Study Guide: Wesley and Spiritual Gifts (Part Two)

Text: Ephesians 4:7, 11-16

OPEN:

Jo and I missed being with you the past couple of weeks, but we appreciate  your allowing us the time for a much needed vacation.  Today, I'd like to complete something I started when last I spoke with you: John Wesley and what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts.

According to John Wesley, the most important teaching on ministry in the local church is that of spiritual gifts. It is largely John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who is responsible for a rediscovery of the reality and importance of spiritual gifts for Christian ministry. In his journal entry for August 15, 1750, he wrote:

"I was fully convinced of what I had long suspected: 1. That the Montanists, in the second and third centuries, were real, scriptural Christians; and, 2. that the grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was not only that faith and holiness were well nigh lost; but that dry, formal, orthodox men began even then to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves, and to decry them all as either madness or imposture." (Kindle edition, p. 154)

Wesley clearly believed that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were relevant for the church in any age. He proceeded to define them, exercise them, and defend them. Although Wesley never emphasized certain gifts such as predictive prophecy or tongues and their interpretation, he did lament their absence in Christian expression.

Wesley defended the gifts of the Spirit. In a letter to Conyers Middleton, Wesley defined, described, and defended a whole host of spiritual gifts. Clearly, Wesley believed spiritual gifts were not only important but also active during the 18th century Evangelical Revival. In fact, Wesley stated he desired for the church to rediscover what he called "ordinary" gifts.

I am convinced that discerning your spiritual gifts and exercising them in the power of the Holy Spirit, is God's plan for the growth of every believer as well as the growth of every church.

I. Spiritual Gifts and Christian Ministry.

For many years, we have labored under a misconception that I call the heresy of the definite article: "Called to the ministry." The New Testament knows of no such thing.  Ephesians 4 begins with a clear statement that every believer is called by God (4:1-6).

Then, in Ephesians 4:7-12, Paul defines the whole of Christian ministry as gifts given by the exalted Lord:

"But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. W it is said, 'When he ascended on high he made captivity itself captive; he gave gifts to his people.'. . . The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

In this passage, Paul attributes Christian ministry with three characteristics:

1) First, it is a gift, meaning that it may result in achievement, but it in itself is not an achievement.

2) Second, ministry is diverse and in the Pauline churches is manifested in a variety of gifts and gifted individuals.

3) The final characteristic of Christian ministry from this passage is its focus on the community rather than any one individual.

Ministry consisted of exercising one's spiritual gift(s), and it appears that most of those who ministered in the congregational meetings of the Pauline churches had no official status but were recognized simply as gifted persons, and their ministries were accordingly received. These are the ministries that are prominent in Paul's discussion of the subject in 1 Corinthians 14.

II. Defining Spiritual Gifts.

Paul uses the term charisma sixteen times, and it is found once in 1 Peter 4:10. Clearly connected with charis (grace), it refers to something given on the basis of God's grace—a "grace-gift." As stated by Dunn, "Charisma can only be understood as a particular expression of charis, (1997, p. 23)" or more specifically, charisma is an "event" of grace. 

Definition:

A helpful definition is offered by Donald Hohensee, former Methodist missionary to Burundi: "A spiritual gift is a unique capacity given by the Holy Spirit to every believer for ministry within, to and through the local body of Christ, so that it may grow in quality and quantity, thereby positively impacting the Kingdom of God" (1992, p. 4).

A careful study of Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4, substantiates this definition and reveals, with the introduction of spiritual gifts, complete provision has been made for all the needs of the church. The organization of the church, its government, extension, instruction, and corporate life, are all cared for by the Holy Spirit as he manifests his gifts through the members. There is, in fact, no part of the church's work for which there is not a corresponding gift of the Spirit. In examining the three primary passages containing information on spiritual gifts, five basic principles may be gleaned: (See Fowlkes SGI, Appendix B)

1. Every believer in Christ has one or more spiritual gifts with each believer gifted to accomplish some necessary ministry in the church. (1 Co 12:7; Eph. 4:7-8

2. The gifts of the Spirit are varied and different. This is made clear through Paul's analogy of the church to a human body. (1 Co 12:14)

3. The Holy Spirit determines the gifts we receive; we do not choose what gifts we have. The sovereign Spirit assigns gifts to every believer individually as he wills (1 Co 12:27). In other words, they are "grace gifts"—we do not earn or work for them; therefore, we have no grounds for boasting about them.

