What are the spiritual gifts?

If you follow Jesus, then the Spirit has instilled at least one gift for his greater purpose in you. We can neglect the Spirit or sin and hamper his work in us, but everyone who trusts Jesus is given spiritual gifts.

Firstly, and above all, your gifts are for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 12:12–31). In the fuller context of 1 Corinthians 11–12, it becomes obvious that God established our gifts for the benefit of his people, of the church. We must also note that gifts are not merely talents. The Holy Spirit must empower our gifts, and those gifts will work alongside the fruits of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4–11; Galatians 5:22–23).

For example, discernment without gentleness and kindness devolves into judgment, and evangelism without love becomes condemnation. On the other hand, shepherding with patience leads to discipleship, and hospitality with joy and kindness makes others feel welcome. So, God designed our gifts to work in tandem with the Spirit’s guidance! They are a work of sanctification in our lives.

We’ve divided the seventeen spiritual gifts into three categories based on their function in the church: public gifts, personal gifts, and paradigm gifts. These categories don’t exist in the Bible, but it’s helpful for unpacking them in partnership with the larger body of Christ.

The public gifts include:

• Administration
• Apostleship
• Leadership
• Music
• Prophecy
• Teaching

These are gifts that necessarily include a communal context for how we apply them.

The personal gifts include:

• Discernment
• Exhortation
• Knowledge
• Shepherding
• Wisdom

Anyone with these gifts will still use them for believers, but these gifts always entail intentional time with small groups or individuals one on one.

The paradigm gifts include:

• Evangelism
• Faith
• Giving
• Hospitality
• Mercy
• Serving

These gifts and their applications are required by all Christians—foundationally so. However, they will come more naturally to some than others. As such, Christians with these gifts should live them out with such a passion that other Christians are inspired to grow and follow suit.

This study includes applications for everyone in each day of the study, for each gift. So, even if you don’t have wisdom, you will receive a word on that day about wisdom and a biblical way to connect with people who do have the gift.

The study is for everyone with any and every gift.

We hope it uplifts you and helps you integrate with the larger church body well.