Spiritual Gifts Explanation
Here is some useful information for those of you who are wondering about your spiritual gifts.
A Summary of the Spiritual Gifts
Apostleship: The divine ability to build the foundation of new churches by preaching the word, teaching others to live by Christ’s commandments though their own lives and preparing the people to serve one another. Persons with this gift are eager to bring the gospel to those who have never heard it and envision themselves as missionaries, or they may accept and exercise leadership over a number of new churches.
Ephesians 4:11-13, Acts 6:2-4, 2 Peter 3:2 and 1 Thessalonians 2:6
Assistance/Helps: The God-given ability to work alongside others in performing practical and often behind-the-scenes task to sustain and enhance the Body of Christ. A person with this gift receives spiritual satisfaction from doing everyday necessary tasks and may prefer to work quietly without public recognition.
Hebrews 6:10, Acts 24:23, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philippians 2:25-30
Discernment of Spirits: The divine ability to recognize what is of God and what is not of God. People with this gift usually can rely on instincts or first impressions to tell when a person or message is deceptive or inconsistent with biblical truths.
1 John 4:1, Acts 13:8-12, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Acts 17:11
Evangelism: The divine ability to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ so that unknowing persons respond with faith and discipleship. People with this gift speak comfortably about their faith and they respond clearly in ways that connect with individuals.
Acts 5:42, Luke 9:6, Acts 16:6-10, Acts 8:26-40
Exhortation: The God-given ability to encourage, help, intercede for and be an advocate for others in a way that motivates others to grow in their faith and urges them to action. People with this gift encourage others to remain faithful even in the midst of struggles. They can see positive traits or aspects that other persons overlook, and often have more faith in other person than they have in themselves.
Acts 14:22, Acts 20:1-2, Acts 15:31-33, 2 Timothy 4:2
Faith: The divine ability to recognize what God wants done and to act when others fall back in doubt. People with this gift, by their works and by their words, show others that God is faithful to God’s promises.
Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Timothy 6:11, Acts 12:22, Matthew 9:2 and 22
Healing: The divine ability to bring wholeness-physical, emotional or spiritual- to others. People with this gift listen skillfully as they seek God’s guidance to learn the needs of the sick and to determine the causes and nature of an illness. Their tools include prayer, touch and spoken words.
Matthew 4:23, Luke 9:11, Acts 10:38, Acts 4:28-30
Generosity: The God-given ability to give material wealth freely and joyfully, knowing that spiritual wealth will abound as God’s work is advanced. People with this gift usually manage their finances well, may have a special ability to make money and tend to be frugal in their lifestyle. Instead of asking, “How much of my money do I give to God?” They ask, “How much of God’s money do I keep?”
Luke 3:11, Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 2:8
Interpretation of Tongues: The divine ability to translate the message of someone speaking in tongues. People with this gift enable the gift of tongues to build up the church, by interpreting God’s message for the people.
1 Corinthians 12:10 and 14
Leadership/ Administration: The spiritual gift of administration or leadership is the God-given ability to organize and mange information, people, events and resources to accomplish the objectives of a ministry. People with this gift handle details carefully and thoroughly. They feel frustrated when faced with disorder and are uncomfortable with inefficiency.
1 Corinthians 12:28, Acts 6:1-7, Titus 1:5
Leading with Diligence/Leadership: The divine ability to motivate, coordinate and direct people doing God’s work. People with this gift are visionaries who inspire others to work together to make the vision a reality. These persons are called to be servant-leaders.
Philippians 3:17-21, John 13:12-17, Hebrews 13:7 and 17
Mercy/Compassion: The God-given ability to see and feel the suffering of others and to minister to them with love and understanding. People with this gift are called to reach out to someone who is hurt or rejected, easing the suffering. They are skilled at gaining the trust of those in need and enjoy finding ways to comfort them.
Matthew 9:36, Luke 10:30-37, Colossians 3:12-15
Effecting of Miracles: The divine ability to perform miracles that testify to the truth of the Gospel. People with this gift perform miracles among the people for the purpose of getting their attention, so as to point to the might works of God.
John 2:11and 6:2, Acts 2:22 and 8:6, Hebrews 2:4
Pastor-Teacher: The divine ability to guide, protect, and care for other Christians as they experience spiritual growth. People with this gift enjoy working with groups of people and nurturing their growth over an extended period of time. They can assess where a person is spiritually, and then develop or find places where that person can continue a journey of faith.
1 peter 5:1-4, John 10:1-16, Jeremiah 3:15 and 17:16, Ezekiel 34, Ephesians 4:11-16
Prophecy: The God-given ability to proclaim God’s truth in a way that makes it relevant to current situations and to envision how God would want things to change. People with this gift listen carefully to God for what God wants them to say. Prophets speak to the people, bringing edification, exhortation and consolation.
Ephesians 4:11-13, Revelation 19:10, 1 Corinthians 13:2 and 14:3
Teaching: The divine ability to understand and clearly explain God’s truths and to show how we can apply these in our lives. People with this gift enjoy studying the bible and inspire listeners to greater obedience to God’s word.
Matthew 28:19-20, Colossians 1:28, James 3:1, 1 Timothy 6:3-5, Titus 1:7-11
Tongues: The divine ability to speak a message from God to the people in a language one has not naturally learned. There are three types of tongues: speaking in a language the people does not know but the listener does; speaking in a language neither the speaker nor the listeners understand; and a private prayer language. The first 2 build up the Body of Christ and the third edifies the speaker and should be used in private.
Acts 2:11, 1 Corinthians 14
Utterance of Knowledge/Word of Knowledge: The God-given ability to understand, organize and effectively use information to advance God’s purposes. People with this gift enjoy studying the Bible and other sources to gain facts, insights and truths.
Proverbs 1:7, Jeremiah 3:15, Malachi 2:7, 2 Peter 1:2-11, Romans 10:2-3
Utterance of Wisdom/Word of Wisdom: The God-given ability to understand and apply biblical and spiritual knowledge to complex, contradictory or other difficult situations. People with this gift speak God’s truth as found in Scripture. They make practical application of biblical truths.
Colossians 1:9-12 and 28, 2:3, 3:16, James 3:13