The Assumptions behind Spiritual Gifts Inventories_____

by Sydney Page, Professor of New Testament, Taylor Seminary

piritual gifts inventories are self-assessment tools that have been developed to help Christians identify which of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible they possess. They typically take the form of a series of questions that are designed to reveal the presence of particular gifts. The individual completing the questionnaire is asked to rate the degree to which certain statements are true of them. For example, they might be asked about whether things seem to go smoothly when they are in charge. A positive response would be interpreted as evidence of the presence of the gift of leadership. The use of spirituali gifts inventories has become widespread in the last three decades. The popularity of these instruments can be traced back to C. Peter Wagners book Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow.1 This was one of the earliest books written on this topic and has had enormous influence. Although it was first published in 1979, it is still in print. Wagners book includes an inventory called the Wagner-Modified Houts Questionnaire that has spawned hundreds of imitators, one of which is incorporated in the popular Network seminar developed by the Willow Creek Association.2 A wide variety of churches, ranging from Roman Catholic to Lutheran to United Methodist promote the use of spiritual gifts inventories, as do many parachurch organizations.3

1 C. Peter Wagner, Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow (Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 1979). 2 Bruce L. Bugbee and Don Cousins, Network Kit (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005). The kit consists of a leaders guide, a participants guide, a DVD, and a CD ROM. Bugbee acknowledges his indebtedness to Wagners work in Bruce L. Bugbee, Don Cousins, and Bill Hybels, Network: Leader's Guide Revised, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 12. 3 The Catherine of Sienna Institute offers workshops that include a Roman Catholic version of a spiritual gifts inventory. See http://www.siena. orgWorkshops.htm (accessed Feb. 16, 2012). A version used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America can be found at http://archive.elca. Fall 2002 39

As the title of Wagners book suggests, it is frequently claimed that the use of spiritual gifts inventories can play an importaint role in improving the health of a church. In an artide in the Enrichment Journal , Heidi Rolland Unruh and Philip N. Olson write, A spiritual gifts inventory is an essential tool in awakening the ministry potential of your congregation.4 Similarly, Bill Hybels says, I consider the development of the Network materials to be one of the most significant breakthroughs in the history of Willow Creek Community Church.5 The use of spiritual gifts inventories appears to have numerous benefits. To begin with, such instruments are a powerful reminder that all believers are to be involved in ministry, and the worship, work, and witness of the church ought not to be left to the professional clergy. Second, they rightly call attention to the diversity of ways in which people can serve God, their church, and the world. Third, they encourage people to consider seriously what types of ministry they are best suited for. Finally, they can act as a catalyst to prompt believers to get involved in some form of ministry. In view of the good that gifts inventories can do in a church, it is not surprising that many church leaders are enthusiastic about their use. Nevertheless, there aire significant questions that can and must be raised about the use of these tools. In particular, there are a number of assumptions that lie behind the construction of the inventories that users may not be fully aware of. The purpose of this article is to bring these assumptions to the surface, so that we will be in a better position to determine whether spiritual gifts inventories are good
org/evangelizingChurch/asses sments/spiri tgifts.html, and one used by the United Methodist Church can be found at http://www.umc. org/site/ c.lwL4KnNlLtH/b. 135537l/k.950l/Spiritual_Gifts.htm (accessed Feb. 16, 2012). Stephen Ministries is one of the parachurch organizations that promote the use of spiritual gifts inventories. See http://www.Stephen ministries. orgfcoursesandmore/default.cfm/751?nvid=91 (accessed Feb. 16,
20 1 2 ).

4 Heidi Rolland Unruh and Philip N. Olson, Getting There From Here: Starting Compassion Ministry in Your Congregation, Enrichment Journal (Spring 2004): n.p., http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/ 200402/200402_064_startcompmin.cfm (accessed Aug. 19, 2011). 5 Bill Hybels, Foreword, in Bruce L. Bugbee, Don Cousins, and Bill Hybels, Network: Participant s Guide (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), n.p. 40 Fall 2011

tools to help members the Christian community determine where they might best serve.

The Assumption That Spiritual Gifts are God-given Abilities

The first difficulty with spiritual gifts inventories is that they presuppose an understanding of the term gifts that differs from the usage of the related Greek terms in the New Testament. It is generally taken for granted that spiritual gifts are God-given abilities that individual believers possess. Wagner offers the following definition: A spiritual gift is a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ, according to Gods grace, for use within the context of the Body.6 His book includes defini tions of twenty-five distinct gifts, and all of them begin the same way. Each identifies the specific gift as a special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ.7 For instance, the gift of prophecy is defined as the special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to his people through a divinely-anointed utterance.8 It is not surprising that God-given gifts are commonly regarded as special abilities, since the English word gift often has this sense, especially when used with reference to persons. So, we speak of a person who has unusual musical ability as one who is musically gifted. However, the assumption that the Greek terms that are translated gifts in the New Testament refer to special abilities that individuals possess is questionable. This common understanding has been sharply criticized by Kenneth Berding in his book What Are Spiritual Gifts? Rethinking the Conventional View.9 In this
6 Wagner, Spiritual Gifts, 34. Others propose similar definitions. E.g., Rick Yohn says, Spiritual gifts are special abilities that God gives you to accomplish his work. Rick Yohn, Discover Your Spiritual Gift and Use It (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1974), 3. 7 Wagner, Spiritual Gifts, 253-8. The phrase the ability to appears in each of the definitions of the twenty-one gifts listed in B. and D. Eastman, T. and D. Wendorff, and K. Lee-Thorp, Developing your SHAPE to Serve Others (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 34-35. 8 Ibid, 253. 9 Kenneth Berding, What Are Spiritual Gifts? Rethinking the Conventional View (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006). See also his article Confusing Word and Concept in Spiritual Gifts: Have We Forgotten James Barrs ExFall 2011 41

