Gifts Of The Holy Spirit: Varieties And Purpose Of Gifts

Introduction

This paper focuses on the gifts of the Holy Spirit that will explore the different manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is important to understand that the ultimate sources of the gifts are same. The gifts are different in purpose and delivery. The apostle Paul writes, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” (1Cor 12:4-6/ NIV). We will see that God is committed to a plan, which has a pattern as well as a purpose. The plan is to restore His glory in mankind and over the earth. The pattern is to forgive and redeem a fallen creation. The purpose is to make His name known to all and to prepare mankind for the realm and reign of His Kingdom.

Every believer has something to contribute, everyone is enabled by the Spirit to contribute to the common good (1 Cor 12:11). These gifts of the Spirit are given not for the believer but for the Body of Christ. It is to make the Body complete. These gifts are intended for the church to edify it, to strengthen, feed, exhort, and encourage it to have the Body of Christ empowered to do the work of Christ. This paper will present the thesis that the difference in the understanding of the gifts of Holy Spirit, and in the modern church has had a decide impact on church growth.

The Holy Spirit is vitally important for the Christian

The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives on a daily basis is vitally important to our continuing spiritual growth as a believer and our moving forward as a church family. The Holy Spirit is the point at which the Trinity becomes personal. God the Father is often thought of as distant and less approachable the biblical record of God the Son is two millennia removed from us but God the Holy Spirit is active in our lives and actually resides within us as believers.[footnoteRef:1] The Holy Spirit is currently more active at this time than at any other in history. The Old Testament focuses on the Father, the Gospel focus on the Son but from Acts forward to the present time the Holy Spirit has been the most active member of the Godhead.[footnoteRef:2] The Holy Spirit is fully part of the Trinity and possesses all aspects of deity “the Holy Spirit is all knowing (Omniscience), the Holy Spirit is ever present (Omnipresence) and the Holy Spirit is all powerful (Omnipotence).”[footnoteRef:3] My perspectives is a Christian need to be born again after or before baptized in the Holy Spirit then He will pour out the gifts of Spirit whatever who wants from Him. I believed only by the gift of the Holy Spirit we can do the ministry of God’.

What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit

According to the 1Corinthian 12, we can be understand there are nine gifts of the Spirit by Paul mentions. A listing of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 mentions wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

Paul mentions again spiritual gifts in Ephesians 4:7-13, Isaiah 11:2-3 and Romans 12:3-8. The gifts of the Spirit are simply God empowering faithful Christians to do what He has called us to do. 2 Peter 1:3 says, ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (NIV).” The gifts of the Holy Spirit are part of everything we need to accomplish His plans for our lives.[footnoteRef:4] Let us learn in this section why God gives Spiritual gifts to believer and why Paul mentions these in Corinthian church.

Varieties of Gifts

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given abilities by the Holy Spirit to faithful followers of Christ to serve God for the common benefit of his people. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines (1Corinthian 12:4-7/11, NIV).” So, all the Spiritual gifts concern with believer who want from God. The gifts compare with the parts of the human body does that depends on the whole body. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1Corinthian 12: 27).”

The wonderful spiritual gifts are presented in 1Corinthian. First, the gift of the wisdom refers to a spiritual insight into the mind or will of God in doctrinal areas. Traditionally, this gift was ascribed to the writers of Scripture, and may be interpreted overly liberally today.[footnoteRef:5] Second, the gift of knowledge involves the ability to apply Scripture to practical areas of life.[footnoteRef:6] 2Peter 3:18 indicates all believers should grow in Spiritual knowledge through prayer and study “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him is the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” Third, the gift of faith while every believer is justified by faith and should walk by faith, the gift of faith is special capacity to pursue great tasks for God or through the power of God.[footnoteRef:7] Fourth, the gift of healing is expressed most commonly in the New Testament era. Healing via the Holy Spirit, apart from or beyond medical knowledge and ability is always a divine act. Divine healing in the contemporary era can result from intense prayer or great faith but still result from divine action not from special powers imbued in an individual.[footnoteRef:8] Fifth, the gift of miracles that is the gift to display signs and miracles that give credibility to God’s Word and the Gospel message.[footnoteRef:9] Sixth, the gift of prophecy that is to declare a message from God. Seven, the gift of discerning spirits that is to recognize whether or not something is truly from God or in accordance with righteousness.[footnoteRef:10] Eight, the gift of tongues is (1) to speak to God in a language they have never learned and (2) to receive and communicate an immediate message from God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance in a language they have never learned. Final, the gift of interpretation of tongues is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues.[footnoteRef:11] Although the work of the church is not depending on pride, competition and jealousy, it depends on using the gifts that the each member belongs in congregation. There are differences but unity in body of Christ.

Using the Gifts

How we can use our spiritual gifts to help our church grow. We need to understand what truly constitutes a spiritual gift. Know that our spiritual gift determines our purpose in Christ’s Body. Spiritual gifts are special attributes given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ. A spiritual gift is not a natural talent a fruit of the Spirit or a role. We need to ask God to help your discern true spiritual gifts from counterfeit ones that come from the evil side of the spiritual realm.

