What Are Spiritual Gifts? Types, Definitions, and Examples in the Bible

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Spiritual gifts are something every believer is given when they receive the gift of salvation. Just as the gift of salvation is by grace through faith, so are the spiritual gifts. Our God is so generous. He is constantly giving us things. 

“Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us.” (Ephesians 4:7 CEV)

It’s His grace at work in our lives.

What are Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are special abilities, talents, or capacities given to individual Christians by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of serving God and others within the Christian community. These gifts are not natural talents or skills but supernatural endowments provided by God's grace. They are meant to be used to build up the body of Christ, which is the community of believers.

The origin of spiritual gifts can be traced back to the Holy Spirit's work in the life of a believer. Acts 1:8 says: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you". These gifts are a manifestation of God's grace and divine empowerment. They are bestowed upon believers as a result of their faith in Jesus Christ and their connection to the body of believers. The article emphasizes that spiritual gifts are given for the purpose of fulfilling God's mission and serving others.

In summary, spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities or capacities given by the Holy Spirit to individual Christians within the Christian community. These gifts have their origin in God's grace and are meant to be used for the edification of the church and the fulfillment of God's purposes.

What Are the Spiritual Gifts?

We can find spiritual gifts listed in Scriptures, specificially - Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 28-30, and Ephesians 4:11. Let's take a deeper look at each passage.

Romans 12:6-8 (NIV):

• Prophecy: The gift of speaking forth God's messages, often focused on edification, exhortation, and comfort.
• Serving: The capacity to serve others selflessly and meet practical needs within the church.
• Teaching: The ability to communicate and explain God's truth effectively to others.
• Encouragement: The gift of encouraging and motivating others toward spiritual growth and maturity.
• Giving: The ability to give generously and cheerfully, often contributing resources for the benefit of the church and those in need.
• Leadership: The gift of providing leadership, organization, and guidance within the church.
• Mercy: The gift of showing compassion, empathy, and kindness to those who are suffering or in distress.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV):

• Wisdom: A deep understanding of God's truth and the ability to apply it practically to life situations.
• Knowledge: Special insight and knowledge of God's Word and His will.
• Faith: A supernatural ability to trust God and His promises in extraordinary circumstances.
• Healing: Praying for and witnessing physical, emotional, or spiritual healing in others through divine intervention.
• Miracles: The ability to perform extraordinary signs and wonders, demonstrating God's power.
• Prophecy: Speaking forth God's messages, including words of edification, exhortation, and comfort.
• Discernment of Spirits: Distinguishing between different spirits, discerning whether they are of God, human, or evil origin.
• Speaking in Tongues: The ability to speak in unknown languages as a form of prayer or communication with God.
• Interpretation of Tongues: The gift of interpreting messages spoken in tongues, making them understandable to others.

1 Corinthians 12:28-30 (NIV):

• Apostles: Those who are sent as messengers with a specific commission.
• Prophets: Individuals who receive and convey God's messages and revelations.
• Teachers: Those who are skilled in explaining and sharing God's Word.
• Workers of Miracles: Believers who perform extraordinary signs and wonders.
• Gifts of Healing: Those with the gift of praying for and witnessing healing.
• Helps: Individuals who serve others selflessly, often behind the scenes.
• Administration (Leadership): Those who provide guidance and organization within the church.
• Tongues: Believers with the ability to speak in unknown languages.
• Interpretation of Tongues: Those who can interpret messages spoken in tongues.

Ephesians 4:11 (NIV):

• Apostles: Those sent forth with a specific commission to establish and build up the church.
• Prophets: Individuals who receive divine revelations and communicate God's message.
• Evangelists: Those who proclaim the gospel and lead others to faith in Christ.
• Pastors (Shepherds): Leaders who provide spiritual care and guidance to the church.

Categorizing the Types of Spiritual Gifts

Each of the above spiritual gifts mentioned in Scripture can be categorized into one of 3 types or kinds. These gifts are not something we possess; they are God’s supernatural ability showing up in our lives in various ways. The Bible calls it a manifestation. There are ministry gifts, manifestation gifts, and motivational gifts. All believers take part in these gifts in various ways. 

Let’s look at each of them separately.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV)

1. Ministry Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The ministry gifts are the way God works with what believers do to serve others and meet their needs. It’s how we minister or ad-minister the love, grace, and truth of God to others. To administer is to apply and bring into use.

“And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.” (1 Corinthians 12:5 KJV)

The Bible provides a list of these ministering gifts and their purpose.

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13, emphasis added)

Many refer to them as the 5-fold ministry. Not everyone is called to the ministry, but 1 Corinthians 12:28 adds a gift for helping.

"And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues."

5-Fold Ministry Gifts

• Apostles
• Prophets
• Evangelists
• Pastors
• Teachers
• Helpers

God graciously empowers us all to help one another by His Spirit.

2. Manifestation Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Manifestation gifts are the ones people tend to sensationalize and, therefore, disqualify themselves from enjoying. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, it says God gives to each of us, not just some. This means everyone.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to others gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to others miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, emphasis added)

This supernatural demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power is to serve others as well as minister to ourselves. It’s commonly thought these gifts are only to minister to others, but that’s limiting the grace of God. The Spirit can give you a message of wisdom when you ask for one in your life just as easily as He can give one to you to deliver to someone else. Let the Holy Spirit minister to you also.

9 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

• A message of wisdom
• A message of knowledge
• Faith
• Gifts of healing 
• Miraculous powers
• Prophecy
• Distinguishing between spirits
• Speaking in different kinds of tongues
• The interpretation of tongues

These manifestation gifts are how God works through us bringing joy and fruitfulness in every one of our lives.

3. Motivational Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The motivational gifts are how the Spirit of Grace moves through us, motivating our words and actions. It’s a filter we’re given for our perspective, shaping how we relate to and serve others.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:6-8, emphasis added)

7 Motivational Spiritual Gifts

• Prophesying
• Serving
• Teaching
• Encouraging
• Giving
• Leading
• Showing Mercy

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Discovering Your Gift

If you look at the things you do, examine the why behind them. This is how you’ll identify which one you are motivated by.

All these gifts are wonderful and have a place. Some may sound more important than others, but that is not true. It’s just our ego getting in the way.

The Bible says to desire the best gifts, and the best gift is the one you need at the time.

What Is the Best Spiritual Gift?

“So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.” (1 Corinthians 12:31 NLT, emphasis added)

Gifts are great, but it’s more important to know how to love. God has given us His love as a gift. We love because He loved us first. Without love, all the actions supposed to be gifts are empty.

There’s a reason the following portion of Scripture is so widely known. Love is the best gift. Love is what matters most.

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-10 NLT)

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT, emphasis added)

Seek to love above all else, and the gifts will find their place because God is love.

Download our free PDF for Living By the Holy Spirit Power - A Prayer and Scripture Guide

Bible Verses about Spiritual Gifts

Romans 12:6-8

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 Peter 4:10-11

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Ephesians 4:11-16

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Danielle Bernock is an international award-winning author. Her works include Emerging With Wings: A True Story of Lies, Pain, And The LOVE that Heals, A Bird Named Payn, and Love’s Manifesto. Her new book Because You Matter: How to Take Ownership of Your Life so You Can Really Live, will be released in fall 2019. For more information or to connect with Danielle, https://www.daniellebernock.com/

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This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.