We are not to be ignorant of Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1). Each person who is placed into the body of the Christ is given a Spiritual gift that is to be used to edify the body (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:22-23). There are two specific areas in Scripture that state this is a single gift, along with basically the entire twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians discussing the members of the body who are not the same as other members. In 1 Corinthians 12:11 Scripture states that the Spirit distributes to each an individual gift according to His determination.
But the One and same Spirit works all these things dividing each one individually just as He determines, 1 Corinthians 12:11
The Apostle Peter also discusses this gift, stating we each receive one and are to distribute it for the edification of the Church as stewards.
Each one just as he receives a gift unto himself also while serving as a proper steward the manifold grace of God, 1 Peter 4:10
The Holy Spirit is the One Who chooses which gift we receive, and God the father is the One who set each member within the body according to His desirous will.
1 Corinthians 12:18 But now the God set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desirously willed.
After the completion of the Scriptures, we are informed that the revelatory and confirmation gifts cease to be active, and now the focus is on the gifts that edify the Church.
Love never falls, but whether prophecies, they will be rendered ineffective, whether tongues, they will cause themselves to cease, whether knowledge, it will be rendered ineffective. For out from a part we experientially know and out from a part we prophecy, but when the complete thing (testimony of God – 1 Corinthians 2:1) comes, the out from a part is rendered ineffective, 1 Corinthians 13:8-10
Therefore, let us put aside foolishness related to Spiritual gifts. Especially concerning those gifts that are no longer active today. An aptitude test is not going to tell us what Spiritual gift we have, and we do not receive more than one. The only way we can identify it is to be among other Christians while keeping God’s commandment to the Church, which is for us to love other saints (John 13:34). This fellowship will naturally result in the gift manifesting itself as we seek to edify the Church. As for the gifts that are no longer active today, as Paul states to the Corinthian assembly, let us not seek to edify ourselves, but the members of the local assembly we are fellowshipping with (1 Corinthians 14:4) as ones who use the gift God has given to us, distributing it to the needs of the saints (1 Corinthians 14:12).
The active gifts today are Pastor even Teacher (Ephesians 4:11), Evangelist (Ephesians 4:11), Teacher (Romans 12:7), Administration (1 Corinthians 12:28), Organization (Romans 12:8), Helps (1 Corinthians 12:28), Serving (Romans 12:7), Mercies (Romans 12:8), Giving (Romans 12:8), Exhortation (Romans 12:8), and Faith (1 Corinthians 12:9). Each for the edification of the local assembly so that the whole body is knit together in love.
