Gifts of the Holy Spirit⤒🔗

Pentecost manifests the glory of Christ in His church and through the church to the world. Acts 2 shows Christ as the Authors of Pentecost. God raised "this Jesus" to life. Peter explain that Christ, exalted at the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured him out (Acts 2:32, 33). Christ has obtained the life-giving Spirit. His suffering and death form the foundation for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Through His Spirit, Christ is at work in His church, which is His body. He does this by means of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, whereby he produces the fruit of the Spirit. This editorial is about the connection between gifts and the fruit.

Romans 12←⤒🔗

The passages in Scripture that speak about the gifts of the Spirit — the so-called charismata — picture these gifts as given to the body of Christ. This is evident in Romans 12:4-8, where Paul writes about the one body with many members and different functions. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us. The apostle mentions here seven gifts. They are 1) the gifts of prophesying (= speaking under divine inspiration); 2) serving (= diakonia); 3) teaching (directed to the understanding); 4) encouraging (= exhorting, comforting; directed to the heart, conscience, and will); 5) contributing to the needs of others (= personal giving, not the giving from the diaconate fund of the church); 6) ruling; and 7) showing mercy.

It is evident that all these gifts are for the purpose of the body functioning as a whole. The apostle emphasizes the diversity of the gifts, which is related to "the diversity of functions existing in the church of Christ." ¹  "Each member of the body is to work toward the well-being of the whole..."²

1 Corinthians 12 to 14←⤒🔗

1 Corinthians 12 to 14 give us a similar list of gifts. Paul speaks here extensively about the utterances of the Holy Spirit. He also makes reference to the diversity in charismata, although the emphasis is placed on the unity of the source, namely "the same Spirit" (12:1-4), but "the same God" who gives grace through Christ and the Spirit (vs.4-6). In verse 11 the apostle emphasizes the "gift character of the Spirit's endowments, and the divine decision of grace as against human preferences or strivings."³ The "Spirit is at work where the public manifestation serves the common advantage of others, and not merely self-affirmation, self-fulfillment, or individual status" ⁴  (vs.7). To one person, God bestows through the Spirit, articulate utterance relating to "wisdom," to another, in accordance with the same Spirit, speech relating to "knowledge" (vs.8) To a different person faith⁵  by the same Spirit; to another, gifts for various kinds of healing by the one Spirit (vs.9). To another, active and effective deeds of power; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of what is of the Spirit; to another, species of tongues; and to another, intelligible articulation of what is spoken in tongues (10). "All these things one and the same Spirit activates…" ⁶ and all gifts are intended for the proper functioning of the whole body of ChristTT.⁷  (vs. 11, 12)

To Be Exercised Within Bounds←⤒🔗

At the same time it is to be noted that 1 Corinthians 12 to 14 counsel Christians to use these charismata properly. They should not seek to manifest these special powers to impress people, but to do what best edifies the church.

In the Old Testament the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which sometimes were powerfully present in certain persons, were meant to guide, govern, and also correct the people of God. It is not different in the New Testament, where God gives these gifts to the body of Christ. Strong emphasis is placed on the fact that every member of the body of Christ has his or her own place and function. The Spirit apportions as he wills to each person individually (12:11). No one is without a gift. Everyone has a gift, as God is pleased to give it. Who, then, can boast?

The second element that stands out is that Paul attempts to rein in the gifts. We often forget that 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 are given in the context of 1 Corinthians 13. All the gifts are fruitless without love, which is "an even greater way" (12:31). Love is the greatest of all gifts. Stated this way, the apostle is de-emphasizing the spectacular in order that that which is of primary significance may come to the fore. The gifts are limited to the community that benefits from it and the gifts are determined by love, which surpasses everything else.

A third element that indicates a restraint on the part of the apostle is found in chapter 14, where the apostle places strong emphasis on order in the church. This element was present earlier.

The ''conviction that God the Holy Spirit creatively transforms chaos into order runs throughout the scriptures..." ⁸  Everyone in church, without exception, has received a gift, in order to serve the good of others and build the community. But not everyone is an apostle, a prophet or a teacher.

In other words, God has given a gift to everyone in church, but the special offices in church are not given to everyone in general. Every office has its charisma, but not every charisma is a special office. We see how Paul attempts to order things in a charismatic church. The special offices are there in order that everything will be done fittingly and in an ordered manner (14:40).

Ephesians 4←⤒🔗

Ephesians 4 is a passage that has played a significant role in Reformed Protestantism. Christ has given gifts for and in the church. The first purpose for which Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the church is to equip the saints for work in His service (vs. 12). The sec­ond purpose for which Christ gave the special offices to the church is to build up the body of Christ. The purpose, then, for which Christ gave the special offices is that the whole body of Christ may become increasingly more healthy and mature. The focus of the special offices is that the saints take their designated place in the body of Christ. Through the ministry of the special offices the body grows in Christ but also toward Christ. The special offices function in order that all members will use their God-given gifts. That is the growth by which the body of Christ is built in love. Ephesians 4 is a summary of what is set forth in the other epistles.

