably a prophet but we don’t see a single prophecy that Barnabas spoke recorded in Scripture. But his character and his personality embodied these functions of the Holy Spirit. Some people ask “Why are you so interested in the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Why do you want prophecy amongst you? Why do you want the Holy Spirit’s activity amongst you?” The reason is very simple, we need encouragement we need strengthening, we need emboldening; we need to have courage put into us. That’s really what encouragement means. We need sometimes the right boot of fellowship, the provocation. It’s not so much comforting and consoling as rousing, and causing to rise up.
Mark Driscoll says of this: “The gift of encouragement involves motivating, encouraging and consoling others so that they mature in their walk with Christ.” There’s a sort of encouragement that says “there, there, you’ll be alright” but there’s a sort of encouragement that leaves a person stronger, better, more robust, more able to follow Jesus and, dare I say it, more able to help others.
Giving – Gifted givers are those who joyfully share what they have with others, whether it is financial, material, or the giving of personal time and attention. The giver is concerned for the needs of others and seeks opportunities to share goods, money and time with them as needs arise.
Biblical giving acts this way:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/christian-giving-11636283.html
1. The Lord Jesus expects and requires us to give. Jesus said to His disciples, "when you give" not "if you give" (Matthew 6:2)! Hence, Christian giving is not optional, but rather essential. We often hear folks say: "in the Old Testament they had to give, but not in the New - now we only give if we want to." This is clearly not Jesus' teaching. He expected all His followers to be givers. Christians will give. Are you giving?
2. The Lord Jesus wants us to give for the right reasons. Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them," He said (Matthew 6:1). When we give, we must be careful to examine our motives. We ought to give for the glory of God and the good of His people. We must desire His approval of our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people. Are you giving for God's praise or man's?
3. The Lord Jesus wants us to practice benevolent or charitable giving. Jesus said "When you give to the poor . . . ." (Matthew 6:2-3). Jesus is specifically teaching about "alms" in this passage: aid, charity, or benevolent offerings for the needy. Do you give amply enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving?
4. The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said "When you give . . . ; your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:3-4). When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget, we are giving up a thank offering to the Father Himself. Thus, we must all give "as unto the Lord." Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?
5. The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul's word's "On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save" (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord's Day worship. When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. Note well, Paul is speaking here of a "collection for the saints" - this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? Is giving to the Church a priority with you?
6. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation. Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine). Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. He says: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ's self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ's inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could possibly satisfy himself with asking "how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give?" Do you try to get by with giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord's costly sacrifice?
7. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. Paul is quite clear on this: "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Corinthians 8:12). Put another way Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2, "each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper." This means at least two things: (1) since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [we who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and (2) the Lord never asks us to give what we do not have, or contribute beyond our means. Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you?
8. The Bible teaches that the liberality of God's blessings to us is connected to the liberality of our Christian giving. Though it may seem strange, both Jesus and Paul emphasize that there is a relation between our giving to the Lord and the Lord's giving to us. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6 "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." About this matter J.A. Beet once said: "They who in giving think, not how little they can give, as they would if self-enrichment were the aim, but of benefits to be conferred, will receive back on the same principle. As they do to others, so God will act to them." Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 6:4, where He teaches that our reward in giving comes from our heavenly Father. As someone once said: "The desire to be generous and the means to be generous both come from God." Do you realize that the Lord has given you much, so that you can give much?
9. The Bible teaches that Christian giving must be willing giving, free giving. We learn this in 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion." But doesn't this contradict what we learned under the first principle, that Christian giving is not optional? The answer is, of course, no. True Christian giving is both mandatory and voluntary. It is required by God, but always willingly given by the believer. Is your giving to the Church something you do wholeheartedly, or indifferently, or grudgingly?
10. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says "God loves a cheerful giver." This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, merry givers.
This serves to define if you are acting by the Spirit in giving. One with the GIFT of giving does this without any consideration of circumstance, the question they have should always be if it is in God's service
Leadership – The gifted leader is one who rules, presides over or has the management of other people in the church. The word literally means “guide” and carries with it the idea of one who steers a ship. One with the gift of leadership rules with wisdom and grace and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit in his life as he leads by example.
I will make a personal addend.um and say this is misleading. The word "rules" is wrong. Jesus rules the body. He is the head, THE leader. The gifted SPIRIT-LED leader leads, not commands. He seeks advice from others gifted in discernment and teaching and wisdom and knowledge. He seeks oprayer form all and often privately from those who are so gifted. He seeks direction in giving to proper missions, in the use of resources to accomplish local missions and aid the poor. He asks the
Spirit and seeks encouragement, He points people to their ministries and helps cement them there.
The last sentence here bears reiteration: One with the gift of leadership rules with wisdom and grace and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit in his life as he leads by example.
https://spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gift-leadership/
The spiritual gift of leadership is closely related to the gift of administration and, interestingly, the spiritual gift of pastor/shepherd. The Greek word for the spiritual gift of leadership is proistemi. This word means to lead, to assist, to protect and to care for others. The spiritual gift of leadership is found in Romans 12:8 sandwiched between the gifts of giving and of mercy. It is placed there intentionally to show that it is a gift associated with caring for others. This is what connects it to the gift of pastor/shepherd, and what differentiates it from the gift of administration. It is more people oriented than task oriented in its application. This is not to say those with the gift of administration do not care for people, of course they do, but those with the spiritual gift of leadership focus on people and relationships more directly.
The word proistemi is connected to caring for people in other passages as well. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Paul says to “respect those who labor among you and are over (proistemi) you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” The labor and work of those who were leading the believers in Thessalonica was that of tirelessly caring for their souls. Paul also connects leadership to caring for others when he asks, “If someone does not know how to manage (proistemi) his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” 1 Timothy 3:5
The Holy Spirit gives the spiritual gift of leadership to some in the church to care for God’s people and lead them into deeper relationship with Christ and each other. They base their success on how well they help others succeed and grow in their spiritual walk with Jesus. They are able to accomplish many different tasks and objectives as they lead, but they will always lead relationally and with a deep concern for the well-being of others. They are “visionary” and less concerned with mundane details than those with the spiritual gift of administration. Many are entrepreneurial and willing to take risks to see the kingdom of God advanced through the church. They will go to great lengths to protect those under their care and are well-equipped to lead through crisis situations. See also Romans 12:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 3:4-5, 12; 5:17.
Mercy – Closely linked with the gift of encouragement, the gift of mercy is obvious in those who are compassionate toward others who are in distress, showing sympathy and sensitivity coupled with a desire and the resources to lessen their suffering in a kind and cheerful manner.
The merciful also seek after others in charge to pursue mercy. They meet with prisoners and the lost, the homeless and the powerful to pursue the consciences of those powerful.
https://www.intouch.org/read/the-gift-of-mercy
Do you have a real heart for people? Do you feel tenderness toward others? Are you concerned with finding ways of showing kindness? You may have the gift of mercy.
One of the people who best exemplifies the gift of mercy in the New Testament is the apostle John. One of the foremost characteristics of the person gifted with mercy is love, and of all the apostles, John is the one who wrote the most about love - the love of God, the commandments of Jesus to love one another, and extensive admonitions to the early believers about love. John valued love highly and often referred to himself as "the one whom Jesus loved." To have been loved by Jesus was the highest reward and the most meaningful mark of identification that John felt he could claim for himself.
The gift of mercy has a number of outstanding qualities, including these seven characteristics:
1. Those with the gift of mercy have a great ability to feel the joy or distress of another person or a group. They have a heightened sense of discernment regarding emotions. They rarely have to ask, "How are you doing?" They intuitively sense how another person is doing emotionally. Those with a gift of mercy desire to see those who are hurting alleviated of their hurt.
2. Those with a gift of mercy are able to identify with others and to vicariously experience what others are going through. They have a special empathy and understanding of those who are under emotional stress and are actively attracted to those individuals. They have a great hope and desire to be able to help others by their presence and friendship.
3. Those with a gift of mercy desire to see those who are hurting alleviated of their hurt. They see virtually no benefit in pain, suffering, distress, or sorrow. They want to see all negative feelings healed and removed immediately. At times they may clash with those who have the gift of exhortation, who are able to se benefit in suffering. The person with the gift of mercy must be willing to allow the gift of exhortation to function fully, just as the person with the gift of exhortation must be patient and kind toward the person who has a gift of mercy.
4. Those with the gift of mercy are very sensitive to statements and actions that may hurt others. They often react harshly if their friends or family members are rejected or hurt in any way. They may respond in a defensive and even angry way if they sense that a person is doing something that may injure emotionally a person they love. They are very sensitive to criticism of others.
5. Those with the gift of mercy have an ability to sense genuine unconditional love and to detect expressions of love that are insincere or hypocritical. They have a greater ability to be wounded themselves; they are highly vulnerable to feeling emotional pain. Those with the gift of mercy are very sensitive to statements and actions that may hurt others.
