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Apr

2026

The Charismatic Gifts

We are in the middle of a series on spiritual gifts. I have now discussed the major noncharismatic gifts the Bible mentions. But before I discuss the charismatic gifts individually, I want to talk about my approach to them generally. Since in Scripture, tongues gets most of the press, it will get most of the press here as well, but I do intend this discussion to apply more broadly than just to tongues.

When I was a young believer, I attended a charismatic church for a time. I did not myself speak in tongues, so one day two men, concerned that I did not speak in tongues, visited me in my apartment for the purpose of getting me to speak in tongues. To them, this was a vital spiritual issue, for they believed that the fulness of the Spirit (the baptism of the Spirit) involved speaking in tongues, and if I did not speak in tongues, I must not be filled with the Spirit. They then coached me through the process.

“Just start verbalizing syllables,” they said. “The Spirit will work with you.”

So I did, and they were amazed that the Spirit had fallen on me.

“That was not the Spirit,” I said. “That was just me mouthing nonsense.” I could tell that the Spirit had not come in any special way. I had known the Spirit’s special presence, and that afternoon was not His presence.

Nonetheless, they insisted I was wrong and that the Spirit had fallen on me that afternoon. The evidence? I had spoken mumbo jumbo syllables, so it must be the Spirit.

Suffice it to say that I did not stay long at that church.

Now you would think that after such an experience, I would be quite skeptical about the charismatic gifts, that I would consider modern manifestations of tongues to be phony.

To be sure, the manifestation of tongues I experienced that afternoon was phony. To be sure, many manifestations of tongues and many theologies surrounding the charismatic gifts today are phony. But the presence of false tongues does not negate the reality of true tongues, and the presence of an unBiblical theology and emphasis on charismatic gifts does not negate the reality of a Biblical one.

I have not personally spoken in tongues, but I honor Scripture, and because I honor Scripture, I believe in the reality of the charismatic gifts for today.

But because I believe in the reality of the charismatic gifts for today does not mean I endorse every theology of such gifts. There is a lot of whacked out theology surrounding the charismatic gifts today. This fact should not surprise us, for there was a lot of whacked out theology surrounding charismatic gifts in Paul’s day. In fact, the only discussion in the New Testament of how such gifts should operate is in I Corinthians and consists of a correction of wrong practice.[1]

Therefore, the charismatic gifts are valid for today but not all theologies and practices of those gifts are valid.

Let me discuss both sides of that coin. First, the charismatic gifts are valid for today.

Some people, called cessationists, argue that the charismatic gifts were valid in Paul’s day but that they have ceased. They appeal to I Cor 13:8-10, which says,

As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as

for knowledge it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in

part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

They then claim that the perfect that was to come is the New Testament, and that now that we have the New Testament, we no longer need prophecies, tongues, and miracles.

I shall not spend much time on this idea, but I find it highly strained. First, to say that Paul had in mind a coming New Testament canon when he wrote I Corinthians is unlikely. Second, one of the gifts that Paul says passes away is knowledge, and cessationists don’t usually include that in their list of gifts that ceased. Third, the cessationists stop their quote too soon. If you read on, you find that when the perfect comes, we shall see face to face and we shall know fully (v. 12). We do not today see face to face or know fully. Those events lie in the future. Therefore, the perfect that Paul refers to is not the New Testament. The perfect fits better with the return of Christ and/or Millenial reign, or perhaps even the final glorious state. Those events make sense of the entire passage and not just one verse. When that future time comes, prophecies will pass away and tongues will cease.

Thus, I find that the most natural way to read I Corinthians has the charismatic gifts still around today.

But that doesn’t mean that all theologies surrounding such gifts are Biblical. Here are some examples. These are all false doctrines.

1. Some people tie salvation and tongues together and say you are not saved unless you speak in tongues. This is heresy. Fortunately, it is not as common as it used to be. Tongues are not the sign of salvation. If you ever encounter a church that teaches this idea, leave. Now. Don’t even wait for the end of the message. Get up and walk out.

2. Some people admit that you can be saved and not have tongues but insist that you cannot have the fulness or baptism of the Spirit unless you have tongues. This was the theology of the church I attended for a short time many years ago, and this theology is garbage. Paul, in I Corinthians is crystal clear that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to believers and that not all receive the gift of tongues (12:27-31). He is also clear that some gifts are higher and more desirable than tongues (12:31; 14:1-25). If the fulness of the Spirit comes only with tongues, then it must be the most important gift by far. But it is not. You can have the fulness of the Spirit without tongues.