work, Berding makes a strong case for the view that the Ianguage used in the New Testament passages that speak of the gifts God has given to the Church does not refer to special abilities that Christians possess. There are five passages in the New Testament that contain discussions of the sorts of spiritual gifts that spiritual gifts inventories are used to discover Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:1-31; 1 Cor 14:1-40; Eph 4:7-13; and 1 Pet 4:1 0 -1 1.10 These passages use four different words that can be translated gifts or spiritual gifts. The noun occurs the most frequently, being used in Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:4, 9, 28, 30, 31; and 1 Pet 4:10; the adjective is used in I Cor 12:1; 14:1, 37; the noun is used in Eph 4:7; and the noun is used in Eph 4:8.1 1 In the NIV, and are rendered gifts, and is rendered spiritual gifts or spiritually gifted in these passages.1 2 The term , which is used in Eph 4:7, is not translated by gift in the NIV. Instead, the NIV offers the rather free translation, But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. A more literal translation appears in
hortations? Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 43 (2000): 37-41. Berdings work is cited with approval in Benny C. Aker, Charism ata : Gifts, Enablements, or Ministries? Journal of Pentecostal Theology II (2002): 53-69 (see 55-56 especially). Although Berding has offered the most thorough critique of the view that the New Testament gifts are God-given abilities, his understanding of NT gifts was anticipated by earlier scholars. E.g., in his commentary on Romans, Schlatter wrote that, for Paul, charisms are not qualities that the individual may have for himself, but functions carried out within the community and indispensable for their growth. Adolph Schlatter, Romans: The Righteousness of God, trans. S. S. Schatzmann (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1995), 232. The German original of this work was published in 1935. See also Enrique Nardoni, The Concept of Charism in Paul, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 55 (1993): 68-80. 10 In the NIV, the expression spiritual gift appears in Rom 1:11 and 1 Cor 1:7, as well as in the passages commonly understood to deal with spirituai gifts. In the former, the phrase translates ; in the latter, it translates . 11 The NIV also uses spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 14:12, but this is a questionable translation. The Greek uses the genitive plural of the noun . Thiselton suggests that this unusual expression be translated powers of the Spirit. Anthony C. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Com mentary on the Greek Text , New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000), 1107. 12 The 2011 edition of the NIV renders by gifts of the Spirit and gifted by the Spirit in 1 Cor 12:1; 14:1, 37. In this article, when the abbreviation NIV is used without qualification, the 1984 edition is in view. I will make it explicit when I refer to the 2011 edition. 42 Fall 2011

the ESV, where the verse is rendered, But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christs gift. Note that , , and all express the general concept of that which is given by one person to another. The term , which is the only one rendered spiritual gifts in the NIV, is an adjective that characterizes someone or something as having to do with spirit or with the Spirit.1 3 In 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, the adjective is used substantively to refer to things that have to do with the Spirit, and the context suggests that the things in view are the gifts that are given by the Spirit (see 1 Cor 12:7-11).1 4 In these passages, there are four lists of spiritual gifts Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:8-10; 1 Cor 12:28-30; and Eph 4:11.1 5 In these lists, the specific gifts that are identified are either ministries that believers engage in or persons with distinctive roles in the Church. We will look briefly at each list in the order in which they were written. The earliest of these lists are the two that are found in 1 Corinthians 12. The way Paul introduces the gift list in 1 Cor 12:8-10 is very important. In verses 4-6, he says, 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. Verse 4 refers to there being different kinds of gifts (). Note, however, that in the next two verses, Paul speaks of different kinds of service () and different kinds of working (). These three phrases are parallel to one another, and there can be little
13 The 2011 edition of the NIV has dropped the use of the phrase spiritual gifts. 14 It is possible, but less likely, that is masculine and refers to spiritual people (cf. 1 Cor 14:37). Note that none of these terms is used exclusively of the sort of gifts mentioned in the passages that contain the gift lists. The word also appears in Rom 1:11; 5:15, 16; 6:23; 11:29; 1 Cor 1:7; 7:7; 2 Cor 1:11; 1 Tim 4:14; and 2 Tim 1:6. The word also appears in Rom 1:11; 7:14; 15:27; 1 Cor 2:13, 15; 3:1; 9:11; 10:3, 4 (twice); 15:44 (twice), 46 (twice); Gal 6:1; Eph 1:3; 5:19; 6:12; Col 1:9; 3:16; and 1 Pet 2:5 (twice). The word also appears in John 4:10; Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45; 11:17; Rom 5:15, 17; 2 Cor 9:15; Eph 3:7; and Heb 6:4. The word also appears in Matt 7:11 ; Luke 11:13; and Phil 4:17. 15 Spiritual gifts also appear in 1 Pet 4:10-11, but this text does not contain a list of gifts p er se. It refers only to the broad categories of speaking and serving. Note, however, that even here, the emphasis in the text is on the actions of speaking and serving. Fall 2011 43