6. Those with a gift mercy have a great need for friendship. They need to be in relationships that are marked by commitment and steadfastness. They do not have a high tolerance, however, for friends who manifest a critical spirit.
7. Those with the gift of mercy are reluctant to speak against any person, regardless of what they have done. The danger of course, is that they may not speak up in times when they should confront evil. Mercy must always be balanced with justice. God is always merciful, but it is equally true that God is always just.
Jesus was the very embodiment of God's love - He was God's "only begotten son," sent to this world as an expression of God's infinite love for mankind. Jesus always acted in a merciful, loving way to people in need. He saw and responded to inner needs as much as to outer material or physical needs. His desire and goal was that mankind be reconciled to God the Father and experience God's forgiveness and unconditional love.
John wrote: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17 - New American Standard Bible
Word of wisdom – The fact that this gift is described as the “word” of wisdom indicates that it is one of the speaking gifts. This gift describes someone who can understand and speak forth biblical truth in such a way as to skillfully apply it to life situations with all discernment.
Now this is where we really need to hear from discernment. Using the Word of wisdom and Word of knowledge gifts as his cover, Satan has run rampant on many charismatic churches, lying and deceiving, breaking up marriages, friendships and churches themselves with those tactics. One must NEVER believe another has this gift unless their words are PROVEN!!!! There is faith and then there is stupidity. Listen the John:
1Jo 4:1 My loved ones, do not put your faith in every spirit, but put them to the test, to see if they are from God: because a great number of false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you may have knowledge of the Spirit of God: every spirit which says that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit which does not say this is not from God: this is the spirit of Antichrist, of which you have had word; and it is in the world even now.
4 You are of God, my little children, and you have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
5 They are of the world, so their talk is the world's talk, and the world gives ear to them.
(BBE)
The lecture on discernment suits every gift but the risks of listening to an egomaniac stroked by demons is far too great in these two gifts. The next worsrt is in leadership and that can trump these because an undiscerning leader can take up a false doctrine and mislead an entire church and have them trusting him instead of easily discerned Biblical truths and this is not imagined since I have seen this in my own life.
About the gift:
http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-are-gifts-of-the-spirit-a-bible-study/
The first gift Paul mentions is the gift of wisdom (v 8). It is listed first perhaps because it is foundational to the church and this is a gift that the believer can earnestly desire (v 31). Wisdom is clearly taught in the Word of God and “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 111:10). This is the precious gift that Solomon asked for and received from God to be able to rightly rule God‘s nation (I Kings 3:12). With this wisdom, Solomon could understand what do in difficult decisions. Wisdom is also associated with fearing the Lord. Fear is simply standing in awe of God in reverence and respect. It entails loving His Word and being obedient to what it says. There is no wisdom in disobedience. This means that if some members are revering God’s laws and statutes, including loving God and loving your neighbor, that many members in the church can have this gift. Of course, many can not have it either. This gift is of supreme importance for members in the Body of Christ for if we can love God and our neighbor, we can greatly contribute to the church and those outside of the church. This love is another way of showing unbelievers and attracting them to Christ by it (John 13:35).
Word of knowledge – This is another speaking gift that involves understanding truth with an insight that only comes by revelation from God. Those with the gift of knowledge understand the deep things of God and the mysteries of His Word.
Understand, I may have a revelation about the Word that contrasts and casts a new light on the word someone else had, but neither of us, if we have the actual gift. will contradict the Bible. will disagree with Paul or John or Pete.
(Same source as above.)
Faith – All believers possess faith in some measure because it is one of the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on all who come to Christ in faith (Galatians 5:22-23). The spiritual gift of faith is exhibited by one with a strong and unshakeable confidence in God, His Word, His promises, and the power of prayer to effect miracles.
Pastor Chuck Smith again relating the idea of the interworking of faith with other gifts:
Helps – Closely related to the gift of mercy is the gift of helps. Those with the gift of helps are those who can aid or render assistance to others in the church with compassion and grace. This has a broad range of possibilities for application. Most importantly, this is the unique ability to identify those who are struggling with doubt, fears, and other spiritual battles; to move toward those in spiritual need with a kind word, an understanding and compassionate demeanor; and to speak scriptural truth that is both convicting and loving.
This explains itself, This is a gift that powers other gifts, directing them toward the need. It is perhaps the most vital of gifts beyond discernment. It can point the leadership the correct direction.
https://spiritualgifts.wordpress.com/2007/10/06/do-you-have-the-spiritual-gift-of-helps/
Healing – Although God does still heal today, the ability of men to produce miraculous healings belonged to the apostles of the first century church to affirm that their message was from God. Christians today do not have the power to heal the sick or resurrect the dead. If they did, the hospitals and morgues would be full of these “gifted” people emptying beds and coffins everywhere.
(I utterly reject the notion that healing and the other signs have passed, but this is a belief of many and I understand it. People like Benny Hinn who seem intent on being stage magicians in pastor's clothes make all of jus look like fools and hurt the cause of Christ. This does not mean the gift is gone and I sincerely believe it does act and has acted in various circumstances.
(I would note that Luke, talking in Acts points out that he AND Paul healed many, meaning to me that both the medicinal and what we see as miraculous ways come from God in this case.)
James is particularly informative on the nature of practical and supernatural healing:
Jas 5:14 Is anyone among you ill? let him send for the rulers of the church; and let them say prayers over him, putting oil on him in the name of the Lord.
15 And by the prayer of faith the man who is ill will be made well, and he will be lifted up by the Lord, and for any sin which he has done he will have forgiveness.
16 So then, make a statement of your sins to one another, and say prayers for one another so that you may be made well. The prayer of a good man is full of power in its working.
17 Elijah was a man of flesh and blood as we are, and he made a strong prayer that there might be no rain; and there was no rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 And he made another prayer, and the heaven sent down rain and the earth gave her fruit.
(BBE)
The spiritual gift of healing is the supernatural manifestation of the Spirit of God that miraculously brings healing and deliverance from disease and/or infirmity. It is the power of God that destroys the work of sin and/or the devil in the human body, such as the healings that Jesus and the disciples performed (Matthew 4:24; 15:30; Acts 5:15-16; 28:8-9). The gift of healing given to the church is primarily noted in 1 Corinthians 12, where the spiritual gifts are listed.
Miraculous powers – Also known as the working of miracles, this is another temporary sign gift which involved performing supernatural events that could only be attributed to the power of God (Acts 2:22). This gift was exhibited by Paul (Acts 19:11-12), Peter (Acts 3:6), Stephen (Acts 6:8), and Phillip (Acts 8:6-7), among others.
John Piper offers insight about miracles while specifically concerned with healings, it applies to all the "sign gifts." today as opposed to the ideas above.
http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gifts-of-healings-and-workings-of-miracles
Three Comments About These Gifts
So I believe that "gifts of healings" and "workings of miracles" are for the church today—for Bethlehem today and for the mission of Christ in the world today. Let me say just three brief things about these gifts and then we can pick it up on Wednesday evening and say more and deal with questions.
1. Not for Self-Exaltation but for the Sake of Love
Gifts of healings and workings of miracles are not for self-exaltation but for the benefit of others. They could easily become the basis of pride just like teaching or preaching or mercy or hospitality or prophecy or any of the gifts. But they are meant to be expressions of love. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:2, "Though I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." Gifts are not the main thing. Love is the main thing. Using gifts is one way to love.
This is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:7, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." It is a great danger to want signs and wonders because they sound neat or merely because you think they would make your faith stronger. That is almost a sure way to spiritual self-centeredness. What we should really want is that Christ be honored through our self-sacrificing love for others. The greatest need we have is not for gifts of healings. The greatest need is to care that people are sick—sick with soul-destroying sin, sick with emotional disorders, sick with physical disease, and often a tangled mixture of all three. The greatest miracle is that our hearts begin to care more about the lostness and pain of others than about our own personal comforts and leisure plans. When that miracle happens, we might be in a position to experience the lesser gifts of healings.
That's the first thing to say: the gifts are all for the sake of love. So let's let the love of Jesus for us break us down and build us up to love others.
2. Not the Ability to Heal at Will
The second thing to say is that if God gives you gifts of healing, it does not mean that you can heal at will or that everyone you pray for will be healed. Isn't it interesting that the literal phrase in verse 9 is not "gift of healing" but "gifts of healings"—two plurals? I think this probably means that different kinds of gifts for different kinds of healings are given to various people according to God's sovereign will. This alone would suggest that one person will not have a monopoly on every sort of healing that is necessary. And it suggests that there will be many times when a person with some gifts to heal will not be able to heal.