3. Some admit that you can have the fulness of the Spirit without tongues but that tongues still represent a higher level of spirituality or closeness with God. This is nonsense. In Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts, the people whom Paul corrects the most for their immaturity are the people who speak in tongues or consider tongues to be higher. In fact, you could make a strong case that one of Paul’s themes in his discussion is that all the gifts are valid and none of the gifts indicates special spirituality. Paul says that true spiritual maturity is measured by love, not by the gifts (I Cor 13). People who speak in tongues do not have a higher level of spirituality.

I will talk about the proper practice of these charismatic gifts (and especially tongues) when I get to those individual gifts, but for now, I felt it necessary to at least address some macro issues surrounding the charismatic gifts in general.

Such gifts are still valid today, but they can be misused. But isn’t that true of all the gifts?

[1] I am not convinced that Acts speaks of the same phenomenon as I Corinthians, and even if it does, I do not see the Acts descriptions as discussions of how the gifts should operate.

Apr

2026

Hospitality

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another (I Pet 4:9)

God wants us to share life with our brothers and sisters in Christ. He also wants us to welcome the stranger. Hospitality is a means toward both those ends.

Hospitality brings people together and makes them feel welcome and important. Hospitality builds community and helps the stranger.

Hospitality was one of the central traits that God used to build the early church. They were constantly meeting in one another’s homes.

Those with the gift of hospitality use their homes to bless others. They have people for dinner. They host small groups and gatherings in their home. They let travelers stay overnight. They provide a bed and food for those in difficulty. Hospitable people have an open home. They understand that their home belongs to God, and they are willing to use it for His purposes. They take delight in hosting people.

But hospitable people do more than merely use their home. They make you feel comfortable around them. You are important to them. They welcome you at church. They take a new hire at work, show him around, and make him feel wanted. The important thing to them is the people.

Because of this, hospitable people do more than open their home. The home of a hospitable person is not a museum. Hospitable people are not afraid to let others in even if the home or food is not perfect. The key is to welcome them, not impress them. The important issue is the people who come over, not the state of the house or food. Of course, hospitable people will want to make the house clean and the food good as much as possible, but they tend not to stress over imperfections.

The hospitable woman will invite people over even if she has nothing fancy to serve for dinner. She may go to the store and buy a nice meal, but if she can’t, she will be OK serving hotdogs and fruit. The important thing to her is not the meal but the people.

The hospitable woman will host twenty people overnight from a missions trip even though she has no space for them. She will give them whatever blankets she has, let them sleep on the floor and pull out cold cereal for breakfast because that’s all she has. She will do what she can to make the sleeping arrangements as nice as possible, but she will also be OK with what she has. The important thing to her is not the sleeping arrangements but the people.

If you get stressed over imperfect accommodations or food, you probably do not have the gift of hospitality. If you cannot host people unless everything is perfect, you do not have the gift of hospitality. People with the gift of hospitality do want a situation that is comfortable for their guests, but the important thing is not the situation. It is the guests. Hospitable people are more interested in the community than in the accommodations.

Those with the gift of hospitality may also have the gift of service and/or giving. They are not necessarily extroverts. Introverts can have this gift as well.

The Importance of Hospitality

Hospitality helps build the community of the church. It shows the body of Christ the homes, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children and fields that we all have in Christ.

Strengths

a giving heart
freedom from materialism
love for people
personable
often joyful
welcoming
building community
often good listeners

Weaknesses

can overcommit
can fail to consider other factors in welcoming people (a spouse who is stressed by. hosting; safety for children)
can sometimes disregard their responsibilities in order to host or help others

Examples of People with this Gift

Abraham, The Shunammite woman (II Kgs 4:8ff), Lydia (Acts 16:11-15), Rosaria Butterfield

Good Roles for People with this Gift

Hosts for small groups, Bible studies, etc., greeter, meals for the needy

Feb

2026

Evangelism

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never hears? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Rom 10:14)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. Evangelism is part of that command. Without evangelism there can be no discipleship.

All Christians are, thus, called to evangelize, but not all Christians have the gift of evangelism. For many, evangelism is a struggle. It feels unnatural and requires much effort. But for some, evangelism is as natural as breathing. They are constantly sharing their faith and frequently seeing people convert because of their efforts. These people have the gift of evangelism.

Evangelists do not convert people. The Holy Spirit converts people. Jesus said that the sick need a doctor. Evangelists merely give sick people a referral to the doctor. They connect people to Jesus, clearly explain the message, and encourage faith and repentance.