doubt that the words , and have overlapping meanings. D. A. Carson says, The parallelism does not of course make the words strictly synonymous... but because none of the three terms can be associated with only certain spiritual gifts and not with others, it is clear that Paul uses the three terms to describe the full range of what we might call spiritual-gift phenomena.1 6 The point that Carson is making in the context is that Paul does not distinguish between those gifts that might be considered unusual or supernatural and other gifts that might be deemed to be more mundane. For our purposes, however, what is significant is that he calls our attention to the fact that 111 three terms are used to refer to the same phenomena. It is even possible that Paul intended that the last two explain the first.17 In any case, it is clear that the different kinds of gifts include different kinds of service and different kinds of working, and in verse 7, all three are referred to as manifestations of the Spirit. The initial description of the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 indicates that they include ministries (kinds of service) that believers engage in as God works in and through them, and they are not simply abilities that they possess. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 says, To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.1 8 Note that the gifts named appear to be concrete expressions of the Spirits
16 D. A. Carson, Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), 34. Similarly, James D. G. Dunn writes, These are all alternative ways of describing the whole range of spiritual gifts; all the charismata are acts of service, all are actions wrought by God, all are manifestations of the Spirit for the common good. Jesus and the Spirit (London: SCM, 1975), 209. 17 Cf. Richard B. Gaffin, Perspectives on Pentecost (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), 49. 18 The word translated prophecy in this pericope () is the same word that is translated prophesying in Rom 12:6. In the NIV, 1 Cor 14:1 is translated Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. The phrase the gift of prophecy in this translation suggests that Paul had the ability to prophesy in mind; however, in the original, the last phrase uses the verb and unambiguously 44 Fall 2011

working rather than abilities that are latent in gifted people. For instance, the phrases the message of wisdom and the message of knowledge designate messages that were spoken when the congregation gathered for worship. Similarly, distinguishing between spirits and speaking in tongues clearly involve activities that took place in the churches. Even the phrase rendered gifts of healing in verse 9 need not refer to a special ability to heal. The original uses the plural form of the noun for healing and could be translated gifts for various kinds of healing. Thus the phrase may refer, as Thiselton suggests, to various kinds of healings enacted in a diversity of ways to address a variety of conditions, and not a uniform stereotypical ministry performed by a permanently endowed healer.1 9 Likewise, miraculous powers in verse 10 in the NIV could be rendered deeds of power20 and may refer to activities that express themselves in miracles.21 To be sure, some of the gifts mentioned in 1 Cor 12:8-10 could be understood to imply that a particular ability is present, but the focus is clearly on the ministries performed by believers, not on special abilities they possessed. There is a second list of spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 12:28-30. Here the first three gifts mentioned consist of apostles, prophets, and teachers. Interestingly, these gifts consist of people with particular roles in the Church, not abilities that these individuals might possess. In the NIV, the list in 1 Cor 12:28-29 goes on to mention workers of miracles, those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.22 Although the NIV represents these five gifts, like the previous three, as persons who perform certain ministries, the Greek actually refers to the ministries themselves. The difference between the way the first three gifts
refers to the activity of prophesying. This is brought out in the ESV transation of the text, Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy ( iva ). The 2011 edition of the NIV has replaced gift of prophecy in this text with prophecy. 19 Thiselton, First Corinthians, 948. 20 Thiselton offers the translation actively effective deeds of power. First Corinthians , 952. 21 BDAG, 335. 22 The 2011 edition of the NIV has removed the reference to persons and renders the second part of v. 28, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Fall 2011 45

are expressed and the way the others are expressed is refleeted in the ESV translation, And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. The last five gifts refer to activities that people engaged in to contribute to the health of the body of Christ, not to the people who performed these activities. Turning to the gift list in Rom 12:6-8, we observe that all of the gifts listed here are also activities rather than abilities. The gifts mentioned in this pericope are prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing to the needs of others, leadership, and showing mercy. In Greek, the first two are expressed by nouns that are translated prophesying () and serving (). There is no verb in the imperative mood with these nouns in the original, but probably something like let him do so should be supplied. So, one might translate Rom 12:6b, If a mans gift is prophesying, let him do so in proportion to his faith. The phrase let him use it, which appears in the NIV rendering, If a mans gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith, assum es that the gift is the ability to prophesy.23 The other five gifts are expressed by participles that identify the person performing a particular function, followed by prepositional phrases indicating how they are to perform that function. The grammatical construction is expressed well in the translation of Rom 12:7b-8 in the ESV, the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.24 It is obvious that the focus here is on what is done by individuals rather than the talents or skills that they possess. The last list to consider is that found in Eph 4:11. Like the first three gifts listed in 1 Cor 12:28-30, the gifts in this
23 The 2011 edition of the NIV has changed this to If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach. 24 The NIV does not reflect the change in grammatical construction found in the original. It refers, e.g., to teaching rather than the one who teaches. In the NIV, Rom 12:7b-8 reads, if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 46 Fall 2011

