What is the gift of faith?

Faith, or the reliance upon God, is an intricate part of every believer’s life.  The author of Hebrews explains this very principle with the words, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)  However, the spiritual gift of faith involves the Holy Spirit entrusting a believer with a surmountable amount of belief for overcoming seemingly overwhelming obstacles.

The Apostle Paul includes the gift of faith in his letter to the Corinthians.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given though the Spirit the message of wisdom…to another faith by the same Spirit…and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All of these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. (I Corinthians 12:4-11 NIV)

In the New Testament, we find a man who approached the disciples for healing his son from seizures, but the disciples were unable to heal the boy.  The same man later approached Jesus Christ in a crowd and asked him to have mercy on his son.  Jesus Christ had the man bring his son to him and Jesus healed him at that moment.  The disciples later approached Jesus Christ in private and asked him why they could not drive out the same demons from the boy and Jesus responded with the following words.

“Because you have so little faith.  I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-21 NIV)

Jesus Christ later used a similar analogy about faith after his disciples questioned him about a fig tree he withered in front of them.

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.  (Matthew 21:21-22 NIV)

 

Jesus Christ compares a believer’s initial faith to the relatively small size of a mustard seed.  As a mustard seed grows, much like a believer’s faith, it grows into one of the largest of the garden plants.  Believers with the gift of faith our great visionaries for the local church, since they can envision God doing the impossible…such as starting churches in the least likely of places, restoring the lives seemingly unremorseful criminals, or changing the hearts of one our loved ones.  In other words, a believer can start out with very little faith, but as the Holy Spirit entrusts him or her with the gift of faith he or she can help others realize God’s sovereign providence in fulfilling His will on earth.

What is the gift of evangelism?

Evangelism, or the preaching of the gospel, is an essential part of Christianity.   How else can people hear about the message of salvation unless they hear someone proclaiming the gospel?  The Apostle Paul makes this point clear in his letter to the Romans, as he begins by quoting the Prophet Joel’s proclamation [Joel 2:32] of how everyone can be saved and then continues on with rhetorical questions about how we can hear the same message today.

“…, ’Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:13-14 NIV)

The Apostle Paul later lists evangelism, among other spiritual gifts, in his letter to the Ephesians.

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up unit we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:7, 11-13 NIV)

The aforementioned passage indicates that the gift of evangelism serves a unique role in relation to the other spiritual gifts such as apostleship, prophesizing, shepherding and teaching.  For instance, the gift of apostleship helps believers serve as ambassadors of the gospel, the gift of teaching helps believers apply the Word of God to their lives, and the gift of prophecy helps believers understand God’s sovereignty.  Similarly, in regard to the gift of evangelism, the Holy Spirit helps believers proclaim the message of salvation to unbelievers, in a manner that results in them putting their faith in God.

On a side note, the function of evangelism is not necessarily synonymous with that of shepherding or vice versa.  For example, you may have a believer with the gift of evangelism, but not the gift of pastoring or shepherding, who serves as a youth pastor and incidentally many young people turning their lives over God.  In this scenario, the church leadership could possibly make the mistake of viewing this youth pastor’s conversion results as being equivalent with shepherding and leadership qualities.  As a result, you may end up in a situation where the church leadership accidentally appoints this youth pastor to a senior pastor leadership position, even though he or she may not have a shepherd’s heart (the spiritual gift of shepherding) in regard to watching over the spiritual welfare of the believers in the church and bringing them into fellowship with one another.

In other words, there are many believers who have the gift of evangelism.  Some of these believers are in church leadership positions as pastors, while others are active members within their congregations and communities.  Yet, you still other believers with the gift of evangelism, as well as the gift of apostleship, who may represent their local churches and/or denominations/affiliations as traveling evangelists spreading the message of salvation to others in different areas of the world.  Regardless, evangelism is an intricate part of the church since people need to hear about the message of gospel…so they can ultimately have the hope of putting their faith in God.   

What is the gift of encouragement?

The theme of encouragement is intertwined throughout the Word of God with our hope for eternal salvation through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul summarizes this point with the words – “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (II Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV)

As for the spiritual gift of encouragement, the Apostle Paul lists the gift in his letter to the Romans.