Evangelists go where the lost are. They may attend the meetings of the atheist club at the university so they can build relationships with unbelievers. They may join a volleyball team in a city league so they can build relationships with unbelievers. They may invite coworkers to their home so they can build relationships with unbelievers. Most of the work of an evangelist takes place outside the church. Evangelists are energized by time with unbelievers.

Evangelists proclaim. It is necessary to live the gospel, but living the gospel without ever proclaiming Jesus is not evangelism. In fact, it is not even living the gospel, for living without proclaiming is not living.

Evangelists can have the boldness of a prophet but often with better relational skills. Evangelists care about people, and they see the realities of heaven, hell, and the gospel. They evangelize because they care.

Evangelists focus on the lost and are frequently pushing the church to give priority to reaching the lost both at home and overseas.

Importance of Evangelism

Evangelists are the multipliers of the church. They take the kingdom to new people. A church without evangelists becomes inward-focused and will die.

Strengths

boldness
care for lost souls
often highly relational
starting spiritual conversations
are not offended by rejection
clear communication of the gospel
building friendships with unbelievers
willing to contextualize the gospel to the culture

Weaknesses

can make ministry decisions solely on the basis of winning souls
can compromise doctrine or church health in order to win souls
can neglect spiritual growth
can judge others who are not as successful at evangelism
can turn unbelievers into projects
can put themselves in compromising situations in order to be around unbelievers

Examples of People with this Gift

Peter, Stephen, Philip, Paul, St. Patrick, John Wesley, George Whitfield, D.L. Moody, Billy Graham

Good Roles for People with this Gift

evangelist, missionary, outreach coordinator, missions board, any ministry focused on unbelievers

Jan

2026

Faith

“. . . if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17:20).

I have said elsewhere that faith is the currency of heaven¹. God does business with people on the basis of their faith. If you want God to work, you must trust Him. If you don’t trust Him, don’t expect Him to do anything. People with the spiritual gift of faith have a special measure of trust in God. This measure is more than faith for salvation. All Christians have that sort of faith, and salvific faith is not itself the spiritual gift of faith. The spiritual gift of faith trusts God to act when others would not trust Him.

God told Abraham to go to a land that God would show Him. Abraham took his family and went. Later God told Abraham that he would have a son even though he and his wife were too old to have children. Abraham believed God and had Isaac.

God told Elijah to confront the prophets of Baal. Elijah did so, and God rained down fire from heaven.

These are examples of faith. People with the gift of faith take the land because they trust God. They pick up and move. They believe that sickness will be healed. They begin a ministry from scratch. They share the gospel in difficult situations. They trust God. And because they trust God, they attempt great deeds for God.

Those with the gift of faith inspire others to take steps of faith. They tend to be people who pray, who hear from God, and who stand on the promises of God. They know they are forgiven in Christ because God said they are. They know God will go with them as they make disciples because God said He would. They know that all things will work out for their good because God said so. These people see God in the events of life, and they tend to see a good end at the beginning, even though they may not see the details of that end.

These people help the church look past human reasoning and encourage the church to make decisions on the basis of God’s will, which often goes beyond mere reason.

Jesus said that a little faith can move mountains, and people with the gift of faith move mountains.

Faith and Other Gifts

People with the gifts of healing and miracles (I Cor 12:9-10) often have the gift of faith. These gifts have some overlap.

Importance of Faith

People with the gift of faith are an example and inspiration for the church. They push the church to have confidence in God.

Strengths

Prayer
Hearing from God
Confidence in God in the midst of difficulty
Obedience
Bold steps of action
Expectation that God will act
Standing on God’s promises

Weaknesses

Can oversimplify complex realities
Can be overconfident or have false confidence
Can judge people who lack their level of faith
Can move before confirming God’s will
Can take foolish steps if they mishear God

Examples of People with this Gift

Noah, Abraham, Caleb, Elijah, George Mueller, Corrie Ten Boom, Brother Yun

Good Roles for People with this Gift

This gift can apply in virtually any role, but it can be uniquely helpful in the following: church planter, starting a ministry, prayer ministry, healing ministry

https://www.austinif.org/the-currency-of-heaven/ ↩︎

Oct

2025

Mercy

“Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15).

God is a God of mercy, and we, as His disciples, are to love mercy. God sees us in our weakness and need, has compassion on us, and meets our need. This is what merciful people do.