pericope consist of persons with particular roles. Ephesians 4:11 says that the ascended Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the Church.25 This gift list is distinguished from the others in that it consists exclusively of people who were involved in one way or another in the ministry of the word. It is evident that the biblical references to the gifts that God has given his people do not usually have in view special abilities that individual believers possess. In this respect, there is a major difference between the understanding of gifts that is assumed in spiritual gifts inventories and New Testament usage. The inventories start with the faulty assumption that the term gift has a technical meaning when used of gifts of the Spirit, that is, that it always designates an ability or talent bestowed by God upon an individual. This is not supported by the evidence. In fact, terms like are applicable to a great variety of concrete materializations of Gods gracious will.26 Such language is regularly used of ministry activities and those who engage in them. The difference between what the New Testament means by gift and the understanding of the term presupposed by the authors of spiritual gifts inventories raises serious questions about the usefulness of the inventories. The inventories are designed to help people discover abilities they possess, but none of the NT gift lists explicitly refers to abilities.27 At the very least, the inventories give the appearance of being more biblically-based than is war remted.

25 There is some disagreement about how this verse should be translated. The NIV, like many English translations, understands the text to say that Christ gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. The ESV, on the other hand, says that Christ gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers. In support of the former interpretation, see Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), 538. In support of the latter, see Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians , Word Biblical Commentary 42 (Dallas: Word, 1990), 249. The focus is on persons, not abilities, in both of these interpretations. In the latter, the gifts are directly identified as persons; in the former, what is given is the appointment of certain persons to particular roles. 26 Nardoni, Charism, 68. 27 It is not surprising, then, that one does not find anything that corresponds to the modern preoccupation with discovering gifts in the NT. Fall 2011 47

The Assumption That Scripture Gives a Complete List of Spiritual Gifts

The second problem with spirituali gifts inventories is that they give an impression of comprehensiveness that is misleading. The inventories and the popular literature related to them vary with regards to the number of gifts they identify. Wagner lists twenty-seven gifts; the Network literature identifies twenty-three; and Flynn, nineteen.28 Sometimes only items found in the lists of gifts in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 are included; sometimes other special abilities mentioned in scripture are added.29 Usually only gifts specifically mentioned in the Bible are ineluded, regardless of whether they appear in one of the four New Testament lists. The assumption appears to be that all of the gifts that may be found in the Church today are mentioned somewhere in scripture. The difficulty with this is that the gift lists in the New Testament are ad hoc creations that give representative samplings of the sorts of gifts with which God has blessed the Church. A comparison of the various lists demonstrates that none of them was intended to provide a complete list of all the gifts. Although some gifts are found in more than one list (prophecy appears in all four), many are found in only one. For example, showing mercy is only in the list in Rom 12:6-8, distinguishing between spirits appears only in 1 Cor 12:8-10, and evangelists is unique to Eph 4:11. It is obvious that none of the lists was intended to be comprehensive, and there is no reason to suppose that taking all of them together will result in a complete list. The lists do not appear to have been written with the intent of providing a full account of all the gifts God has graciously given to the Church. Any attempt to construct a gifts inventory requires making a decision about which gifts to include, and there is a considerable range of opinion about this. Whatever decision one makes, there is the danger of being unduly restrictive. The usefulness of any assessm ent tool is directly affected by
28 Wagner, Spiritual Gifts ; Bugbee, Cousins, and Hybels, Network , 38-45; Leslie B. Flynn, 19 Gifts of the Spirit (Wheaton: Victor, 1974, 1994). 29 To the gifts enumerated in the four gift lists, Wagner adds such gifts as celibacy, voluntary poverty, martyrdom, hospitality, and missionary. Spiritual Gifts, 56-57. 48 Fall 2011

the decisions made about what to test for, and there are obvious difficulties with any tool that excludes areas of ministry that God may be calling individuals to fill. Persons using the instrument may be tempted to limit their consideration to the gifts that the inventory is designed to test for and consequently ignore opportunities to which they could and should respond. It is not difficult to think of areas of ministry that are not specifically mentioned in the New Testament but are vital to the health of the contemporary church. For instance, there are the contributions made by those involved in various forms of music ministry, whether as worship leaders, instrumentalists, or choir members. Those of us who are musically challenged are grateful that God has blessed our communities with people who can sing and play, but their gifts do not appear in the New Testament gift lists. We might also think of those who serve by caring for the children in the nursery, or by being church treasurers, or by operating the churchs audio-visual equipment. Are these activities less a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good than giving generously to meet the needs of others or showing mercy?