4. Spiritual gifts are to be used for the growth of the church (1 Co 12:7). The three types of church growth related to spiritual gifts are as follows:

- Quantitative church growth—refers to the addition of people to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 9:31).

- Qualitative church growth—the process of individual and church growth in spiritual maturity (Acts 2:42; 5:42; 14:21-22; 16:5).

- Organic growth—the process whereby the leadership of a local church emerges to provide the best organization for the growth of that church (Acts 6:2-4; 14:23; 20:17-18).

5. God wants every disciple to know his or her spiritual gift(s) and to use it/them in ministry for Christ's glory (1 Co 12:1). Believers will be held responsible for use of their gift(s) (1 Co 3:10-15; 1 Pet. 4:10).

III. Categories of Spiritual Gifts. (From Fowlkes Spiritual Gifts Inventory, Appendix B)

1.  Enabling Gifts (visible, largely public in orientation):

Apostleship – the church planting gift that does not require one to cross-cultures.

Prophecy – Receiving a message from God and delivering it with power and anointing such that there is a response.

Evangelism – Supernatural capacity to speak to unconverted people and see many of them respond to God’s offer of salvation.

Shepherding – Unique capacity for assuming responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a specific group of believers.

Teaching – The gift of making truths of the Christian faith live for others (the truth is understood and applied to life).

Missionary – The supernatural ability to minister using his/her other spiritual gifts in a cross-cultural context.

Encouragement – Calling forth the best in others.

Wisdom – The right use of knowledge (applying God’s truth to a problem or need that is facing the Body).

Knowledge – Divine insight into the Scriptures (the ones with this gift will be drawn to give themselves in study of God’s Word).

2.  Serving Gifts (seldom seen but vital):

Helps – Spiritual gift of helping others in one-on-one situations.

Service – Instead of being an individual-centered ministry, this gift helps meet the needs of the Body (e.g. deacons in Acts 6).

Mercy – A divine sensitivity to the pain of others and to render “unpleasant” service ungrudgingly (e.g. grief, poor, outcasts, etc.).

Hospitality – Supernatural love for strangers expressed in tangible, sacrificial ways.

Giving – Understanding the material needs of others and meeting them generously and joyfully.

Faith* – Ability to believe that God is adequate for a specific situation and to tap His resources (extraordinary confidence in God to meet a specific need).

Prayer* – Ability to communicate clearly with God and to see Him respond (*prayer and faith go together).

Leadership – Ability to see where God wants a people to go and move them on to God’s agenda.

Administration – Ability to organize and implement the ideas that leaders envision.

Discernment – Ability to distinguish/recognize truth from error and/or misleading teaching.

Music – Ability to help others in their walk with the Lord through musical means.

3.  Sign Gifts (when properly used, attract people to Jesus):

These gifts appear to operate differently from the other spiritual gifts in that they are gifts given for specific instances of divine intervention

Miracles – Being a channel of God’s power for a specific instance of divine deliverance/intervention.

Healing – Being a channel of God’s power for a specific instance of divine healing.

Exorcism – Being a channel of God’s power for a specific instance of divine deliverance from demonic possession.

Languages and Interpretation – Speaking and/or understanding a language not previously learned for specific instances of displaying the power of God and the purpose of evangelizing the lost.

CLOSE:

When God's people discover and begin using their spiritual gifts in ministry, the inevitable result is quantitative, qualitative, and organic growth for the church, as well as individual fulfillment and freedom for the believer.