This was Paul's experience. God gave him the grace to heal the crippled man in Lystra (Acts 14:10) and many people in Ephesus (Acts 19:12) and the demonized girl in Philippi (Acts 16:18) and Eutychus when he was taken up dead after falling out of a window (Acts 20:9–10). But Paul could not heal himself from the thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:8–9) or from the ailment that he had when he preached in Galatia (Galatians 4:13–14). And evidently he could not heal Timothy from his stomach ailments (1 Timothy 5:23) or Epaphroditus from his life threatening sickness (Philippians 2:26–27) or Trophimus whom he "left ill at Miletus" (2 Timothy 4:20). Sometimes Paul was given gifts of healings and sometimes he wasn't. God is sovereign in this affair. Nothing is mechanical or automatic.
So the wording of 1 Corinthians 12:9 as well as Paul's own experience teach us that there are varied gifts of healings that can be given to us at different times for different illnesses but no guarantees that because we have received a gift to heal in the past, we will receive one in any specific case in the future. Verse 11 says it is the Spirit who "apportions the gifts to each one individually as he pleases." He is sovereign and can give or withhold a gift of healing whenever he deems best.
3. Rightly to Be Sought
Finally, this implies that we may rightly seek for gifts of healings. This is implied in the pursuit of love and compassion. Praying for healing is only one way to show love to someone. But it is one way. And once we realize this, we may be led to seek the gifts. I base the rightness of this also on 1 Corinthians 14:1. "Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts . . . " Once you set your heart to pursue love, you will be in a position to be zealous for spiritual gifts. Among those spiritual gifts are "gifts of healings." Therefore I think 1 Corinthians 14:1 urges us to seek this gift. It is subordinate to love. And it is not among the greater gifts like prophecy. But it is one of the humble lesser gifts of God. We would do well not to reject it or despise it or to exaggerate it. We should simply seek with all our hearts to do good to each other, and pray humbly that, if God wills, some of you would be granted gifts of healings for the blessing of the church and the glory of God's name in the world.
Distinguishing (discerning) of spirits – Certain individuals possess the unique ability to determine the true message of God from that of the deceiver, Satan, whose methods include purveying deceptive and erroneous doctrine. Jesus said many would come in His name and would deceive many (Matthew 24:4-5), but the gift of discerning spirits is given to the Church to protect it from such as these.
again from gotquestions:
When it comes to the gift of discerning spirits, every born-again believer has a certain amount of discernment, which increases as the believer matures in the Spirit. In Hebrews 5:13-14 we read that a believer who has matured beyond using the milk of the Word as a babe in Christ is able to discern both good and evil. The maturing believer is empowered by the Spirit of God through the Scriptures to tell the difference between good and evil, and, beyond that, he can also distinguish between what is good and what is better. In other words, any born-again believer who chooses to focus on the Word of God is spiritually discerning.
There are certain believers, however, who have the spiritual gift of discerning spirits—that is, the God-given ability to distinguish between the truth of the Word and the deceptive doctrines propagated by demons. We are all exhorted to be spiritually discerning (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1), but some in the body of Christ have been given the unique ability to spot the doctrinal “forgeries” that have plagued the church since the first century. This discernment does not involve mystical, extra-biblical revelations or a voice from God. Rather, the spiritually discerning are so familiar with the Word of God that they instantly recognize what is contrary to it. They do not receive special messages from God; they use the Word of God to “test the spirits” to see which line up with God and which are in opposition to Him. The spiritually discerning are diligent to “rightly divide” (2 Timothy 2:15) the Word of God.
Speaking in tongues – The gift of tongues is one of the temporary “sign gifts” given to the early Church to enable the gospel to be preached throughout the world to all nations and in all known languages. It involved the divine ability to speak in languages previously unknown to the speaker. This gift authenticated the message of the gospel and those who preached it as coming from God. The phrase “diversity of tongues” (KJV) or “different kinds of tongues” (NIV) effectively eliminates the idea of a “personal prayer language” as a spiritual gift.
First, I disagree that this has passed along with the miraculous gifts. Those on the mission field have seen these signs acting for God and have seen the Spirit intervene in ways we can never begin to understand. They still setrve a purpose today and as such have not passed on though OI can quite understand the feeling they should be let go when i see people who practice deceit in their "use".
Paul calls this the LEAST of the gifts. It is a trifling thing to him, a parlor trick of the Spirit to get the attention of lost people. It means nothing next to prophecy and other gifts because the other gifts build up the body. The other gifts build up the body. Tongues is only worthwhile with translation.
Hence:
Interpretation of tongues – A person with the gift of interpreting tongues could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language that was being spoken. The tongues interpreter would then communicate the message of the tongues speaker to everyone else, so all could understand.
Sometimes we have heard a tongues language that was a human language, French or German, and was spoken in an assembly where someone there could speak that language. This seems to be the case at Pentecost where Peter spoke and men of every tongue heard him in their own language.
We have heard people running through the church aisles speaking in languages no one understands creating chaos all of which contradicts this:
1Co 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. {men: Gr. perfect, or, of a ripe age}
21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. {two...: by two or three sentences separately}
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. {confusion: Gr. tumult, or, unquietness}
(KJV)
The Word is simply: "You are to be united yet when you come together you misuse ALL your gifts, trying to draw attention to yourselves, following the mystery religions around you that focus on the self and how someone can have a secret someone else does not and they are therefore superior."
We often fail in the study of the gifts because we get focused on tongues and healing and saying they were misused, but Paul merely takes the least of the gifts, points out that those with the least gift get the idea it somehow makes them more special and then the Church gets disordered by that gift. But all the gifts got misused.
Today there is even a teaching that talking in tongues builds up the talker, therefore talk in tongues and build yourself up and THAT builds up the Church. Understand this is a direct contradiction to what Paul plainly says:
1Co 14:3 But the word of the prophet gives men knowledge and comfort and strength.
4 He who makes use of tongues may do good to himself; but he who gives the prophet's word does good to the church.
5 Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.
(BBE)
Matthew Henry Commentary
14:1-5 Prophesying, that is, explaining Scripture, is compared with speaking with tongues. This drew attention, more than the plain interpretation of Scripture; it gratified pride more, but promoted the purposes of Christian charity less; it would not equally do good to the souls of men. What cannot be understood, never can edify. No advantage can be reaped from the most excellent discourses, if delivered in language such as the hearers cannot speak or understand. Every ability or possession is valuable in proportion to its usefulness. Even fervent, spiritual affection must be governed by the exercise of the understanding, else men will disgrace the truths they profess to promote.
Some try to get around this by getting believers to translate their tongues, the problem being we now have those talking in tongues also translating alone and this can have deception mixed with it as much as an untranslated tongue. And translating a tongue is a gift, even as tongues is a gift, so those teaching others HOW to do it are not following the Biblical fact that the Spirit gifts. Such teaching is also not from God, The rule for prophets must always apply to every gift, to the giving, to the helping, to every part of gifted ministry:
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
The fact of every ministry is that it is subject to every OTHER ministry, even leadership. Discernement can be taught, to a degree, even as helps, even as giving, but seeking those with the special gift of discernment can help focus the ministry correctly. But their discernment must meet the Bible's requirements as well so leaders must judge if the direction offered follows the Spirit.
Do you see this? Satan gets people focused on the least of the gifts. They cause chaos and even get completely thrown out of church largely because they serve no good purpose and cause schism. Tongues get used as signs by some Muslim and Hindu sects, by animists and in pagan worships. So it becomes a crossover for ecumenical pursuits with those who are not saved or who practice false doctrines. The lines between the saved and the unsaved blur. Salvation becomes an unclear entity.
With this and every gift the testing of the Spirit and the testing of our own direction becomes vital. This is why God led Paul to put Corinthians 13 in the midst of his gifts discussion:
1Co 13:1 If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.
2 And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.
4 Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
5 Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;
6 It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;
7 Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
8 Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.
9 For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
10 But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
11 When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.
12 For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.
13 But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
(BBE)
The great truth remains in two parts;
1) it's not about us, you or me.
2) it's about the mission.
And the love verse issues in our next posting: the test of the spirits by the fruit they produce.
And think of this in the meantime:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVACbEvo-8w
{To help you define your own gift or gifts:
https://spiritualgifts.wordpress.com/about/
http://giftstest.com/
https://mintools.com/spiritual-gifts-test.htm
Keep in mind these are self-tests and often it is better to ask others what gifts they have seen you demonstrate.}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaKOYlKyqvc
The new LetGo ad has the shot of an avalanche crashing down on a cabin and in the process someone is loading an old video machine onto a truck, trying to take it with him when he really needs to just get out of the way of the avalanche. The truck driver encourages him to get rid of it and offers it online and then someone with a sled shows up to buy it and both drive off just in time as the avalanche crashes into the cabin they were leaving. A lot of us have felt the avalanche coming after this election. And God is encouraging us to get rid of all that old stuff we've been carrying around, to let the Spirit refresh us more completely and direct us in our pursuit of Him an d His goals for us.
And, with that feeling, has come a sense of urgency, the need to get the truth out as fast as possible and to reach as many as we can. So seeing what the weapons of our war are means a lot more now.
