Charismata Spirituali gifts, or spiritual gifts, used in the Protestant church, are gifts of the Holy Spirit, including specific abilities, enabling and empowering Christians to perform useful functions. They differ from human talents and learned skills, but God can use both in His work through spiritual giftedness. In the New Testament, for example, in books like Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians, we find lists and discussions of these supernatural gifts, carefully noting that their source is the grace of God and their purpose is service to the Body of Christ. This article explains what spiritual gifts are, where they came from, what the different types and their operations are, how to determine what your spiritual gifts are through the passages of scripture which contain these lists of spiritual gifts; and, finally, how to use them to serve others and promote the kingdom of God. It provides a clear foundation to understand how the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to fulfill God’s purpose in context of their particular function within the context of the Christian religion.
What Are Spiritual Gifts and To What or Whom Do They Point?
Spiritual gifts are graces of God given to individual Christians for the good of others and the church as a whole, and they are always in partnership with the Holy Spirit. They have no source but God, and in particular the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. One common scripture is 1 Corinthians 12:11, which reads, “One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” This is a sovereign distribution based not on the work, or merit of man, but on God’s divine privilege.
There are various reasons behind these gifts, but it is all for the building up of the Body of Christ, which is the church. The gifts are to be given ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ’ (Eph 4:12). In other words, spiritual gifts are not intended to puff us up or exploit us, but to benefit all (to serve the common good) (1 Cor 12:7). They allow the body of believers to minister to one another, to reach out to the lost and to display God’s power and love to a world in desperate need.
The spiritual gifts are diverse, and include a range of skills and abilities that are used by believers to meet the needs of the church. These aren’t just supernaturally enhanced natural abilities, even though God often incorporates and amplifies natural gifts through spiritual gifts. For instance, a person naturally prone to teach is gifted supernaturally of teaching that functions with unworldly wisdom and unction. What sets them apart is their supernatural source and their express role within the divine economy of the church.
The Holy Spirit gives gifts and indwells every believer from the moment of conversion. That indwelling is what makes spiritual gifts possible. Romans 12:6 states, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly.” This passage affirms that every Christian is given at least one spiritual gift (often more than one), which they should use in service to the common mission of the church. For these gifts to operate, one must depend on the Holy Spirit to activate them as they don’t originate from self, but are Spirit-induced.
How Are Spiritual Gifts Conceptualized in the Bible?
Spiritual gifts are distinctly classified by three specific passages in the Bible: Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and Ephesians 4:11. These lists give overlapping, though not identical, lists of gifts, with the latter emphasis. There are 20 gifts below that have four occurrences in the N.T., and each one is easy to understand because the definition from the Greek is included below.
Motivational Gifts (Romans 12:6-8)
Seven gifts are mentioned in Romans 12:6-8, commonly referred to as “motivational gifts”, used in the service of the Church. These include:
- Prophecy (prophetic): The gift of actively declaring God’s truth with power, boldness, and clarity, frequently accompanied with a call to action, and a call to encouragement and growth in the body (contrary to popular belief, prophecy is not always about future-telling – see 1 Corinthians 14:3). This is not the same as divining the future, though it may involve that as well.
- Service (or Helps): The gift of serving others with practical and physical service both in and out of the church.
- Teaching: The endowment to understand, clearly and in an organized fashion, the revelation of God, which results in the spiritual growth of others.
- Exhortation (or Encouragement): To encourage people to put biblical truths into practice.
- Giving: The special ability God gives to some to share their material resources freely and generously (and joyfully) with those who need them, leading others to do the same.
- Leadership (or Administration): The capacity to develop, organize, lead, and motivate groups in order to reach God-pleasing goals, which generally includes governance or strategic planning.
- Mercy: The capacity to feel strong compassion for the hurting and to give practical help along with comfort.
Manifestation Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
Nine “manifestation gifts” or “power gifts” are found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 representing the more miraculous aspects of the Holy Spirit. These include:
- The Word of Wisdom: The capacity to give specific biblical truth and divine insight as solutions to problems and guidance.
- Word of Knowledge: The power to supernaturally learn revelation, or facts about which one could not naturally know, often used in ministry or prayer.
- Faith: A supernatural conviction in God’s ability and His intentions which allows the believer to expect and obtain extraordinary things from God. This is not saving faith.
- Healing: To be the person through whom the divine will is done and health is restored (both physical and emotional). This is typically in the plural in the Greek referring to different kinds of healings or more than one healing.
- Workings of Miracles: Power to do supernatural acts that override the laws of nature as evidence of the power and sovereignty of God.
- Prophecy: The inspired speaking forth of a portion of God’s message, also for edification, exhortation and comfort as in Romans.
