Gifts of the Spirit and Subjective Experience

As A. C. Thiselton (the author of a well-regarded commentary on 1 Corinthians) points out, “it is almost universally agreed that reference to modern Pentecostal and charismatic phenomena cannot be used as an exegetical test for interpretations of Paul and Corinth.”[1]

This is very important to keep in mind, because there is a tendency among many to experience something they consider “miraculous” (e.g., an unexpected new job, deliverance from temporal danger, an unexplained healing of bodily illness, or an ecstatic experience of speaking in tongues) and, based on such experiences, attempt to define the nature of the charismata (gifts of the Spirit) mentioned by Paul in his Corinthian letter.

It is simply misguided to do something with no biblical precedent—such as televangelists boasting about receiving “words of knowledge”—and then claim that they are exercising the same “word of knowledge” to which Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 12:8. Someone may experience an ecstatic utterance in private and then claim they have the gift of tongues, urging others to seek the same experience.

But this is not the proper method for understanding spiritual gifts. Scripture is the standard that determines the meaning and use of such gifts (norma normata), not one’s subjective experience—which may bear little or no resemblance to what is practiced in the New Testament. Admittedly, it can be difficult to challenge or correct someone’s experience with a Bible verse, especially in a culture where the subjective “I feel...” often overrides objective facts and evidence. One’s experience is often considered to be self-validating and even the determining factor in understanding the nature and practice of the spiritual gifts enumerated by Paul.

Some even speak of Pentecost as if it brought about a continuous and ongoing state in which all gifts—including tongues, miracles, and healing—are to be normative in the church. The usual sentiment among such individuals is that, now that we are in the last days, these phenomena have returned, and people are again experiencing what is found throughout the Book of Acts. But are they?

Pentecost must be understood in the same way we understand the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ: as a redemptive-historical event that ushered in the age to come, but one that is not repeatable.[2]

Note: Taken from the Blessed Hope Podcast episode on Gifts of the Spirit, and edited for publication here

[1] Thiselton, 1 Corinthians, 979.

[2] Gaffin, In The Fullness of Time, 120-122.