Recall from last time that those weapons were personal and meant for us to hold our ground in Christ as Jesus held his ground during temptation. Meanwhile the Spirit has gifted is for the mission, has given us offensive weapons to advance the Gospel as we hold our place in service.
As I write this, I am aware there are those of you reading this that are on missions or are caught in circumstances I can barely comprehend. You find solace and I hope help and encouragement in these words. Be brave and in the depth of God's love, Read about the gifts He gives and grow in Him even as you face obstacles and hatred. Wars swhirl around us all and the USA is doing little to found peace. Let God's peace dwell in your heart as you read of His Spirit. I pray this helps you in direction for your ministry in the Mission.
Understand again that these are the gifts of the Spirit to accomplish THE mission. I don't know what part in the Mission exists for each person reading this, so please pay attention to the gifts offered and in a two following posts on the fruit if the Spirit and the various "offices" that exist. You may be familiar but perhaps this will serve to stir memory. If you are not, I hope this serves to uplift you in the knowledge there is a specific place for every one of us in the Body, that we are meant to serve, are designed to serve the Lord and the Mission and that it is our humbling privilege to serve, it is what we are supposed to do. That the purpose of our Refreshed Flesh is to enable that service.
Now about the gifts:
Ro 12:6 And having different qualities by reason of the grace given to us, such as the quality of a prophet, let it be made use of in relation to the measure of our faith;
7 Or the position of a Deacon of the church, let a man give himself to it; or he who has the power of teaching, let him make use of it;
8 He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.
(BBE)
1Co 12:4 Now there are different qualities given to men, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are different sorts of servants, but the same Lord.
6 And there are different operations, but the same God, who is working all things in all.
7 But to every man some form of the Spirit's working is given for the common good.
8 For to one are given words of wisdom through the Spirit; and to another words of knowledge through the same Spirit:
9 To another faith in the same Spirit; and to another the power of taking away disease, by the one Spirit;
10 And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:
11 But all these are the operations of the one and the same Spirit, giving to every man separately as his pleasure is.
(BBE)
1Co 12:26 And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and every one of you the separate parts of it.
28 And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.
29 Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? have all the power of working wonders?
30 Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?
31 But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.
(BBE)
Two things to note:
1) Again, we are of one body, one functioning entity, Homo Gestalt, many separate beings melded together to perform the single task of missions and bringing the lost to the Lord, We each feel the pain of those among us who are hurting and we each feel the joy when one of us succeeds. If we feel envy or feel less when someone among us achieves, we are not acting as the Lord wishes. We need to realize we are only doing what He wants when we succeed in the Mission.
We need to truly see that the guy sweeping the church building at night and keeping the furnace going and the sidewalk clean in winter is as vital as the guy behind the pulpit a couple times a week. Someone can give money and another can go into the land to evangelize. It doesn't relieve you or I from also needing to evangelize. There will be Billy Grahams but there will also be Joe Everymans who perhaps reach only one or two people in their lives, but heaven celebrates EVERY soul delivered. Never be discouraged if your gift is helps or encouragement. These accrue over time and strengthen the body mush more that speaking in a tongue and are spectacular in the heart.
2) Use the gifts you have. I am meant to encourage you and point you to the mission. And do what the Lord enables me to do with whatever opportunity He may give me on any day. It is the same with all of us. The reason we fight that holding action with all those weapons from the last time is to be ready to serve.
Keep in mind:
http://iblp.org/questions/what-spiritual-gift-teaching
A Christian’s motivational spiritual gift represents what God does in him to shape his perspective on life and motivate his words and actions. Romans 12:3–8 describes “basic motivations,” which are characterized by inherent qualities or abilities within a believer—the Creator’s unique workmanship in him or her.
Through the motivational gifts, God makes believers aware of needs that He wants to meet through them, for His glory. Then, believers can minister to others through the ministry and manifestation gifts of the Spirit, in ways beyond mere human capability and ingenuity, with maximum effectiveness and minimum weariness.
Gotquestions offers a well-ordered list that I'll intrude on with comments as we did last time.:
https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-gifts-list.html
Answer: There are actually three biblical lists of the “gifts of the Spirit,” also known as spiritual gifts. The three main passages describing the spiritual gifts are Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28. The spiritual gifts identified in Romans 12 are prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 includes the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:28 includes healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. A brief description of each gift follows:
Prophecy – The Greek word translated “prophesying” or “prophecy” in both passages properly means to “speak forth” or declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people. The idea of telling the future was added sometime in the Middle Ages and is in direct contradiction to other scriptural passages that condemn such fortune-telling or predicting the future (Acts 16:16-18).
From Chuck Smith:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/HolySpirit/hs_18.cfm
1 Corinthians 12. Paul speaks of the gift of prophecy. Now we realize immediately that the gift of prophecy is not something new to the New Testament, but that the gift of prophecy has been exercised throughout the entirety of biblical history. Prophecy is men speaking forth the word of God through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Peter tells us,
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21)
So prophecy is something that has been a part of God's ministry to His people. There are those men and those women who have been anointed by the Holy Spirit to speak forth God's word to God's people.
Now we usually think of prophecy as something that is predictive of the future. And it can be that because God knows the future and if God is speaking He can speak of the future. But it is not always just predictive. It can also be speaking forth God's truth-God's Word.
In the New Testament it is recognized that in the Old Testament there were men who were anointed by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word of God. 2 Samuel 23:1 says,
Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, "The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue."
Those were some of David's last words. "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and His word was in my tongue." This is confirmed in the New Testament in Acts 1:16 as Peter is quoting David, he said,
Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
He is acknowledging that David spoke by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:25 says,
Who by the mouth of Thy servant David has said, "Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things?"
God spoke by the mouth of David saying, "Why do the heathen rage?" So David acknowledges, he recognizes that his words were anointed by the Holy Spirit. And I do not believe that a person could really read the psalms of David without recognizing that these are anointed words. Now some of the psalms of David are predictive. Many of the psalms of David were prophesying of the Messiah who would come. But many of the psalms are instructive and many of them are prayers. Many of them are just pure worship unto the Lord. And so, in the prophecy, it can be predictive, but not exclusively so.
In 1 Corinthians 14:3 Paul declares,
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Now Paul is making reference to this gift of prophecy. And in contrast to the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy is addressed to men. God is speaking unto men and speaking unto the church through this gift of prophecy, for their edification.
Now the word edification means to be built up in a scriptural sense. It means to be built up in your walk with Christ and in your relationship with Christ. And so the purpose of prophecy is just to build you up in Jesus and in the things of the Spirit.
The gift of prophecy is also for exhortation. And I do believe that there is a gift of exhortation. And of course it would be in line with this prophetic gift, whereby we are exhorted into action. There are a lot of things that we know we believe, but we are passive in our reaction to them. We know that we should pray, but we do not always pray. We know that we should be worshipping the Lord, but we do not always worship Him. We know that we should be faithful, but we are not always faithful.
...
And then the gift of prophecy can be used to comfort believers. As a person is going through trials and tribulations, testings and hardships, it is comforting to know that God is on the throne. It is comforting that the Lord understands and knows your circumstances and that the Lord has not forsaken you. He is watching over you and He is going to bring you through victoriously. And Paul the Apostle speaks of the comfort that he is able to give to the Corinthians, calling God, "the God of all comforts," who comforts us with the comfort wherewith we are able to comfort others.
Serving – Also referred to as “ministering,” the Greek word diakonian, from which we get the English “deacon,” means service of any kind, the broad application of practical help to those in need.
The spiritual gift of service, or ministering, covers a wide range of activities in its application. There are two Greek words for this gift. The first one, found in Romans 12:7, is Diakonia. The basic meaning of this word is “to wait tables,” but it is most often translated in the Bible as “ministry.” It refers to any act of service done in genuine love for the edification of the community. The word Antilepsis is translated “helping” and is found in 1 Corinthians 12:28. It has a similar meaning: to help or aid in love within the community.
The Holy Spirit endows some believers with this gift to fill the many gaps of ministry and meet the needs of the church as it fulfills the Great Commission. The goal is to energize the church and free up others to use their gifts to the fullest. The result is the continued edification of the church and the added ability to see beyond its own needs and reach out into the community.
We see people with this gift in passages like Acts 6:1-7,
Ac 6:1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was increasing, protests were made by the Greek Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were not taken care of in the distribution of food every day.
2 And the Apostles sent for all the disciples and said, It is not right for us to give up preaching the word of God in order to make distribution of food.
3 Take then from among you seven men of good name, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to whom we may give control of this business.
4 Then we will give all our time to prayer and the teaching of the word.
5 And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew:
6 These they took to the Apostles, who, after prayer, put their hands on them.
7 And the word of God was increasing in power; and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem became very great, and a great number of priests were in agreement with the faith.