- Discernment of Spirits: The talent for realizing the origin of spiritual phenomenon…Whether from the Lord, the human spirit, or the devil.
- Divers Kinds of Tongues: Speaking in a language that one never learned, which may be a human language, or a heavenly language, for a sign, or personal exhortation.
- Interpretation of Tongues: The ability to interpret or explain a message spoken in a tongue, rendering it understandable to those present; therefore, this gift would convert a onetime infraction of Paul’s directive, for this gift was a reaction to an infraction of a specific directive of Paul.
Ministry Gifts (Ephesians 4:11)
Ephesians 4:11 is a list of five “ministry gifts” or “leadership gifts,” particular leadership roles that have been given to individuals, to equip the saints. These tend to be church offices:
- Apostles: One sent with power to lay the first stone in a building, and also to order other stones in the building. Apostles are often front runners.
- Prophets: Spokespersons for God who declare His spoken truth, frequently giving direction, knowledge, etc.
- Evangelists: People who have a special gift in bringing the message of the Gospel to the unconverted, bringing them into the Kingdom.
- Shepherds (or Pastors): People who shepherd, guide and nurture the spiritual needs of a body of believers.
- Teachers: Also like in Romans, these are people who regularly teach the Word of God to believers.
The fact that we have these various lists of abilities is an indication of how many different ways God gifts His people. Fortunately, not all of the gifts occur in all the lists (e.g., prophecy, teaching), so that their occurrence in one list and not another emphasizes a distinct use of the gift in each list. For instance prophecy might stress its motivational element in Romans, but its revelational or manifestational aspect in 1 Corinthians. The church is enriched by every one of these, for each does its part to help the church be healthy and to fulfill the mission.
How Does a Christian Uncover Their Spiritual Gifts Using the Bible?
Uncovering spiritual gifts includes the practice of prayer and study of scripture, among other activities, as well self-assessment and participation in service together with other Christians. There are at least four major ways that we can discover our spiritual gifts from the Bible, and each provides a unique angle.
1. Prayer and Seeking God’s Direction
The first is prayer —and seeking God’s direction. James 1:5 states, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” The same is true of coming to know one’s spiritual gifts. We need to pray specifically for discerning our gifts, and ask the Holy Spirit to show us how He has enlisted us. This includes a humble attitude, simply wanting to contribute to God’s purposes and not to selfish ambition. Regular prayer enables the soul to be open to divine guidance and to have the heart in tune with the ability to hear and recognize the Spirit’s voice.
2. Study the Scriptures
Second, there is no better context within which to understand spiritual gifts than the lens of the Scriptures. The lists in Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12-14; and Ephesians 4 give a description of the gifts and their use. A true, born again believer should read through these passages, and prayerfully think on the nature of each gift, and try to discern which of those descriptions fits best with their inclinations and experience. By that I do not mean that they will merely read through the Bible, I mean that they will study biblical theology as it relates to the Holy Spirit and his activity. Interpretation of the Bible Context. However, by knowing the context of Bible passages, it avoids misunderstanding and that the discovery process follows the Word of God made known.
3. Personal Questioning and Self-Assessment
Third is personal questioning and looking at motivations and degree of effectiveness. There are a few questions that believers should ask themselves:
- What part of your service in Christianity makes you feel happy and fulfilled?
- Where do others confirm a special efficacy or spiritual legacy?
- Where do you sense a divine enablement or a supernatural ease in doing things for God?
- What weights and desires does God place upon one’s heart for particular needs or people groups?
For instance, an individual who is endowed to have joy and spiritual harvest in the consolation of the forlorn may have been gifted with the gift of Mercy. If someone has a spontaneous ability to order and render effective group ministry, perhaps they have the gift of leadership. This is not however, an introspection for self-discovery in the secular viewpoint, but in terms of the patterns of divine empowerment in a life or ministry.
4. Serving and Experimenting
And fourth, serving and experimenting in a Christian way are where spiritual gifts will be most easily put to the test. We find our gifts in action, not in meditation. It is with such a church that they are to be united with and involved in the life and the work of the church and its ministries. And as they minister, they should also be paying attention to where they sense God’s power being expressed through them, where they see fruit of spiritual labor, where they carry a supernatural anointing. This will include a willingness to experiment with different fields of service: to teach a Sunday School class, work at clerical tasks, visit the sick, or work at evangelistic outreach. The Holy Spirit also often shows or confirms a gift in practical application. A person may volunteer to lead a Bible study, and find himself powerfully able to illuminate difficult biblical truth, thus manifesting the gift of teaching. This experiential learning is the main way in which gifts become discernable.
Pooling these four methods together gives us a balanced way toward finding spiritual gifts. That is not a one-time event but an ongoing series of events ranging from growth to confirmation as we mature in faith and service.
