Do I have a job if I have a gift from the Holy Spirit?
“The Corinthians, it seems, had been disputing about the relative value of the different charismatic graces, and valued some of them, such as speaking in tongues, more highly than others. In his teaching in response to these disputes, Paul deliberately lumps all the charismatic graces together, and to describe them uses four different words as though these four words were synonyms. Each of the words is used to describe all the graces given by the Spirit for building up the community. Each of the words brings out a different characteristic of one same reality:
‘Now concerning spiritual gifts (pneumata) …. There are varieties of gifts (charismata), but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service (diakonia), but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working (energemata), but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.’
“In this passage, ‘gifts,’ ‘services,’ ‘workings’ are but different words for ‘pneumata,’ the ‘inspirations’ or spiritual ‘gifts’ which build up the body of Christ. And ‘Spirit,’ ‘Lord,’ ‘God’ are … the one source of all the gifts.”
(Paul Hinnebusch, Community In The Lord, Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 1975, p. 169)
Can’t add much more to what Paul Hinnebusch wrote above. However, I wish to say somewhat more cleverly that a majority fail to understand or read past verse five of 1 Corinthians 12 where we see what these gifts are for. Let me say that they are not a service bred of selfishness, busyness, something to do with free time, or to feel good about oneself self, or a personal ambition toward being recognized. These gifts are for the building of the community, assembly, congregation, and not the person being given the task by the Lord to employ one or more of the spiritual gifts.
“Scripture shares that we are not to boast about our gifts. Our actions will not earn spiritual gifts from God. They are not rewards. They are gifts from the Father. Therefore, we do not boast about actions taken to share our spiritual gifts. We are called to share the love of Christ, not place ourselves on a pedestal. The glory goes to God, not us.”
1 Corinthians 12: 1–13
1 But, brothers, I do not want you to go on being ignorant about the things of the Spirit.
2 You know that when you were pagans, no matter how you felt you were being led, you were being led astray to idols, which can’t speak at all.
3 Therefore, I want to make it clear to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, “Yeshua is cursed!” and no one can say, “Yeshua is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
5 Also there are different ways of serving, but it is the same Lord being served.
6 And there are different modes of working, but it is the same God working them all in everyone.
7 Moreover, to each person is given the particular manifestation of the Spirit that will be for the common good. 8 To one, through the Spirit, is given a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit;
9 to another, faith, by the same Spirit; and to another, gifts of healing, by the one Spirit;
10 to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the ability to judge between spirits; to another, the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues; and to yet another, the ability to interpret tongues.
11 One and the same Spirit is at work in all these things, distributing to each person as he chooses.
12 For just as the body is one but has many parts; and all the parts of the body, though many, constitute one body; so it is with the Messiah.
13 For it was by one Spirit that we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free; and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Bolded text is significant here: Every gift given to each one of us is to be viewed as a single body part used to build up or strengthen that body to do what verse five indicates—to serve the Lord. To see an example of what serving the Lord means, we have Peter and Paul who should show us how these gifts look and what their functions are. No other than Paul in the New Covenant demonstrates through his ministry all these gifts in the building up congregations into a single body that like our physical body has many members, many parts but all work together to build up (maintain) the body.
So, if we go on claiming that we have this or that gift as if it is some sort of official position or office we are deceiving ourselves or being deceived. Throughout your life, these gifts or inspirations will manifest themselves in service to the Lord; you may not know at the time that a particular inspiration is working through you until after your work for the Lord is completed, or until you ask the Lord what gift you have or are using.
Be at peace in the Lord and do not try to grasp one particular gift and hold on to it because if you do, that gift is no longer a service to the Lord but to yourself. If by chance you are placed into a position where the Lord desires you to continue with a particular gift for a long time do not question that call on your life, accept it, and serve the Lord with all you are.
Something to ponder: Even a pastor (Shepard) when preparing a sermon, or a Sunday School lesson, often uses more than one gift. Sometimes the gift of teaching is use, other times the gift of prophecy is used, etc…, Do not limit God in your life, let the Lord have His way with you. Trust the Lord in all your doings.
God Bless and keep your mind at peace and in full surrender to the service of the Lord.
Mike
25 January 2022
The Christian Underground Journal
Views: 25