(BBE)
1 Corinthians 16:15-16,
1Co 16:15 Now I make my request to you, my brothers, for you have knowledge that the house of Stephanas is the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they have made themselves the servants of the saints,
16 That you put yourselves under such, and under everyone who is helping the Lord's work.
(BBE)
and many others. Those with the gift of service are committed to the spread of the Gospel. They serve in ways that benefit others with different gifts and ministries that are more public. They have a heart devoted to Jesus and a desire to follow His command and example in Matthew 20:25-28 (cf. Mark 10:42-45). Those with this gift do not seek recognition or a position in the “spotlight,” they just love to help out. They are content with serving in the background knowing that their contribution will bless the church, display the love of Christ to the world, and bring glory to God. See also Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 28, Acts 20:35; 2 Timothy 4:11; Revelation 2:19.
Teaching – This gift involves the analysis and proclamation of the Word of God, explaining the meaning, context and application to the hearer’s life. The gifted teacher is one who has the unique ability to clearly instruct and communicate knowledge, specifically the doctrines of the faith.
http://iblp.org/questions/what-spiritual-gift-teaching
A teacher’s basic motivational drive is to discover and validate truth. Teachers are very sensitive to doctrinal integrity, they have great research skills, and they are sincere.
Christians who have the gift of teaching search for truth.
Teachers study diligently, “sifting through” the Scriptures as an archaeologist would carefully sift through artifacts from past civilizations, hoping to find answers to numerous questions.
A teacher’s passion to discover and validate truth is commendable, but he must not become so focused on his mission that he loses balance in his perspective about his role.
Teachers help keep the Church focused on truth. They are alert to false doctrine and do not honor experience over the authority of Scripture.
A teacher instinctively questions anything that seems inaccurate, and usually that doubt motivates him to search out the answers needed to establish truth.
A Teacher’s Strengths
A teacher carries out research to gain information and insights. He views Bible study primarily as an academic activity with a spiritual benefit, rather than a spiritual activity with an academic benefit.
He is passionate about correcting error before it leads to apostasy.
A teacher receives special delight in uncovering facts or insights that others have either overlooked or considered insignificant.
A teacher places a great deal of emphasis on original language—the original words used and their meanings.
Usually, an individual with this motivational gift is not hesitant to challenge statements made or ideas presented by other teachers. This is an example of “iron sharpening iron” (see Proverbs 27:17), which is a positive outcome of the teacher’s passion for verifying information.
Teachers have excellent study habits, including orderly investigation and the ability to document information in an organized manner. They are usually neither sloppy nor slothful when it comes to research.
Although the teacher’s passion is to prove that facts are either true or false, he usually receives far more satisfaction from his research than he does from presenting what he has discovered in his research.
Teachers are known to faithfully study the Word of God, because researching truth is a source of great joy for them. Unlike many of the rest of us, who must work hard to set aside time to study the Bible, the teacher often has to work hard to quit studying long enough to carry out other necessities of life! For example, many believers with this motivational gift would much rather research a topic than do their laundry, entertain guests, fix their meals, or go shopping for basic needs.
A teacher solves problems by studying more.
The person with the gift of teaching is diligent, steadfast, and sincere.
A Teacher’s Weaknesses
A teacher may be tempted to equate or confuse knowledge with wisdom. Knowledge is information; wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective. The two are neither equivalent nor worthy of the same esteem.
Teachers tend to be exclusive, preferring to limit their interaction and support to individuals or groups who share their doctrinal beliefs. Their concentration on facts rather than people sometimes makes them appear to be cold or insensitive.
Teachers can harbor disdain toward instructors who use illustrations to get attention rather than to illustrate truth in a meaningful, memorable manner. They can easily reject unbiblical illustrations, condemning them as irrelevant and distracting.
A teacher, more than most of us, can be tempted to be content with having accurate knowledge and be uninterested in taking the next step: application of that knowledge.
Because a teacher is able to accumulate knowledge skillfully and apparently with ease, he can easily be tempted to be prideful and have a condescending attitude toward others who do not demonstrate these gifts.
A teacher’s quest for truth, which motivates him to constantly question (what seems like everything) often earns him the reputation of being a critical, negative person.
Teachers are often impractical, analytical, and unemotional. They tend to not be very interested in social activities and consequently may be regarded as a snobbish or selfish person. Enthusiasm is seldom a strength of a person with this gift.
Teachers have a tendency to give you more information than you asked for. They can easily be boring, since their hearers are not nearly as interested in the details as they are.
Encouraging – Also called “exhortation,” this gift is evident in those who consistently call upon others to heed and follow God’s truth, which may involve correction or building others up by strengthening weak faith or comforting in trials.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/adrianwarnock/2010/10/barnabas-the-prophetic-gift-of-encouragement-part-one/
You need biblical encouragement if you want to mature as a Christian. You need to learn to dispense biblical encouragement to others if you want to be obedient to Jesus command to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. I truly believe that Jesus will be much more interested in the deep lasting impact you have made in the lives of a few choice people that he gave you to care for and strengthen than in how big a crowd you managed to gather.
I encourage you to allow God to speak to you, challenge, and convict you.
(And we have the perfect Biblical example of this gift. W)
What is encouragement
In Acts 4 we see Barnabas’ first appearance in Scripture as an early disciple. We read from verse 36: “Then Joseph who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Barnabas was a big man who didn’t need a big role to make a big difference. He came, he gave his money, and he was an encouragement. He did not look for a position or a title before he began to play his part. The apostles named him “Son of Encouragement,” but interestingly that word Barnabas can also mean “Son of the Prophet”. You might say “Why is that?” We see that the purpose of prophecy, according to 1 Cor. 14, is to encourage, to comfort, to console, and to build up. Sometimes true encouragement is actually an exhortation or rebuke. It’s actually about purpose and mission. It’s coming alongside someone “parakalesis” coming alongside someone to help them to a purpose, to a cause, to a mission. It’s catching someone up in what God is doing. Now Barnabas it seems was probably a prophet but we don’t see a single prophecy that Barnabas spoke recorded in Scripture. But his character and his personality embodied these functions of the Holy Spirit. Some people ask “Why are you so interested in the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Why do you want prophecy amongst you? Why do you want the Holy Spirit’s activity amongst you?” The reason is very simple, we need encouragement we need strengthening, we need emboldening; we need to have courage put into us. That’s really what encouragement means. We need sometimes the right boot of fellowship, the provocation. It’s not so much comforting and consoling as rousing, and causing to rise up.
Mark Driscoll says of this: “The gift of encouragement involves motivating, encouraging and consoling others so that they mature in their walk with Christ.” There’s a sort of encouragement that says “there, there, you’ll be alright” but there’s a sort of encouragement that leaves a person stronger, better, more robust, more able to follow Jesus and, dare I say it, more able to help others.
Giving – Gifted givers are those who joyfully share what they have with others, whether it is financial, material, or the giving of personal time and attention. The giver is concerned for the needs of others and seeks opportunities to share goods, money and time with them as needs arise.
Biblical giving acts this way:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/christian-giving-11636283.html
1. The Lord Jesus expects and requires us to give. Jesus said to His disciples, "when you give" not "if you give" (Matthew 6:2)! Hence, Christian giving is not optional, but rather essential. We often hear folks say: "in the Old Testament they had to give, but not in the New - now we only give if we want to." This is clearly not Jesus' teaching. He expected all His followers to be givers. Christians will give. Are you giving?
2. The Lord Jesus wants us to give for the right reasons. Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them," He said (Matthew 6:1). When we give, we must be careful to examine our motives. We ought to give for the glory of God and the good of His people. We must desire His approval of our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people. Are you giving for God's praise or man's?
3. The Lord Jesus wants us to practice benevolent or charitable giving. Jesus said "When you give to the poor . . . ." (Matthew 6:2-3). Jesus is specifically teaching about "alms" in this passage: aid, charity, or benevolent offerings for the needy. Do you give amply enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving?
4. The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father. Jesus said "When you give . . . ; your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:3-4). When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget, we are giving up a thank offering to the Father Himself. Thus, we must all give "as unto the Lord." Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?
5. The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship. In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul's word's "On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save" (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord's Day worship. When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. Note well, Paul is speaking here of a "collection for the saints" - this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? Is giving to the Church a priority with you?
6. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation. Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine). Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. He says: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Christ's self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ's inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could possibly satisfy himself with asking "how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give?" Do you try to get by with giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord's costly sacrifice?
7. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means. Paul is quite clear on this: "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Corinthians 8:12). Put another way Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2, "each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper." This means at least two things: (1) since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [we who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and (2) the Lord never asks us to give what we do not have, or contribute beyond our means. Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you?
8. The Bible teaches that the liberality of God's blessings to us is connected to the liberality of our Christian giving. Though it may seem strange, both Jesus and Paul emphasize that there is a relation between our giving to the Lord and the Lord's giving to us. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6 "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." About this matter J.A. Beet once said: "They who in giving think, not how little they can give, as they would if self-enrichment were the aim, but of benefits to be conferred, will receive back on the same principle. As they do to others, so God will act to them." Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 6:4, where He teaches that our reward in giving comes from our heavenly Father. As someone once said: "The desire to be generous and the means to be generous both come from God." Do you realize that the Lord has given you much, so that you can give much?