Paul said in Rome 12:6-8 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith, if it is serving, then serve, if it is teaching, then teach, if it is to encourage, then give encouragement, if it is giving, then give generously, if it is to lead, do it diligently, if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” According to the scripture we need to practice our gift involve in body of Christ or Church because to improve our spiritual gifts. Pauline pneumatology, especially with reference to “the gifts of the Spirit, shows the prevalence of an experience-based, pragmatic approach to practicing and even more to understanding giftedness.”[footnoteRef:12] Therefore, doing well only is not enough, it is relate daily living and walk with Christ. [12: Keith Warrington, “The Gifts of the Spirit: Pentecostal Interpretation of Pauline Pneumatology”, Pentecostal Perspectives (UK: Cumbria, Paternoster Publishing, 1988), 96. ]

Purpose of the Gifts

This concept of ordering also describes the purpose of the Spirit’s work of gifting, specifically, an ordering of the body of Christ. Paul states that “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1Cor 12:7). He explicitly connects the Spirit’s giving of gifts to bringing order within the church, commanding, “ Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church” (1Cor 14:12). The Holy Spirit’s gifting of individual Christians with a diversity of ministry abilities serves to build up the unity of the Church, many members of one body (1Cor 12:12, Rom 12:5), with the goal that this body will “attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). It is in this context that Paul most clearly defines Spirit baptism “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1Cor 12:13) which even if the Holy Spirit is the agent, involves an ordering such that the body of Christ is formed and unified. Or, to use another NT metaphor for the Church, by the Spirit, believers are “a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:21-22).[footnoteRef:13] [13: Tony Evans, The Promise: Experiencing God”s Greatest Gift the Holy Spirit (USA: Chicago, Renaissance Productions, Moody Press, 1996), 297-302.]

Needing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives

The Holy Spirit is more than a mere influence or force working in the believer. He does the work that only God can do, and He is placed in positions of equality with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We need the Holy Spirit in order to become true Christians.

Bible says, “You are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God live in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (Rome 8:9/ NIV). In Titus 3:5 “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (NIV). We are saved through being born again by the Holy Spirit. Therefore we need the Holy Spirit in order to become true Christians.[footnoteRef:14] David Hocking indicates seven points of need the Holy Spirit in our life. I agree with him because it require for us.

Every believer is expected to be filled with the gifts of the Spirit. The Christian life must be lived with the help and strength of the Spirit of God. The filling of the Spirit in the book of Acts was special and unique in terms of the individuals experiencing it and the results of it. The gifts are very different and even within the church; they are exercised in different settings. As believers in Christ, we have the privilege of a very close relationship with the Triune God. God dwells in us and we dwell in Him. The Spirit of God exalts Christ and applies His redemptive work to us. He helps us grow and develop the fruit of the Spirit so that we are like Christ in our attitudes and relationships with others.

The Way of Receiving the Gifts of Holy Spirit

This section is to learn how to receive the gifts of Holy Spirit in practically. The Bible tells us in Act 2: 38 “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (NIV).” Scripture explicitly states that we must first be born again. In order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we must be committed to new life in Christ. This is when the real transformation begins.

Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who seek Him. In the Book of John we are told “Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, who those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7: 37-39/ NIV). This promise was fulfilled at Pentecost, when Jesus’ followers received the Holy Spirit. This is told in great detail in Acts 2. The account begins with the Holy Spirit descending upon a group of followers who upon receiving it began to speak in tongues. We are told in this account, “And when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:1-4/NIV). Because the Holy Spirit came down, the Apostles were enabled to spread the good news of Christ, just as Jesus had promised. With the decent of the Holy Spirit, a New Covenant was inaugurated. We know the Holy Spirit is working through us when we are drawn to Christ. We receive the Holy Spirit the moment we believe in Christ. When we receive the Holy Spirit into our lives, we have a new awareness of Christ, and can begin entering a relationship with Him. The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit coming into our life is change. The Holy Spirit’s role is to mold us into the image of Christ so that we may live in His likeness.

Conclusion

To conclude, when the Creator forms us in the womb, He molds and shapes our personality and abilities, and he also gives us talents to use for our personal satisfaction and the benefit of the world. Especially, the gift of the Holy Spirit is a privilege, given to those who place their faith in Jesus Christ. Once you accept Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism, you will receive this gift. With this privilege comes great responsibility. Our thoughts and our actions should build up the kingdom of God. Just as the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we too as Christians can enjoy the fullness, greatness and power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, and enhancing our relationship with God. Our spiritual gifts are to be practiced out of a heart of grace, humility, and faith. We are commissioned to discover what God has gifted us with and to use it for his glory and the benefit of the world.

References:

1. Dunn, James D.G. “The Holy Spirit in 1Corinthians: Exegesis and Reception History in the Patristic Era”. The Holy Spirit And Christian Origins. ed. Graham N. Stanton, Bruce W. Longenecker and Stephen C. Barton. Michigan: Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004.
2. Evans Tony. The Promise: Experiencing God”s Greatest Gift the Holy Spirit, USA: Chicago, Renaissance Productions, Moody Press, 1996.
3. Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.
4. Fleming Don. Bible Knowledge Dictionary. Myanmar: Yangon, Grace Printing House.
5. Gromachi, Robert. The Holy Spirit. Nashville: Word Publishing, 1999.
6. Hocking David. Are You Spirit Filled?. Eugene: Oregon, Harvest House Publishers, 1985.
7. Warrington, Keith. “The Gifts of the Spirit: Pentecostal Interpretation of Pauline Pneumatology”. Pentecostal Perspectives. UK: Cumbria, Paternoster Publishing, 1988.
8. Willmington, Harold L. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty Home Bible Institute, 1987.