The Assumption That the Meaning of Each of the Terms Used for Particular Gifts Is Well Established
The third problem with spiritual gifts inventories is that they proceed on the assumption that we have a good understanding of what was meant by the various expressions used to refer to particular gifts, and that we cam develop clear definitions of each term or phrase that will serve as the basis for constructing questions to test the presence or absence of that attribute. The problem with this is that there is considerable uncertainty about the meaning of much of the language used in the gift lists. The gift of prophecy is a case in point. The major differenee of opinion here is over whether the term is virtually synonymous with preaching or whether it refers solely to the communication of revelation received directly from God. The former interpretation is reflected in workshop materials on spiritual gifts prepared for American Baptist Churches, where the gift is defined as speaking what God wants said
Fall 2011 49

with clarity, creativity, and power and equated with preaching.30 The latter is favoured by Peter Wagner.31 A similar difference of opinion is also found among New Testament scholars. David Hill suggests that prophecy can be classified as pastoral preaching, which may be based on direct revelation but need not do so.32 Max Turner, on the other hand, argues forcefully against equating New Testament prophecy with inspired preaching.33 He defines prophecy as oracular speech based on a perceptible revelatory event or impulse.34 Even among those who share Turners view that New Testament prophecy involves receiving revelation directly from God, there is disagreement concerning whether what is communicated by the prophet is infallible and authoritative. Wayne Grudem distinguishes between apostolic prophecy, which he sees as authoritative, and the congregational prophecy described in 1 Corinthians 14, which he believes contains a mixture of truth and error and thus requires assessm ent.35 Speaking in tongues suffers from a similar ambiguity. Here the primary question is whether the expression refers to speaking a language one has not learned or to vocalizations that do not exhibit the characteristics of known languages and thus cannot be translated.36 It is generally assumed that the New Testament references to speaking in tongues have in view the sort of unintelligible vocalizations
30 Yvonne Carter, The Identification and Use of Spiritual Gifts in the Disciple-making Church, 26, http://www.nationalministries.org/resources/churchlifeleadership/wcll-101 SpiritualGifts .pdf (accessed Aug. 19, 2011). 31 Wagner, Spiritual Gifts, 253. 32 David Hill, New Testament Prophecy (Atlanta: John Knox, 1979), 126-7. Cf. Craig Blombergs statement, New Testament prophecy... ineluded both conventional preaching, when the preacher had the sense of being gripped and convicted by the Spirit about his or her message, and more spontaneous, unpremeditated utterances. 1 Corinthians, NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 245. 33 Max Turner, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts in the New Testa ment Church and Today (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2005), 202-7. 34 Ibid, 307. 35 Wayne Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today (Westchester, 111.: Crossway, 1988), 74-79. For a critique of this view, see David Oldham, The Gift of Prophecy and Modern Revivals, Reformation and Revival 5 (1996): 111-35. 36 These are just two of the options. For a more thorough presentation of the possibilities, see Thiselton, First Corinthians , 972-88. 50 Fall 2011

that are characteristic of modern tongues-speakers. However, by no means are all scholars convinced that this is the sort of phenomenon Paul had in mind when he mentioned the gift of speaking in different kinds of tongues in 1 Cor 12:10. The reference to the interpretation of tongues in this verse might suggest that speaking in foreign languages was in view, and the fact that the tongues-speaking on the Day of Pentecost resulted in people hearing what was said in their own language (Acts 2:8) could be seen as confirmation of this.37 Certainly, the most natural understanding of Acts 2:8 is that the apostles spoke in recognizable foreign languages. In contrast with this, William Samar ins research has shown that the characteristics of language are not found in contemporary examples of speaking in tongues.38 Samarin contends that, while the vocalizations of modern tongues-speakers may sound like language, from a linguistic standpoint, they do not exhibit the fundamental characteristics of a genuine language. Consequently, what is generally understood to be speaking in tongues today may be quite different from what Paul meant by speaking in tongues. A third example is the gift of distinguishing between spirits mentioned in 1 Cor 12:10. Some authors relate this gift specifically to ministry to people who may be under demonic influence. Thomas B. White describes it as the ability which enables one to accurately detect and distinguish the
37 So Gaffin, Perspectives , 78-81. A. C. Thiselton argues that Paul uses and its cognates to mean put into speech rather than translate in The Interpretation of Tongues: A New Suggestion in the Light of Greek Usage in Philo and Josephus, Journal of Theological Studies 30 ( 1979): 15-36. Against this, see M. Turner, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts in the New Testament and Today , rev. ed. (Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, 1996): 222-3. Turner argues that Paul believed that speaking in tongues involved speaking unlearned foreign languages. This view is widely rejected today, but a good case can be made for it. In addition to Turner, see R. H. Gundry, Ecstatic Utterance (N.E.B.)? Journal of Theological Studies 17 (1966): 299-307. There is good evidence that this was the view of the Church Fathers. See Francis Gumerlock, Tongues in the Church Fathers, Reformation and Revival 13 (2004): 123-34. 38 W. J. Samarin, Tongues of Men and Angels: The Religious Language of Pentecostalism (New York: Macmillan, 1972), especially 118-28. See also H. N. Malony and A. A. Lovekin, Glossolalia: Behavioral Science Perspectives on Speaking in Tongues (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985), especially 26-38. There have been reports of modern tongues-speakers speaking known languages that they have not learned, but social seientists who have attempted to verify that this has occurred have been unsuccessful. See Malony and Lovekin, Glossolalia , 26-29. Fall 2011 51