People with the gift of mercy are the people you want around when you hurt. They listen to you. They hug you. They hold your hand. They weep with you. They sympathize with your plight. These people feel your hurt. They want to help you, and they will do what they can to help you because they care.

These people have a special heart for the weak, the vulnerable, the hurting, and the oppressed. They look out for the poor, the lowly, and the downtrodden.

These people are genuinely happy at your good fortune and genuinely sad at your pain.

Like those with the gift of service, people with the gift of mercy do not generally want the spotlight. They prefer to come alongside you and help in the background. They differ with the servants in that those with the gift of service focus their help more on practical needs while those with the gift of mercy focus more on emotional needs – holding your hand, giving an encouraging word, crying with you. Those with the gift of mercy still desire to meet practical needs because they see such help as emotionally helpful whereas those with the gift of service see such help as practically helpful. On the outside it looks the same, but underneath the actions lie somewhat different emphases. Those with the gift of mercy tend to have more feeling in their help.

The Importance of the Gift of Mercy

People with the gift of mercy are God’s heart in the church. Mercy is important because it treats people as if they are people. It has a soft heart for people, and the church needs a soft heart toward people.

Strengths of the Gift of Mercy

compassionate
sensitive to how people feel
generous
considerate
providing care to others
often desire right relationships
helping others

Weaknesses of the Gift of Mercy

can be driven by emotions to unhealthy places like depression or false doctrine
can focus on emotional or physical needs and neglect to bring the gospel to people
can be indecisive
desire to please people
sometimes judge doctrines or people largely by their feelings
sometimes feel things that are not true
can have difficulty drawing healthy boundaries
can have difficulty focusing on tasks
can have their feelings easily hurt by others
can have difficulty with rebuke or reproof – hard conversations
can have difficulty in leadership roles

Examples of People with this Gift

Ruth, The Good Samaritan, Mother Teresa

Good Roles for this Gift

mom, ministry to the poor or oppressed, visiting the sick, care for the elderly, counselor, confidante, prayer ministry, nurse

Sep

2025

Leadership

Leadership is the gifting I have had the greatest struggle to describe. Two reasons account for this difficulty.

First, leadership comes in different varieties. A church planter and a pastor are both leaders, but they are quite different beasts. Paul is not John. Both have leadership giftings, but they have very different strengths and weaknesses.

Second, Paul mentions the gift of leadership in Romans 12, but in Eph 4, he mentions as leaders the gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. So is Paul using different terms to refer to the same thing? And if so, which term in Ephesians most corresponds to the gift of leadership in Romans? Or is Romans a broad umbrella that includes different types of leaders? Or is Ephesians merely a list of offices not related to spiritual gifts at all? These are some of the questions I have asked in trying to figure out exactly what Paul means by leadership.

Given these questions, here is how I plan on approaching the gift of leadership.

I believe it more likely that Paul’s use of the term “leadership” in Rom 12:8 is a reference to pastoral leadership than to more entrepreneurial leadership. Here is why:

Paul uses the same term in I Th 5:12 and I Tim 5:17 to refer to the elders of a church, and Biblically elders, overseers, and pastors are all different words for the same office. In addition, the word for “lead” can equally be translated “care for” (see BAGD) and care is a central component of pastoral leadership, but it can often be a weakness of entrepreneurial leaders.

These two facts are not conclusive, for entrepreneurial leaders can still be elders, and church planters still need to care for the flock, but, nonetheless, Paul’s use of the word and the alternate meaning of the word make me lean in the direction of saying that Paul has in mind a more pastoral function than a function that begins new works.

However, because my leaning is not certain, I will describe both of these leadership types with the proviso that I believe the pastoral one is the more likely of the two. Thus, in the next couple weeks, I will post blogs on entrepreneurial leadership and pastoral leadership.

Aug

2025

Teaching

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we might present everyone perfect in Christ.” (Col 1:28)

The spiritual gift of teaching involves communicating Biblical truth in a way that brings about healthy spiritual growth and life change. The gift is more than being a good teacher generically. Someone can be a good biology or literature teacher without having the spiritual gift of teaching. People with this gift focus on Jesus and on Scripture. When these people teach, it’s not just that you learn something. It’s that they take you to God and help you spiritually understand and apply His Word to your life. People with this gift open your heart and mind to God’s ways. People with the spiritual gift of teaching proclaim Christ. They want to present everyone perfect in Christ.

People with this gift care about the truth and about applying that truth to real life. Good teaching should be a bridge between a text and a life. In order to bridge from a text, you must know the text. Thus, people with the spiritual gift of teaching often spend much time in Scripture to discern what it says. They want to proclaim it accurately.

