What is the difference between a talent and a spiritual gift?

Nor is the following parable one of the Kingdom of Heaven, seeing it is a question of those to whom gift has been committed and the principle of true service. Read "It is as a man," etc. Observe the distinction between the spiritual gift and the natural capacity of the vessel — the more necessary because we in English have taken the word "talent" from the one and applied it to the other. The gifts differed in measure (cf. 1 Cor. 3:5), and there was a relation between them and the natural capacity, as for instance where the Lord makes a man an Evangelist, he will be able to address an audience and not have to write his sermon. But no cultivation of the natural ability could make it into a gift from Christ. This is of the essence of the teaching; for the bestowal of the gift makes me responsible to Him for the exercise of it without waiting for human authorization or aught else. When the time comes for the Lord to make a reckoning with his servants, we find what the spring and power is for thus exercising it; namely, simple confidence in the Lord who bestowed the gift. He who had received one talent and hid it in the earth did not know his Lord's heart; but in the judgment he is taken on his own ground and convicted of being wicked and slothful: what he had is taken from him and given to him who made most use of what was entrusted to him, and he is cast into the outer darkness. For the possession of gift does not necessarily suppose the divine nature or any real relationship with God. Two things enter into and form the reward of the faithful servant — faithful in few things he is set over many things in the kingdom, but besides that, he enters into "the joy of thy Lord."

Now, the other thing is service. The twelfth chapter of Luke gives us not only watching but serving. So here (Matt. 25:14-30) it is the servant. You get more of the sovereignty of God here, than in the analogous parable in Luke, where it is more the responsibility of man. Here the Lord gives to every man according to his several ability: to one five talents, to another two, etc. Every one will be responsible for his wealth, but this is not a talent. The talents are what Christ gave when He was going away. He gave gifts - apostles, prophets, and so on. He did not give money! I quite admit the responsibility of it, but it is not the point here.

It is plain that the substance which the Lord submitted to His servants for work in His absence means gifts of a spiritual kind. For He delivered to each according to his respective ability. They are distinguished from the ability of each, which was natural, and are suited to it. They are not merely "sanctified capacity," or "theological learning," but a gift from the Lord adapted to the ability of each as the vessel. With His goods they were to trade, "each ministering it one to another, as good stewards of God's manifold grace; if one speaketh, as oracles of God; if one ministereth, as of strength which God supplieth, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages. Amen" (1 Peter 4:10-11). The reception of a gift was the ground of exercising it in dependence on the Giver, and for His glory.

In defining more fully what a gift is, we would add that it is spiritual power from above to act upon souls. It is more than natural ability to speak or teach, though Christ does give talents "to every man according to his several ability" (Matt. 25:15), so that natural ability is taken into account by the Lord in His sovereign distribution of ministerial gifts and talents, but natural gift alone does not make one a minister of God's Word. There must be the positive bestowal of a gift from Christ.

In I Corinthians 12 the various gifts are spoken of as manifestations of the Spirit. The different gifts are looked at there as functioning by the Holy Spirit; "all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will" (v. 11). The Lord is, however, the real and proper giver; the Spirit of God is rather the intermediate means of conveying the gift, distributing or making it good,-the energy by which the Lord acts.

Then comes another parable. "For the kingdom of heaven is [or, literally, "It is] as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey" (vers. 14, 15). There our Lord is represented as leaving this world and going to a far country. This is a remarkable way in which our Lord is presented here. In Matthew His home is supposed to be on the earth, because He is the Messiah who came to His own, even if His own received Him not. As the rejected Messiah He leaves His home, and goes, the suffering but glorified Son of Man, to the far country, which is clearly heaven. And while He is gone there He has His servants to whom He has committed certain of His goods; and with these they are to labour. "Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents" (ver. 16). Here we have another kind of ministry. It is not serving the household, and giving them meat in due season, as in Matt. 24:45. It is trading, or going out to others. This is a characteristic of Christianity. In Judaism there was no such thing as the Lord sending His servants here and there to gain souls; but when the Lord Jesus left this world and went up to heaven, He thus sent them out. He left them means to trade withal. It is the activity of grace that goes out to seek sinners, as well as spread the testimony of the truth of God among saints.

