Spiritual Gifts in the Body

Built Together

Various Scriptures

APOSTLES (modern-day missionaries or church-planters)

The divine ability to take the truth of God and start new churches or new works.

Pioneer and establish new ministries.            
Adapt well to different surroundings.

Desire to reach out to unreached peoples.     
May oversee groups of churches or ministries.

Demonstrate authority and vision.

While the original office of the apostle no longer exists, the role or gift of apostle remained after the original twelve and continues to function today.

SHEPHERD (or pastor)

Caring for the spiritual needs of a group of people and overseeing their growth in Christ.

            Takes responsibility to nurture the whole person.                              

            Provides guidance and oversight to a group of people.

            Models with their life one of following Jesus.

            Establishes trust and confidence through long-term relationships.

            Leads, feeds, and protects.

 

Not everyone wo has the gift of pastoring has been called to the office of pastor.  Perhaps more Christians than realize it possess this gift.  If more Christians would guide, feed, and guard fellow-believers, not so much counseling would have to be done professionally.  This would eliminate much wear and tear on the church staff, but also it would meet many demands that might otherwise go unmet.  - Leslie Flynn

EVANGELIST

The divine enablement to effectively communicate the gospel to unbelievers in a way that they respond in faith and move toward discipleship.

Profile of Philip, early-church evangelist

Evangelists go after people (5,30).    
They proclaim Christ with boldness and clarity (5,12,35).

They are winsome. 
The lost are attracted to them (6,13).

They are often itinerant – they move around (5,26,39-40).      Live by faith (26-27,29-30).

They often don’t fit a pattern.  They are often misunderstood.               

Are uncritical of lost people and have a deep love for people.

God gave us evangelists to help the structured church get out of the box and remind u to keep our eyes on the harvest, not the barn.

The evangelist should find a safe haven in the local church.  They are a great asset.

The evangelist should partner with, not criticize, the local church.  They need each other. 

Pastors and evangelists need each other.  (Most pastors either disciplers or evangelists at heart.)

FAITH

An unusual trust in God, seeing things that God wants done and sustaining unwavering confidence that God will do it regardless of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Believes the promises of God and inspires others to do the same.

Demonstrates an attitude of trust.  Confidence in God’s ability to overcome obstacles.

Goes forward when others will not.   Irritated by unbelief.

Have a hard time appreciating “the system.”

Will often see what God wants done long before others.   Often people of prayer.

 

Suggestions for growth for the faith-er:

Spend much time alone with God to clarify the stages of the vision.

Learn to patiently love those who do not see what you see.

Be undaunted by what you see (circumstances) and other people (criticism or lack of vision).

Remember that God will fulfill what He plans in His time (Hab. 2:2-4).

Let God mold you during your seasons of waiting.

 

Average people who have the gift of faith in a local church may never build a mega-church, but they can discern with a remarkable confidence where God wants the church to be in 5 or 10 years.  They can set goals and establish a mood for growth.  -  Peter Wagner

Administrators and faith-people need each other.  An oft-repeated word of advice is that a church’s financial team needs to have a balance of administrators and faith-ers / givers.  They balance each other.  Faith-ers perceive what God wants.  Administrators help the body organize to do it.

DISCERNMENT (distinguishing of spirits)

The capacity to distinguish between truth and error, good and evil, right and wrong, pure and impure.

1 Cor. 12:2,10; 1 Jn. 4:1; Acts 16:16; Lk. 13:11; Mk. 9:25,29; 1 Jn. 4:9

WISDOM

The ability to apply spiritual truth from God’s Word to practical, everyday problems in specific situations.  To speak a wise word in various situations.

Acts 6:1-6,10; 15:19-29; 1 Kings 3:25

KNOWLEDGE

The ability to seek out, remember and make effective use of a variety of information.

Understand truth to help others.   Unusual insight and understanding.  Organize information effectively.

In both cases [word of wisdom and word of knowledge] it would not be based on a special revelation spontaneously given by the Holy Spirit but would be based on wisdom acquired in the ordinary course of life, the knowledge and wisdom that should characterize Bible teachers, elders, or other mature Christians.  It seems preferable to understand these in a non-miraculous way.  What many people call “words of wisdom” or “words of knowledge in charismatic circles, it would seem better simply to refer to as “prophecy.”  - Wayne Grudem