On the "Spiritual Gifts"

 Something which is often grossly misunderstood is what are called within the Catholic tradition the "Charismata" and within the Protestant traditions, the "Spiritual Gifts". I've lost track of how many written "tests" I've taken in various churches to discover what my "Spiritual Gift" is. The problem with this is that more often than not, what is being tested is the person's own natural inclinations and personality traits. The gross misunderstanding is that what Paul calls alternately both "charismata" and "pneumatikoi" have absolutely nothing to do with natural inclinations or abilities. They have nothing to do with a person's personality, intelligence, or interests.

      The "pneumatikoi" have to do with one thing, and that is the manifestation of Jesus Christ within the person who is submitted to and cooperating with His Spirit. They are expressly abilities which the person in question does not naturally possess, and cannot perform when operating under their own devices, that is, enslaving themselves to their own malfunctioning survival neurology. They are also expressly abilities which Jesus Christ Himself displayed on various occasions. 

     The key to understanding these demonstrations of power, insight, prophecy, and so forth is that it is the manifestation of Jesus Christ through the person who is performing them while they are submitting to and cooperating with the Spirit of Christ, and this is the only time when they can genuinely be seen and performed. As Jesus Himself said, "Without Me you can do nothing." Attempting to perform them while submitted to your own fear, aggression, or bodily cravings is like trying to turn on a light switch which has been disconnected from its electrical source. It just isn't going to happen because there's no power flowing through it.

     If someone is claiming to be performing one of the charismata, the question needs to be asked, "Am I really seeing Jesus in this person right now? Is this Jesus' presence, personality, and manifestation, or is this person operating from his or her own devices, and if so, what am I really seeing?" If Jesus Christ is not manifest, if the God who is love is not being channeled, so to speak, then the charismata just aren't happening. Check for the tell-tale signs of love, joy, peace, patience, trust, kindness, courtesy, and self-control, all the fruit which one would expect if it was Jesus Christ acting and speaking through the person. If they are not present, then neither is the Spirit of Christ acting through that person.