Gifted...Today?

Are ALL of the Bible's spiritual gifts alive, well, and available for use in the body of Christ today?

If you are reading this blog, chances are that you believe that the answer is YES. I certainly do!

There are other folks in the body of Christ who would say NO. Instead, they believe that the more practical or service-oriented gifts are operational today, but that the more "spiritual" or "miraculous" gifts are not. Some spiritual gifts that would pass the "today's test" here would include pastoring, teaching, giving, serving and exhortation. Some gifts that would be found on this group of believers' retirement list would include prophecy, speaking in tongues, supernatural healing, miracles, dream interpretation and any gift that can be remotely described as "spooky."

Why is there disagreement in the church over this issue? For the same reason that there is disagreement over most every other issue.

Some of the more "natural" reasons that might spring up as an explanation for this disagreement include a history of splits in the church, denominational perspectives, faith issues, personal preference, lack of Biblical education, etc. All true, but these are symptoms of a larger issue.

From my humble perspective, the disagreement over the spiritual gifts is rooted in a more spiritual explanation: as long as the Body is at odds with itself, it will not unify; and as long as the Body is unfamiliar with its own powers and how to use them, it will remain somewhat ineffective. That is as true of our natural bodies as it is of our spiritual Body.

I do believe that the issue of spiritual gifts is an essential one (as opposed to a non-essential one), and I hope over time, the church can agree. [See Ephesians 4:3, 13 and the quote often attributed to St. Augustine in the link above regarding essentials.]

It is my prayer and hope that we can not only come to agreement, but I specifically pray that the body will become aware of its full power and giftedness, and use it in unity to advance the kingdom and cause of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the earth.

So, what do YOU think? If you believe that all of the spiritual gifts are operational today, how are you using yours?