It is this corporate exercise of gifted ministry that Trueblood has in mind in his book, The Company of the Committed:

"The struggle against apathy is so great a task that if we are to achieve even a semblance of victory we cannot be satisfied to leave Christian work to ordained clergymen. The number one Christian task of our time is the enlargement and adequate training of our ministry which, in principle, includes our total membership. This is a large order, and one which often seems discouraging in prospect, but we cannot settle for anything less and yet be loyal to the idea of Christ's revolutionary company." (1961, p. 57)

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)

Study Guide: Wesley and Spiritual Gifts, Part One

Text: Ephesians 4:7, 11-16

OPEN:

I was a member of our church's youth group when I first remember learning about spiritual gifts.  I was blessed with a pastor who understood and taught the biblical importance and necessary application of spiritual gifts in the local church.  It was not until I was teaching in Kenya, that I realized not everyone knew and understood what the Bible has to say about God's plan for ministry in the church.  I made a conscious effort to teach them and have continued that over the past fifteen years with university students as well as church members.  Why? Because...

I am convinced that discerning your spiritual gifts and exercising them in the power of the Holy Spirit, is God's plan for the growth of every believer as well as the growth of every church.

I. Spiritual Gifts in Christian History.

While an exhaustive survey of the place of spiritual gifts is outside the scope of this message, a brief overview is in order. By the time of Constantine in the 4th Century, Christian ministry had become entirely clerical, meaning that a gifted laity was unrecognized by the Church and biblical teaching on spiritual gifts was largely neglected. Although the Protestant Reformation in the 16th Century did usher in significant change in theological understanding and ecclesiastical organization, the concept of all believers gifted for ministry in the church remained outside the scope of the radical changes in the Church. One of Martin Luther's great contributions to the body of Christ was his rediscovery of the biblical concept of the priesthood of all believers. Previously, the church had fallen into the false teaching that ordinary Christians did not have clear personal access to the Father without the aid of intermediaries called priests. However, Luther did not carry the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers forward to include also the ministry of all believers. Classical theologians did not see that the Bible's teachings on spiritual gifts had a direct application as to how ministry is to be done in a local congregation.

It is largely John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who is responsible for a rediscovery of the reality and importance of spiritual gifts for Christian ministry. In his journal entry for August 15, 1750, he wrote:

"I was fully convinced of what I had long suspected: 1. That the Montanists, in the second and third centuries, were real, scriptural Christians; and, 2. that the grand reason why the miraculous gifts were so soon withdrawn, was not only that faith and holiness were well nigh lost; but that dry, formal, orthodox men began even then to ridicule whatever gifts they had not themselves, and to decry them all as either madness or imposture." (Kindle edition, p. 154)

Wesley clearly believed that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were relevant for the church in any age. He proceeded to define them, exercise them, and defend them. Although Wesley never emphasized certain gifts such as predictive prophecy or tongues and their interpretation, he did lament their absence in Christian expression. In his Sermons on Practical Holiness, Sermon LXXXIX, "The More Excellent Way," Wesley writes the following:

"It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were common in the Church for more than two or three centuries. We seldom hear of them after that fatal period when the emperor Constantine called himself a Christian and, from a vain imagination of promoting the Christian cause, heaped riches and power and honor on the Christians in general, but in particular on the Christian clergy. From this time, the extraordinary gifts almost totally ceased; very few instances of the kind were found" (Russie, 2011, p. 533).

Some argue that Wesley sounded somewhat ambivalent at times with regard to some of the more "extraordinary" gifts as they surfaced within the 18th century Evangelical Revival (no doubt concerned about the charges of "enthusiasm" against the people called Methodist). However, on at least one occasion, Wesley defended the gifts of the Spirit. In a letter to Conyers Middleton, Wesley defined, described, and defended a whole host of spiritual gifts. Clearly, Wesley believed spiritual gifts were not only important but also active during the 18th century Evangelical Revival. In fact, Wesley stated he desired for the church to rediscover what he called "ordinary" gifts. Acknowledging that the "more excellent way" is the way of love, Wesley insisted we may "covet earnestly" such gifts as evangelism to "sound the unbelieving heart," or the gift of knowledge to understand both the providence and the grace of God, or the gift of faith which on particular occasions, ... goes far beyond the power of natural causes" (Russie, 2011, p. 534).