But in order to bridge to a life, you must know life. Good teachers, thus, are active participants in the Christian life. To teach on prayer, you need to pray. To teach on taking up your cross, you need to take up your own. To teach on generosity, you need to be generous.

People with the gift of teaching still struggle with all of the above and more. They will have their strengths and weaknesses just as you do, but they are in the fight. And they understand the fight. From the inside.

James says that God judges teachers with greater strictness (Jas 3:1), so you should not become a teacher lightly. You will be held to the standard that you teach. If you teach a low standard, you are not a good teacher. If you teach a Biblical standard, you will be held to it. For an honest teacher, that is a fearful prospect.

This gift is more public. People with this gift are usually in front of the church in some capacity.

The Importance of Teaching

This gift is the compass of the church. Good teaching leads the church in a right direction. Bad teaching leads the church astray.

False Teachers

The New Testament is filled with condemnation for false teachers. Every era of history has had its false teachers, and today is no different. Modern examples of false teaching include cults like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, different forms of the prosperity gospel, and different teachings under the label “progressive Christianity.” Those who teach such doctrines lead people astray, and God will hold them accountable for their teachings. God loves His church with a passion. Woe to those who lead the sheep astray.

Strengths of Teachers

care about truth
care about the church
love to read
love to learn
are willing to do the work of studying Scripture
are good communicators
want to see people apply the Bible
can explain complex spiritual ideas simply
are usually strong in the Word

Weaknesses of Teachers

can be too intellectual
can focus on ideas and miss the people
may struggle with personal relationships
may be proud of their knowledge and abilities
may be proud of being in front of others
need to be right

Examples of People with this Gift

Ezra, Paul, Timothy, Apollos, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Francis Chan, Tim Keller

Good Roles for People with this Gift

pastor, Bible study leader, Bible teacher, seminary professor, apologist, writer

Aug

2025

Service

“. . . whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt 20:26-8)

Greatness in the kingdom of God is backwards from greatness in the world. Jesus came to serve. He came to give His life a ransom for many. To Jesus, the great ones are the servants. Therefore, the spiritual gift of service is Christ-like and makes men and women great in the eyes of God. People with this gift show the rest of us how to be great in the kingdom of God.

Servants generally prefer to be behind the scenes and are usually the ones most willing to do the dirty jobs. At a supper you’ll find them setting up and tearing down tables, doing dishes, and taking out the trash, and they will do these jobs with a smile and a glad heart. In different ministries, you’ll find them giving rides to people, serving meals, helping an immigrant find work, or doing the taxes of an elderly man. These people bring meals when you are sick or repair your car when it breaks down. They thrive on meeting practical needs. They want to serve you.

These people do the leg work of ministry, and without them much that the church does would come to a standstill.

The Importance of Service

Servants are the hands and feet of the church. They show the rest of the church how to be great.

Strengths of Servants

content behind the scenes
can be humble
get things done
want to help
care about others first

Weaknesses of Servants

sometimes say yes to everything and burn out
can try to do everything themselves
can stress out because there is so much to do
sometimes focus so much on practical needs that they miss people’s spiritual needs
sometimes focus on working and miss abiding in Christ
sometimes try to please men instead of God

Examples of People with the Gift of Service

Ruth, Martha, Stephen, Tabitha, Mother Teresa

Good Roles for People with this Gift

support roles, nurse, needs ministries, most any work that is behind the scenes and that helps people

Aug

2025

Prophecy

“The one who prophecies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues” (I Cor 14:5)

This gift is mentioned in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4.

Most people associate prophecy with foretelling the future, and prophecy certainly can include that aspect. But prophecy is bigger than foretelling the future. New Testament prophets are a continuation of the Old Testament prophetic tradition but under a new covenant. When you read Isaiah or Jeremiah, you read a lot of “Thus says the Lord,” and most of those statements have nothing to do with foretelling the future. Sometimes a prophet rebukes sin. Sometimes he offers restoration and forgiveness. Sometimes he gives direction concerning God’s will. Occasionally he predicts the future.

What do Prophets Do?

At its most basic level prophecy is a word from the Lord. Like Old Testament prophets, New Testament prophets speak a word from the Lord for the church, and that word is informed by the new covenant and the coming of Jesus.

Prophets:

rebuke sin
call the church to repentance
call you to repentance
let us know of God’s judgment, love and mercy
point us to God and to His character
communicate messages from God to the people
provide guidance and direction
may speak about the future

The Importance of Prophecy

Prophets are the conscience of the church.

