SPIRITUAL GIFTS (18)
The gifts we are discussing in this series are the Spiritual Gifts from Romans 12:3-8:
- Rom 12:3-8
- 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body , and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 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. NIV
There are four speaking gifts
- •Prophecy – Proclaimers/God’s Loudspeakers
- •Teaching – Explainers/Guardians of Truth
- •Exhortation – Encouragers/”How to” Persons/Concerned with the way we act
- •Pastor/Shepherd/Teacher – Guardians of the Flock
We have already discussed the gift of PROPHECY. We are now going to look at the gift of TEACHING. First, let’s look at some differences of the purposes of the speaking gifts:
- •God’s people need to hear God’s Word
- •They need teaching in the ways of God
- •Rebuke is sometimes necessary in regard to their behavior
- •Correction is needed when they have wrong ideas or attitudes
- •Training is necessary in how to relate to God and other people
- •Everyone needs to be encouraged to continue to walk in the path of faith
Those with the gift of prophecy are proclaimers, teachers are explainers. Those with the gift of prophecy desire a change in the way you perceive and act on things. Those with the gift of teaching are more concerned with challenging the way you think.
- Those with the gifts of prophecy and teaching don’t mind speaking to a crowd.
- They may even get discouraged when only a few show up to hear the fruit of their intense preparation
- A gifted teacher may have been well-educated
- But – many gifted teachers have never earned a doctorate
A person with the gift of teaching has the desire to clarify the truth. They desire to search out and study in detail in order to validate the truth. They will dig out facts and an accumulation of knowledge because faith is built on facts. The person with the gift of teaching will carefully investigate the Word of God usually beginning with words. They are systematic and very good at making outlines and taking notes. They have a God-given interest in getting details.
They desire to get something into your head. When you’ve been under the instruction of a gifted teacher, you will find yourself saying things like
- –“Oh, now I get it”
- –“Wow, I never saw it like that before”
- –“Yeah, that’s right”
- –“Of course, that’s so obvious now”
Like no other spiritual gift, they depend on gifted teachers who have gone before them. According to 2 Timothy 2:2 it is the responsibility of teachers to reproduce themselves. That’s why gifted teachers are careful about sharing new insight without checking to see if other teachers have reached similar conclusions.
All Christians have the responsibility to teach, especially in their own homes. But, God has given some a special giftedness and a special responsibility to be called “teacher”. They can make profound things simple and vague things clear. Other traits of the gift of TEACHING:
- They strive to organize biblical facts into an orderly, memorable system
- They like to use tables and charts
- They generally have an organized mind (but maybe not an organized desk)
- They demand accuracy and are really irritated when a biblical word or name is mispronounced or a verse is used out of context
- They tend to think that if people have enough information they can make their own application
- They like time alone to ponder, study, read and/or write
- They like to use good visual materials when teaching – posters, overhead projectors – printed handouts, etc.
- They usually avoid illustrations from non-Biblical sources
- They have a greater joy in researching the truth than in presenting it
- They tolerate, at best, being interrupted with questions.
- They are likely to say “We’ll save time at the end of the session for questions.”
- They typically run out of time before any questions can be asked, unless really self-disciplined (but may feel pressured to cut out important information to have questions.)
In addition to my own material I have included quotes from the following:
- C. Peter Wagner “Your Spiritural Gifts”
- Gordon Lindsay “All About the Gifts of the Spirit”
- Adult Education and Discipleship Ministries – FBC – Garland “Gifts are for Giving”
- Biblesoft Libraries
- Sandy Trice
- David Francis
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