SPIRITUAL GIFTS VS. SPRITUAL FRUITS:
HOW THEY COMPARE IN THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS
In Partial fulfillment for NT5423
1 and 2 Corinthians
DONALD P. LYLES
d@ecis.com
December 1, 2002
Mid Term: Spiritual Gifts vs. Spiritual fruits: How they compare in the lives of believers.
I. There are several passages that relate to the topic of Spiritual Gifts. [Brackets are mine.]
A. Romans 12:6-8
6 And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
B. Ephesians 4:11-12
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
C. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb [eithona-voiceless] idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you,that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed [anathema]"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 And there are varieties of effects [energematon-operations] but the same God who works [operating] all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word [logos] of wisdom [sothias] through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge [gnoseos] according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith [pistis] by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing [iamaton-of cures] by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles [dunameon-of powers], and to another prophecy [propheteia], and to another the distinguishing [diakriseis-discerning] of spirits. to another various kinds of tongues [glosson], and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works [operates] all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
D. Defining Spiritual Gift terms.
· Apostles apostolous, Ephesians 4
· Discerning of spirits
· Encourager[1]
· Evangelist[2]
· Gift of faith, pistis
· Gifts of healing iamaton of cures
· Giver[3]
· Mercy[4]
· Miracles dunameon
· Pastors[5]
· Prophets[6] in Ephesians 4. Prophecy[7] propheteia, Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 both use this word. The word in perceiving has three concepts. They are the ability to interpret scripture and to real information to others and to speak the mind of God.
· Ruler[8]
· Server[9]
· Teacher[10]
· Tongues glosson, glossalia, when used with phule (tribe) seven times in the New Testament “indicates a foreign language not learnt.”[11]
· Interpretation of tongues
· Word of wisdom sothias
· Word of knowledge gonseos to know (compare with oida to understand)
Paul stated it correctly when he said, “There are diversities of gifts.”
II. Passages referring to the Fruit of the Spirit.
A. Galatians 5:16-25
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and
things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that
those who practice such things shall not inherit[12]
the
B. Definition of the Fruit of the Spirit terms.
a. love, agape: God’s kind of love
b. joy, chara: very partial to this bite of fruit. I named my only daughter Joy. It is inner satisfaction, no matter how difficult the storm is on the outside. When we put “J” Jesus, “O” Others, and then “Y” You, we have joy.
c. peace, eirene: Serene
d. patience or longsuffering, makpothumia
e. kindness or friendliness, chrestotus
f. goodness or moral conscience, agathosune
g. faithfulness, pistis
h gentleness or meekness, prautes
i. self-control, eykrateia
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dorena Della Vecchio, http://www.gifttest.org/results.cfm Motivation Gifts Survey, which is part of
This was a one page, 33 question style test that pegged me instantly, online. It is touted as, “the first statistically validated instrument of its kind.”
http://www.centralpreschurch.org/ministry/Spiritual%20Gifts%20Quiz.htm
No
Author, Part of Central Presbyterian Church of
At this extensive site, including a nice picture trip around the church campus, sermons, and a listing of many of the 100 “clusters” i.e. church boards, that run and make up the church was this fairly simple page. I would have found the test easier to try to take with numbers and not the arbitrary letters. I also could not figure how to take the test online, even though the words were online.
Jerry Falwell, Harold Willmington,
It is much easier to find from www.elmertowns.com and ask for spiritual gifts in the question box.
I
have followed Elmer L. Towns for the last 40 years. I traveled to many of the churches in his 10
largest Sunday Schools book in our early years of ministry. Interestingly, Karen’s brother was saved in
one of these churches and attended for many years. Elmer is now head of the
Religion Department at
Kazenske, Donna, Christian Online Magazine, Introduction to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, http://www.christianity.com/CC/article/0,,PTID42281/CHID147904/CIID396712,00.html
This was an interesting site from a more charismatic point of view than my own.
No Author, Team Ministry: Spiritual Gifts Based Ministry, Spiritual Gifts Anaylsis. http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi, Ephesians Four Ministries, Church Growth Institute
This looks like a dynamic page with 102 questions that looked like it would do an excellent job determining spiritual gifts. This is the online version of their book by the same title.
BIBLE VERSIONS
Amplified Bible, Lockman Foundation, Zondervan Publishing
House,
BIBLE|MASTER, Lockman Foundation, NASB Bible
software,
Marshall, Alfred, The
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Nestle Greek Text, Samuel Bagster
and Sons,
COMMENTARIES AND LEXICONS
Hogg,
C.F. and Vine W.E., The Epistle to the
Galatians, Scripture Truth Book Company,
Vine, W.E., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1996
[2] Ephesians 4:11
[4] ibid. pg 3
[5] Ephesians 4:11
[6] Ephesians 4:11
[8] ibid. pg 2
[10] ibid. pg 2
[11] Vine, W.E. New Testament Expository Dictionary pg 637
[12] All the verses in the New Testament using kle_ronomeo, 2816g.
Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life.
Matthew 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Mark 10:17 ¶ And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 10:25 ¶ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 18:18 ¶ And a certain ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you
not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
1 Corinthians 6:10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Galatians 5:21 envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as
I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Hebrews 6:12 that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 12:17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
1 Peter 3:9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
Revelation 21:7 "He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.