Do Christians Possess Spiritual Gifts Temporarily or Permanently?
We would expect that those people have a permanent possession of the gifts of prophecy, teaching, and evangelism, unless some unusual circumstance would come along which would take that gift away. Similarly, Paul talks in terms of possessing spiritual gifts when he says, “If I have the gift of prophecy” (1 Cor. 13:2 NIV).
And when Paul requires that there be an interpreter present for anyone to speak in tongues (1 Cor. 14:28), he assumes that the church will know whether someone who has the gift of interpretation is present, which implies that that gift would be possessed by someone over time. When he says, “If any one thinks that he is a prophet” (1 Cor. 14:37), he realizes that some at Corinth will have functioned with the gift of prophecy frequently enough to think of themselves as “prophets.” All of these verses point in the direction of a permanent, or at least abiding and continuing, possession of spiritual gifts.
Indeed, in Romans 12, Paul begins his sentence, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (Rom. 12:6). And he tells Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (1 Tim. 4:14, literal translation), again indicating that Timothy had had that gift over a period of time. Therefore it seems that in general the New Testament indicates that people have spiritual gifts given to them and, once they have them, they are usually able to continue to use them over the course of their Christian life.
However, some important qualifications must be made, because there are some senses in which gifts are not permanent. There are some gifts that are nonpermanent by their very nature, such as the gifts of marriage and celibacy (1 Cor. 7:7). Though Paul calls them gifts, in the lives of most believers there will be times at which they are unmarried, and times at which they are married. Moreover, some gifts, though perhaps exercised fairly frequently, still cannot be exercised at will.
Indeed, in Romans 12, Paul begins his sentence, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (Rom. 12:6). And he tells Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (1 Tim. 4:14, literal translation), again indicating that Timothy had had that gift over a period of time. Therefore it seems that in general the New Testament indicates that people have spiritual gifts given to them and, once they have them, they are usually able to continue to use them over the course of their Christian life.
However, some important qualifications must be made, because there are some senses in which gifts are not permanent. There are some gifts that are nonpermanent by their very nature, such as the gifts of marriage and celibacy (1 Cor. 7:7). Though Paul calls them gifts, in the lives of most believers there will be times at which they are unmarried, and times at which they are married. Moreover, some gifts, though perhaps exercised fairly frequently, still cannot be exercised at will.
Effectiveness in the gift of healing, for example, depends on God’s sovereign will in answering prayer for healing. Similarly, prophecy depends on the giving of a spontaneous “revelation” (1 Cor. 14:30) from God, and simply cannot be exercised at will. The same could even be said about the gift of evangelism: It is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit to bring regeneration and enable someone to believe, so the evangelist may pray and preach, but only God can give the harvest of souls.
In other cases, some particular gift may be given for a unique need or event. Though it is not, strictly speaking, a spiritual gift in the New Testament sense, the return of Samson’s strength one last time at the end of his life (Judg. 16:28) was given temporarily for one final moment in his life. And, in the New Testament, the remarkable revelation of heaven Stephen had when he, “full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55) was a manifestation of the Spirit given to him only for that specific moment.
Another sense in which a gift may be non-permanent is if a person neglects his or her gift, and perhaps grieves the Holy Spirit or falls into serious doctrinal or moral error (as Samson did in the Old Testament, for example). In such a case the gift may be withdrawn.
In other cases, some particular gift may be given for a unique need or event. Though it is not, strictly speaking, a spiritual gift in the New Testament sense, the return of Samson’s strength one last time at the end of his life (Judg. 16:28) was given temporarily for one final moment in his life. And, in the New Testament, the remarkable revelation of heaven Stephen had when he, “full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55) was a manifestation of the Spirit given to him only for that specific moment.
Another sense in which a gift may be non-permanent is if a person neglects his or her gift, and perhaps grieves the Holy Spirit or falls into serious doctrinal or moral error (as Samson did in the Old Testament, for example). In such a case the gift may be withdrawn.
Certainly Paul warned Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have” (1 Tim. 4:14), and we may perhaps also learn from the parable of the talents, in which Jesus says that “to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt. 25:29).17
Moreover, we must remember that the Holy Spirit is still sovereign in distributing gifts: he “apportions to each one individually as he wills” (1 Cor. 12:11). The word here translated “apportions” is a present participle, which indicates continuing activity over time, and we could paraphrase, “The Holy Spirit is always continuing to distribute or apportion gifts to each person individually just as he wills to do.”
Moreover, we must remember that the Holy Spirit is still sovereign in distributing gifts: he “apportions to each one individually as he wills” (1 Cor. 12:11). The word here translated “apportions” is a present participle, which indicates continuing activity over time, and we could paraphrase, “The Holy Spirit is always continuing to distribute or apportion gifts to each person individually just as he wills to do.”
This means that, although it is ordinarily the custom of the Holy Spirit to continue to empower the same gift or gifts in people over time, nonetheless, there is a continual willing and deciding of the Holy Spirit to do this or not, and he may for his own reasons withdraw a gift for a time, or cause it to be much stronger or much weaker than it was.
Finally, 1 Corinthians 13:8–13 (to be discussed below) indicates that the present spiritual gifts which we have are only for this age, and will be superseded by something far greater. Therefore in that sense no gift is “permanent” since every gift will be rendered useless at the time of the Lord’s return.
Within this discussion of the question of whether spiritual gifts are temporary or permanent, sometimes Romans 11:29 is mentioned: “For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” It does not seem to be appropriate to use the verse in the context of this discussion, however, for in this case Paul is talking about the status of the Jewish people, including their calling as God’s people and the gifts or blessings bestowed on them as a result of that status.
Finally, 1 Corinthians 13:8–13 (to be discussed below) indicates that the present spiritual gifts which we have are only for this age, and will be superseded by something far greater. Therefore in that sense no gift is “permanent” since every gift will be rendered useless at the time of the Lord’s return.
Within this discussion of the question of whether spiritual gifts are temporary or permanent, sometimes Romans 11:29 is mentioned: “For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” It does not seem to be appropriate to use the verse in the context of this discussion, however, for in this case Paul is talking about the status of the Jewish people, including their calling as God’s people and the gifts or blessings bestowed on them as a result of that status.
Here Paul is arguing that God still has a purpose for his people Israel, but the question of gifts of the Holy Spirit in the sense of 1 Corinthians 12–14 is not in view at all in Romans 11:29. And certainly in any case this sentence would not be true as a totally unrestricted statement concerning spiritual gifts, for it is evident that through misuse, neglect, or grieving of the Holy Spirit, people can have their gifts diminished or removed by God’s sovereign choice.
Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (pp. 1025–1026). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.
Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (pp. 1025–1026). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.
