The Goal of Ministry The sole purpose and objective behind the Spirit’s engifting Christians with various gifts is the edifying of the body of Christ and the building up the saints in love. No spiritual gift should ever be used selfishly to edify only its recipient: 1 Corinthians 14:12, 26: “Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up [πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν, pros tēn oikodomēn] the church.… When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction,