Spiritual gifts can be developed

Spiritual gifts can be developed 


Summary:

Spiritual gifts can be described as being given to those who are in Christ, such that everyone in Christ has spiritual gifts. People can even be described as having spiritual gifts until death. People can therefore potentially HAVE spiritual gifts FOR A LONG TIME. This may open a question: can spiritual gifts be DEVELOPED?

Spiritual gifts can be DEVELOPED

Spiritual gifts can be conditional on things that people can GROW, and thus if people grow those things, their spiritual gifts can become more DEVELOPED.  

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Spiritual gifts can be given to those who are in Christ:

Spiritual gifts can be described as being given to those who are in Christ, such that everyone in Christ has spiritual gifts.

For more information:
Everyone in Christ has spiritual gifts:
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People can even be described as having spiritual gifts until death

People can be described as having spiritual gifts until death:
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People can therefore potentially HAVE spiritual gifts FOR A LONG TIME. This may open the question: can spiritual gifts be DEVELOPED?



Spiritual gifts can be developed:

Spiritual gifts can be DEVELOPED

1 Corinthians 13:

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 about the spiritual gifts of "word (of) KNOWLEDGE" (1 Corinthians 12:10) and "FAITH" (1 Corinthians 12:9). 

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13 (one chapter later): "If I [...] know [...] ALL KNOWLEDGE" (1 Corinthians 13:1) and "if I-have ALL FAITH so-as to-remove mountains" (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Here Paul mentioned the possibility for someone to have "ALL KNOWLEDGE" (1 Corinthians 13:1) or have "ALL FAITH " (1 Corinthians 13:2), which may imply that someone could have SOME knowledge or SOME faith and then DEVELOP that to the point they have ALL knowledge or ALL faith.

Adressing the "conditional impossibility" objection:

When Paul uses the conditional particle "IF" in "IF I-have prophecy and know all mysteries and ALL knowledge, and if I-have ALL faith so-as to-remove mountains, but I-do not have love, I-am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1), he is NOT describing a level of gifted expression so exalted that it becomes a CONDITIONAL IMPOSSIBLILITY, as if he were deliberately appealing to something no human could ever do so that only love would matter. Rather, he is saying that even if the expression of a gift reaches an extremely DEVELOPED or exalted form, even then, without love, it amounts to nothing.

This reading is reinforced by the very next parallels Paul gives, as he also wrote: "IF I-dole-out all my possessions, and IF I-hand-over my body in-order-that I-may-boast, but I-do not have love, I-am-profited nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3). These examples are not CONDITIONALLY IMPOSSIBLE; a person can in fact give away all their possessions or hand over their body. These are high, yet CONDITIONALLY POSSIBLE, expressions of devotion or sacrifice. Paul’s point is that even the most intense or extreme acts, even those that are indeed attainable, are worthless without love.



Spiritual gifts can be conditional on things people can grow:

Spiritual gifts can be conditional on things that people can GROW, and thus if people grow those things, their spiritual gifts can become more DEVELOPED.  

Romans 12: Grace:

Paul wrote about believers "having different gifts ACCORDING-TO THE GRACE having-been-given (to) us" (Romans 12:6). Here the spiritual gifts are "ACCORDING-TO THE GRACE" (Romans 12:6).

Peter wrote that it is possible to GROW in the GRACE, as he wrote: "BE-GROWING IN (THE) GRACE and knowledge (of) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). 

If someone can "BE-GROWING IN (THE) GRACE" (2 Peter 3:18) and spiritual gifts are "ACCORDING-TO THE GRACE" (Romans 12:6), then someone may experience more DEVELOPED spiritual gifts as they do so. 

Romans 12: Faith:

Paul continued, indicating that one spiritual gift that believers can have is "prophecy, IN-ACCORDANCE-WITH THE PROPORTION (OF YOUR) FAITH" (Romans 12:6). Here this spiritual gift is "IN-ACCORDANCE-WITH THE PROPORTION (OF YOUR) FAITH" (Romans 12:6)

Paul wrote that it is possible to GROW in FAITH, as he wrote: "your FAITH (is) GROWING" (2 Corinthians 10:15) and "your FAITH IS-GROWING-ABUNDANTLY" (2 Thessalonians 1:3).

If someone's "FAITH (is) GROWING" (2 Corinthians 10:15) and a spiritual gift can be "IN-ACCORDANCE-WITH THE PROPORTION (OF YOUR) FAITH" (Romans 12:6), then someone may experience more a DEVELOPED spiritual gift as they do so. 

1 Timothy 4: Not neglecting & taking care:

Paul wrote to Timothy: "DO NOT NEGLECT (OF) THE GIFT IN YOU, which was-given (to) you through (a) prophecy with (the) laying-on (of) the hands (of) the council-of-elders. BE-TAKING-CARE-OF THESE (THINGS), be in these (things), in-order-that your ADVANCEMENT may-be evident (to) everyone" (1 Timothy 4:14-15). 

Here Paul linked the idea that if Timothy does "NOT NEGLECT (OF) THE GIFT IN YOU" (1 Timothy 4:14) but instead is "TAKING-CARE-OF THESE (THINGS)" (1 Timothy 4:14-15) then his "ADVANCEMENT may-be evident (to) everyone" (1 Timothy 4:15), linking a more DEVELOPED state directly to the spiritual GIFT mentioned and the actions conditioned upon that. 

In 2 Timothy, Paul mentioned again to Timothy to "TO-BE-REKINDLING THE GIFT (OF) GOD WHICH IS IN YOU is in you through the laying-on (of) my hands" (2 Timothy 1:6-8), which may refer specifically to the spiritual gift of being an "EVANGELIST" (2 Timothy 4:5). If so, this would make sense that by not neglecting that spiritual gift, Timothy HIMSELF would also ADVANCE as Paul wrote TO TIMOTHY that people would see "YOUR ADVANCEMENT" (1 Timothy 4:15). If the spiritual gift of an evangelist is describing a person, then if this specific spiritual gift gets more DEVELOPED it makes sense that the person can also be described as getting more DEVELOPED, because the person can be described as BEING that spiritual gift. 

For more information:
Some people can be described as being spiritual gifts:
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Why develop spiritual gifts?

Spiritual gifts can be DEVELOPED, and are actually expected to be DEVELOPED because spiritual gifts are expected to be STEWARDED

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Spiritual gifts are expected to be stewarded:
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