Present, offering, bribe, favour The ‘gift of the Spirit’ is Himself ; ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift [Gk dorea] of the Holy Spirit.’ Acts 2:38 ‘There are different kinds of gifts [Gk charismata] but the same Spirit’ 1 Corinthians 12:4 cf Rom 6:23 ‘To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given’ 1 Corinthians 12:7 eg symptoms of a disease

1. How many gifts are there? 2. What types of gifts? 3. Who and what are they for? 4. Are they all still around?

1 Corinthians 12 Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment Languages Translation

1 Corinthians 12 Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment Languages Translation Apostles Teaching Helping Administration Romans 12 Prophecy Serving Teaching Encouraging Giving Leadership Mercy Ephesians 4 Apostles Prophecy Evangelists Pastors Teaching ‘At least 20 are specified in the NT and the living God who loves variety and is a generous giver may well bestow many, many more than that’ JRW Stott ‘Varieties of gifts, varieties of service and varieties of working’ 1 Cor 12:4-6

1 Corinthians 12 Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment Languages Translation Apostles Teaching Helping Administration Romans 12 Prophecy Serving Teaching Encouraging Giving Leadership Mercy Ephesians 4 Apostles Prophecy Evangelists Pastors Teaching

1 Corinthians 12 Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment Languages Translation Apostles Teaching Helping Administration Romans 12 Prophecy Serving Teaching Encouraging Giving Leadership Mercy Ephesians 4 Apostles Prophecy Evangelists Pastors Teaching

1 Corinthians 12 Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment Languages Translation Apostles Teaching Helping Administration Romans 12 Prophecy Serving Teaching Encouraging Giving Leadership Mercy Ephesians 4 Apostles Prophecy Evangelists Pastors Teaching ‘Before you were born I consecrated you… a prophet to the nations’ Jeremiah 1:5

1 Corinthians 12 Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Prophecy Discernment Languages Translation Apostles Teaching Helping Administration Romans 12 Prophecy Serving Teaching Encouraging Giving Leadership Mercy Ephesians 4 Apostles Prophecy Evangelists Pastors Teaching

Natural Teaching Evangelism Pastoring Encouraging Leadership Administration Ordinary Serving Helping Giving Mercy Wisdom Knowledge Faith Discernment Extraordinary Apostles Prophets Healing Miracles Language/Translation ‘Varieties of gifts, varieties of service and varieties of working’ 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

‘to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good’ 2 Corinthians 12:7 ‘He gives them to each one, just as he determines’ 2 Corinthians 12:11 ‘each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts ’ Romans 12:5 ‘to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned’ Ephesians 4:7

‘to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good’ 2 Corinthians 12:7 ‘He gives them to each one, just as he determines’ 2 Corinthians 12:11 ‘each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts ’ Romans 12:5 ‘to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned’ Ephesians 4:7

15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:11-16 ‘It was he who gave some to be apostles… to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

NO! YES!

Natural Teaching Evangelism Pastoring Encouraging Leadership Administration Ordinary Serving Helping Giving Mercy Wisdom Knowledge Faith Discernment Extraordinary Apostles Prophets Healing Miracles Language/Translation ‘Varieties of gifts, varieties of service and varieties of working’ 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

 Given to Apostles and Prophets  Performing Miracles and Healing  Communicating new truths (gospel) to all the world ‘This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.’ Hebrews 2:3-4 ‘The things that mark an apostle – signs, wonders and miracles – were done among you with great perseverance’ 2 Corinthians12:12 ‘We live by faith – not by sight’ 2 Corinthians 5:7

‘This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.’ John 2:11 Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him.’ Acts 2:22

‘When we seek to discover where the biblical miracles are, we find that they cluster in Scripture like stars in the night sky’

Jesus - Apostles Moses - Joshua Elijah - Elisha

‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’ Matthew 16:19 ‘God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone’ Ephesians 2:20 ‘The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb’ Revelation 21:14

‘I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.’ Revelation 22:18-19

 The Spirit Himself is the gift  We are not all the same  He manifests Himself to each  There is no need to ask; he has already given  He takes our natural and ordinary talents and transforms them by grace into the extraordinary  He glorifies Jesus, not people  His gifts are not for personal but for communal use – for the whole body to share  None may boast or be envious of their gifts  Each must recognise and develop their calling