Gifts of the Spirit, Pt. 5

“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

Given the context of the above verse, no doubt Paul was saying the manifestation of the Spirit in the lives of believers is spiritual gifts. Looking at a following verse, v. 12, simply reinforces that point. “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” Obviously, every believer is endowed with at least one spiritual gift, a charisma.

What about the word translated “the common good”? At first glance, one might think Paul used the same word Luke did in Acts 2:44 and 4:32: koinos. The word means common, as in they “had all things in common.” (Acts 2:32). Paul did not use that word. His term was sumpherō, meaning to bring together, to be profitable. So, then, we can conclude the following. Spiritual gifts, the manifestation of the Spirit, are given by the Spirit to whom he chooses. All the asking in the world will not result in one’s receiving any spiritual gift if the Holy Spirit chooses not to endow that believer with the requested gift. His choice is for the benefit of the Body, not the individual to whom a gift is given.

Quite frankly, I think many things go into the Spirit’s decision about what gift is to be given to which believer. For instance, one’s personality might not be what is required of one who is to be a prophet (a forth-teller, a proclaimer of God’s will, must be confidently bold). Now, one might argue if the Spirit chose to give some believer the gift of prophecy, he could instantly change his personality to suit the gift. Does that ordinarily happen? Most often, no. The Spirit takes us where we are and leads us to become who he wants us to be.

Paul told the Romans, just before outlining in Chapter 12 his list of spiritual endowments, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” If one is to proclaim to the church God’s will, he must first be transformed through the process of mind renewal. He must learn to think of himself, his world and the Lord in a new way. “Go on being transformed,” Paul said. We must be involved willingly and consciously in what the Spirit is doing in our lives.

One of the issues in the Corinthian church was the abuse of gifts. Apparently, a number of individuals were using their gifts as a means to gain status, significance and power. Paul was not very tolerant of the abuses. Why? The Apostle said what he said because the fundamental purpose of gifts, the common good, the benefit of others, the bringing together of the Body, was being perverted. Gifts are not meant to enhance a believer’s life; gifts are meant to enhance the life of the Body of Christ.

Part of the problem with the modern conception of “tongues,” or languages, as Paul called them, is the personal nature of the experience. Paul showed clearly the inadequacy of speaking in a language if no one understood what was being said. The “common good” was not being served; only the individual benefitted. On that count, Paul stated, one’s spirit prayed, (he did not say the spirit of the person understood), but the mind was unfruitful, or did not benefit. No one was profited, according to Paul; neither the individual nor the church.

If we apply the “common good” standard to any gift, we will find the expression of a spiritual gift takes on an entirely different context than in worship or in personal prayer time. For the Corinthians, as with many today, the main focus of gifts is the public worship event. Some gifts are appropriate for worship and other gatherings of the Body of Christ. Others have no place in worship at all. For instance, for the gift of languages to be useful, the gift should be employed in ministry and mission activities with those who speak another language.

We want to believe the gift of languages will be received just as the disciples received it on the Day of Pentecost. Most of the time, with the gift of languages, one will be enabled to learn a language he thought he would never be able to speak. The endowment of a believer with a spiritual gift is not always a miraculous event. Some only learn over time what gift they have and how to use it.

Those who choose to have a private prayer language obviously are served by the experience. We, though, are not to understand a private prayer language as the gift of languages. Neither should we understand ecstatic “tongues” as the gift of languages. Spiritual gifts are resources for ministry. Without them, we would be ill-equipped to do what we are called to do as believers: the work of ministry, the building up of the Body of Christ.