By Sam Storms
Sam Storms has given the church a guide to the spiritual gifts which is at once both thorough and insightful. He writes with the mind of a scholar and with the heart of a pastor.
At the outset of the book, he identifies himself as a practicing continuationist – a continuationist believes that all the spiritual gifts continue today. He said that for the first 14 years of his ministry he was a convinced cessationist – a cessationist believes that some of the spiritual gifts stopped in the early church.
He points out that many evangelical Christians consider themselves continuationists, and yet are practical or functional cessationists. Though they believe in all the gifts, with some of the gifts they neither pursue them nor pray for them nor practice them. I agree with Storms that this is true of so many Christians.
In the first sentence of the first chapter, Storms writes: “Christianity is inescapably supernatural.” Because the Christian life is supernatural, we need the supernatural power and gifting of the Holy Spirit. He points out that the word power is used throughout Luke and Acts to refer to working miracles, so it is reasonable to expect that God continues to work miracles today.
In chapter 2, Storms focuses on a description of spiritual gifts, on the nature of spiritual gifts, and specifically 1 Corinthians 12-14. He argues that rather than ask the question, “How can I discover my spiritual gifts?” he suggests that we ask this question, “Lord, where do you want me to serve?”
He defines spiritual gifts: “A spiritual gift is when the Holy Spirit manifests his presence and imparts his power into and through individual believers to enable them to exceed the limitations of their finite humanity so that they might faithfully and effectively fulfill certain ministry tasks for the building up of the body of Christ” (p. 20). He suggests that we think of the gifts as God’s presence rather than his presents. Spiritual gifts must not be thought of as some “thing” granted to us by an uninvolved deity. Rather, these gifts are the Holy Spirit at work in us.
In chapter 3, Storms suggests that there might well be other spiritual gifts in addition to those explicitly listed in Scripture. This passage also includes a thorough analysis of 1 Peter 4:10-11 on the gifts. In this chapter and others Storms looks at many specific aspects of the nature and use of spiritual gifts. Practically every question one could think of is addressed by him.
Chapter 4 is a strong call that we should desire and pray for the spiritual gifts. He cites four passages:
1 Corinthians 12:31b. But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
1 Corinthians 14:1. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14:12. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
1 Corinthians 14:39. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
He also includes this practical paragraph:
“People often share their frustration with not yet having identified their spiritual gift. Some are so obsessed with making this discovery that they are virtually paralyzed from participating in ministry and serving others until such time as they can confidently put their finger on precisely what the Holy Spirit has imparted to them. My recommendation is that Christians should stop this persistent, introspective navel gazing and simply step out and begin to love and serve others in concrete acts of ministry. In doing so, I’m confident your gift will find you” (p. 62).
Beginning with chapter 5 he includes a long section on the debate on the cessation or continuation of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. In chapter 5 he thoroughly analyzes the arguments in support of cessationism, interacting with leading scholars such as Tom Schreiner and John MacArthur. In this chapter he deals with some of the common passages used, such as 2 Corinthians 12:12 and Hebrews 2:3-4. This is followed by a cessationist view of Jonathan Edwards.
In chapter 6 he makes the case for continuationism. In this chapter he deals with some of the objections to the continuationist view, as well as the important passage of 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 and the meaning of “the perfect.” In my mind the argument for continuationism as opposed to cessationism is simply overwhelming. There are no cogent arguments for the cessationist view.
In chapter 7 Storms surveys church history and quotes many figures in the early church, attesting to the miraculous sign gifts. He also names leaders in the Middle Ages and in the Scottish Reformation who attested to the presence of miraculous gifts in their day. His basic point is that we have evidence of all the spiritual gifts continuing throughout church history.
In the second half of the book, Storms discusses the nature and purpose of specific gifts of the Spirit. Concerning the gifts of wisdom and knowledge, in chapter 8 he concludes that we do not know exactly what they are.
In chapter 9, he defines prophecy:
“We’re now able to define prophecy more specifically as the speaking forth in merely human words something the Holy Spirit has sovereignly and often spontaneously revealed to a believer. Prophecy, therefore, is not based on a hunch, a supposition, an inference, an educated guess, or even on sanctified wisdom. Prophecy is not based on personal insight, intuition, or illumination. Prophecy is the human report of a divine revelation. This is what distinguishes prophecy from teaching. Teaching is always based on a text of Scripture. Prophecy is always based on a spontaneous revelation” (p. 161-162).
In chapter 10, Storms argues that the New Testament gift of prophecy is different than Old Testament prophecy.
In chapter 11 he discusses judging prophetic utterances and the spiritual gift of discernment.
The next two chapters, 12 and 13, discuss all aspects of the gift of tongues.
Chapter 14 is an excellent overview of the gift of healing and the gift of faith. This chapter includes an excellent section on why God does not always heal, listing seven reasons. (pages 254-256)
Chapter 15 discusses miracles and the spiritual gift of miracles. It includes an excellent overview of John 14:12: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
Finally, the last two chapters, 16 and 17, discuss the gift of apostleship and whether there are apostles today.
Two things to note: Throughout the book, Storms includes brief overviews of key passages related to the gifts. For example, on pages 170-171, he includes an excellent analysis of Ephesians 2:20 and whether this passage teaches that the gift of prophecy no longer exists.
There is an excellent appendix, Appendix B, on pages 330-340, of the strengths and weaknesses of the charismatic movement. I found this appendix especially interesting.
Overall, Understanding Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms is a superb and thorough guide to spiritual gifts in the New Testament. For the serious student, I highly recommend it.