Spiritual gifts - what are they and how do we classify them??
We seem to have depended a lot on what Paul wrote on Spiritual gifts to what we teach about these days. On many Spiritual gifts tests there are some 'gifts' such as artistic creativity and musical ability which many people say are not spiritual gifts, more natural talents people use for God, maybe mostly because Paul didn't mention them as 'gifts'. So did Paul capture all the gifts and do we depend on his 'list' of them too much?
Looking at the old testament it seems to me that gift's such as musical talent and artistic creativity can be 'Spiritual' gifts and here's why...
Exodus 31:1 - 4 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'See I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the SPIRIT OF GOD, with SKILL, ABILITY and KNOWLEDGE in all kinds of CRAFTS - to make ARTISTIC DESIGNS for work in gold, silver and bronze....".
There is one example of the Spirit of God giving the gift of Artistic creativity!
As a slight side note - we as humans love to put things in nice boxes and call everything in clear cut gifts - but we must remember it's the one Spirit which enables all these gifts, therefore many of the gifts can and will blur into each other and may not be perfectly put into a 'category'.
In reference to musical ability through the Spirit, even Paul in Ephesisans 5:18-20 talks about being filled with the Spirit and sing spiritual songs to God but doesn't spell out that it is a 'gift' of the Spirit, but I know personally I've sung out of the Spirit enhancing my musical ability - the only time I've spoken in tongues was when I sung in the Spirit!
The old testament has a few references to enhanced singing and praising through the Spirit. One example is when David played his harp for Saul, the 'evil' spirit left Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-23) which didn't specifically say was through the Spirit of God, but must have been due the Spirit of God enhancing David's playing! (What do you think?)
I think I'll leave this blog here - end of part 1 - I'll possibly add a part 2 in the not too distant future! Something for you to think about for now!
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks"
John 4:23
1 comment:
Interesting Simon!
For David. I dont think he needed to be filled with Spirit or with a gift as such, it would have been worship to God and God makes His home among his praises and that woulda scared the poop out of the demon...
as for the rest of the post, i hate counting skills as gifts. I mean i know God has created me, i know He helps me learn stuff, but my idea of a gift is something we don't have then He gives us...
BUT having said that, God can still give us a special 'gift' in say leadership that we have all our life then God uses once we decide to let Him. So maybe its just words???
i stick with Pauls list coz you cant just get those gifts from going to uni, you need to be given them by God... hmmmm
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