Edification through the Body's Various Spiritual Gifts
The nature and duration of spiritual gifts within the Christian church is a topic of significant theological debate across various traditions. While there is general agreement that spiritual gifts are given for the edification of the body of Christ [1, 4], traditions differ on whether certain "extraordinary" gifts continue to operate today.
One perspective, often associated with Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions, holds that all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament, including those considered extraordinary like speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy, are still active and available to believers today. These gifts are seen as manifestations of the Holy Spirit's ongoing work, intended to build up the church and demonstrate God's power [1]. The Apostle Paul's discussion in 1 Corinthians 12-14 is central to this view, emphasizing that gifts are distributed by the Spirit "for the common good" [4, 6]. Tertullian, an early church father, also spoke of the promise of the Spirit being poured out "upon all flesh" [9].
In contrast, a cessationist view, prevalent in many Reformed and Presbyterian traditions, argues that certain extraordinary spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues and miraculous healing, were primarily for the apostolic age to authenticate the apostles' message and the foundational period of the church. According to this perspective, these gifts "were enjoyed only for a time" and "could not continue always in the Church" [1]. While acknowledging the historical reality of these gifts, cessationists believe their primary purpose was fulfilled with the completion of the New Testament canon and the establishment of the church. John Calvin, a key figure in Reformed theology, recognized the Spirit's role in imparting skills for the common benefit of mankind, but the emphasis shifts from miraculous signs to the Spirit's work in sanctification and understanding of scripture [8, 11].
A third position, sometimes termed "continuationist but cautious," found in some Methodist and Anglican circles, acknowledges the possibility of extraordinary gifts but emphasizes their subservience to the moral and spiritual development of believers. Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, highlights the "excellence and perfection of man" as a recipient of God's blessings, implying a focus on the Spirit's work in character formation [5]. Similarly, Lutheran tradition, as seen in Luther's Small Catechism, emphasizes "bodily preparation" and faith in the sacraments as central to spiritual life, without necessarily denying the possibility of other gifts [10]. The Anglican Articles of Religion also focus on faith as the means by which Christ's body is received in the Supper, pointing to a more inward, spiritual reception [12].
Despite these differences, all traditions agree that the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of believers and in the church. The concept of sanctification, the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing the whole nature under the influence of gracious principles, is universally affirmed [3]. There is also a shared understanding that spiritual growth involves an increase in wisdom and strength in spirit, as seen in the description of the young Jesus [2, 7]. The divergence often stems from differing interpretations of biblical passages, particularly 1 Corinthians, and varying understandings of the historical development and ongoing needs of the church.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Gifts, spiritual — (Gr. charismata), gifts supernaturally bestowed on the early Christians, each having his own proper gift or gifts for the edification of the body of Christ. These were the result of the extraordinary operation of the Spirit, as on the day of Pentecost. They were the gifts of speaking with tongues, casting out devils, healing, etc. (Mark 16:17, 18), usually communicated by the medium of the laying on of the hands of the apostles (Acts 8:17; 19:6; 1 Tim. 4:14). These charismata were enjoyed only for a time. They could not continue always in the Churc”
- Luke “The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. -- Luke 2:40”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sanctification — Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:1”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 12 (introduction): THE USE AND THE ABUSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS, ESPECIALLY PROPHESYING AND TONGUES. (1Co. 12:1-31) spiritual gifts--the signs of the Spirit's continued efficacious presence in the Church, which is Christ's body, the complement of His incarnation, as the body is the complement of the head. By the love which pervades the whole, the gifts of the several members, forming reciprocal complements to each other, tend to the one object of perfecting the body of Christ. The ordinary and permanent gifts are comprehended together with the extraordin”
- Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Genesis 1:28: And God blessed them - Marked them as being under his especial protection, and gave them power to propagate and multiply their own kind on the earth. A large volume would be insufficient to contain what we know of the excellence and perfection of man, even in his present degraded fallen state. Both his body and soul are adapted with astonishing wisdom to their residence and occupations; and also the place of their residence, as well as the surrounding objects, in their diversity, color, and mutual relations, to the mind and body of this lord of the creation. The co”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 14:4: 14:4 The primary purpose of spiritual gifts is not self-edification, but the strengthening of the entire church (see 12:7; cp. 8:1; 14:12).”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 2:39: And the child grew,.... In body, in strength, and in stature; which shows that it was a true body Christ assumed, and like ours, which did not come to its maturity at once, but by degrees: and waxed strong in spirit, or in his soul; for as he had a true body, he had also a reasonable soul; the faculties of which were far from being weak, they were exceeding strong, and appeared stronger and stronger every day; his understanding was clear, his judgment solid, and his memory strong and retentive, his will, and the desires of it, were to that which is good, and his affec”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 38: are so acute and clear-sighted in the investigation of inferior things, their example should teach us how many gifts the Lord has left in possession of human nature, notwithstanding of its having been despoiled of the true good. 16. Moreover, let us not forget that there are most excellent blessings which the Divine Spirit dispenses to whom he will for the common benefit of mankind. For if the skill and knowledge required for the construction of the Tabernacle behaved to be imparted to Bezaleel and Aholiab, by the Spirit of God ( E”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. VIII.--MAN THE IMAGE OF THE CREATOR AND CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE MAN. SPIRITUAL GIFTS. THE SEVENFOLD SPIRIT DESCRIBED BY ISAIAH. THE APOSTLE AND THE PROPHET COMPARED. MARCION CHALLE (part 3): to us those who were the children of men truly so called, choice men, apostles. "For," says he, "I have begotten you through the gospel;"(5) and "Ye are my children, of whom I travail again in birth."(6) Now was absolutely fulfilled that promise of the Spirit which was given by the word of Joel: "In the last days will I pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and t”
- Luther's Small Catechism (Lutheran) “Luther's Small Catechism (Lutheran, 1529), –Answer: 5bFasting and bodily preparation is, indeed, a fine outward training;: –Answer: 5bFasting and bodily preparation is, indeed, a fine outward training; but he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: _Given_, _and shed for you_, _for the remission of sins_.”
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catholic) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 2 (part 5): "By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority (Magisterium),. . . receives. . . the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. . . the People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life."56 Growth in understanding the faith 94 Thanks to the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the understanding of both the realities and the words of the heritage of faith is able to grow in t”
- Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), Section 273: The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith.”