Sermon Tone Analysis

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are abilities given to individual believers by the Holy Spirit in order to equip God’s people for ministry, both for the edification of the church and for God’s salvific mission to the world.

There exist three categories of gifts in every Christian’s life.

1. Natural abilities.

God-given at birth, they include things like IQ, a measure of health and strength, musical talents, linguistic abilities, mechanical aptitudes, etc.

2. Acquired abilities.

These include things like cooking, sewing, driving a car, learning a language, learning to play an instrument, etc.

Although we may tend to take such skills for granted, many people in the world have few opportunities to acquire skills in these areas.

3. Spiritual gifts.

A believer should inform himself of the total package of these various abilities that God has placed in his life.

In other words, he should take inventory to know what stock he has available for the Lord’s use.

Just going through the process of taking inventory periodically may help the believer ascertain what areas of service he ought to explore.

(Some of us have more than one gift.

This is suggested in .)

Some of us have more than one gift.

(2) This is suggested in .

There has developed within the church (for a variety of reasons) a kind of division between clergy and laity in which the clergy are supposed to lead and do the work of Christian ministry while the people (which is what the word laity means) are to follow docilely—and, of course, give money to support the clergy and their work.

As an example of that outlook Stott quotes from a 1906 papal encyclical entitled Vehementer Nos: “As for the masses, they have no other right than of letting themselves be led, and of following their pastors as a docile flock.”

- (Ἔχοντες δὲ χαρίσματα)

,, - (πνευματικῶν)

Ἔχοντες δὲ χαρίσματα)

(χαρισμάτων εἰσίν, τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα)

χαρισμάτων εἰσίν, τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα)

(φανέρωσις τοῦ πνεύματος= manafestation of the spirit)

φανέρωσις τοῦ πνεύματος)

πνευματικῶν)

- (καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν= and He gave)

καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν)

Prophecy () ()

προφητεία signifies “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God” (pro, “forth,” phemi, “to speak”

(προφητεία, 4394) signifies “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God” (pro, “forth,” phemi, “to speak”

(προφητεία, 4394) signifies “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God” (pro, “forth,” phemi, “to speak”

Serving Others ()

Serving Others ()

to render assistance or help by performing certain duties, often of a humble or menial nature—‘to serve, to render service, to help, service, help.’

διακονία

(διακονίαv= serving or ministering to others.

literally used of domestic or menial tasks)

διακονία

Teaching ()

Teaching ()

(διδάσκων= to provide instruction in a formal or informal setting—‘to teach, teaching.’)

to provide instruction in a formal or informal setting—‘to teach, teaching.’)

διδάσκων

Encouragement ()

Encouragement ()

(παρακαλῶν= ‘to encourage, to console, provide encouragement.)

‘to encourage, to console, provide encouragement.

παρακαλῶν

Giving ()

Giving ()

(μεταδιδοὺς= to share with someone else what one has—‘to share, to give.’) .

to share with someone else what one has—‘to share, to give.’ ὁ ἔχων δύο χιτῶνας μεταδότω τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι ‘a person who has two shirts must share with another who doesn’t have any’ .

μεταδιδοὺς

Leadership ( )

Leadership ( )

(προϊστάμενος= to preside, rule, govern, lead)

προϊστάμενος

Showing kindness ( )

Showing kindness ( )

(ἐλεῶν= to show kindness or concern for someone in serious need—‘to show mercy, to be merciful toward, to have mercy on, mercy.’)

ἐλεῶν

to show kindness or concern for someone in serious need—‘to show mercy, to be merciful toward, to have mercy on, mercy.’

Word of Wisdom ()

Word of Wisdom ()

(λόγος σοφίας= word of wisdom) ()

λόγος σοφίας)

Word of knowledge ()

Word of knowledge ()

(λόγος γνώσεως= word of knowledge)

λόγος γνώσεως)

Faith ( )

Faith ( )

(πίστις= faith, to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.’)

to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.’)

πίστις)

Healing ( )

Healing ( )

(ἰαμάτων= ‘to cause to be well again, to heal,’ the capacity to cause someone to become healed or cured—‘the power to heal, the capacity to heal.

‘to cause to be well again, to heal,’ 23.136) the capacity to cause someone to become healed or cured—‘the power to heal, the capacity to heal.

ἰαμάτων)

Power to perform miracles ( )

Power to perform miracles ( )

(δυνάμεων= manifesting great power, with the implication of some supernatural force—‘mighty deed, miracle.’

manifesting great power, with the implication of some supernatural force—‘mighty deed, miracle.’

δυνάμεων

Discernment ()

Discernment ()

(διακρίσεις πνευμάτων= discernment of spirits )

διακρίσεις πνευμάτων)

Speaking in Unknown Languages ()

Speaking in Unknown Languages ()

(γένη γλωσσῶν= speaking in languages)

γένη γλωσσῶν)

Interpretation of languages ()

Interpretation of languages ()

(ἑρμηνεία γλωσσῶν= interpreting languages)

ἑρμηνεία γλωσσῶν)

Apostles ()

Apostles ()

(ἀποστόλους= one who fulfills the role of being a special messenger (generally restricted to the immediate followers of Jesus Christ, but also extended, as in the case of Paul, to other early Christians active in proclaiming the message of the gospel)—‘apostle, special messenger.’

ἀποστόλους)

one who fulfills the role of being a special messenger (generally restricted to the immediate followers of Jesus Christ, but also extended, as in the case of Paul, to other early Christians active in proclaiming the message of the gospel)—‘apostle, special messenger.’

Prophets ()

Prophets ()

(προφήτας= one who speaks forth or openly” , “a proclaimer of a divine message,”)

one who speaks forth or openly” (see prophecy, A), “a proclaimer of a divine message,”

προφήτας)

Evangelists ()

Evangelists ()

(εὐαγγελιστάς= one who announces the gospel—‘evangelist.’

Though the term εὐαγγελιστής indicates only an individual who ‘announces the gospel,’ early usage would suggest that this was often a person who went from place to place announcing the good news.

εὐαγγελιστάς)

one who announces the gospel—‘evangelist.’

εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φιλίππου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ … ἐμείναμεν παρ’ αυ’τῷ ‘we went to the home of the evangelist Philip … and stayed with him’ .

Though the term εὐαγγελιστής indicates only an individual who ‘announces the gospel,’ early usage would suggest that this was often a person who went from place to place announcing the good news.

Pastor-Teachers ()

Pastor-Teachers ()

(δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους= one who is responsible for the care and guidance of a Christian congregation—‘pastor.

Note that in there are four classes of persons, not five, for the last class involves two complementary roles, that of pastor-teacher, in other words, to guide and help a congregation as well as to teach.)

Speaking ()

(λαλεῖ= to speak or talk)

λαλεῖ

to speak or talk

Helping ()

(διακονεῖ)

διακονεῖ)

one who is responsible for the care and guidance of a Christian congregation—‘pastor, minister.’

αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους ‘he appointed some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers’ .