identities of evil spirits.39 On the other hand, Thiselton 2a gues that it is unlikely that Paul had in mind the contrast between the Spirit of God and evil spirits, because Paul does not use the term to refer to demonic spirits.40 Since the gift of distinguishing between spirits comes immediately after the mention of prophecy, and since 1 Cor 14:29 refers to the necessity of weighing carefully what prophets say, it may well be that Paul was referring specifically to discernment concerning whether what the prophets said truly came from God. So James D. G. Dunn suggests that distinguishing between spirits refers to the evaluation of prophetic utter anees, an investigating and interpreting which throws light on their source and their significance.4 1 As a final example of the ambiguity of some of the terms used for specific gifts, we may note that the meaning of the term translated leadership in the NIV translation of Rom 12:8 is uncertain. The Greek uses a participle of the verb . This verb is usually understood to refer to the exercise of leadership, and this under standing may well be correct.42 However, the word can also convey the idea of showing concern for or caring for someone. It bears this sense in Josephus, where the Jewish historian uses it of Hyrcanus defending () those that are injured.43 This understanding of the meaning of the verb lies behind the RSV translation of the word in Rom 12:8, he who gives aid. The position of between contributing to the needs of others and showing mercy lends significant support to the view that Paul was thinking of caring for others rather than governing them.44

39 Thomas B. White, The Believer's Guide to Spiritual Warfare (Ann Arbor: Servant, 1990), 93. Cf. Donald Bridge and David Phypers, Spiritual Gifts and the Church (London: Inter-Varsity, 1973), 66-70; George Mallone, Arming fo r Spiritual Warfare (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1991), 85. 40 Thiselton, First Corinthians , 966. 41 Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit, 236. 42 So, e.g., Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), 659-60. 43 Ant. 14.196. 44 For a defence of this interpretation, see J. D. G. Dunn, Romans 9-16, Word Biblical Commentary 38B (Dallas: Word, 2002), 731. 52 Fall 2011

The Assumption th at Clear D istinctions Can Be Made between the Meanings of Terms th at Are Related to One Another
Perhaps the best example of this is found in 1 Cor 12:8, which refers to the person who is given the message of wisdom and the one who is given the message of knowledge. In the Network materials, the gift of knowledge is defined as the divine enablement to bring truth to the body through a revelation or biblical insight, and the gift of wisdom is defined as the divine enablement to apply spiritual truth effectively to meet a need in a specific situation.45 These definitions make a clear distinction between knowledge and wisdom, but do they reflect a distinction intended by Paul? The terms wisdom and knowledge are obviously closely related to one another, and New Testament scholars do not agree about what, if any, difference in meaning there is between them in 1 Cor 12:8. A. C. Thiselton probably reflects the state of contemporary biblical scholarship accurately, when he writes, There is no consensus whatever about any clear distinction between (1) ... and (2) .46 If Paul did intend a distinction, it is unlikely that it is the one described in the Network materials, where wisdom is distinguished from knowledge in terms of the application of truth to a specific situation. This is not in keeping with the way Paul speaks of wisdom elsewhere in 1 Corinthi ans, notably in chapter 2. There, the message of wisdom is, as Fee points out, the recognition that the message of Christ crucified is Gods true wisdom.47 There are other expressions used of the gifts that are so similar in meaning that they resist any attempt to make sharp distinctions between them. 1 Cor 12:9-10 refers to both gifts of healings and miraculous powers, but it is unlikely that these are mutually exclusive. It may be that
45 Bruce L. Bugbee, Don Cousins, and Bill Hybels, Network: Particip a n t s Guide (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 89, 97. 46 Thiselton, First Corinthians, 941. Thomas W. Gillespie also expresses skepticism about the possibility of confidently making such a distinction in The First Theologians: A Study in Early Christian Prophecy (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 108. 47 Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, New Interna tional Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), 592. Fall 2011 53

Paul was not thinking exclusively of miraculous healings when he spoke of gifts of healings, but probably some of the healings he had in mind involved miraculous powers.48 Similarly, Rom 12:6-8 refers to prophesying, teach ing, and encouraging, but these terms are closely related to one another. In 1 Cor 14:31, Paul says, For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The noun prophesying () in Rom 12:6 is cognate to the verb prophesy () in 1 Cor 14:31; the verb encourage (), which may also be rendered exhort, is the same in both of these passages;49 and the verb teach () is the counterpart to the verb be instructed or learn ().50 Obviously Paul did not make hard and fast distinctions between prophesying, teaching, and encouraging (or exhorting). According to 1 Cor 14:31, the purpose of prophesying was that people be taught and be encouraged/exhorted. Presumably, not everyone who taught or encouraged/exhorted also prophesied, but there apparently was considerable overlap between the activities.5 1 As a final example of gift terminology that appears to involve considerable overlap, we may observe that serving, giving generously, and showing mercy in Rom 12:7-8 and helping in 1 Cor 12:28 are closely related to one another. The word rendered serving in Rom 12:7 is . There is considerable debate about the precise meaning of this word in Romans 12, but Schreiner says, Most likely, Paul
48 Chrysostom comments: But to possess the power of working miracles and gifts of healing, is not the same thing: for he that had a gift of healing used only to do cures: but he that possessed powers for working miracles used to punish also. For a miracle is not the healing only, but the punishing also: even as Paul inflicted blindness: as Peter slew. Horn. 1 Cor 29.5. It is reasonable to suppose that miraculous powers were not limited to the power to heal, but it is unlikely that they excluded the power to heal. 49 According to Douglas J. Moo, the word probably denotes the activity of urging Christians to live out the truth of the gospel. The Epistle to the Romans, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), 767. 50 The correlation between teaching and learning is well-illustrated in Rom 16:17, I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching () you have learned (). Keep away from them. See also 1 Tim
2 :11- 12 .

