What is your Spiritual Gift?

Frankly, I question the existence of spiritual gifts. I've been in many situations in which the topic was discussed and some of those "tests" given to determine one's gift(s). All that happens is that people see their abilities and aptitudes seen, subjectively or subjunctively, in general subjects as "spiritual gifts" in relation to what they do for their church or their Christian influence.

Other than expound further on this right now, as I expect there to be arguments against what I just stated, I will leave it at that for the present.

 

Alcott,
How do you explain: I Corinthians 7:7 and the whole chapter of I Corinthians 12?
WallyGator

 

I think that there is not enough focus on Spirtual Gifts in the churches, when we get back to that model of full use of Spiritual Gifts as used in the generations of the early church, we will see a world wide revival of Christianity, particurly in the muslim lands.

 

Whoever said I did explain it?
The only answer I can give is that we see one of 2 practices in regard to how the exercise of the gifts is done. One, the Pentecostal and charismatic way, that of wildly throwing you hands around uttering unintelligible syllables, falling down as if passed out and claiming miracles right and left. The other is the more common way in Baptist or independent Bible churches, that of assuming 'miraculous' gifts are superseded by the completion of scripture, then leaving helps, mercy, administration, et al, as the gifts in operation, when these qualities are just a person's knacks and abilities.

The first option I have nothing to do with; not only does charismania get absurd, but it's clearly not done according to the scriptures they claim to get their mandates from. But the second option seems wishy-washy; if miraculous gifts are not valid today because with the canon we have no need of them, then why do we need the others? Furthermore, I don't know anybody who was a pathetic administrator who became a Christian and suddenly became superlative in that quality; nor someone who couldn't teach anyone else which is the right hand and which is the left, and then suddenly be endowed with marvelous professorial talent. People don't get these as gifts; they're just natural abilities.

All this would leave is that our natural abilities become spiritual gifts-- something I cornered a pastor about once, and he said they do. In that case, you need not be a believer to have what is the same as a spiritual gift. So that's what I am inclined toward. Our abilities can and should be used for our work in the Kingdom, but I don't presume something supernatural when there is no reason to presume it other than self-importance.

 

Spiritual gifts are those gifts of grace which God gives to the church. They are most easily noticed when one is doing ministry with the greatest passion behind it.

Natural abilites can become a flop when God is not in control. Gifts can be used to glorify God and abused to glorify self.

Abilities often draw attention to the person. Gifts are gifts of grace that God gives to glorify Him.

 

Moses said he had a heavy tongue but God told him to speak. He refused God's gifts and focused on himself. So God used Aaron instead.

People have told me many times that I am a different person when I get up to preach. I know I am intense and people come to Christ. I clearly know it is not because I am a good speaker.

I will give you an example. A few years ago I was asked to speak at a youth conference. I told them they had the wrong person and that there were a lot of pastors better than myself. They asked me again. I told them the same thing again. So after awhile they asked me to pray about it and let them know when I could. I prayed and let them know I would two weeks later. At that conference I preached on the death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus. On the final night I spoke on running the race to win. The group who led the music had no idea what I would be preaching on but knew it was a youth conference. The leader told me after the conference how he realized that everything I said and everything he sang worked together. During the invitation we had more youth coming forward than counsleors so I pulled people from the group top talk with youth. After it was over I was overwhelmed at what had happened. The right counselors were put with the right youth. A man who was there told me he had been coming to help for 31 years and that was the most he had ever seen come forward during the invitations. I can assure you it was not me. I was in awe of what I said in the sermons and what I picked as the topics. How many youth conferences hear sermions on what I picked. All my life I have struggled with preaching and communicating well. At an early age fact I delared to myself I could not speak in public and I thought of it as the worse kind of communication. I was self conscious and grew up in a home with poor grammar. My first speech in college was read directy from notes. I never took another speech class again until I had to in seminary.

So when I stand up to preach I know it is not me at all. If I try to pat myself on the back God gently reminds me who is in charge. He reminds me how he can remove what he has given in an instant.

Over and over I am reminded of the fact that God uses broken vessels of no use.

If he can use Moses a man with a heavy tongue who killed someone He can surely use me.

 

Thanks, Pastor_Bob.

 

So in your church you have 2 or 3 prophets who speak, and others who pass judgment? 2 or 3 who speak in tongues? if a revelation is passed to one who is seated, then the one who speaking is to sit down and shut up? All this is from I Corinthians 14. Do you follow the Word of God here, or do you base your beliefs on your own judgment?

 

I take that as an admission that you are "basing your beliefs on your own personal experience and not on the Word of God" [your words]. Paul did rebuke the Corinthians for several things, but he (Paul) did say: "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment" (I Corinthians 14:29). And "But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent" (ch.14, v.30). For tongues, Paul said "If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret" (ch.14, v.27). Thus tongues are not a requirement, but are allowed. However, v. 39 says "Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues."

I need not ask if you or your church does these things as Paul said, for you have already said you don't. But one more time, and again in your own words: are you basing your beliefs on your own personal experience and not on the Word of God? And then in my own {previous} words: if miraculous gifts are not valid today because with the canon we have no need of them, then why do we need the others?

 

Is that a quote from scripture, or is it your own idea? If there are no signs involved, you can't prove any of the differing abilities of people are gifts.

 

Alcott, I don't know how long it has been since I have read a post like your second post on this thread that I sincerely wish I had the skill to write.

 

I wonder if they had spiritual inventory test in the Early Church. My guessis they walked in the power of The Holy Spirit and God worked with them and they saw results. What a novel idea?

 

The gift of discernment was left out of the list.