Kenneth S. Hemphill, You are Gifted: Your Spiritual Gifts and the Kingdom of God. Broadman and Holman, 2009.
Companion volume: Hemphill, Mirror, Mirror On the Wall: Discovering Your True Self Through Spiritual Gifts
Referenced in: Spiritual Gifts
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a brief, readable treatment of the subject from a scholar/churchman (Ph.D. in New Testament from Cambridge). Hemphill begins by looking at the ministry structure of early Christian communities from 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, and the importance (or unimportance) of spiritual gifts as it relates to these communities. He then discusses 1 Corinthians 12-14 in its literary context of true spirituality vs. spiritual elitism. See especially his comments on 1 Corinthians 13, “The Spiritual Person Redefined” and 1 Cor. 14, “Guidelines for Gifts in the Gathered Assembly.” This is followed by excellent expositions of Romans 12 and Ephesians 4. Hemphill provides a very church-sensitive theology of spiritual gifts.
From the Publisher
“The central thrust of Scripture is that spiritual gifts are graciously given by God to enable believers to participate fully in the edification of the church and the advance of the Kingdom,” he writes. To that end, Hemphill reminds readers of their capability and worthiness to join in God’s work, looking at the development of the New Testament church and passages like 1 Thessalonians 5 for examples of how we must use our unique gifts to reach all nations. Study questions for each chapter are also included.
About the Author
Ken Hemphill is national strategist for Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG), a joint initiative of the Southern Baptist convention and LifeWay Christian Resources. He also serves as distinguished professor of evangelism and church growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Hemphill holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and is the former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
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