Pentecost and the Gifts of the Spirit
May 27th 2007 00:04
Pentecost and the Gifts of the Spirit
It's Sunday Morning in my time zone. I'm sitting at the latop checking my notes.
Today is Pentecost when we celebrate the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT but what are they? Paul lists them in his Epistles but each new translation of the Bible changes the English wording.
What does the GREEK say?
Paul discusses and lists the Gifts of the Spirit in Romans Chapter 12, I Corinthinians 12 and Ephesians 4. Each list differs slightly so I've collated them.
APOSTLE : An apostle - apostolos - was literally a messenger or ambadassor. This tends to get translated as leadership but being a messenger from one city state to another involved negiotation as well. Yuou have to be a leader and a communicator a diplomat!
PROPHECY. I've discussed Prophecy in a previous post.
HEALING: Iamata. Spiritual and physical. If you're a therapist doctor or nurse is your primary concern, money, getting respect foryour skills, or your patient? Is healing your profession AND your vocation? (vocation in the sense of that you feel called upon to do)
TEACHING: Didaskalia. Well I'm trying to practise that one with this post.
One thing Paul says again and again about teaching is that teachers should teach sound doctrine about what jesus said. If you're teaching theology scripture science maths history base your teaching on evidence logic and primary textual sources not ideology?
Get your ideas form the text and evidence and dont impose your pet theories onto them?
POWERS: This is a odd one. Paul writes about energeemata dunameoov literally workings of power? Most english texts shorten this to MIRACLES.
Many if not most religions beleive in some form of psychic gifts.
Is this what he was talking about?
However Paul also regards things we would call practical skills as gifts.
HE lists admin skills ! Being a Deacon diakonos was a admin /service role originally!
He also writes about being a "shepherd" and giving guidance - kuberneeseis.
Other gifts he lists are Evangelism which tends to get translated as either teaching or preaching but dont forget eu angel ismos. Dont forget this literally the act of giving good news, eu angello. An angel was a messenger. Paul also mentions FAITH PISTIS, exhortation or encouragement Parakleesis, supporting others with zeal, mercy, cheerfulness, being generous, giving words of wisdom and knowledge, ( a form of teaching? ) and the gift of tongues and interpretating them.
The last is the one Pentecostals and other groups are noted for.
I am not a Pentecost myself if anyone's wondering!
I'm probably too cynical and logical yet perversely creative ?
So if you're looking for a passage for Bible study or just want to read something spiritual on a sunday why not try the passages I listed at the top of this blog?
It's PENTECOST today! Celebrate the Gifts of the Spirit! ... and read about them.
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