12:11 as he wills. This brief clause sets the preceding list of gifts in the proper perspective. Whether an individual or a church possesses a particular gift is not for us to decide. It is the Spirit who sovereignly provides for the people of God. That factor may explain why no New Testament passage gives a complete catalog of gifts or a precise definition of them, since they may vary significantly according to God’s plans in changing situations. A church may appropriately pray for God to grant gifts to meet its needs, but such prayers must be offered in submission to His sovereign will and perfect wisdom.