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

979 ALMOND DRIVE

OAKLEY, CA 94561

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 kingdom of God.  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

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 Regents University, School of Leadership Studies 

 

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 31 North Seventh Street, Lafayette, Indiana 47901

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, Elmer Towns, and Larrie Schlapman, http://www.liberty.edu/wwwadmin/includes/search/QandA/QandA_results_elmertowns.c… 

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 Liberty University and he has developed a very useful web page.  One can ask for almost any question in the appropriate box and get a good answer.  He also has 23 books that can be downloaded for free.

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, Grand Rapids, MI, 1987.

 

BIBLE|MASTER, Lockman Foundation, NASB Bible software, La Habra, CA, 1996

 

Marshall, Alfred, The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Nestle Greek Text, Samuel Bagster and Sons, London, 1958

 

COMMENTARIES AND LEXICONS

Hogg, C.F. and Vine W.E., The Epistle to the Galatians, Scripture Truth Book Company, Fincastle, VA, 1921

Vine, W.E., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1996