4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4-13 NASB)
Spiritual gift is something fascinating. Spiritual gift could make the deepest spiritual impact and bear good fruit. At the same time, spiritual gift could wreak havoc and ruin a church by division. Speaking in tongues is supposed to build up a Christian’s spirituality. Yet in the eagerness to emphasize the benefit of speaking in tongue, some may overdo it. Speaking in tongue is overblown and has become pride. Usually spiritual gifts can be seen as extrinsic or intrinsic. Speaking in tongues, preaching, teaching, and etc. can be understood as extrinsic gifts. They are for everybody to see and learn. Hospitality, prayer, and service, and, etc. could be seen as intrinsic because these gifts are not for all to see. Extrinsic gifts will give us an impression that they are more important and will be pursued by all. But those gifts which are exercised behind the lime lights could be ignored. My old classmates have been a super organized person. He worked in the mail room of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His responsibility is to create a mailing logistics. This was the time without email service. “Snail mail” is the norm. In reality, mail is the primary carrier of offerings. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an international organization and its communication depends heavily on mailing. It is well accepted that Billy Graham was the most influential and effective evangelist of the 20th century among all. He could even reach the now defunct USSR during the Cold War. We may never realize how their mail room acted as one of the most important components of Billy Graham’s evangelistic campaign. Those mail room clerks may have never gone beyond their building. They may never realize how USSR actually looked like. But they make the Association communication possible and to direct the necessary offerings to the hands of Finance office. Behind the glamorous extrinsic gifts, there are also unseen intrinsic gifts to make the wheel turn. This is exactly what it means by “from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together [k]by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (Eph 4:16)
The Holy Spirit wants us to know all spiritual gifts are created equal in a sense that they complement each other perfectly. That’s why Paul admonished us ask for gifts to build up the church. The church will find different needs at different time. Sometimes the church may call for gifts to serve and at other time the gift of teaching. Let us pray to God to heed the guidance of the Holy Spirit and ask for proper spiritual gifts accordingly.