What Happens If We Don’t Use Our Spiritual Gifts Properly?
There are several serious consequences of misplacing, or neglecting spiritual gifts in the life of the individual Christian and to the Body of Christ as a whole. These implications emerge because spiritual gifts are sovereign gifts for specific uses and that their proper practice is critical for the health and mission of the church.
Neglecting Spiritual Gifts
Fear or failure to use spiritual gifts (which is called “burying one’s talent” in Matthew 25:14-30) leads to being unprofitable to the church for edification. When a Christian doesn’t exercise his or her gift, the particular purpose God wanted that individual to serve is not fulfilled. This results in a negative balance in the church’s overall ability to serve effectively. A gift of teaching that is not used will keep some of those who would have been taught in spiritual immaturity or ignorance. The end result is a reduced combined power and capability. The church, being an organism, needs all of its parts in order to be wholly healthy, as in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 where Paul compares the church to a human body with interdependent parts.
For, in addition, the neglect of the gifts can result in spiritual atrophy in the individual. The use of spiritual gifts is simply an avenue to spiritual growth and drawing closer to God. When a believer does not use their gifts, they miss out on divine work in their lives, which can stunt their spiritual growth and divert their purpose. It can also create a sense of separation within the body of Christ, since they are failing to be members one of another in the divine work of service. It is argued that the parable of the talents represents a harsh penalty for burying one’s resources, reflecting a spiritual responsibility to manage the gifts one receives.
Abusing Spiritual Gifts
There are also serious consequences for the abuse of the spiritual gifts. Misuse can take a range of forms:
- Using spiritual gifts for personal glorification or gain: This violates the Scriptural end of gifts, which is for the common good and God’s glory (1 Corinthians 12:7). It results in pride and division in the church when gifts are used to raise oneself up. That is, someone who has a very strong gift of prophecy who is concerned about getting personal glory, not the edification of the church, perverts the intent of the gift.
- Operating gifts without love: 1 Corinthians 13 teaches that gifts no matter how impressive they may seem, prophecy and speaking in tongues not excluded, are worthless without love. Giving without love for God and others makes us feel empty spiritually but it also makes us a weapon of destruction. Someone with discernment who uses it to criticize or condemn others rather than to restore or safe-guard, abuses the gift.
- Unordered gifts without discernment: 1 Cor. 14 gives detailed instructions about how the gifts, especially prophesy and tongues, should be exercised in the public meeting. Disregarding these principles results in chaos and confusion, and can also bring the church into disrepute. For example, when several people all speak in tongues (glossolalia) without an interpreter, chaos erupts instead of edification.
- Operating the gifts in the flesh, rather than in the Spirit: Imitation gifts or forced gifts produced by humanity’s work and not supernatural endowment from the Spirit of God, have no real power or potency. This can cause the individual to burn out and others to lose faith.
The effects of misusing this call are disunity within the church, spiritual injury to others and a bad testimony to the world, and it also grieves the Holy Spirit. The mission of the church is hindered when its members do not do what they were designed by God to do! So using spiritual gifts properly is not an issue of playing favorites, but an issue of obedience and faithfulness.
How Are Spiritual Gifts Utilized to Edify the Church and Expand God’s Kingdom?
Believers exercise spiritual gifts by applying their God-given enablement to serve in the body of Christ and fulfill God’s kingdom purpose to edify the church and extend His kingdom, whereas unbelievers have no intentional use and none of the divine enablements used for serving in the local body or beyond. It’s all about building other believers and selling out for the Gospel. That requires adherence to several important principles of application.
1. Service in the Local Church
First and foremost, service in the local church is the basic platform from which to exercise spiritual gifts. The church is the local Body of Jesus Christ, where believers are immediately knitted together and mutually needful. Those who have the spiritual gift of teaching often lead lessons of biblical truth through sermons, Bible studies, and small group discussions. Those with the administration gift organize church activities, manage buildings and finances, and even coordinate volunteers with ease. The gift of mercy is given to those in the congregation, or, in rare cases, in the community, who are ill, who have suffered loss, or who are facing adversity. The gift of helps is expressed in a lot of different areas, from putting chairs out for service, to helping with childcare and thus contributes to the smooth running of, and friendly spirit of the church. The organized giving of these presents promotes the internal spiritual wellbeing and the functional power of the local church.
2. Edifying Others
Second, together with gifts for self-edification, gifts are for others to be edified, so used according to their divine purpose. Paul insists again and again that the aim of the spiritual gifts is edification, i.e. building up (1 Cor. 14:3, 12, 26). That means that every time a gift is used, it should build up, motivate, or teach another believer. A word of prophecy, for an example, ought to be given with love and in love, with voice and with transparency so as to call unto spiritual edification, conviction and not condemnation. Its purpose is to encourage, motivate, and uplift people who are feeling downcast or under pressure. Even the gifts of tongues or interpretation, when exercised in public, are to prove to build up the assembly by rendering God’s Word relevant and understandable. It is this principle which bars gifts from the domain of personal adornment or self-advancement.
