Already, in previous sections of this document, one can see the necessity of Holy Spirit enduement for effective ministry. Not only did Jesus operate in the Spirit’s anointing, but He instructed the apostles and other disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they had received the “promise of the Father.”[1] Just as Jesus entered His public ministry “in the power of the Spirit,”[2] the disciples were not thrust into ministry until they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Throughout the Book of Acts, we see them ministering in the enabling power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
In one sentence, the Apostle Paul uses four revealing Greek words that describe his calling into ministry. In Ephesians 3:7, he says, “…I was made a minister (diakonos), according to the gift (dorea) of God’s grace (charis) which was given to me according to the working (energeia) of His power (dunamis).” Though Paul recognizes his supernatural “calling” on the Road to Damascus, and had been trained in multiple languages and theology, his focus was upon the spiritual formation and inner workings of the Holy Spirit. To the church in Thessalonica, he reminded them that “…our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.”
Even when Paul speaks to the elders of Ephesus, he reminds them that it was the Holy Spirit who had made them overseers.[3] Surely he knew that he had commissioned these elders, but he was profoundly aware of the “call of God” attested to by the Holy Spirit working in their lives. Their public recognition only acknowledged their calling – it didn’t initiate it.
In the language of ministry, we often refer to “our call to ministry.” The word “calling” is an apt description, as we look at the summons of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Old Testament heroes such as Abraham[4], Moses[5], Isaiah[6], or Jeremiah[7]. In the New Testament we read of the personal call of Jesus upon The Twelve.[8] We see other instances of a specific assignment from the Holy Spirit, such as when Paul and Barnabas were sent on their missionary journey.[9]
While these specific instances of an “assignment from God” are dramatic and powerful, we also recognize an “inner witness” of the Holy Spirit summoning us to ministry. However, this “inner witness” functions best when reputable, recognized and called leaders confirm such a calling. In the case of Paul’s instruction to Timothy to “appoint elders in every city,”[10] he also identified qualifications, both spiritually and relationally.[11] We need to be both qualified and supernaturally gifted by the Holy Spirit to fulfill our call.
We will address qualifications later in the section on credentials, but first let us focus on the spiritual giftings for ministry. Paul urges that we not only be “enriched in [Christ], in all speech and all knowledge”[12] but also “that you are not lacking in any gift (charisma).”[13] Paul often uses the Greek word charisma for spiritual gifts and less often pneumatikon, meaning literally “spirituals” or “spirit-empowered.”
We often think of “the gifts of the Holy Spirit” within a specific context of the nine manifestation gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. By these, we recognize the signs and wonders manifested in the Acts of the Apostles through the Holy Spirit. But, in a broader context there are actually twenty-one gifts of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the list of nine manifestation gifts[14] cited in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, there are seven motivational gifts[15] listed in Romans 12:6-8, and five ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11.[16] There may well be other qualities we could add as “gifts” from the Holy Spirit,[17] but these three categories are more commonly recognized.
Spiritual gifts are not to be confused with the “fruit of the Holy Spirit.” There are nine listed in Galatians 5:22-23. These relate more to developed maturity than to a spontaneous empowerment that is granted by the Spirit for a specific purpose of ministry. In contrast to an expression of fruit or maturity, Paul describes the supernatural gifts as a “manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”[18] And, he says “the Spirit [distributes] to each one individually just as He wills.”[19]
It should be recognized that those called to minister need both the fruit of the Spirit for maturity and the enduement of the Spirit for power. And, while the church collectively needs mature, empowered ministers of the gospel, it also needs the five-fold expression of ministry gifts (or offices) for the “equipping of the saints,”[20] and the equilibrium of motivational (or personality) gifts expressed to advance the cause of the church.
All the gifts of the Spirit are ultimately for the church to fulfill the Great Commission through believers. And those who are functioning within the context of the office or ministry gifts must recognize this principle. The rationale for the ministry gifts in Ephesians 4:11 is “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” Though some gifts, such as the personal use of tongues, may edify us, the ultimate purpose is for the edification (building up) of the saints. When this purpose is ignored, the church ends up in confusion as it did in the church of Corinth whose members’ proud display of their gifts only showcased their immaturity.
Some have segregated ministry to a select group of elite people. Ministry can and does “dress itself up” in pride, whether it’s clerical dress, or success-based numerical comparisons of offerings and attendance. The emphasis given by Christ, however, is that the Spirit comes upon all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ without regard to race, age, sex, education or socioeconomic status. The essential tools of ministry may be bestowed on all.[21]
[1] Lu 24:49; Acts 1:4-5
[2] Lu 4:14
[3] Acts 20:28
[4] Gen 12:1
[5] Ex 3:6,10
[6] Is 6:8-9
[7] Jer 1:4-10
[8] Mk 3:13-14
[9] Acts 13:2
[10] Titus 1:5
[11] Titus 1:6-9
[12] 1 Cor 1:5
[13] 1 Cor 1:7
[14] 3 speaking gifts: tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy; 3 gifts of knowledge: word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discernment; 3 power gifts: faith, healing, miracles.
[15] Prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy.
[16] Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. Some New Testament scholars would combine pastor-teacher. However, while pastors must be given to teaching, teachers may not be given to pastoring.
[17] There is not reference to the “gift” of music, but Eph 5:19 specifically mentions “spiritual (pheumatikon) songs.” In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit gifted some with craftsmanship (Ex 31:2-3). Paul emphasized in 1 Cor 12:4-6 that there are “different kinds of gifts (charisma) …different kinds of service (diakonia) …different kinds of working (energema).”
[18] 1 Cor 12:7
[19] 1 Cor 12:11
[20] Eph 4:12
[21] Gal 3:38, Acts 2:17-18, Joel 2:28-29