I have a question for you today about the various lists of spiritual gifts in the NT. I will give here the list in Romans, but we can then look to 1 Cor 12, Eph 4 and 1 Peter, and can ask this question: Are these substances (specific, discernible gifts) or are they various manifestations of what the Spirit does when at work in the community of faith?
Romans 12:6-8:
Prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, compassion.
Does one, then, find each of the lists, add them all up for a comprehensive listing of gifts (numbers vary a bit), and then figure out which one each person has? And then train folks to identify which gift they “have” (or excercise).
Or, alternatively, do we see what God has gifted persons to do and see whatever that is as the sorts of gifts God gives to the Church? Do we plug “singer” into one of the gifts in the list or do we see singing as another gift to the Church?