The Gifts of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s power was promised to the disciples of God and fell upon them at Pentecost. 1 Cor. 12 makes it clear that not all of them would be able to heal, not all of them would be able to prophesy. However, all of them would have some gift. 1 Cor. 12 gives us a list of gifts with which the Holy Spirit would furnish the believing, obedient Church.
1 Cor. 12:8-10 lists:
(1) The word of wisdom
(2) The word of knowledge
(3) Faith
(4) The gifts of healing
(5) The working of miracles
(6) Prophecy
(7) Discerning of spirits
(8) Divers (different) kinds of tongues
(9) The interpretation of tongues
1 Cor. 12:28 then gives the order of importance of the gifts and offices although all are important:
(1) First apostles
(2) Secondarily prophets
(3) Thirdly teachers
(4) Miracles
(5) Gifts of healings
(6) Helps
(7) Governments
(8) Diversities of tongues.
1 Cor. 12:29, 30 again makes it clear not everyone would have the same gifts saying:
“Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”
Eph. 4:11 further emphasizes that point when it says “And he gave some, apostles; and some,prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”
Of course as great as these gifts are, the following chapter, 1 Cor. 13, shows us that no gift of the Spirit can be greater than the fruit of the Spirit called love or charity. All these gifts are likeclashing cymbals without love. It is better to live the epistles than to be an apostle without love. To be a prophet without love has no profit. What profit is there in healing if our tongues and our hands bruise others? What good are managerial skills that come with the gift of “government” if we cannot govern ourselves? It is better to speak the language of love than a foreign language. May God help us to seek not only the gifts of the Spirit but the fruit of the Spirit which in one word can be described as love, the all-encompassing virtue.
1 Cor. 12:8-10 lists:
(1) The word of wisdom
(2) The word of knowledge
(3) Faith
(4) The gifts of healing
(5) The working of miracles
(6) Prophecy
(7) Discerning of spirits
(8) Divers (different) kinds of tongues
(9) The interpretation of tongues
1 Cor. 12:28 then gives the order of importance of the gifts and offices although all are important:
(1) First apostles
(2) Secondarily prophets
(3) Thirdly teachers
(4) Miracles
(5) Gifts of healings
(6) Helps
(7) Governments
(8) Diversities of tongues.
1 Cor. 12:29, 30 again makes it clear not everyone would have the same gifts saying:
“Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?”
Eph. 4:11 further emphasizes that point when it says “And he gave some, apostles; and some,prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”
Of course as great as these gifts are, the following chapter, 1 Cor. 13, shows us that no gift of the Spirit can be greater than the fruit of the Spirit called love or charity. All these gifts are likeclashing cymbals without love. It is better to live the epistles than to be an apostle without love. To be a prophet without love has no profit. What profit is there in healing if our tongues and our hands bruise others? What good are managerial skills that come with the gift of “government” if we cannot govern ourselves? It is better to speak the language of love than a foreign language. May God help us to seek not only the gifts of the Spirit but the fruit of the Spirit which in one word can be described as love, the all-encompassing virtue.