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I remember a number
of years ago doing a spiritual gifts test. One of the gifts on the list was celibacy.
I had misgivings at the time but could not put my finger on why. I pondered what it was doing on the list. Now I know why. People put celibacy on the
spiritual gift list because it is supposedly a spiritual gift alongside the
sorts of gifts found in the more recognized spiritual gifts found in Rom 12; 1
Cor 12–14; and Eph 4. This is because Paul uses the term for spiritual gifts,
charisma, in 1 Cor 7:7 of the state of marriage or singleness. Yet, to me, this is classically naïve biblical study. Just because charisma is
found in this verse it does not follow that it is a “spiritual gift.”
It is the gift of a state of being which comes through the providence of God,
rather than something imparted by the Spirit upon conversion.
Paul does use charisma
of spiritual gifts received by new believers by the Spirit poured into them
(Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 1:7; 12:4, 9, 28, 30, 31; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6; 1 Pet 4:10).
However, Paul’s use is broader than this. He uses charisma of salvation and its great rewards (Rom 5:15, 16; 6:23). It is used for being delivered from a deadly peril (2 Cor 1:11). He uses it of God’s gifts to
Israel as his people (Rom 11:29). In 1 Cor 7:7, he uses of one’s marital state,
i.e., to be married is a gift from God, to be single also, and to be widowed.
To call them “spiritual” gifts, however, gives the misleading impression that
it is a gift like say, prophecy, being an evangelist, teaching, or serving—all
gifts found in spiritual gifts lists of Paul.
In reality, celibacy
is not so much a gift but a requirement where a Christian is single. So, from birth to the day of marriage, ideally, a Christian is celibate. If one’s spouse dies, ideally, one is celibate from that day until remarried or death,
whichever comes first. Celibacy is also required in marriage between sexual encounters with one’s spouse. For various reasons, married people can go for a long period without sexual relationships (often health reasons). During this time, one is celibate. I would hesitate to call any of this a “gift.” It is what it is.
This does not rule
out a person being called by God to a life of celibacy. Jesus was in this category. Perhaps, in this situation, one can say it is a spiritual gift, or better, a spiritual call. In a general sense, however, celibacy is not so much a gift in the direct God-gave-me-this-gift-when-I-was-saved sense. It is
a state.
Anyway, I am not
sure I am saying what I want to very well except to say that it will only be
on rare occasions that celibacy is genuinely given as a gift to God.
Otherwise, it is an ethical requirement of all Christians for periods of their life (if they are desirous of pleasing God). I don’t think it should feature in spiritual gift lists and assessments. Paul’s use of charisma
is not always uniform.
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Note: Forgive me for the long blog, but this one really got me going! Last Sunday night on TV One's Sunday aired the report A.J. The Messiah. The program was the story of A.J. Miller in Queensland in Australia, who, unlike most of us, genuinely believes that he is Jesus. Miller appears at one level to be a normal Aussie bloke, in his early thirties, longish brown hair, unshaven, good looking, articulate and charismatic. Yet, unlike anyone I know but in the manner of other Messiah-claimants, he says without inhibition, "I am actually Jesus." He claims to remember vividly his former life and death including his experience of crucifixion. The memories supposedly began when he was 2 years old and realised later that he was Jesus around 33. In the program he writes on a white-board, "I am Jesus. Deal with it"—to applause from his congregation. He has disciples, some of whom claim to have been with him 2000 years ago including Mary Magdalene who is his "soul-ma
Comments
God bless
Ian