3. Advancing the Kingdom of God
Thirdly, the work of extending the kingdom of God takes the deployment of spiritual gifts beyond the church to the whole world. This includes evangelism and missions. Believers who have the gift of evangelism are able to evangelize in a way that unbelievers become convinced and have faith for their salvation. This can include street preaching, personal witnessing, or publicizing an evangelistic event. The supernatural gifts of healing or miracles can be something that God uses in their life to show His power before the unsaved, enabling doors to the Gospel to be opened. The act of giving sustains missionary work and helps ministry extend beyond the four walls of the church. All gifts (whether explicitly or otherwise) are considered as having been given to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), the training and enabling of believers to share the Gospel with all nations.
4. Humility and Interdependence
Fourth, working in humility and interdependence is essential. There is no gift that is better than another, and no believer has all gifts (1 Cor. 12:18-20). The correct use of gifts requires an understanding that everyone is an indispensable part of the body and therefore in need of others. This promotes unity, without claiming to be superior to others. An individual having a standout gift, whether it be prophecy or teaching, should function out of humility understanding that their gift is from God and requires the working of the body in other gifts, as discernment or administration. It is through this interconnectedness that the church functions as a unified body (1 Cor. 12) and takes the greatest collective action.
5. Stewarding and Cultivating
Stewarding and Cultivating is an ongoing duty. Those who believe are the stewards of the gifts that God has bestowed upon them. This means nurturing their gifts, by practicing them, learning, looking for ways to serve. Just as a gardener cultivates plants, a believer cultivates his or her spiritual gifts and talents, hoping to expand their effectiveness and maturity. This could be learning from others who are more experienced in the faith; it may be through attending conferences, or simply through prayer and study in their area of gifting. The more a gift is used for service, the more does it generally grow and polish.
While practicing these, believers are making effective use of their spiritual gifts—serving locally, edifying others, advancing the kingdom, working in humility, and developing gifts. The collateral of such a joint struggle is a living church which is indeed a true reflection of Christ and a dominant force for Him in the world.
What Does Christian Service Look Like in Its Larger Dimension?
The larger Christian service is an inclusive term for everything a Christian, driven by the will of God, does to the glory of God and for the advantage of his fellow men—all other activity not included in a list of spiritual gifts. This service arises from the Christian’s identity as a disciple of Christ and as an heir of the kingdom. It encompasses worship, evangelism, discipleship, social justice, and caring for others in a practical way where we love God and neighbor. Christian service is not merely the execution of specific acts, but a consecrated way of life, participating in the work of God in this universe. It is a reaction to grace and a depiction of faith in flesh – mirroring the personality of Christ.
What is the Christian message?
At the heart of Christian message stands the Gospel of Jesus Christ which declares that man is estranged from God by sin, and that God, in love, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross as an atoning (or substitutionary) sacrifice for sin and to rise from the dead, thereby offering salvation and eternal life to all who will believe on Him.
What is the Christian relationship between faith and works?
Faith is the agency through which God saves. For in Ephesians 2:8-9 we read: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Works would be the automatic consequence and evidence of a true faith which shows in the regenerated life and the willingness to follow God’s commands, as seen in James 2:17: “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”
How important is the Holy Spirit to a Christian?
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine and active in the world and in the church, giving new life to those who believe in Jesus; His presence assures us of our relationship with Christ. He resides in all who believe in Jesus Christ, and is the guide and helper of every believer, teaches and convicts of sin, illuminates the word of God, and applies those things about which he has convicted and taught, throughout the Christian’s life.
What are the basic disciplines of Christian living?
Tertiary practices of Christian discipleship comprise all expressions of “Christ-like living” such as daily prayer, daily Bible reading, attendance at weekly worship services, service to the church and to the community, involvement in a small-group setting where believers share and grow together, belonging to a local church community, Christian witnessing to the world, tithing (giving a percentage of income to the church), and seeking to be obedient to Christ’s teachings. These are practices that nurture spiritual development and maturity.
What does Christianity believe about suffering?
Christianity sees suffering not only as a complex one, with multiple divine ends, as spiritual growing, character building, sharing in Christ’s suffering and an opportunity to manifest God’s glory. Though it’s not always brought about by God as a punishment for every occurrence, suffering is allowed within His sovereign will and it can be, ultimately redeemed for the good (Rom 8:28: “God works all things out to good for those who love God”).