9. The Bible teaches that Christian giving must be willing giving, free giving. We learn this in 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion." But doesn't this contradict what we learned under the first principle, that Christian giving is not optional? The answer is, of course, no. True Christian giving is both mandatory and voluntary. It is required by God, but always willingly given by the believer. Is your giving to the Church something you do wholeheartedly, or indifferently, or grudgingly?
10. The Bible teaches that Christian giving ought to be cheerful giving. As Paul says "God loves a cheerful giver." This is a truly amazing assertion. Paul assures us here that the Lord takes a special delight in those who are joyful, energetic, merry givers.
This serves to define if you are acting by the Spirit in giving. One with the GIFT of giving does this without any consideration of circumstance, the question they have should always be if it is in God's service
Leadership – The gifted leader is one who rules, presides over or has the management of other people in the church. The word literally means “guide” and carries with it the idea of one who steers a ship. One with the gift of leadership rules with wisdom and grace and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit in his life as he leads by example.
I will make a personal addend.um and say this is misleading. The word "rules" is wrong. Jesus rules the body. He is the head, THE leader. The gifted SPIRIT-LED leader leads, not commands. He seeks advice from others gifted in discernment and teaching and wisdom and knowledge. He seeks oprayer form all and often privately from those who are so gifted. He seeks direction in giving to proper missions, in the use of resources to accomplish local missions and aid the poor. He asks the
Spirit and seeks encouragement, He points people to their ministries and helps cement them there.
The last sentence here bears reiteration: One with the gift of leadership rules with wisdom and grace and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit in his life as he leads by example.
https://spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gift-leadership/
The spiritual gift of leadership is closely related to the gift of administration and, interestingly, the spiritual gift of pastor/shepherd. The Greek word for the spiritual gift of leadership is proistemi. This word means to lead, to assist, to protect and to care for others. The spiritual gift of leadership is found in Romans 12:8 sandwiched between the gifts of giving and of mercy. It is placed there intentionally to show that it is a gift associated with caring for others. This is what connects it to the gift of pastor/shepherd, and what differentiates it from the gift of administration. It is more people oriented than task oriented in its application. This is not to say those with the gift of administration do not care for people, of course they do, but those with the spiritual gift of leadership focus on people and relationships more directly.
The word proistemi is connected to caring for people in other passages as well. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Paul says to “respect those who labor among you and are over (proistemi) you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” The labor and work of those who were leading the believers in Thessalonica was that of tirelessly caring for their souls. Paul also connects leadership to caring for others when he asks, “If someone does not know how to manage (proistemi) his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” 1 Timothy 3:5
The Holy Spirit gives the spiritual gift of leadership to some in the church to care for God’s people and lead them into deeper relationship with Christ and each other. They base their success on how well they help others succeed and grow in their spiritual walk with Jesus. They are able to accomplish many different tasks and objectives as they lead, but they will always lead relationally and with a deep concern for the well-being of others. They are “visionary” and less concerned with mundane details than those with the spiritual gift of administration. Many are entrepreneurial and willing to take risks to see the kingdom of God advanced through the church. They will go to great lengths to protect those under their care and are well-equipped to lead through crisis situations. See also Romans 12:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 3:4-5, 12; 5:17.
Mercy – Closely linked with the gift of encouragement, the gift of mercy is obvious in those who are compassionate toward others who are in distress, showing sympathy and sensitivity coupled with a desire and the resources to lessen their suffering in a kind and cheerful manner.
The merciful also seek after others in charge to pursue mercy. They meet with prisoners and the lost, the homeless and the powerful to pursue the consciences of those powerful.
https://www.intouch.org/read/the-gift-of-mercy
Do you have a real heart for people? Do you feel tenderness toward others? Are you concerned with finding ways of showing kindness? You may have the gift of mercy.
One of the people who best exemplifies the gift of mercy in the New Testament is the apostle John. One of the foremost characteristics of the person gifted with mercy is love, and of all the apostles, John is the one who wrote the most about love - the love of God, the commandments of Jesus to love one another, and extensive admonitions to the early believers about love. John valued love highly and often referred to himself as "the one whom Jesus loved." To have been loved by Jesus was the highest reward and the most meaningful mark of identification that John felt he could claim for himself.
The gift of mercy has a number of outstanding qualities, including these seven characteristics:
1. Those with the gift of mercy have a great ability to feel the joy or distress of another person or a group. They have a heightened sense of discernment regarding emotions. They rarely have to ask, "How are you doing?" They intuitively sense how another person is doing emotionally. Those with a gift of mercy desire to see those who are hurting alleviated of their hurt.
2. Those with a gift of mercy are able to identify with others and to vicariously experience what others are going through. They have a special empathy and understanding of those who are under emotional stress and are actively attracted to those individuals. They have a great hope and desire to be able to help others by their presence and friendship.
3. Those with a gift of mercy desire to see those who are hurting alleviated of their hurt. They see virtually no benefit in pain, suffering, distress, or sorrow. They want to see all negative feelings healed and removed immediately. At times they may clash with those who have the gift of exhortation, who are able to se benefit in suffering. The person with the gift of mercy must be willing to allow the gift of exhortation to function fully, just as the person with the gift of exhortation must be patient and kind toward the person who has a gift of mercy.
4. Those with the gift of mercy are very sensitive to statements and actions that may hurt others. They often react harshly if their friends or family members are rejected or hurt in any way. They may respond in a defensive and even angry way if they sense that a person is doing something that may injure emotionally a person they love. They are very sensitive to criticism of others.
5. Those with the gift of mercy have an ability to sense genuine unconditional love and to detect expressions of love that are insincere or hypocritical. They have a greater ability to be wounded themselves; they are highly vulnerable to feeling emotional pain. Those with the gift of mercy are very sensitive to statements and actions that may hurt others.
6. Those with a gift mercy have a great need for friendship. They need to be in relationships that are marked by commitment and steadfastness. They do not have a high tolerance, however, for friends who manifest a critical spirit.
7. Those with the gift of mercy are reluctant to speak against any person, regardless of what they have done. The danger of course, is that they may not speak up in times when they should confront evil. Mercy must always be balanced with justice. God is always merciful, but it is equally true that God is always just.
Jesus was the very embodiment of God's love - He was God's "only begotten son," sent to this world as an expression of God's infinite love for mankind. Jesus always acted in a merciful, loving way to people in need. He saw and responded to inner needs as much as to outer material or physical needs. His desire and goal was that mankind be reconciled to God the Father and experience God's forgiveness and unconditional love.
John wrote: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17 - New American Standard Bible
Word of wisdom – The fact that this gift is described as the “word” of wisdom indicates that it is one of the speaking gifts. This gift describes someone who can understand and speak forth biblical truth in such a way as to skillfully apply it to life situations with all discernment.
Now this is where we really need to hear from discernment. Using the Word of wisdom and Word of knowledge gifts as his cover, Satan has run rampant on many charismatic churches, lying and deceiving, breaking up marriages, friendships and churches themselves with those tactics. One must NEVER believe another has this gift unless their words are PROVEN!!!! There is faith and then there is stupidity. Listen the John:
1Jo 4:1 My loved ones, do not put your faith in every spirit, but put them to the test, to see if they are from God: because a great number of false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you may have knowledge of the Spirit of God: every spirit which says that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit which does not say this is not from God: this is the spirit of Antichrist, of which you have had word; and it is in the world even now.
4 You are of God, my little children, and you have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
5 They are of the world, so their talk is the world's talk, and the world gives ear to them.
(BBE)
The lecture on discernment suits every gift but the risks of listening to an egomaniac stroked by demons is far too great in these two gifts. The next worsrt is in leadership and that can trump these because an undiscerning leader can take up a false doctrine and mislead an entire church and have them trusting him instead of easily discerned Biblical truths and this is not imagined since I have seen this in my own life.
About the gift:
http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-are-gifts-of-the-spirit-a-bible-study/
The first gift Paul mentions is the gift of wisdom (v 8). It is listed first perhaps because it is foundational to the church and this is a gift that the believer can earnestly desire (v 31). Wisdom is clearly taught in the Word of God and “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 111:10). This is the precious gift that Solomon asked for and received from God to be able to rightly rule God‘s nation (I Kings 3:12). With this wisdom, Solomon could understand what do in difficult decisions. Wisdom is also associated with fearing the Lord. Fear is simply standing in awe of God in reverence and respect. It entails loving His Word and being obedient to what it says. There is no wisdom in disobedience. This means that if some members are revering God’s laws and statutes, including loving God and loving your neighbor, that many members in the church can have this gift. Of course, many can not have it either. This gift is of supreme importance for members in the Body of Christ for if we can love God and our neighbor, we can greatly contribute to the church and those outside of the church. This love is another way of showing unbelievers and attracting them to Christ by it (John 13:35).