If the Lord calls to service He also gives according to our several ability. The character of the gift put at our disposal is suited, in the Giver's wisdom, both to the object and the vessel. There is sovereignty, and all is wisely ordered. How could it be otherwise, seeing that it is the Lord who calls? It is here too that Christendom has so largely failed. Were a man now to begin to preach and teach without some human sanction, many would regard it as a piece of assumption, if not presumption; whereas, in truth, if I look for authority from the churches to preach or serve the Lord, I shall be sinning against Christ. Any appointment by men for such a purpose is unauthorized by and opposed to the mind of Christ; and those whom they would consider acting irregularly are in reality in the lowly path of obedience, and will find their vindication in the great day. It is entirely a question between Christ and His own servants. He gives one to be a prophet, another an evangelist, another a pastor and teacher (Eph. 4). But there are two things in the servant — both of them of importance. He gave them gifts, but it was according to their several ability. The Lord does not call any one to special service who has not an ability for the trust committed to him. The servant must have certain natural and acquired qualifications, besides the power of the Spirit of God. He gave them talents — to one five, to another two, and to another one. Here you have the energy of the Holy Ghost — the power that the Lord gives from on high, over and above His choice of each man "according to his several ability."

It is plain from this that there are certain qualities in the servant independent of the gift that the Lord puts into him. His natural powers are the vessel that contains the gift, and wherein the gift is to be exercised. If the Lord calls a man to be a preacher, there is supposed a natural aptitude for it. Again, the gift may be increased. First, there is the ability of the man before and when he is converted; next, the Lord gives him a gift that he never possessed before; thirdly, if he does not stir up his gift, there may be a weakening, if not loss. He may become unfaithful, and may lose power. But if a man waits upon the Lord, there may, on the contrary, be increased power given to him. Many think that the one qualification of the servant of God is that of the Spirit. This is, of course, essential, and most blessed; but it is not all. The truth is that Christ gives gifts; but He gives them "according to the ability" of the individual. The union of the two facts, the ability of the servant and the sovereignly-bestowed gift given him to trade with, is of all-importance to keep distinctly in view.

Whatever form the ministry takes, it is to be exercised according to the ability that God gives. Thus natural ability is recognised as given of God. In grace God gives spiritual gifts, but He does so “to every man according to his several ability” (Matthew 25:15). It is true, as one has said, that “no ability constitutes a gift; but the spiritual gift does not supersede natural ability”. As we can see, in giving Paul his gift, God recognised his natural ability, so that he is able to present doctrine in an orderly way. Peter, probably more fitted by his natural ability to deal with everyday practice, is given a gift in accord with this ability; his ministry, therefore, is almost wholly practical.

Whatever the spiritual gift, whatever form the ministry takes, whatever the natural ability, all is to be used for the glory of God “that God in all things may be glorified”. We are to beware of the vanity of the flesh that would seek to use these things for the exaltation of self.

Here we must notice a parable preserved only by Matthew (Matt. 25:14-30) — that of the talents. Are these two parables different versions of the same thing? No. As that of the pounds speaks of the opportunity, that of the talents speaks of the ability. All have an opportunity, but all have not equal ability. The master knew that, and in the parable of the talents shows it, giving to each one according to his several ability, to one five, to another two, to another only one. No one was expected to do more than he could, but each was looked to to do all he could. This the one who had five and the one who had but two both did, and both received equal commendation from their lord, and were to become rulers over many things. Both these parables teach us therefore the character of service in the future — ruling in the kingdom, for we shall reign with Christ. And to get the full instruction on the question of present and future service we need them both.

Matthew 25:14-30 will help us here. One may receive five talents, another two, a third but one. But there is as much need for the possessor of one talent to trade with it as he to whom five talents were entrusted. See also Luke 19:12-27. While in Matthew the talents signify ability imparted, which differs with each individual, in Luke the pounds signify opportunities which all in their measure possess alike.

Yes; show me anything that is not a counterfeit. One minister reads aloud a written sermon; another speaks extempore - the latter is more talented than the other. Natural ability is not spiritual gift.

There is a difference between natural ability and divine gift. The former ministers to the mind and intellect, the latter to the heart and conscience. The former attracts to itself, forms a "school of opinion;" the latter commends Christ, and builds up the church. In the first man is prominent, and in the second Christ only is seen. On the other hand, hearing may be with the mind, or with the heart and conscience. In the former case man, and in the latter Christ, is before the eyes. What need therefore for self-judgment both for those who preach the Word and for those who hear.