Gifts of the Spirit

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According to the Bible, you, as a born again, Spirit filled, child of God, have been given Spiritual gifts.

I’m not talking about your natural talents and abilities. These all work together with your Spiritual gifts. I am talking supernatural gifts!


So, what exactly is it and why were Christians given these gifts?

Well, first of all, they are exactly what they are being called, they are gifts. They have been given to every believer by a gracious God, through his Spirit (Heb. 2:4, Eph. 4:7).

It was not given to benefit only you as an individual, but to benefit the entire Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:7). It should be carried out in love and should bear Spiritual fruit.

That is why it is important to understand the following verses:

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 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.” 1 Cor. 12:4-6, ESV (own emphasis)

There are varieties of gifts

The Bible makes it clear that there are different Spiritual gifts.

In the New Testament, we find three major parts of Scripture where the different Spiritual gifts are being listed and discussed. They are Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12: 1-31 and Ephesians 4:1-16.

The most common teaching on the different gifts are taken from 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, wherein nine specific gifts are clearly mentioned. These nine gifts have been categorized by scholars in the following way:


  •           Three revelation gifts: The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits.
  •           Three power gifts: The gift of faith, the working of miracles and the gifts of healing.
  •           Three inspirational gifts: Prophesy, different kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues.

In Romans 12:3-8 some more gifts are being mentioned, like serving, teaching, giving and exhortation. 

Every believer has these gifts, but we have unique combinations of a stronger and weaker anointing of each gift on our lives.  You may ask God to reveal your unique set of gifts. The more you submit to the Holy Spirit, the more your supernatural gifts will manifest.

One very important thing to remember though, is that each gift is needed. Even the seemingly small ones. The gifts of serving and giving are listed together with the gifts of teaching and prophesying!
Like Paul had said, if the whole body was an ear, where would the sense of smell be? Just like all the parts of your body are needed for you to function well, so all the gifts are needed for the Body of Christ to function well.

There are varieties of service


Not only are there different gifts, but also different ways of using these gifts.

Let’s take, as an example, the gift of teaching. One person may use this gift in a pastoral role in the church, while another teaches at children’s church. One may use this gift by writing on spiritual matters where another uses it by teaching informally around the table to colleagues at lunchtime.

Together with your gift, God also determines the sphere in which your gift should be exercised.

Through His divine wisdom, God knows that teachers are needed in different circumstances and not only on a podium at church.

There are varieties of activities


Some translations read: varieties of effects. This means that not all of us accomplish the same effect with our gifts.

Whether you are teaching thousands of people as the pastor of a big church, or three people at lunchtime. Whether you prophesy over the life of one individual, or the future of a nation. Whether you administrate an international ministry, or your local Bible study group. To God they are equally important. He is the God of individuals. He sees persons, not masses. He would leave a hundred sheep to find the one that’s lost. 


By understanding the diversity of Spiritual gifts as well as their uses, we can be more effective in our calling, namely, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

Also, by understanding that God has given you
-          a unique combination of Supernatural gifts in
-          a unique situation to
-          your own unique ability,
will make you a more powerful tool in the hand of the Master.

May you walk in your full capacity to the honor of God and so be a blessing to His church.

God bless
Madeleine

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