Word of knowledge – This is another speaking gift that involves understanding truth with an insight that only comes by revelation from God. Those with the gift of knowledge understand the deep things of God and the mysteries of His Word.
Understand, I may have a revelation about the Word that contrasts and casts a new light on the word someone else had, but neither of us, if we have the actual gift. will contradict the Bible. will disagree with Paul or John or Pete.
(Same source as above.)
The next gift of the Spirit is that of knowledge (v 8). Some people have such a gift of remembering scriptures. They have knowledge of God and His ways. They seem to be able to quickly distinguish which is biblical and which is not. Some translations say it is the “Word” of knowledge while others say that it is the “utterance” of knowledge. The Word is most certainly the Word of God. The “utterance” of knowledge could indicate that those with the gift of knowledge know when to speak particular words, when not to, and what words to speak with. Both words seem to fulfill what true knowledge is. These with this gift make excellent teachers, deacons, elders, or pastors.
Faith – All believers possess faith in some measure because it is one of the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on all who come to Christ in faith (Galatians 5:22-23). The spiritual gift of faith is exhibited by one with a strong and unshakeable confidence in God, His Word, His promises, and the power of prayer to effect miracles.
Pastor Chuck Smith again relating the idea of the interworking of faith with other gifts:
In Acts 3 Peter was going into the temple with John at the hour of prayer at about three o'clock in the afternoon. There was a man about forty years old who had never walked in his entire life, who was begging alms from the people going in to worship God. And Peter said to the man, "Look over here." And the man turned, expecting to receive some money. And Peter responded,
Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. (Acts 3:6-9)
And the people in the temple said, "Is that the lame man who has been begging all these years out at the gate? It sure looks like him. What happened? How is it that he is walking?" "I do not know. Let us find out." And they followed him out to Solomon's porch and there they saw him grab hold of Peter and begin to hug Peter and sort of dance up and down. And they suddenly related the fact that the man was talking to Peter in some mystical way that they could not understand.
And when Peter saw these people suddenly all staring at him with this kind of awe and adoration, he said,
Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? (Acts 3:12)
And he went on to preach to them concerning Jesus. But then, as he explained the miracle in Acts 3:16, he said, "And His name, that is Jesus, through faith in His name hath made this man strong whom you see and you know." It was through the name of Jesus and faith in the name of Jesus that this man was now standing there healed of that infirmity of over forty years.
But then he went on to say, "Yea, the faith which is by Him." In other words, Peter is not saying it is my great faith, but he is acknowledging that it was the faith that was given by Jesus. In other words, it was the gift of faith that was operating. It was the gift of faith that was given to Peter to say to the man, "What I have I give unto you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!" The faith that was given to Peter at that time, Peter is saying, it is the faith that is by Him-recognizing this was the gift of faith in operation that brought to pass this healing and miracle upon this lame man.
So you might say that you have three gifts in operation: the gift of faith, the gift of healing, and the gift of the working of miracles-all three in the healing of this lame man.
One might call it the underpinning gift for other gifts but one superlative in certain chosen disciples.
Helps – Closely related to the gift of mercy is the gift of helps. Those with the gift of helps are those who can aid or render assistance to others in the church with compassion and grace. This has a broad range of possibilities for application. Most importantly, this is the unique ability to identify those who are struggling with doubt, fears, and other spiritual battles; to move toward those in spiritual need with a kind word, an understanding and compassionate demeanor; and to speak scriptural truth that is both convicting and loving.
This explains itself, This is a gift that powers other gifts, directing them toward the need. It is perhaps the most vital of gifts beyond discernment. It can point the leadership the correct direction.
https://spiritualgifts.wordpress.com/2007/10/06/do-you-have-the-spiritual-gift-of-helps/
In I Corinthians 12:28 it says “those able to help others” (NIV). The gift of “helps” is different than just passively helping, as in the word “service” or “servant”. Rather in “helps” there is an involvement that goes deeper than just serving someone.
In the Biblical meaning of “helps” there are three parts to the definition. The first part is that of “helping, bringing relief, giving assistance”. The second part is the concept of “taking hold of something, to succor and to participate”. This part implies involvement on the part of the person helping; a sharing with them deeply. It is more than serving; it is support. It literally means to “grab them, strongly lay hold of, to hold them up”. The third part is “to exchange”. There is an exchange between you and the person being helped. You see the needy as a giver not just a receiver. You get a blessing too. There is a real involvement and interchange.
Healing – Although God does still heal today, the ability of men to produce miraculous healings belonged to the apostles of the first century church to affirm that their message was from God. Christians today do not have the power to heal the sick or resurrect the dead. If they did, the hospitals and morgues would be full of these “gifted” people emptying beds and coffins everywhere.
(I utterly reject the notion that healing and the other signs have passed, but this is a belief of many and I understand it. People like Benny Hinn who seem intent on being stage magicians in pastor's clothes make all of jus look like fools and hurt the cause of Christ. This does not mean the gift is gone and I sincerely believe it does act and has acted in various circumstances.
(I would note that Luke, talking in Acts points out that he AND Paul healed many, meaning to me that both the medicinal and what we see as miraculous ways come from God in this case.)
The spiritual gift of healing found in 1 Corinthians 12:9 is actually plural in the Greek. Charismata iamaton is literally translated “gifts of healings.” This spiritual gift is closely related to the gifts of faith and miracles. All spiritual gifts are to be exercised in faith, but gifts of healings involve a special measure of it. This gift is interesting in that there is no guarantee that a person will always be able to heal anyone he or she desires. It is subject to the sovereign will of God, as all spiritual gifts are.
The Disciples were given authority to heal and cast out demons, but they were not always successful. The Apostle Paul was not able to heal himself and was told that God’s grace was sufficient to carry him through his infirmity without removing it from him (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). This gift is given at various times and places to reveal the God of heaven to the sick and tormented. If healing is not granted, then we can conclude that God has greater plans or letting the person go through the illness or infirmity.
The spiritual gift of healing is an intimate one as it reveals the heart and compassion of God. Jesus is the Great Healer and Physician and during His ministry on earth He healed countless people and cast out demons (Matthew 4:23-24; 8:16; 9:35, Mark 1:34). Healings reveal that God is near to His people and He cares about their sufferings. Healings are meant to draw people to God through His Son Jesus Christ. God wants those healed to respond in faith with thanksgiving and love as the leper did in Luke 17:15-19, and as the demon-possessed man did in Mark 5:18-20. By God’s grace, physical healing should lead to spiritual healing (faith in Jesus) and eternal life with Him in heaven.
Those who have this gift are compassionate toward the sick and pray over them regularly. They have great faith and trust that God can and will heal some and are not deterred when He chooses not to. They are motivated knowing that God’s revealed power will draw people to faith in Jesus. Their ultimate concern is the spiritual well-being of those being healed and their relationship with Jesus. They yearn for the day that there will be no more pain and suffering, and sin will no longer wreak havoc on the people of God. See 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28, 30, James 5:13-16.
15 And by the prayer of faith the man who is ill will be made well, and he will be lifted up by the Lord, and for any sin which he has done he will have forgiveness.
16 So then, make a statement of your sins to one another, and say prayers for one another so that you may be made well. The prayer of a good man is full of power in its working.
17 Elijah was a man of flesh and blood as we are, and he made a strong prayer that there might be no rain; and there was no rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 And he made another prayer, and the heaven sent down rain and the earth gave her fruit.
(BBE)
Healing here seems to imply that we are to work in the practical until it becomes obvious that sin has a supernatural effect on the health of the person, then we are to pursue that healing with prayer and supplication and entreating the sick one to repent.
Best definition might be here:
John Piper offers insight about miracles while specifically concerned with healings, it applies to all the "sign gifts." today as opposed to the ideas above.
http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gifts-of-healings-and-workings-of-miracles
Three Comments About These Gifts
So I believe that "gifts of healings" and "workings of miracles" are for the church today—for Bethlehem today and for the mission of Christ in the world today. Let me say just three brief things about these gifts and then we can pick it up on Wednesday evening and say more and deal with questions.
1. Not for Self-Exaltation but for the Sake of Love
Gifts of healings and workings of miracles are not for self-exaltation but for the benefit of others. They could easily become the basis of pride just like teaching or preaching or mercy or hospitality or prophecy or any of the gifts. But they are meant to be expressions of love. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:2, "Though I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." Gifts are not the main thing. Love is the main thing. Using gifts is one way to love.
This is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:7, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." It is a great danger to want signs and wonders because they sound neat or merely because you think they would make your faith stronger. That is almost a sure way to spiritual self-centeredness. What we should really want is that Christ be honored through our self-sacrificing love for others. The greatest need we have is not for gifts of healings. The greatest need is to care that people are sick—sick with soul-destroying sin, sick with emotional disorders, sick with physical disease, and often a tangled mixture of all three. The greatest miracle is that our hearts begin to care more about the lostness and pain of others than about our own personal comforts and leisure plans. When that miracle happens, we might be in a position to experience the lesser gifts of healings.
