Customer Reviews

Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts, The

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An excellent, practical overview of the spiritual gifts that are available today. He contrasts the nature of the gifts to talents, the fruit of the Spirit, ministries etc. to put them in the clearest light. This has become our standard text in our course on spiritual gifts in the Twin Cities Bible Institute.

This book is an excellent review of the spiritual gifts, including their origin, purpose, and use in the local church. I appreciate the fact that it is thoroughly biblical and doctrinally sound. It is must reading for anyone who is seriously seeking to understand the nature of spiritual gifts.

This is the finest work available on spiritual gifts. The author carefully defines spiritual gifts, distinguishing them from talents (p21), offices (p18) and fruit (p18). He identifies 18 spiritual gifts, combining service and helps (p47) and ruling and administration (p44). He holds pastor-teacher to be a single gift with two dimensions (p59). McRae is a cessationist, believing that some of the gifts were needed only until the canon of Scripture was complete and the apostles had passed off the scene (pp 55, 65,66,72, 73, 75, 80). His tone is irenic and constructive. McRae considers celebacy and hospitality, but removes them from his list (p80). He has an excellent section on women and spiritual gifts (pp 85-86). McRae identifies prayer, study, desire, ability, and blessing as five steps to identifying one's spiritual gift (p110).

Overall, the remarkable thing about this book is that it treats a controversial subject biblically, gently, and succinctly. Even those who disagree with some of MacRae's conclusions will find much profit here. The price is right, too.

I have referred to this book many times over the years. I have recommended it to many of my students and fellow classmates in Sunday School, my Bible Institute classes and Bible studies. It is excellent for laymen and answers many of the questions the average Christian has without being too technical.

I thought that this would be an excellent book based on the previews that I reveiwed. However, after receiving the book, I ended up throwing it away in the trash. The categorizing of the gifts was difficult to understand (and I'm in Mensa). Also, the implications that prophecy is not for today and that speaking in unknown toungues is not for every believer is not based on sound biblical principles as I believe it and, moreover, as I have experienced it.