Who is Prophecy For?

Prophecy can be for individuals or for the church.

Strengths of a Prophet

boldness, no fear of men
a focus on righteousness and holiness
can see the truth and communicate that truth clearly and simply
care about the truth
want to see the church honor God
are sensitive to the Spirit
have high ethical standards

Weaknesses of a Prophet

can be proud
can be insensitive
can be offensive needlessly
can lack tact
can speak the truth without love when speaking from the flesh

False Prophets

Because false prophets exist, the church must test the message of a prophet to see whether it is of God (I Jn 4:1). The standard for such a test is Scripture. The message of a prophet is, thus, subordinate to Scripture, not equal to Scripture. People who listen to a self-proclaimed “prophet” who gives a message that does not align with Scripture are not listening to a prophet of God (Dt 13).

Prophecy and Teaching

Prophecy communicates a message from God. Teaching also communicates a message from God. But the two are not the same. Prophecy tends to be less formal, shorter, and more spontaneous than teaching. It is more like a word God gives on the spot to address a particular situation.

Examples of People with the Gift of Prophecy

Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, A.W. Tozer, Keith Green, Paul Washer

Good Roles for People with the Gift of Prophecy

mentor, writer, speaker, jail ministry, evangelist

Aug

2025

Spiritual Gifts: Introduction

In 1993 I sat in on a series of lectures by Russell Kelfer at Wayside Chapel in San Antonio, TX. The topic of the lectures was the spiritual gifts, and in each lecture, Kelfer took one gift and expanded it in such a way as to give a picture of what that gift looked like and how to use it. I did not get the lecture tapes, and I do not now remember any specific details of what Kelfer said, but I do recall the gist of the overall structure and the general idea.

I wish then to take his concept at the macro level, reconstruct it here, and give him credit for the idea. I then wish to fill in some details. I intend these details to be simple and brief. My goal is not to say everything that can be said about a gift. Rather, it is to give a quick picture. An incomplete picture, certainly, but a picture nonetheless.

It is quite possible that some of my details originally came from Kelfer as well, and they have sat around in my head for more than 30 years. In such cases, he also gets credit, but since I don’t remember the specifics of his talks, I don’t know which ideas to credit him for. Thus, this generic acknowledgement will have to do. If the Holy Spirit led him, and if the Holy Spirit leads me, we should agree in substance.

In an orchestra, the different instruments have different roles in a symphony. On a basketball team, the different players have different strengths and play different roles on the court. In a body, the different members do different things. This is the church. Different people have different strengths and, thus, should have different roles within the church.

So what are some of these different gifts?

Scripture lists spiritual gifts in different places. Among the gifts listed are these: prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, miracles, healing, discernment, administration, speaking and interpreting tongues, evangelism, pastoral gifts, and hospitality.

These lists appear in four different places and have considerable overlap, but they are not identical. Thus, when Scripture lists the spiritual gifts, the lists are not comprehensive. They are merely examples of some of the gifts. You can likely think of other spiritual gifts not specifically listed in Scripture. Worship? Vision? Intercessory prayer? Cross-cultural ministry? Ministry to children? You may say that these gifts intersect with others Paul mentions, and I won’t argue with you, but neither will I say that these gifts are identical to what Paul mentions.

I am not going to talk about the gifts outside Scripture. If I did, we could go on a long time. So I am going to take one Biblical gift per blog and address questions such as the following: what do these gifts do? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? Who are real people who have those gifts? What are some good roles in the church for someone with those gifts?

As I do this, keep in mind that what I say will be general truths that will not apply to every situation. It may be like those times you look online at the symptoms of some disease and say, “Woa! I have some of those symptoms!”? That doesn’t mean you have the disease.

I am giving a broad picture, as a Proverb does. I am not assessing your life. Strengths and weaknesses are tendencies, not laws. Sometimes they are wrong. Keep in mind as well that people often have more than one gift, and sometimes the strength of one gift may help offset the weakness of another. For example, someone may have the gifts of mercy and service, and because they have the gift of service, they are focused on accomplishing practical tasks, a reality that someone with the gift of mercy alone may struggle with. Someone may have the gifts of administration and encouragement, and because they have the gift of encouragement, they may have strong relational skills that someone with the gift of administration alone might lack. The real world is more complex than the pictures I am going to give you. But I pray that the pictures still help.

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The Charismatic Gifts

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