Gifts of Speaking and Serving

Dr. R.C. Sproul, commenting on 1 Peter 4:10–11, writes that “every talent and ability [we] have is a gift from God, and [we] have a responsibility to exercise it.” Our Lord has given every believer at least one spiritual gift to be used for the sake of the church, and if we are not employing our gifts in a local congregation, then we should call the reality of our faith into question (Matt. 25:14–30; James 2:14–26). The point here is not to undermine our assurance of salvation but to be reminded that we are saved by God for service to God and to other people. Christ redeems us not merely as individuals but also as a corporate people, incorporating us into His body, the church. When we do not each use our gifts, the whole body suffers (1 Cor. 12).

Continuing his teaching on spiritual gifts, Peter in today’s verse gives guidance for how we are to use our gifts. Unlike other gift inventories in the New Testament, the Apostle’s list mentions two categories of gifts under which many other gifts fall: speaking and serving (1 Peter 4:11a). Without identifying every spiritual gift—which is impossible, for spiritual gifts come from the infinite goodness of God—Peter gives a principle to follow for the gifts in each category.

First, when employing speaking gifts, we must speak “as one who speaks oracles of God.” The Apostle may be emphasizing gifts of preaching and teaching in public ministry, though not to the exclusion of private and informal words. His guidance applies also to utterances of wisdom and knowledge, words of comfort, and, when necessary, gentle but firm words of rebuke and correction (Prov. 27:6; 1 Cor. 12:8; 2 Cor. 13:11). To speak these words as we speak oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11a) does not mean that everything we say is divine special revelation, for then our words would be equal to Scripture. Instead, Peter means that we should teach, counsel, and correct with holy and gracious seriousness, as befits the speaking of words that reflect and apply the Bible to specific situations. Matthew Henry comments, “What Christians in private, or ministers in public, teach and speak must be the pure word and oracles of God.”

Second, we must rely on “the strength that God supplies” in gifts of service. This admonition applies to gifts such as serving, contributing, leadership, and mercy (Rom. 12:6–8). We will quickly burn out or will come to resent those whom we serve if we exercise these gifts in our own power.