What is the gift of ' contributing to the needs of others' mentioned in Rom12:6-8?

[quietbloke]

What is the gift of 'contributing to the needs of others' mentioned in Rom.12:6-8?

 

[quietbloke]

'Contributing to the needs of others' is giving,sharing with others in need.

 

[talitha]

The person with the motivational gift of giving is always wanting to share - he or she will almost always reach for the ticket when a group of people have shared a meal at a restaurant. People with this gift are the ones who fund missionaries and building projects, and often out of respect and gratitude others will ask their opinion on how to spend the money. This gives the giver a certain amount of power, and the temptation is to use it to control. In the version quoted above (NASB), Romans 12 says the grace for giving is liberality. I'm not convinced that's the correct interpretation for the word haplotes. Almost every version uses a different word - KJV has simplicity - but what it seems to me to boil down to is a purity of motivation. Every gift, including giving, should have as its core the love of God shed abroad into and through our hearts to bless others, not for recognition, nor for power, but by the grace of Christ for His Body.

 

[quietbloke]

The person with the motivational gift of giving is always wanting to share - he or she will almost always reach for the ticket when a group of people have shared a meal at a restaurant. People with this gift are the ones who fund missionaries and building projects, and often out of respect and gratitude others will ask their opinion on how to spend the money. This gives the giver a certain amount of power, and the temptation is to use it to control. In the version quoted above (NASB), Romans 12 says the grace for giving is liberality. I'm not convinced that's the correct interpretation for the word haplotes. Almost every version uses a different word - KJV has simplicity - but what it seems to me to boil down to is a purity of motivation. Every gift, including giving, should have as its core the love of God shed abroad into and through our hearts to bless others, not for recognition, nor for power, but by the grace of Christ for His Body.

Good advice talitha'!'

 

[Biblicist]

What is the gift of 'contributing to the needs of others' mentioned in Rom.12:6-8?

I cannot resist the temptation to ask, is this really a "gift" or something that is more akin to a fruit of the Spirit?

 

[talitha]

I cannot resist the temptation to ask, is this really a "gift" or something that is more akin to a fruit of the Spirit?

see Romans 12 and/or my post above.

 

[Biblicist]

see Romans 12 and/or my post above.

My question was actually a rhetorical one where I have been discussing this question with QB on a couple of other threads, particulary with (link) which is "What are the purposes of these Gifts today".

My strong position is that as Paul has never employed the term "spiritual gifts", where he only uses gift once where it is found in Eph 4 then I have to ask, why should we use (or abuse) the word if Paul has decided not to use it. The Greek word for the Eph 4:8 reference is equivelant to our English present; as such it does not suggest any spiritual endowment but merely something that someone has either given or left behind for others to use. Most of those things that people refer to as being 'gifts' or 'spiritual gifts' (outside of 1Cor 12:7-11) are generally nothing more than natural talents or fruits of the Spirit. Though the four of the eight Offices found in 1Cor 12:28, being those of the prophet, deeds of powers, healings and tongues are certainly Operations of the Spirit, whereas the remaining four are aspects of our temperament, character and personality.

With Rom 12 where Paul employs charismata (free-grace), this only appears to be connected with prophecy, which Paul is probably using to represent each of the 9 Manifesations of the Spirit. In my opinion Paul is not trying to say that the other roles are Manifestations of the Spirit (aka, spiritual gifts).
http://www.christianforums.com/thre...ts-to-the-church-today.7912973/#post-68746973

 

[talitha]

My strong position is that as Paul has never employed the term "spiritual gifts"

http://www.christianforums.com/thre...ts-to-the-church-today.7912973/#post-68746973
That is true.... I usually do not use the term "spiritual gift" for that reason.

With Rom 12 where Paul employs charismata (free-grace), this only appears to be connected with prophecy, which Paul is probably using to represent each of the 9 Manifesations of the Spirit. In my opinion Paul is not trying to say that the other roles are Manifestations of the Spirit (aka, spiritual gifts).

I agree that he is not trying to say that the list in Romans is a list of manifestations, but I don't understand why you think that it's only connected to prophecy; it seems to me to be connected to the entire list of gifts (or anointings) that follows. I also don't think the scripture is talking about manifestations as in the first part of 1 Cor. 12. "Manifestations" (phanerosis) is a completely different word in the Greek, so there shouldn't be any confusion.....

 

[quietbloke]

I agree that the list in Romans is not a list of manifestations of the Holy Spirit apart from prophesying,which is one of the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Cor.12:8-10,which are supernatural. The gifts mentioned in Eph.4:11 are of people who are given by Christ to His church. All gifts are 'charismata' (Gifts that come from God's grace) The 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor.12:8-10 are 'charismata''(v.4) but referred to as 'pneumatika' (spiritual). None of the other gifts are described as 'pneumatika',so there does not need to be any confusion..

 

[Biblicist]

That is true.... I usually do not use the term "spiritual gift" for that reason.


I agree that he is not trying to say that the list in Romans is a list of manifestations, but I don't understand why you think that it's only connected to prophecy; it seems to me to be connected to the entire list of gifts (or anointings) that follows. I also don't think the scripture is talking about manifestations as in the first part of 1 Cor. 12. "Manifestations" (phanerosis) is a completely different word in the Greek, so there shouldn't be any confusion.....

In my opinion Quite Bloke did a good job with his reply to your question and even though I could add in some qualification regarding the meaning and purpose of pneumatikon it is probably neither here nor there.

One of the issues with Rom 12:6-8 is that the Greek does not allow for a comma, semi-colon or a full stop between verse 6 and 7. This means that it can be hard to defend my position from within this passage alone that Paul is using prophecy to represent all of the "free-graces" (aka, spiritual gifts); where he then moves onto serving, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership and finally with mercy. Here's where we have to take the entirety of Paul's teachings to see how he defines what is an Operation of the Spirit and those things that are natural or even fruits of the Spirit.

As Paul does not refer to teaching and leadership as being Operations of the Spirit (or free-graces or "spiritual gifts), where they are definitely outworkings of the natural aspects of our person, then we can deduce that he would not be referring to them as Operations of the Spirit. With serving, giving and mercy, these would probably be better seen as an outworking or development of our fruit of the Spirit.

 

[talitha]

I did not ask a question, so I am having trouble knowing where you are coming from on the first paragraph. As for the rest, I respectfully disagree; it seems to me you are reading your doctrine into the scripture.

 

[Biblicist]

I did not ask a question, so I am having trouble knowing where you are coming from on the first paragraph. As for the rest, I respectfully disagree; it seems to me you are reading your doctrine into the scripture.

When you said "but I don't understand why you think that it's only connected to prophecy" this automatically allowed for a follow on; I was not defending QB's comment as against your own but I felt it would be impolite of me to restate much of QB's post without acknowledging that he had already said what I would have pretty much said.

But you're right, as I said in my post, it would be very hard for me to try and defend my position from within Rom 12 alone, which is why I said that I am addressing this chapter from within the entirety of Paul's teachings on the subject. As Paul's highly systematic material in 1 Cor 12 is the benchmark for the 9 Manifestations of the Spirit and the 8 Congregational Offices, then any other material would have to be read in light of chapter 12.

 

[quietbloke]

What is the gift of 'contributing to the needs of others' mentioned in Rom.12:6-8?

This is the original question!

 

[talitha]

Thanks for the re-direct, QB!

 

[quietbloke]

We should all be on the lookout to contribute to the needs of others. Some are specially used in this way. We all have something to offer,helping others in practical ways,as well as financial. Dorcas was a wonderful example of this,in Acts.