II. Spiritual Gifts and Christian Ministry.

In Ephesians 4:7-12, Paul defines the whole of Christian ministry as gifts given by the exalted Lord:

"But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Thefefore it is said, 'When he ascended on high he made captivity itself captive; he gave gifts to his people.'. . . The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

In this passage, Paul attributes Christian ministry with three characteristics:

1) First, it is a gift, meaning that it may result in achievement, but it in itself is not an achievement.

2) Second, ministry is diverse and in the Pauline churches is manifested in a variety of gifts and gifted individuals.

3) The final characteristic of Christian ministry from this passage is its focus on the community of the ascended Christ.

Ministry consisted of exercising one's spiritual gift(s), and it appears that most of those who ministered in the congregational meetings of the Pauline churches had no official status but were recognized simply as gifted persons, and their ministries were accordingly received. These are the ministries that are prominent in Paul's discussion of the subject in 1 Corinthians 14.

III. Defining Spiritual Gifts.

Paul uses the term 'charisma' sixteen times, and it is found once in 1 Peter 4:10. Clearly connected with charis (grace), it refers to something given on the basis of God's grace—a "grace-gift." As stated by Dunn, "Charisma can only be understood as a particular expression of charis, (1997, p. 23)" or more specifically, charisma is an "event" of grace. 

Definition:

A very similar definition is offered by Donald Hohensee, former Methodist missionary to Burundi: "A spiritual gift is a unique capacity given by the Holy Spirit to every believer for ministry within, to and through the local body of Christ, so that it may grow in quality and quantity, thereby positively impacting the Kingdom of God" (1992, p. 4).

A careful study of Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4, substantiates this definition and reveals, with the introduction of spiritual gifts, complete provision has been made for all the needs of the church. The organization of the church, its government, extension, instruction, and corporate life, are all cared for by the Holy Spirit as he manifests his gifts through the members. There is, in fact, no part of the church's work for which there is not a corresponding gift of the Spirit. In examining the three primary passages containing information on spiritual gifts, five basic principles may be gleaned:

1. Every believer in Christ has one or more spiritual gifts (1 Co 12:7; Eph. 4:7-8), with each believer gifted to accomplish some necessary ministry in the church.

2. The gifts of the Spirit are varied and different (1 Co 12:14). This is made clear through Paul's analogy of the church to a human body.

3. The Holy Spirit determines the gifts we receive; we do not choose what gifts we have. The sovereign Spirit assigns gifts to every believer individually as he wills (1 Co 12:27). In other words, they are "grace gifts"—we do not earn or work for them; therefore, we have no grounds for boasting about them.

4. Spiritual gifts are to be used for the growth of the church (1 Co 12:7). The three types of church growth related to spiritual gifts are as follows:

Quantitative church growth—refers to the addition of people to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 9:31).

Qualitative church growth—the process of individual and church growth in spiritual maturity (Acts 2:42; 5:42; 14:21-22; 16:5).

Organic growth—the process whereby the leadership of a local church emerges to provide the best organization for the growth of that church (Acts 6:2-4; 14:23; 20:17-18).

5. God wants every disciple to know his or her spiritual gift(s) and to use it/them in ministry for Christ's glory (1 Co 12:1). Believers will be held responsible for use of their gift(s) (1 Co 3:10-15; 1 Pet. 4:10).

CLOSE:

When God's people discover and begin using their spiritual gifts in ministry, the inevitable result is quantitative, qualitative, and organic growth for the church, as well as individual fulfillment and freedom for the believer. It is this corporate exercise of gifted ministry that Trueblood has in mind in his book, The Company of the Committed:

"The struggle against apathy is so great a task that if we are to achieve even a semblance of victory we cannot be satisfied to leave Christian work to ordained clergymen. The number one Christian task of our time is the enlargement and adequate training of our ministry which, in principle, includes our total membership. This is a large order, and one which often seems discouraging in prospect, but we cannot settle for anything less and yet be loyal to the idea of Christ's revolutionary company." (1961, p. 57)

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)