That's the first thing to say: the gifts are all for the sake of love. So let's let the love of Jesus for us break us down and build us up to love others.
2. Not the Ability to Heal at Will
The second thing to say is that if God gives you gifts of healing, it does not mean that you can heal at will or that everyone you pray for will be healed. Isn't it interesting that the literal phrase in verse 9 is not "gift of healing" but "gifts of healings"—two plurals? I think this probably means that different kinds of gifts for different kinds of healings are given to various people according to God's sovereign will. This alone would suggest that one person will not have a monopoly on every sort of healing that is necessary. And it suggests that there will be many times when a person with some gifts to heal will not be able to heal.
This was Paul's experience. God gave him the grace to heal the crippled man in Lystra (Acts 14:10) and many people in Ephesus (Acts 19:12) and the demonized girl in Philippi (Acts 16:18) and Eutychus when he was taken up dead after falling out of a window (Acts 20:9–10). But Paul could not heal himself from the thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:8–9) or from the ailment that he had when he preached in Galatia (Galatians 4:13–14). And evidently he could not heal Timothy from his stomach ailments (1 Timothy 5:23) or Epaphroditus from his life threatening sickness (Philippians 2:26–27) or Trophimus whom he "left ill at Miletus" (2 Timothy 4:20). Sometimes Paul was given gifts of healings and sometimes he wasn't. God is sovereign in this affair. Nothing is mechanical or automatic.
So the wording of 1 Corinthians 12:9 as well as Paul's own experience teach us that there are varied gifts of healings that can be given to us at different times for different illnesses but no guarantees that because we have received a gift to heal in the past, we will receive one in any specific case in the future. Verse 11 says it is the Spirit who "apportions the gifts to each one individually as he pleases." He is sovereign and can give or withhold a gift of healing whenever he deems best.
3. Rightly to Be Sought
Finally, this implies that we may rightly seek for gifts of healings. This is implied in the pursuit of love and compassion. Praying for healing is only one way to show love to someone. But it is one way. And once we realize this, we may be led to seek the gifts. I base the rightness of this also on 1 Corinthians 14:1. "Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts . . . " Once you set your heart to pursue love, you will be in a position to be zealous for spiritual gifts. Among those spiritual gifts are "gifts of healings." Therefore I think 1 Corinthians 14:1 urges us to seek this gift. It is subordinate to love. And it is not among the greater gifts like prophecy. But it is one of the humble lesser gifts of God. We would do well not to reject it or despise it or to exaggerate it. We should simply seek with all our hearts to do good to each other, and pray humbly that, if God wills, some of you would be granted gifts of healings for the blessing of the church and the glory of God's name in the world.
Distinguishing (discerning) of spirits – Certain individuals possess the unique ability to determine the true message of God from that of the deceiver, Satan, whose methods include purveying deceptive and erroneous doctrine. Jesus said many would come in His name and would deceive many (Matthew 24:4-5), but the gift of discerning spirits is given to the Church to protect it from such as these.
again from gotquestions:
When it comes to the gift of discerning spirits, every born-again believer has a certain amount of discernment, which increases as the believer matures in the Spirit. In Hebrews 5:13-14 we read that a believer who has matured beyond using the milk of the Word as a babe in Christ is able to discern both good and evil. The maturing believer is empowered by the Spirit of God through the Scriptures to tell the difference between good and evil, and, beyond that, he can also distinguish between what is good and what is better. In other words, any born-again believer who chooses to focus on the Word of God is spiritually discerning.
There are certain believers, however, who have the spiritual gift of discerning spirits—that is, the God-given ability to distinguish between the truth of the Word and the deceptive doctrines propagated by demons. We are all exhorted to be spiritually discerning (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1), but some in the body of Christ have been given the unique ability to spot the doctrinal “forgeries” that have plagued the church since the first century. This discernment does not involve mystical, extra-biblical revelations or a voice from God. Rather, the spiritually discerning are so familiar with the Word of God that they instantly recognize what is contrary to it. They do not receive special messages from God; they use the Word of God to “test the spirits” to see which line up with God and which are in opposition to Him. The spiritually discerning are diligent to “rightly divide” (2 Timothy 2:15) the Word of God.
Speaking in tongues – The gift of tongues is one of the temporary “sign gifts” given to the early Church to enable the gospel to be preached throughout the world to all nations and in all known languages. It involved the divine ability to speak in languages previously unknown to the speaker. This gift authenticated the message of the gospel and those who preached it as coming from God. The phrase “diversity of tongues” (KJV) or “different kinds of tongues” (NIV) effectively eliminates the idea of a “personal prayer language” as a spiritual gift.
First, I disagree that this has passed along with the miraculous gifts. Those on the mission field have seen these signs acting for God and have seen the Spirit intervene in ways we can never begin to understand. They still setrve a purpose today and as such have not passed on though OI can quite understand the feeling they should be let go when i see people who practice deceit in their "use".
Paul calls this the LEAST of the gifts. It is a trifling thing to him, a parlor trick of the Spirit to get the attention of lost people. It means nothing next to prophecy and other gifts because the other gifts build up the body. The other gifts build up the body. Tongues is only worthwhile with translation.
Hence:
Interpretation of tongues – A person with the gift of interpreting tongues could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language that was being spoken. The tongues interpreter would then communicate the message of the tongues speaker to everyone else, so all could understand.
Sometimes we have heard a tongues language that was a human language, French or German, and was spoken in an assembly where someone there could speak that language. This seems to be the case at Pentecost where Peter spoke and men of every tongue heard him in their own language.
We have heard people running through the church aisles speaking in languages no one understands creating chaos all of which contradicts this:
1Co 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. {men: Gr. perfect, or, of a ripe age}
21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. {two...: by two or three sentences separately}
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. {confusion: Gr. tumult, or, unquietness}
(KJV)
The Word is simply: "You are to be united yet when you come together you misuse ALL your gifts, trying to draw attention to yourselves, following the mystery religions around you that focus on the self and how someone can have a secret someone else does not and they are therefore superior."
We often fail in the study of the gifts because we get focused on tongues and healing and saying they were misused, but Paul merely takes the least of the gifts, points out that those with the least gift get the idea it somehow makes them more special and then the Church gets disordered by that gift. But all the gifts got misused.
Today there is even a teaching that talking in tongues builds up the talker, therefore talk in tongues and build yourself up and THAT builds up the Church. Understand this is a direct contradiction to what Paul plainly says:
1Co 14:3 But the word of the prophet gives men knowledge and comfort and strength.
4 He who makes use of tongues may do good to himself; but he who gives the prophet's word does good to the church.
5 Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.
(BBE)
Matthew Henry Commentary
14:1-5 Prophesying, that is, explaining Scripture, is compared with speaking with tongues. This drew attention, more than the plain interpretation of Scripture; it gratified pride more, but promoted the purposes of Christian charity less; it would not equally do good to the souls of men. What cannot be understood, never can edify. No advantage can be reaped from the most excellent discourses, if delivered in language such as the hearers cannot speak or understand. Every ability or possession is valuable in proportion to its usefulness. Even fervent, spiritual affection must be governed by the exercise of the understanding, else men will disgrace the truths they profess to promote.
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
The fact of every ministry is that it is subject to every OTHER ministry, even leadership. Discernement can be taught, to a degree, even as helps, even as giving, but seeking those with the special gift of discernment can help focus the ministry correctly. But their discernment must meet the Bible's requirements as well so leaders must judge if the direction offered follows the Spirit.
Do you see this? Satan gets people focused on the least of the gifts. They cause chaos and even get completely thrown out of church largely because they serve no good purpose and cause schism. Tongues get used as signs by some Muslim and Hindu sects, by animists and in pagan worships. So it becomes a crossover for ecumenical pursuits with those who are not saved or who practice false doctrines. The lines between the saved and the unsaved blur. Salvation becomes an unclear entity.
With this and every gift the testing of the Spirit and the testing of our own direction becomes vital. This is why God led Paul to put Corinthians 13 in the midst of his gifts discussion:
1Co 13:1 If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell.
2 And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.
4 Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;
5 Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;
6 It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;
7 Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.
8 Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end.
9 For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
10 But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
11 When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child.
12 For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me.
13 But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
(BBE)
The great truth remains in two parts;
1) it's not about us, you or me.
2) it's about the mission.
And the love verse issues in our next posting: the test of the spirits by the fruit they produce.
And think of this in the meantime:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVACbEvo-8w
{To help you define your own gift or gifts:
https://spiritualgifts.wordpress.com/about/
http://giftstest.com/
https://mintools.com/spiritual-gifts-test.htm
Keep in mind these are self-tests and often it is better to ask others what gifts they have seen you demonstrate.}
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