Each believer is endowed with unique gifts by God's grace, intended for the service and edification of the church community. Spiritual gifts are not for personal glory but for the collective benefit and growth of the Christian community.
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Lists of spiritual gifts can be found in several passages in the New Testament:
- Romans 12:6-8
- 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
- Ephesians 4:11-13
Putting together all of the various passages and concepts, here is a description of various gifts along with examples of how they are exercised:
Administration
The gift of administration is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of a particular unit of the Body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals.
Luke 14:28-30 Acts 6:1-7 Acts 27:11 1 Corinthians 12:28 Titus 1:5
Discernment
The gift of discernment is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know with assurance whether certain behavior purported to be of God is in reality divine, human, or satanic.
Matthew 16:21-23 Acts 5:1-11 Acts 16:16-18 1 Corinthians 12:10 1 John 4:1-6
Evangelism
The gift of evangelism is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to share the gospel with nonbelievers in such a way that they become Jesus' disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
Acts 8:5-6 Acts 8:26-40 Acts 14:21 Acts 21:8 Ephesians 4:11-13 2 Timothy 4:5
Exhortation
The gift of exhortation — sometimes called the gift of counseling — is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed.
Acts 14:22 Romans 12:8 1 Timothy 4:13 Hebrews 10:25
Faith
The gift of faith is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work.
Acts 11:22-24 Acts 27:21-25 Romans 4:18-21 1 Corinthians 12:9 Hebrews 11:1-40
Giving
The gift of giving is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord liberally and cheerfully, above and beyond the tithes and offerings expected of all believers.
Mark 12:41-44 Romans 12:8 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 2 Corinthians 9:2-8
Helps
The gift of helps is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts. (Note: The gift of helps may be confused with the gift of service. Someone with the gift of helps usually aids one individual, while a person with the gift of service is willing to do whatever is necessary for a cause or project)
Mark 15:40-41 Luke 8:2-3 Acts 9:36 Romans 16:1-2 1 Corinthians 12:28
Hospitality
The gift of hospitality is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to provide an open house and a warm welcome to those in need of food and lodging.
Acts 16:14-15 Romans 12:9-13 Romans 16:23 Hebrews 13:1-2 1 Peter 4:9
Intercession
The gift of intercession is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers, to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian.
Luke 22:41-44 Acts 12:12 Colossians 1:9-12 Colossians 4:12-13 1 Timothy 2:1-2 James 5:14-16
Knowledge
The gift of knowledge is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the Body.
Acts 5:1-11 1 Corinthians 2:14 1 Corinthians 12:8 2 Corinthians 11:6 Colossians 2:2-3
Leadership
The gift of leadership is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to set goals in accordance with God's purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God.
Luke 9:51 Acts 7:10 Acts 15:7-11 Romans 12:8 1 Timothy 5:17 Hebrews 13:17
Leading Worship
The gift of leading worship is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to accurately discern the heart of God for a particular public worship service, to draw others into an intimate experience with God during the worship time, and to allow the Holy Spirit to change direction and emphases as the service progresses.
1 Samuel 16:23 1 Chronicles 9:33 2 Chronicles 5:12-14
Mercy
The gift of mercy is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals (both Christian and non-Christian) who suffer distressing physical, mental, or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds which reflect Christ's love and alleviate the suffering.
Matthew 20:29-34 Matthew 25:34-40 Mark 9:41 Luke 10:33-35 Acts 11:28-30 Acts 16:33-34 Romans 12:8
Missions
The gift of missions is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a second culture.
Acts 8:4 Acts 13:2-3 Acts 22:21 Romans 10:15 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Ephesians 3:6-8
Service
The gift of service — sometimes called the gift of volunteering — is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God's work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired results. (Note: The gift of service may be confused with the gift of helps. See note on helps for clarification)
Acts 6:1-7 Romans 12:7 Galatians 6:2,10 2 Timothy 1:16-18 Titus 3:14
Shepherding
The gift of shepherding is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers.
John 10:1-18 Ephesians 4:11-13 1 Timothy 3:1-7 1 Peter 5:1-3
Teaching
The gift of teaching is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn.
Acts 18:24-28 Acts 20:20-21 Romans 12:7 1 Corinthians 12:28 Ephesians 4:11-13
Voluntary Poverty
The gift of voluntary poverty is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to renounce material comfort and luxury and adopt a personal lifestyle equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society in order to serve God more effectively.
Acts 2:44-45 Acts 4:34-37 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 2 Corinthians 6:10 2 Corinthians 8:9
Wisdom
The gift of wisdom is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the Body of Christ.
Acts 6:3,10 1 Corinthians 2:1-13 1 Corinthians 12:8 James 1:5-6 2 Peter 3:15-16
For more information on Spiritual Gifts, you can check out Senior Pastor Jim Locke's series of messages from our midweek services called
Ready to Play.