Spiritual Gifts – SS1 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

Spiritual gifts are abilities that the Holy Spirit gives to believers after they receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

• Number: Paul lists nine gifts (1 Cor. 12:8-10).
• Source: the gifts are different, but they all come from the same Spirit.
• Purpose: each gift serves others, builds up the church and brings glory to God.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. list the nine qualities that make up the fruit of the Spirit;
2. state the steps to bearing the fruit of the Spirit;
3. list the nine spiritual gifts and describe each one;
4. explain how Paul compares spiritual gifts to the human body;
5. state the lessons from Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts.

What is the fruit of the Spirit? (Gal. 5:22-25)

The fruit of the Spirit is the set of good qualities the Holy Spirit produces in the life of a believer.

• Mark of a Christian: the fruit shows a Christian’s changed conduct and sets him apart from a non-Christian.
• Law: Paul says there is no law against such qualities (Gal. 5:23).
• Expectation: every believer is expected to show all of them.

What are the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit?

There are nine qualities of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

1. Love: caring for God and for other people.
2. Joy: gladness that comes from knowing God.
3. Peace: calm in the heart and good relations with others.
4. Long-suffering: patience with people and with hard times.
5. Gentleness: kindness in the way we treat others.
6. Goodness: doing what is right and helpful.
7. Faith: faithfulness and trust, being dependable.
8. Meekness: humility, with no pride or harshness.
9. Temperance: self-control over desires and actions.

How can a believer bear the fruit of the Spirit?

A believer bears the fruit of the Spirit by following five steps in order.

1. Repentance of sin: turning away from wrong living.
2. Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ: accepting him as Lord and Saviour.
3. Baptism in the name of Jesus: the public sign of the new life.
4. Gift of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit comes to live in the believer.
5. Abiding in Jesus Christ: staying close to him through prayer, the Word and obedience.

What are spiritual gifts?

A spiritual gift is an ability given by the Holy Spirit to a believer to serve others and build up the church.

• When given: the Holy Spirit comes into a believer’s life after he receives Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
• To each person: the Spirit shows something of himself in each believer, for the good of others (1 Cor. 12:7).
• Different gifts: there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them all.
• Different service: there are different ways to serve, but we serve the same Lord.
• Different workings: God works in people in different ways, but it is the same God who works in all of us.
• Purpose: a gift is to edify (build up) the body of Christ and to serve others, especially in the household of faith.

What is the difference between the fruit of the Spirit and spiritual gifts?

The fruit of the Spirit describes the character of a believer. Spiritual gifts describe the abilities a believer uses in service.

What are the nine spiritual gifts?

There are nine spiritual gifts listed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

How did Paul compare spiritual gifts to the human body? (1 Cor. 12:12-31)

Paul compared the church to a human body, with believers as its parts and each gift as the work of a part.

• One body, many parts: the body has many parts, and each part has its own function.
• One Spirit: believers are brought into the body of Christ by the one Holy Spirit.
• Mutual dependence: God arranged the parts to depend on one another, so no part can say it does not need the others.
• Weak parts: parts that seem weak are indispensable.
• Honour: parts we think less honourable receive greater honour, and unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty.
• Interconnection: every part is joined to the others, so all share in each other’s suffering and joy.
• Unity: God made the body of Christ for unity and connection, so there is no place for discord or competition.

Who did God appoint in the church? (1 Cor. 12:28)

God appointed seven kinds of workers in the church.

1. Apostles
2. Prophets
3. Teachers
4. Workers of miracles
5. Helpers
6. Administrators
7. Speakers in various kinds of tongues

• Use: all of them must use their gifts for the glory of God and the growth of the church.

What is the purpose of spiritual gifts in the church?

The purpose of spiritual gifts is to benefit the whole church and to glorify God.

• Common good: a gift is meant for the good of the entire church community.
• Good relationships: gifts promote good relationships among Christians in the community of faith.
• Unity: gifts should unite the church and never divide it.
• God’s glory: gifts are given to glorify the name of God.
• Humility: no one should be proud in the use of his or her gift.

What are the lessons from Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts?

Paul’s teaching gives four lessons for church life.

1. No discrimination: we must say no to discrimination in the church.
2. No pride: we must avoid all forms of pride and must not place one gift above other gifts.
3. Unity in diversity: there may be diversity, but there must be unity in it.
4. No racial discrimination: racial discrimination must be shunned.

Evaluation

1. List the nine qualities of the fruit of the Spirit given in Galatians 5:22-23.
2. State the five steps to bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
3. List the nine spiritual gifts.
4. Explain how Paul compared spiritual gifts to the human body.
5. State two lessons from Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts.

Assignment

From Paul’s list of nine spiritual gifts, name six that are seen in the church today. Show how any three of them are seen in action (June 1992 SSCE).