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many from one body, and each member belongs to the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a man’s gift is…encouraging, let him encourage….” (Romans 12:4-6, 8 NIV)

One of the greatest examples of a person with the gift of encouragement is a Levite named Joseph, whom the apostles later called Barnabas – the Son of Encouragement – after he sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:36-37)  Barnabas later brought Saul [the Apostle Paul] to the apostles and encouraged them to have Saul join them as one of the apostles, even though they were all afraid of Saul’s past history and doubted the authenticity of his conversion. (Acts 9:26-28)  Barnabas later worked side-by-side with the Apostle Paul and was a great encouragement to him as well as the people around him, evident by his response at Antioch.

“Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews.  Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.  The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.  News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all of their hearts. (Acts 11:19-23 NIV)

      

In summary, encouragement serves as an integral part in the work of the Lord as everyone is encouraged to comfort one another as fellow believers in Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul reaffirms this point in his letter to the Thessalonians – “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (I Thessalonians 4:11 NIV)  In similar manner, the Holy Spirit entrusts certain individuals with the spiritual gift of encouragement, as he guides them to provide reassurance and solace to others in helping them reaffirm their faith in God.

What is the gift of discernment?

The concept of discernment is common throughout the Bible.  There are several passages throughout the Word of God warning believers against false teachers along with instructions for them to test the spirits and motives of these individuals, who claim to be speaking on behalf of God.  In the New Testament, we find the gift of discernment included among the gifts of the Holy Spirit with the words – “For to one is given by the Spirit…discerning of spirits….” (I Corinthians 12:8-10 KJV) 

The Prophet Isaiah prophesied against seeking spiritual guidance from mediums and spiritists.

“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?  Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?  To the law and to the testimony!  If they do not speak according to this word, they have not light of dawn.” (Isaiah 8:19-20 NIV)  

The Prophet Jeremiah also prophesied against following false prophets.

“This is what the Lord Almighty says:  Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes.  They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord…’I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name.  They say, I had a dream!  I had a dream!....’” (Jeremiah 23:16, 25 NIV)

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ himself even warned about false teachers with the following words.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15 NIV)

In addition, the Apostle Paul cautioned the Corinthians against deceptive people posing as believers teaching a different gospel of Christianity.

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one your received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough…For such men are false apostle, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.  Their end will be what their actions deserve. (II Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15 NIV) 

Overall, discernment – or disputation – plays an important role in the church.  The Apostle John warns believers to test the authenticity of professed religious people and leaders with the words – “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1 NIV)  In summary, the Holy Spirit uniquely entrusts certain believers with the gift of discernment and enables them to distinguish the authenticity of the words and motives of professed believers and churches, and whether or not they are derived from God or a counterfeit source.  Ultimately, individuals entrusted with the spiritual gift of discernment keep spiritual leaders and organizations accountable to the tenets of faith found in the Word of God.   

What is the gift of apostleship?

The term apostle is common throughout the New Testament. The twelve disciples of Jesus Christ were referred to as apostles. In a traditional view, the apostles were the official commissioners of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 10:1-4) In similar manner, the Apostle Paul describes how the Holy Spirit has given the gift of apostleship to some believers. In a broader sense, believers entrusted with the gift of apostleship are ambassadors of the gospel. (I Corinthians 12:10, 28-29; Ephesians 4:11)

The spiritual gift of apostleship, or being an ambassador, is when the Holy Spirit guides a believer to leave his or her own local area for the purpose of spreading and relating the message of the gospel to individuals in different areas of the world. An individual entrusted with the spiritual gift of apostleship feels led by the Holy Spirit to participate in mission trips, whether short-term or on a full-time basis, to different areas of the world and/or regions of a country for the ultimate purpose of glorifying God. Many churches often refer to people indwelled with this gift as missionaries.

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that not all believers are called to be ambassadors, since only some believers are entrusted with the gift of apostleship. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he asks a series of rhetorical questions – “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?” (I Corinthians 12:29 NIV) The Apostle Paul reiterates this same point to the Ephesians with the words, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up….” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV)

Believers who are indwelled with the gift of apostleship usually have other spiritual gifts and individual talents that help distinguish their specific type of missionary work. For example, you have missionary church builders who may be talented carpenters with the gifts of apostleship and helps. Similarly, missionary church planters are often entrusted with the gifts of leadership, pastoring and apostleship. The list could easily continue with seemingly endless combinations. So in a sense, being a “missionary” is not necessarily limited to its traditional usage of pastoring and/or teaching people in a foreign country. Rather, the gift of apostleship enables certain believers to venture outside of their local communities and utilize their God-given individual talents and spiritual gifts anywhere in the world as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, be it building/planting churches or reaching out to people in a constructive and meaningful manner that ultimately glorifies God.