Spiritual Gifts

Q: What is your view of spiritual gifts today?

A. I lean to the view that gifts invested in specific people were limited to times when God revealed a new word for His people. He then confirmed that new revelation by giving the prophet miracles, too. So no, people don't have gifts to do miracles today, but God Himself does miracles whenever He wants. So cancer is suddenly gone, or other wonderful things, but these aren't people exercising supernatural gifts. God may answer prayers in amazing ways, say prayers for exorcism, to glorify Himself. But people don't have a gift of faith that gets their prayers answered more than others.

2 Cor 12:12 speaks of signs that mark an apostle. Signs and wonders were done in the NT church to confirm the new revelation in them of Christ. Hebrews 2:3-4 talks about it this way, too. 1 Cor 12 is saying that the Spirit gave the whole church (not just the Corinthians) a wide variety of gifts (not just tongues). It isn't saying every Christian has one of the gifts listed in 1 Cor 12:8-10 or Rom 12:6-8. These are a sampling of the gifts, not a specific and exhaustive catalog from which we have to find which one we have. Some of these have passed away, as supernatural gifts that confirmed NT revelation.

This doesn't lessen our need to discern how we are gifted and use our abilities to serve Christ and His body.