What are Spiritual Gifts?

The New Testament includes three lists of spiritual gifts.

In Romans 12:3-8 we encounter seven gifts:

• "prophecy;" serving; teaching; encouraging; "contributing to the needs of others;" leadership; mercy

In 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 we find nine gifts:

• wisdom; knowledge; faith; healing; miraculous powers; prophecy; distinguishing between spirits; "speaking in different kinds of tongues;" "the interpretation of tongues"

And in Ephesians 4:11 we discover five gifts:

• apostles; prophets; evangelists; pastors; teachers (some interpreters see pastors and teachers as two separate gifts, though the Greek syntax seems to indicate that they are one function)

Our church's gifts discovery tool does not include the so-called "sign" gifts (healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation of tongues) even though we believe they are valid today, because we do not offer ministries which use them. We include the additional gifts of "music" and "hospitality" since many interpreters see them as spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor 14:26 and 1 Peter 4:9-11), and because they are very important to our church's ministries.

Combining the various lists, this gifts discovery tool catalogues 18 different gifts:

Administration
Organizing people and ministries effectively.

Apostleship
Adapting to a different culture to share the gospel or do ministry.

Discernment
Distinguishing spiritual truth from error or heresy.

Evangelism
sharing the gospel effectively and passionately.

Exhortation
Encouraging others as they follow Jesus.

Faith
Seeing God's plan and following it with passion.

Giving
Investing with unusual sacrifice and joy in God's Kingdom.

Hospitality
Using your home and/or resources to help others follow Jesus.

Intercession
Praying with unusual passion and effectiveness.

Knowledge
Discerning and sharing the deep truths of God's word and will.

Leadership
Motivating and inspiring others to serve Jesus fully.

Mercy
Showing God's grace to hurting people with unusual passion

Music
Sharing God's truth and love with unusual effectiveness.

Prophecy
Preaching the word of God with personal passion and effectiveness.

Serving
Meeting practical needs with unusual sacrifice and joy

Shepherding
Helping others grow spiritually.

Teaching
Explaining God's word and truth with unusual effectiveness.

Wisdom
Relating biblical truth to practical life with great effectiveness.

Some of these ministry areas are the responsibility only of those gifted to fulfill them, while others are the responsibility of all believers. For instance, those with the gift of prophecy should preach; those with the gift of teaching should teach the Bible to others; those with the gift of apostleship should be our leaders in missions ministry. On the other hand, God expects all of his people to discern truth from error, share their faith, encourage others, have faith in him, give sacrificially, show hospitality to others, intercede regularly, seek to know and share his word, offer mercy to hurting people, meet practical needs with joy, help others grow spiritually, and relate his truth to life.

Whether we are "gifted" in these areas or not, we are responsible to meet these needs as God directs us. Those with spiritual gifts in these areas will typically be called to lead the rest of us in these ministries, and will model them with great effectiveness. Those I have known who possess the gift of evangelism, for example, encourage me to share my faith when they demonstrate their gift in action. Those with the gift of serving will take the initiative to help in this area, and will show the rest of us how to serve with joy.

The spiritual gifts, then, do not confine our service only to the areas where we are gifted. Rather, they point the way to ministries where we will lead and serve with our greatest passion and joy.