Is ‘Spiritual Gift(s)’ a Linguistically Fallacious Term? A Lexical Study of Χάρισµα, Πνευµατικός, and Πνεῦµα

Abstract

This article argues that the term ‘spiritual gifts’ is a theologically loaded English concept that is often used to catalogue certain gifts, abilities, or ministries. It also argues that ‘spiritual gifts’ should be seen and used more broadly to refer to any kind of gift (including eternal life, for example) that is of/from the Holy Spirit. This article employs some basic theories from modern lexical semantics to analyze χάρισµα, πνευµατικός, and πνεῦµα, three Greek lexemes that have been rendered as ‘spiritual gifts’ in Rom 1:11, 1 Cor 1:7, 12:1, 14:1, and 14:12.