Ephesians 4 Research Paper
A spiritual gift is something given from God to benefit either the individual or community. This can be supernatural or “normal”, ranging from prophecy and healing to mercy or administration. The gifts can manifest themselves in a range of ways. One of these ways is through human talents. If an individual is gifted at explaining the scripture in a way even a child could understand it, that person could have the gift of teaching. However, not all spiritual gifts manifest themselves through talents. Some spiritual gifts are insanely supernatural and could never begin to look like a talent, such as the gift of tongues or healing. One interpretation of the idea of tongues is speech that is incomprehensible, so that would not look like a talent.
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The list includes gifts such as prophecy, tongues, knowledge, faith, and giving. This list is not exhaustive, as there is a list in Ephesians 4 with similar, but not the same, gifts. The list in Ephesians 4 gives examples of gifts such as evangelism, teaching, and pastoring. In both passages of scripture, Paul was addressing concerns within the specific church and not attempting to make a point of saying what is and is not a spiritual gift. Because there is not a passage of scripture that clearly lists every single spiritual gift, as shown in the difference between the lists in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians, Christians must rely on the Holy Spirit to discern what is and is not a spiritual …show more content…
Spiritual gifts are not something the individual can do on their own or can better perfect by their own nature. Rather, they manifest themselves as personality traits or talents that are specifically from God. They are what is good about God in a person, therefore a person cannot boast or brag about the spiritual gift they have because it is not of themselves but of God. Gifts are freely given from God so that no one may boast. A Christian cannot get more of a spiritual gift by just trying. Gifts can be abused and still be from God. When an individual is given a more permanent gift, i.e., not using just a one time thing, he allows the individual to choose whether to use it for good or for purposes other than furthering the kingdom of God. A person is able to abuse their spiritual
The list includes gifts such as prophecy, tongues, knowledge, faith, and giving. This list is not exhaustive, as there is a list in Ephesians 4 with similar, but not the same, gifts. The list in Ephesians 4 gives examples of gifts such as evangelism, teaching, and pastoring. In both passages of scripture, Paul was addressing concerns within the specific church and not attempting to make a point of saying what is and is not a spiritual gift. Because there is not a passage of scripture that clearly lists every single spiritual gift, as shown in the difference between the lists in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians, Christians must rely on the Holy Spirit to discern what is and is not a spiritual …show more content…
Spiritual gifts are not something the individual can do on their own or can better perfect by their own nature. Rather, they manifest themselves as personality traits or talents that are specifically from God. They are what is good about God in a person, therefore a person cannot boast or brag about the spiritual gift they have because it is not of themselves but of God. Gifts are freely given from God so that no one may boast. A Christian cannot get more of a spiritual gift by just trying. Gifts can be abused and still be from God. When an individual is given a more permanent gift, i.e., not using just a one time thing, he allows the individual to choose whether to use it for good or for purposes other than furthering the kingdom of God. A person is able to abuse their spiritual