51 Paul most frequently identifies himself as an apostle (Gal 1:1), but he also laid claim to the gifts of prophecy (1 Cor 14:6) and teaching (1 Cor 4:17). 54 Fall 2011

is thinking of the gift of service in general, perhaps especially the task of rendering financial and material assistance.52 If Schreiner is correct, it would be difficult to distinguish this from giving generously and showing mercy, all of which could involve providing financial support to those in need. Dunn even suggests that the verb translated showing mercy () may refer specifically to almsgiving.53 Since one can help others by serving, giving, and showing mercy, these three activities mentioned in Romans could all be expressions of the helping () mentioned in 1 Cor 12:28. Spiritual gifts inventories are built on the assumption that the various gifts being tested for can be clearly distinguished from one another, but the biblical data do not exhibit this sort of precision. The language in the New Testament lists is notoriously vague. The definitions provided in the inventories, on the other hand, are very clear and distinct. They presume distinctions between the terms used of gifts that cannot be justified on the basis of the Ianguage used in the Greek New Testament. Many of the terms that Paul used to refer to gifts overlap with other terms, with the result that one cannot draw the hard and fast distinctions between them that are typically found in spiritual gifts inventories.

An Assumption concerning Which of the Gifts Are Present Today

There is one other area in which spiritual gifts inventories make assumptions that users may not be conscious of, and this has to do with the question of whether all of the gifts mentioned in the gift lists were intended to be permanent. Some members of the Christian community believe that some of the gifts that appear in the gift lists were intended primarily for the founding of the Church and subsequently ceased to be given.54 Others maintain that all of the
52 Schreiner, Romans , 657. 53 Dunn, Romans 9-16, 731-2. 54 Commenting on the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers mentioned in Eph 4:11, John Calvin says, of the offices which Paul enumerates, only the last two aire perpetual. For God adorned His Church with apostles, evangelists and prophets, only for a time, except that, where religion has broken down, He raises up evangelists apart from Fall 2011 55

gifts mentioned in the New Testament are present in the Church today.55 The gift of apostleship deserves special mention, since it has generally been regarded as a foundational gift, even by many who think that the other controversial gifts are present today.56 Although some have recently argued strongly for seeing apostleship as a continuing gift, there is good reason to believe that it was temporary.57 To begin with, Eph 2:20 claims that the Church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. This foundational role of the apos ties is also reflected in the imagery of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21, where the seer says, The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Second, the NT presents criteria for apostleship that include being an eyewitness to the resurrection.58 According to the Acts account of the selection of a successor to Judas, Peter said, Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from Johns baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. (Acts 1:21-22) Paul also attests to the
Church order (extra ordinem), to restore the pure doctrine to its lost position. The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, trans. T. H. L. Parker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), 179-80. 55 For a good introduction to the diversity of opinion on this subject, see Wayne Grudem, ed., Are Miraculous Gifts fo r Today? Four Views (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996). For a more thorough presentation of the cessationist position, see Gaffln, Perspectives, especially 89-116; and for the alternative, see Jon Ruthven, On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic on Postbiblical Miracles (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1993). The literature on this issue is very extensive. See Dennis M. Swanson, Bibliography of Works on Cessationism, Master s Seminary Journal 14 (2003): 311-27. 56 So, e.g., Grudem, Gift of Prophecy , 269-76. 57 The most prominent spokesperson for the view that there are aposties today is C. Peter Wagner. See his book Apostles Today: Biblical Governm entfor Biblical Power (Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 2006). For a good introduction to the biblical and post-biblical understanding of apostleship, see J. B. Lightfoots classic essay The Name and Office of an Apostle in his commentary Saint Pauls Epistle to the Galatians, 9th ed. (London: Macmillan, 1887), 92-101. 58 This is not the only criterion of apostleship mentioned in the NT. Being commissioned directly by the Lord (cf. Gal 1:1) and performing signs, wonders and miracles (cf. 2 Cor 12:12) are two others. 56 Fall 2011

