A Biblical Summary of Spiritual Gifts

The New Testament presents different lists of spiritual gifts for different purposes. The common three-fold categorization helps distinguish their primary function: motivation for service, offices for leadership and equipping, and supernatural manifestation for demonstration of God’s power. All are given by the grace of the Holy Spirit for the common good and building up of the Body of Christ.

1. Motivational Gifts (Romans 12:6-8)

These are grace-given capacities that describe the primary motivation or manner in which a believer serves the body of Christ and others.

Romans 12:6-8 (NASB77): “And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

1. Prophecy – Speaking forth God’s truth with clarity, conviction, and practical application to encourage or warn.

2. Service/Ministry – A God-given motivation to identify and meet practical needs through hands-on assistance and support.

3. Teaching – The ability to explain, clarify, and apply God’s truth in a way that leads to understanding and obedience.

4. Exhortation – The gift of coming alongside others to offer encouragement, comfort, challenge, and counsel that strengthens them.

5. Giving – A special grace to contribute material resources and financial support generously, sacrificially, and with joy.

6. Leading – The capacity to provide vision, direction, administration, and governance with diligence, wisdom, and care.

7. Mercy – A heartfelt motivation to actively show compassion, empathy, and practical care to those who are suffering or in distress.

I encourage everyone to visit GiftTest.org to discover your primary motivational spiritual gifts

2. Ministry Gifts (Ephesians 4:11-12)

These are leadership offices or roles that Christ gave to the Church to equip believers for ministry and build up the body toward maturity.  I think of these gifts as vocational callings into the ministry.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NASB77): “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;”

1. Apostles – Pioneers and “sent ones” who establish churches, provide foundational oversight, and carry spiritual authority with a broad, visionary focus.

2. Prophets – Those who receive and communicate God’s word for guidance, correction, revelation, and edification, often calling people back to God’s purposes.

3. Evangelists – Effective communicators of the gospel who are specially gifted to proclaim the good news to non-believers and inspire others to do the same.

4. Pastors – Shepherds who provide spiritual protection, care, guidance, and nurturing to a local congregation or group of believers.

5. Teachers – Those who instruct the church in sound doctrine and Scripture, ensuring believers are grounded in the truth and able to discern error.

3. Manifestation Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

These are supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit, given spontaneously as He wills to demonstrate God’s power, presence, and wisdom for the benefit of all.  There is much confusion and even debate over these gifts from a doctrinal standpoint.  Pentecostals and charismatic believers subscribe to a doctrinal view known as “continualism.”  This view holds that all the gifts, miracles, and healings and the like have continued throughout history and are available to believers today.  Others hold to “cessationism” which means many of these gifts “ceased” once the apostles died and the church was established throughout the world.  They believe God allowed these gifts for that unique season to authenticate the message of the apostles and confirm the truth of the gospel they were proclaiming.  I hold to a balance between these two views, which is what I call “DECREASISM.”  I don’t believe they continued exactly as they were practiced in the early church, nor do I believe they altogether ceased.  FOR SURE, WITHOUT QUESTION, they DECREASED.  They decreased both in frequency and in intensity from the way Jesus performed signs and wonders to the way the apostles were able to perform them in the book of Acts.  They continued to DECREASE as the apostles faded from the scene.  These signs were revived at the AZUSA STREET REVIVAL in the early 1900s in Los Angeles, California.  You can research that if you are curious about these gifts.  I encourage you to dig deep into God’s word and history, pray and ask God to guide you in your understanding of these gifts.  

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NASB77): “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.”

1. Word of Wisdom – A supernatural insight into the mind and purposes of God, applying divine wisdom to a specific situation.

2. Word of Knowledge – A supernatural revelation of factual information (past, present, or future) by the Holy Spirit, not learned naturally.

3. Faith – An extraordinary, Spirit-given trust in God’s power to meet a specific, immediate need, often accompanying miracles.

4. Gifts of Healings – The supernatural power to serve as an instrument for God to heal illnesses and infirmities, often in diverse ways and circumstances.

5. Effecting of Miracles – The working of acts of divine power that intervene in and override natural laws (e.g., nature miracles, deliverances).

6. Prophecy – A spontaneous, inspired message from God, spoken in a known language, for the edification, exhortation, or comfort of the church.

7. Distinguishing of Spirits – The supernatural ability to discern the source and nature of spiritual influences (whether divine, demonic, or human).

8. Various Kinds of Tongues – The ability to speak in a language (human or angelic) not known to the speaker, primarily for personal prayer or, in public, with interpretation.

9. Interpretation of Tongues – The supernatural ability to interpret a message given in tongues so that the church may be edified.

Key Unifying Principle: Regardless of category, the Bible teaches that all spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit “as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11), are to be exercised in love (1 Corinthians 13), and have the ultimate purpose of glorifying God and building up His church (1 Peter 4:10-11).  I encourage you to first and foremost discover your own primary motivational spiritual gift from Romans 12:6-8 by taking the assessment at GiftTest.org.  Then, take a good, strong look at your church and the ministry gifts from Ephesians 4 listed by staff.  Finally, from the 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 list of sign gifts, which of these are present and active in your church body?  Which sign gifts do you see?  There is a HUGE range from none to all to maybe a few.

Now…if you don’t have a church and you consider the FirePlace on the Blessed App to be your church, know that for me personally, I have never experienced or practiced the gift of speaking in tongues.  And I don’t feel that I am “missing out” on anything.  I believe that I am “filled with the Spirit” through surrender and obedience, even though I do not speak in tongues.  In fact, I’ve never experienced the sign gifts, but I do believe that all Christians are called to live and walk in wisdom, knowledge and faith.  I also believe I have the gift of prophecy, but not quite the way pentecostals and charismatics define it.  It is not about predicting the future, nor is this about direct revelation from God that I then speak into your life.  For example:  “God told me tell you to sell your car and use an E bike.  Then take the savings and use it to support my ministry.”  That’s not prophecy, that’s CRAZY!  In my view, prophecy is simply speaking the truth in love already revealed in scripture.  “If you are engaging in sexual relations with a person that is not your spouse, STOP!  And if the two of you are living together, the male should take the lead MOVE OUT!”  That’s prophecy!  Remember, the original apostles DID NOT HAVE the Bible as we have it, read it, know it, and study it today!  In todays scammer, spammer hacker, harmer world that we live in, we need DISCERNMENT of distinguishing of spirits now more than ever!

Moving through that list, we end with the various kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues.  I do not practice this gift and prefer it not be a part of our FirePlace Blessed App worship experience.  I think it’s best to keep it as a PRIVATE prayer language.  It’s very confusing, very divisive and very controversial once it becomes a public worship practice.  If you’re in a church that allows this practice, just read through 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14, and make sure these guidelines are being followed.  And my final point is just to make sure you understand that the private prayer language IS NOT the same thing as the the kind of tongues recorded in the book of ACTS!  Again, that was a breaking of known language barriers as the gospel was being spread across the world!

I WELCOME your responses, reactions, feedback, questions, and constructive criticisms!  Leave a comment!  When delivered with love in the power of the Holy Spirit and NOT in the flesh, it will be helpful to me.  It will build up my faith, help me grow in my faith, and bring glory to God in Heaven!