Special Gifts or Charismata←⤒🔗

The charismatic movement has not placed any boundaries on the charismata of the Spirit, particularly the gift of speaking in tongues. Glossolalia, as it is called, is a phenomenon with considerable and impressive powers. When considered in the light of Scripture, it is noteworthy that Paul does not wish to promote this gift, but rather reins it in. "Paul does not approve of uttering unintelligible noises in public worship, whether or not someone purports subsequently to 'decode' them." In view of the fact that "the 'tongue' would normally be addressed to God (14:2, 15, 16), the notion of interpreting glossolalia as a 'message' of prophecy addressed to the congregation (14:3), prophecies ... to other people" is improper "exegesis of this epistle."⁹

1 Corinthians 12:9 is the only passage where the apostle refers to the gifts of healing. Gordon Fee comments that for Jesus, Paul, and the early church, healing of a physical nature was a "regular expectation," at least "in part," based on "OT promises that in a Messianic age God would 'heal' his people." ¹⁰  According to Thiselton, emphasis should not be placed only on physical healing, but on all "'true wholeness, health and healing''' as coming from God. 'Divine healing' should not always be regarded as being always miraculous."

The great work of the Spirit consists in this, that a person testifies that "Jesus is Lord." No one is able to declare this except through the agency of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). That is the important thing. This will manifest  itself in the great fruit of the Spirit, that of love.

The charismata (special gifts) of the Spirit have a secondary function. They do not stand on their own or exist for themselves, but they are in the service of the Holy Spirit. They are part of the instruments that the Spirit desires to use to cause the fruit to ripen. Paul writes about that in Galatians 5:22, 23: ''The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."¹¹

Notice the contrast in the context. There is a fierce and unremitting conflict between the Spirit and the flesh (Gal. 5:17ff). Paul lists fifteen works of the flesh. They are the signs of living under the law, which causes the works of the flesh to exert itself when they are not used by the Spirit.

Under the law, the flesh indulges itself.

Living by the Spirit Produces Visible Fruits←⤒🔗

When the Spirit of Christ comes into our life, we are no longer under the law. Then the new life of the fruit of the Spirit manifests itself. Paul mentions nine Christian virtues. These cannot be blended or separated. Always and everywhere they manifest themselves as the fruit of the Spirit.

That points to the mark of simplicity of the Christian life. It is not a complicated matter, for its unifying focus is living a life in the fear of God's name. Where the Spirit of Christ is at work, the divided heart is united. Such a life bears the marks of truth and simplicity. The fruit of the Spirit manifests itself in unity and simplicity.¹² This stands in contrast to the divisiveness of the flesh. Christian virtues may be described in many ways, as Paul does. But essentially they can be reduced to the one glorious reality of renewal, which is called the fruit of the Spirit.

Unity — Not Division←⤒🔗

The fruit of the Spirit in its essential simplicity is opposed to the works of the flesh. The fruit of the Spirit is the new life, the life of love, which fulfils the whole law; it is the life of happiness, which causes one to joyfully give thanks to God. Living by the fruit of the Spirit also implies the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. It is a life of compassion and generosity, which has its source in God's patience. It is a life of kindness and goodness, which flows from communion with Him, who alone is good, because He alone is God. It is to live by faith and exercise faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What is it other than to be led by our great Guide, the Holy Spirit?

This is not fruit grown on native soil. It is not the product of our own work. Rather, it is the fruit of the Spirit, who takes it out of Christ and apportions it to us. It is the singular work of the Spirit, which manifests itself in the singular fruit of the Spirit.

Let us keep in mind that there are distinction between the gifts  —  the many and diverse gifts of the Spirit — and the one fruit of the Spirit, which unites our fragmented life and brings forth fruits that have their source in Christ.

Gifts and Fruit←⤒🔗

The Spirit's fruit abides. One day all gifts of the Spirit will disappear, after they have fulfilled their service in accordance with God's counsel, and when the body of Christ has come to full growth and "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ"? (Eph. 4:16). Then all God's works will have been consummated. Then all charismata will disappear. In the end, the one fruit of the Spirit, which has renewed all aspects and facets of life, will be completely fulfilled. The work of the Spirit will have been totally completed and the fruit will be carried into the glory of God. The love, which here on earth has already manifested itself above all charismata as the "greatest," will flourish in the glory of God as the only fruit to remain forever.

Charismata of the Spirit? Indeed, but then only on account of the fruit of the Spirit. How we truly need the Holy Spirit! O come, Creator Holy Spirit! Let Thy fruit be seen, known, and sought!