fact that being a witness of the resurrection was an essential qualification for apostleship. In 1 Cor 9:1, he defends his claim to be an apostle by saying, Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Of particular interest is Pauls description of his encounter with the risen Lord in 1 Cor 15:7-8, Then he appeared to James, then to all the aposties, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. Here Paul not only refers to being a witness to the resurrection, but also specifically identifies himself as the last to enjoy this privilege.59 Complicating the discussion of whether there are aposties today is the fact that the Greek term translated apostle () has two senses in the NT. It can refer to anyone who is sent by another as a messenger, and it can refer to a restricted group of Christian leaders, including but not limited to the Twelve and Paul, who possessed a unique authority.60 The former usage is well-illustrated by John 13:16, I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger () greater than the one who sent him.61 The crucial point here is that when the term appears in the gift lists, it bears the second sense.62 Often, however, the spirituell gifts inventories operate with a broader dfinition of the term. So, for example, in the section of the United Methodist Churchs website that deals with spiritual gifts, one finds the statement, The gift of apostleship compels people to reach out to new and unfamiliar groups and indi59 On the relevance of this text for the present discussion, see Peter R. Jones, 1 Corinthians 15:8: Paul the Last Apostle, Tyndale Bulletin 36 (1985): 3-34. 60 BDAG differentiates between the two uses by saying that the first is used of messengers without extraordinary status, and the second, of messengers with extraordinary status, esp. of Gods messenger, envoy." BDAG, 122. 61 Cf. 2 Cor 8:23, As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers () of the churches, the glory of Christ. (ESV) 62 Herman Ridderbos rightly says, Apostles, in the sense of 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11, are those who have beheld Christ himself, the eyewitnesses of the redemptive event lying at the foundation of the church, who have been called by Christ himself to this special ministry... The apostles, as the first gift of Christ to his church... form a closed group, the bounds of which in Paul are not to be determined with certainty, but of which he knew himself to be the last ( 1 Cor 15:8; cf. 3:10). Paul: An Outline of His Theology , trans. John Richard De Witt (Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 1975), 448-9. Fall 2011 57

viduals to invite them into relationship with God and community. Apostles share the story of faith in other lands, cultures, and traditions, as well as welcoming the stranger in their own land. Apostles extend the hand of friendship to those of other generations, nations, and languages. Many apostles desire to be m issionaries.63 There is no reason to doubt that the desire and ability to share ones faith with those from other cultures is God-given, but to equate this with the use of the term apostle in the gift lists is misleading and takes away from the unique role that the apostles played in the execution of Gods plan of salvation. It gives the impression that what is being tested with the inventory is the same as what was meant by the word apostle in the NT gift lists, when in fact it is not.

Conclusion
We have seen that spiritual gifts inventories are based on a number of assumptions that are problematic. While purporting to help people identify which of the biblical gifts they possess, the biblical basis for the inventories is questionable. The difficulties discussed above are sufficiently serious to call into question the usefulness of such inventories. But if inventories are not good tools to promote a biblical understanding of giftedness, what ought the Church to do to incor63 Explore the Spiritual Gifts, n.p., http://www.umc.orgfeite/c.lwL4KnN lLtH/b. 135537 l/k.9501/Spiritual_Gifts.htm (accessed Aug. 19, 2011). In the Network materials, apostleship is defined as the divine ability to start and oversee the development of new churches or ministry structures. Bruce Begbie, Don Cousins, and Bill Hybels, Network: Participant's Guide (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 76. This definition suffers from the same weaknesses as the one assumed in the United Methodist inventory. In the last couple of decades, there has been an increasing interest in identifying modern apostles in the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. This is closely associated with what is called the restoration of the fivefold ministry, alluding to the five gifts listed in Eph 4:12. In a major study of this topic, Stefan Sos distinguishes between the authoritative apostolic office that the Twelve and Paul held and the apostolic function, which he thinks continues today. Understanding 5Jold Ministry: A Theological Reflection on the Fivefold Ministry (Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, 2006), 44-47. Sos is to be commended for distinguishing between the two uses of the Greek term and for maintaining that the early apostles had a unique authority; however, in view of Eph 2:20, the reference to apostles in Eph 4:12 should be understood as referring specifically to the apostles who constituted the foundation of the Church. It is illegitimate to appeal to this text as biblical support for the existence of apostles today. 58 Fall 2011

porate the biblical teaching concerning gifts into its ministry? We cannot explore this fully here, but a few suggestions may be helpful. First, we should recognize and teach that all members of the believing community have important contributions to make to the health of the body of Christ and the extension of his rule in the world. The notion that every believer should be serving in some capacity is well-grounded in scripture. As 1 Pet 4:11 says, Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others. Second, we should encourage congregants to look for ways to do so. What are the needs that they see around them that they are capable of meeting? According to Acts 6:1-6, when the apostles were being overwhelmed by the needs of the Grecian widows, they asked that seven men known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom be chosen to take on this responsibility. There was an obvious need, and people were delegated to meet it. Third, we can encourage them to pay close attention when others, especially those recognized as mature leaders within the community, suggest that they might serve effectively in a particular area. Sometimes we are so self-effacing that we do not see in ourselves what others see in us. They may be quicker to recognize ministries in which we might serve effectively than we are. By their very nature, spiritual gifts inventories require self-assessment, but those completing the inventory may not have an accurate sense of their strengths and weaknesses. For this reason, confirmation by others is critically important. Rather than completing a questionnaire, those who want to know where they may best serve would be well advised to listen to what God may be saying through others in their community of faith. Finally, we should encourage people to participate in a variety of ministries. Often it is through trying out different types of ministry that people discover the areas in which they can serve most effectively.

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