Confusing word and concept in "spiritual gifts": Have we forgotten James Barr's exhortations?

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Mar 2000 by Berding, Kenneth

Bell and Howell; Information and Learning; Foreign Text omitted (...)

I. INTRODUCTION

"Spiritual gifts" have generated more discussion, both popular and scholarly, than any of us could (or would want to) read. But where did we obtain our idea of what a "gift" is? Is it from exegesis of the relevant Biblical texts or from a widespread conception which has gone unchallenged for too long? In this essay it will be argued that systematic and popular theology (almost entirely) and Biblical scholarship (to a lesser degree) are still influenced by a pre-James Barr conception of the word (...).

In his revolutionary book, The Semantics of Biblical Language, Barr insisted:

I now would wish to reaffirm this much more forcibly, with especially the insistence that lexicographic research should be directed towards the semantics of words in their particular occurrences and not towards the assembly of a stock of persuasive and distinctive terms which could be regarded as a linguistic reflection of the theological realities.' This distinction between theological concept and the actual function/meaning of a word in a given passage has received wide acceptance among exegetes. It is now understood that a major problem with Kittel's massive set2 is that it is in fact "not lexicography at all, but rather the study of concepts on the basis of the terms used to express them."3

Some patterns, however, die hard, particularly when they are widespread and deeply entrenched. The study of the so-called "spiritual gifts," the focus of this paper, is just such a concept. "Spiritual gifts" are often treated as a theological category in their own right. In a day of explosive growth among "charismatics"4 and popular evangelicalism's emphasis on "spiritual gifts" in body life, plus the continuing influence of Kasemann's thesis that "charismatic gifts" rather than offices held sway in earliest Christian communities,5 it is no wonder that a reorientation of perspective on this subject has been difficult to introduce.

I will argue that NT scholarship has not adequately appropriated Barr's concerns to distinguish word and concept in relation to the term (...) The problem is compounded by the fact that we have been largely influenced by a popular theological understanding that the concept to be discussed is a Spirit-given ability.? The ability meaning is associated with the word (...) and functions as its default definition (almost a received interpretation). Thus, the concept is imposed on the word in many contexts in which it is unnatural. Biblical interpreters as well often are unable to shake this conception (and some seem unaware that it is even an issue). Large numbers of books assume this interpretation without feeling any need to define it.8

But if we understand that the word (...) is unable to carry on its shoulders everything associated with the concept usually called "spiritual gifts," it becomes necessary to identify in passages such as 1 Corinthians 12-14, Rom 12:3-8 and Eph 4:21-13 the "theological reality" lying behind Paul's lists rather than assuming the meaning of those terms. In the following essay, I will argue that a consistent application of Barr's suggestions will produce the following two results:

1. The definition of "spiritual gifts" as particular Spirit-given abilities/ enablements to do ministry9 will cease as a viable general definition of the items in the list-passages.10 There is a concept which links together the list-passages (1 Corinthians 12, Rom 12:3-8, Eph 4:11-13-and perhaps also 1 Pet 4:10-11) and that concept is not Spirit-given abilities. Spiritgiven ministries rather than abilities is what links these passages together. A "ministry" in this essay is any edificatory activity in the Christian community which serves to build up the Christian community. A ministry can be a regular role in the community (such as teaching or leading) or it can be a spontaneous activity which builds up the community (such as an unanticipated prophecy). It is neither limited to ministerial office nor to sudden acts engaged in during periods of worship. It will be argued that ministries (roles, functions) rather than special ability is the theological entity lying behind Paul's discussions in l Corinthians 12, Rom 12:3-8, Eph 4:11-13. Special ability/enablement is only present in 1 Cor 12:8-10. Undoubtedly, no one can engage in a particular ministry without being able to do so, but when we mistakenly equate the entity we call "spiritual gifts" with special abilities; we end up reading special skills into a place where special ministries (supported by general empowerment) rather than special abilities are in view.

2. We should entertain eliminating the translation of the word (...) as "spiritual gifts" ar even just "gifts" because the English is so laden with the ability concept that it is very difficult to adopt a new perspective without new terms.11

The path to these conclusions will include an evaluation of the lexical data and an investigation of whether the word (...) continues to be confused with the concept known as "spiritual gifts" in books and articles. After a technical use of (...) has been rejected, the theological entity tying behind the lists found in passages such as 1 Corinthians 12, Rom 12:3-8, and Eph 4:11-13 will be exposed.