Introduction into the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 BY Argie Simonis 

The Corinthian church to which Paul writes is a church that is ALREADY moving in spiritual gifts. In chapter 14 he even gives them instructions for the proper use of these gifts:

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (1Cor. 14:33)

The teaching on the gifts illustrates the unity of the Body of Christ. I believe that is where the whole emphasis of this letter is placed.

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There is also an earlier letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians which we don't know what happened, and he even received a reply:

"I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:" (1Cor. 5:9)

"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman." (1Cor. 7:1)

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In chapters 12-14 of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the believers' ignorance of spiritual gifts:

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." (1Cor. 12:1)

Even today, there is a group of Christians who do not know the gift of the Spirit they have ALREADY received, and therefore cannot move in the gifts.

There is another group of Christians who have believed that all these gifts passed away after the first century with the death of the apostles.

What I have to say is that the latter are more ignorant than the former.

A key reason why this happens, apart from ignorance, is I believe fear. Many times what man does not know causes him fear.

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Many Christians are ignorant of the Holy Spirit. And don't get me wrong, when someone is ignorant of something it doesn't mean they are stupid. It means that either they have not been taught it, or they have been misinformed on the subject.

According to the dictionary, the original interpretation of the word "spirits" that Paul refers to here is "those referring to air, to breath" (eg electric and pneumatic tools, hydraulic and pneumatic systems).

Let's look again at Paul's words applying this interpretation to 1Cor. 12:1;

"Now concerning the gifts which are powered by the breath of God, I do not want you to be ignorant."

In other words, what Paul is trying to tell us here is that these gifts that he will refer to next, are manifested only when we ALLOW the Holy Spirit to "breathe" or otherwise move in us.

So when it comes to spiritual gifts, I don't want you to be ignorant either.

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The gifts are not only found in the 1 Cor. letter. There are references in other places as well.

(Romans ch. 12, seven in total):

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;" (Rom. 12:6)

"Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;" (Rom. 12:7)

"Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness." (Rom. 12:8)

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- GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR MINISTRY (1 Cor. 12, nine in total):

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." (1Cor. 12:7)

"For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;" (1Cor. 12:8)

"To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;" (1Cor. 12:9)

"To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:" (1Cor. 12:10)

"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." (1Cor. 12:11)

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--- THE GIFTS OF JESUS ​​TO HIS CHURCH (Eph. 4, five in total):

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" (Eph. 4:11)

"For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" (Eph. 4:12)

Look again at how Paul begins his words:

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to EVERY man to profit withal." (1Cor. 12:7)

~ So these gifts are given to EVERYONE for the benefit of ALL!~

"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." (1Cor. 12:11)

Remember that these gifts are not yours. Paul, a little earlier in his letter, makes a serious warning:

"For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1Cor. 4:7)

So these gifts are not ours. They are of the Holy Spirit and He distributes them according to His will for the edification of ALL.

~~ All of us for example can minister with a word of knowledge, or a word of wisdom when the Spirit moves us. So the Holy Spirit has ALL the gifts, they are His and He manifests them, that is, He makes them known to the world through us, as He wants. ~~

Watch something else that Paul says:

"Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?" (1Cor. 12:29)

"Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" (1Cor. 12:30)

Don't forget that Paul asks these questions to the charismatic church of Corinth, that is, to Christians who had ALREADY been baptized with the Holy Spirit and were ALREADY moving in spiritual gifts.

Every believer can do the same miracles that Jesus did (John 14:12), and Jesus said that miraculous signs will follow all who believe (Mark 16:17-20). But every member of the body of Christ will not do these things as a gift of calling or ministry:

"For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." (Rom. 11:29)

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We believe in a God of miracles. He is the good Father who has the best gifts for His children.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."  (James 1:17)

Therefore, there is no reason to fear spiritual gifts (the gift of prophecy or the gift of tongues for example).

ALL of us can move in these gifts when the Holy Spirit allows us to. And they are gifts that help us and empower us to live our Christian life here on earth.