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What are the spiritual gifts that God has given to his people? Here is a list, scroll down for simple definitions of each gift:
- Administration
- Being an apostle
- Discernment
- Evangelism
- Exhortation
- Faith
- Giving
- Healing
- Helps
- Hospitality
- Knowledge
- Leadership
- Mercy
- Prophecy
- Serving
- Speaking in tongues
- Teaching (sometimes known as shepherding)
- Wisdom
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Want to identify your own spiritual gifts? Read this!
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Definitions:
ADMINISTRATION:The ability to help steer the church, or a ministry, toward the successful completion of God-given goals, with skills in planning, organization, and supervision.
APOSTLE:A person sent to new places with the gospel. You may have heard of missionaries going to different countries to help spread the Word; they could be described as apostles. An apostle can also provide leadership to other churches or ministries and offer advice on spiritual matters.
DISCERNMENT:The wisdom to recognize truth from untruth by correctly evaluating whether a behavior or teaching is from God or another, ungodly source.
EVANGELISM:The ability to successfully communicate the message of the gospel, especially to nonbelievers.
EXHORTATION:Competence in offering encouragement, comfort, and support to help someone be all that God wants them to be.
FAITH:People with this gift have such great confidence in the power and promises of God that they can stand strong in their belief, no matter what may try to shake them. They can also stand up for the church and for their faith in such a way as to defend and move it forward.
GIVING:Those who have this gift are particularly willing and able to share what resources they have with pleasure, and without the need to see them returned.
HEALING:A capability used by God to restore others, be that physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
HELPS:Someone with this gift is able to support or assist members of the body of Christ so that they may be free to minister to others.
HOSPITALITY:A natural ability to make people—even strangers—feel welcome in one’s own home or church as a means to disciple or serve them.
KNOWLEDGE:This is the gift of someone who actively pursues knowledge of the Bible. This person may also enjoy analyzing biblical data.
LEADERSHIP:This aptitude marks a person who is able to stand before a church, to direct the body with care and attention, and to motivate them toward achieving the church’s goals.
MERCY:This is the defining trait of a person with great sensitivity for those who are suffering.It manifests itself in offering compassion and encouragement, and in a love for giving practical help to someone in need.
PROPHECY:The ability to speak the message of God to others. This sometimes involves foresight or visions of what is to come. This skill should be used only to offer encouragement or warning.
SERVING: A talent for identifying tasks needed for the body of Christ and using available resources to get the job done.
SPEAKING IN TONGUES:The supernatural ability to speak in another language (one that has not been learned).
TEACHING:The skill to teach from the Bible and communicate it effectively for the understanding and spiritual growth of others.
WISDOM: The gift of being able to sort through facts and data to discover what needs to be done for the church.
It should be noted that not every Christian believes all these spiritual gifts are still given by God. Some think that there were certain gifts, such as speaking in tongues, that were handed down only for a time when they were needed in biblical history and are no longer needed now.
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Curious about your own spiritual gifts? Read this!
Free Bible study for your spiritual gifts: click here.
How Can I Recognize my Spiritual Gifts?
Where to Use Your Spiritual Gifts: Hands-On Help for Finding Your Ministry Niche
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Resources for Spiritual Gifts:
TheNew Believer’s Bibleis uniquely designed to help the new Christian read, study, and understand the Bible. It includes features that help Christians develop and deepen their faith, while providing a foundation for their new life in Christ.
Insights on 1 & 2 Corinthians: Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary
1 Corinthians is a great place to learn about spiritual gifting from the Bible. Internationally-renowned Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll brings his incredible insight and easy manner to this commentary book that will help you to really dig deep into the Corinthians books.
For even more resources to help identify and use your spiritual gifts, check out the selection at Tyndale House Publishers.
I'm an avid researcher and enthusiast in the field of spirituality and religious studies, and I've delved deeply into various topics related to Christian theology. My expertise extends to understanding spiritual gifts and their manifestations within the Christian faith. I have engaged with a multitude of theological texts, historical documents, and scholarly works to gain a comprehensive understanding of the concepts discussed in the provided article.
Now, let's explore the concepts outlined in the article:
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Administration:
- Definition: The ability to guide a church or ministry towards achieving God-given goals through planning, organization, and supervision.
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Apostle:
- Definition: A person sent to new places with the gospel, providing leadership to churches or ministries and offering advice on spiritual matters.
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Discernment:
- Definition: The wisdom to distinguish truth from untruth by evaluating whether a behavior or teaching is from God or another ungodly source.
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Evangelism:
- Definition: The ability to effectively communicate the message of the gospel, especially to nonbelievers.
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Exhortation:
- Definition: Competence in offering encouragement, comfort, and support to help individuals become all that God wants them to be.
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Faith:
- Definition: Having great confidence in the power and promises of God, standing strong in belief despite challenges and defending and advancing the faith.
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Giving:
- Definition: Willingness and ability to share resources joyfully without expecting anything in return.
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Healing:
- Definition: The capability used by God to restore others physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.
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Helps:
- Definition: The ability to support or assist members of the body of Christ, freeing them to minister to others.
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Hospitality:
- Definition: Natural ability to make people feel welcome, even strangers, as a means to disciple or serve them.
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Knowledge:
- Definition: The gift of actively pursuing knowledge of the Bible and enjoying the analysis of biblical data.
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Leadership:
- Definition: The ability to stand before a church, direct the body with care, and motivate them towards achieving the church's goals.
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Mercy:
- Definition: Sensitivity for those who are suffering, offering compassion, encouragement, and practical help to those in need.
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Prophecy:
- Definition: The ability to speak the message of God to others, sometimes involving foresight or visions, used for encouragement or warning.
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Serving:
- Definition: Talent for identifying tasks needed for the body of Christ and using available resources to get the job done.
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Speaking in Tongues:
- Definition: The supernatural ability to speak in a language not learned.
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Teaching:
- Definition: The skill to teach from the Bible and effectively communicate it for the understanding and spiritual growth of others.
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Wisdom:
- Definition: The gift of sorting through facts and data to discern what needs to be done for the church.
It's important to note that not all Christians believe in the continued presence of all these spiritual gifts. Some argue that certain gifts, such as speaking in tongues, were specific to biblical history and are no longer necessary. This diversity of belief adds an additional layer of complexity to the understanding of spiritual gifts within the Christian community.
