What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Gifts?

Many people wonder what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts. The Bible discusses spiritual gifts in detail in I Corinthians 12 with additional discussion in I Corinthians 14. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up the church. Some spiritual gifts are solely for the benefit of believers while others also benefit unbelievers. God's followers should work together with their spiritual gifts as a body to build up the church.

Identification

The Bible discusses spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12. The Bible states that there is only one Spirit (the Holy Spirit), but that the one Spirit gives different kinds of spiritual gifts to different people. The purpose of spiritual gifts is for the common good. God's followers are supposed to work together as one body and they are to use their spiritual gifts together to build up the body of Christ.

Types

In I Corinthians 12, the Bible defines the different types of spiritual gifts. Those spiritual gifts include the following: wisdom, knowledge, faith, gift of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discernment (distinguishing between spirits), speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues (I Corinthians 12:8-10). The Bible mentions additional spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12:28-30: apostleship, teaching, helping others, and administration. Some of the spiritual gifts are mentioned in both passages. All are gifts from the Holy Spirit.

Features

According to the Bible, while all spiritual gifts are from the Holy Spirit, not every spiritual gift is considered equal. In I Corinthians 12:31, the bible encourages us to "eagerly desire the greater gifts." Presumably, the greater gifts are those that are mentioned first, such as apostleship, prophecy and teaching (I Corinthians 12:28). However, the Bible also explains in I Corinthians 12:12-26 that God's followers are all interconnected and that each spiritual gift has a role. All are important.

Considerations

Jesus exhibited many of the spiritual gifts, such as the gifts of healing (Matthew 4:23), prophecy (Revelation 19:10), and performing miracles (Acts 2:22). According to the Bible, Jesus said that anyone with faith in him will do the same things that he did, including even greater things (John 14:12). This implies Jesus' authorization of spiritual gifts. Jesus' words were true for many of the apostles, including Paul (Acts 19:11) and Peter (Acts 3:1-10).

Benefits

The purpose of spiritual gifts is to benefit the body of Christ. According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts for the common good. (I Corinthians 12:7) God's people are to work together, using their spiritual gifts, to glorify God and to help one another. According to I Corinthians 14:22, some spiritual gifts are for the benefit of believers, some for unbelievers and some for both.

Resources

• I Corinthians 12