How to Identify Your Spiritual Gifts
Word Aflame, Pictures of Wisdom describes spiritual gifts as “gifts that the Spirit gives as a result of the new birth” (1: 77-84). Spiritual gifts are the evidence of God’s power in the life of the born-again believer. Paul writes, “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20). Spiritual gifts are the means through which God's mind, will, and purpose are revealed in the earth.
It is important for the saints of God to remember that the power is of God and is not of their own abilities. Everything that God uses someone to do is to glorify him and not themselves. When God uses an individual in miraculous ways, it becomes very easy for pride to try to creep into their lives and sabotage their good works. Pride will try to deceive them into believing that they can perform miraculous works without God. If they allow themselves to fall victim to pride, their ministries will become ineffective.
THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Although there are several lists of spiritual gifts in the Bible, none of the lists are the same. Also, no one list contains all the gifts of the Spirit. The lists of the gifts of the Spirit included in this chapter are taken from Paul's lists in Romans 12:7-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 28; and Ephesians 4:11-12.
Although there are several lists of spiritual gifts in the Bible, none of the lists are the same. Also, no one list contains all the gifts of the Spirit. The lists of the gifts of the Spirit included in this chapter are taken from Paul's lists in Romans 12:7-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 28; and Ephesians 4:11-12.
According to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary spiritual gifts fit into three major categories: the gifts of utterances, the gifts of practical ministry, and the gifts of wonder-working faith (1062). Because the operation of every spiritual gift requires faith, the wonder-working faith category is replaced with a category called the gifts of instruction.
Spiritual Gifts Reflect the Image of God. The image of God is Spirit, Word, and power. Spiritual gifts are the manifestation of God's Spirit, Word, and power (Heb. 1:3). The gifts of utterances represent the Word of God (2 Pet. 1:21), the gifts of practical ministry represent the demonstration of the power of God (Mark 16:17-20), and the gifts of instruction represent the Spirit of God (Eph. 4:11-12). These three categories of spiritual gifts are defined as follows:
The Gifts of Utterances – The gifts of utterances are the manifestation of the Word of God through the gifts of the word of wisdom; word of knowledge; prophecy; various kinds of tongues; interpretation of tongues and discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:8,10).
The Gifts of Practical Ministry – The gifts of practical ministry are the manifestation of God's power through the gifts of faith; healing; miracles; caring for the needy; ministry of helps; and ministry of administration (1 Cor. 12:9-10; Rom. 12:8).
The Gifts of Instruction – The gifts of instruction are manifestations of the Spirit of God through the offices of apostles; prophets; evangelists; pastors and teachers (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). These are commonly referred to as five-fold ministry gifts.
It is important to mention that more than one gift can be in operation in an individual. For example, a pastor may also possess the gifts of prophet and teacher. Another example is an evangelist that also possess the gifts of healing and miracles. A final example is someone who is gifted in administration may also possess the gifts of caring for the needy and discerning of spirits. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:12 that the gifts of the spirit are for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ. Next, we will discuss the gifts of utterances, the gifts of practical ministry and the gifts of instruction in greater detail.
GIFTS OF UTTERANCES
The Word of Wisdom – The Word of Wisdom falls in the category of gifts of utterances. The word of wisdom is defined as: The revelation by the Holy Spirit of future events. Agabus reveals through the word of wisdom what will happen to Paul when he goes to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-11).
The Word of Knowledge – The Word of knowledge is defined as: The revelation by the Holy Spirit of past or present events. Peter reveals through the word of knowledge the deception of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10).
Gift of Prophecy – A prophecy is a revelation by the Holy Spirit of something beyond the human power to foresee, discern, or conjecture. The gift of prophecy is different from the office of a prophet, in that one does not have to hold the office of a prophet for God to use them in the gift of prophecy to address a particular need.
The meaning of the word “prophesy” means “to preach” (Acts 21:9). Just because God uses someone to prophesy in a particular situation, does not mean that the individual is called of God to hold the office of a prophet. God will use whomever or whatever he chooses to accomplish his will. In the book of Numbers, God used an ass to speak to the wicked prophet Balaam (Num. 22:28, 30). Someone claiming to be a prophet who is not, does not receive messages from God, but impart their own desires upon others. As history has shown, this could lead to individuals becoming engaged in cult-like activities that could cause traumatic events and even the loss of innocent lives. We will discuss the office of a prophet later in the section titled Gifts of Instruction.
Discerning of Spirits – This gift is defined by “Pictures of Wisdom” as the supernatural gift of perceiving the spiritual motivations for actions or what type of spirit is at work (1: 77-84). Paul discerns a spirit of divination in a damsel, and commands it to come out of her (Acts 16:16-18).
Diverse Kinds of Tongues – According to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary speaking with tongues is defined as the act of speaking in one or more languages unknown to the speaker or incomprehensible (1161). On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost fell on one hundred and twenty souls, and they all begin to speak with other tongues (Acts 2:4).
Interpretation of Tongues – This gift enables an individual to give the meaning of tongues spoken in one or more languages, or that are incomprehensible. The evidence that the gift of interpretation of tongues was active in the early church is found in Paul’s principles governing tongues (1 Cor. 14:27).
GIFTS OF PRACTICAL MINISTRY
Gift of Faith – Faith means trust in, or reliance on God. Faith works in combination with other gifts of the Spirit. Peter and John heal a lame man and declare that his healing is a result of faith in the name of Jesus (Acts 3:6, 16).
Gifts of Healing – The gifts of healing are the supernatural healing of diseases and infirmities without natural means. Paul operated in the gift of healing, and his handkerchiefs and aprons were given to the sick and those possessed with evil spirits, and they all recovered (Acts 19:11-12).
Working of Miracles – The working of miracles is defined as a supernatural intervention by God of the normal course of nature. Philip operated in this gift and was used of God to cast out evil spirits, heal those with palsies, and those that were lame (Acts 8:5-7).
Caring for the needy – This ministry includes serving, encouraging, contributing, performing acts of mercy, and giving aid (Rom. 12:7-8). When the disciple Tabitha became sick and died, the widows showed Peter the coats and garments that she made for the needy (Acts 9:39). Afterwards, Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40).
Ministry of Helps – This ministry includes the same activities as caring for the needy above (1 Cor. 12:28). In Paul’s greeting to the Roman saints, he describes a variety of services performed by the saints, which helped the church (Rom. 16:1-15).
Ministry of Administration – This ministry involves giving aid as in caring for the needy, and the ministry of helps above (1 Cor. 12:28). The disciples chose seven faithful men and appointed them over the care of the widows (Acts 6:1, 3).
GIFTS OF INSTRUCTION
Individuals holding specific church offices are gifts to the church. Unlike spiritual gifts, which are bestowed on the saints by the Holy Ghost to empower them for service, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are actual gifts to the church (Eph. 4:11-12).
The gifts of instruction are active in all three categories of spiritual gifts. For example, the gifts of utterance are used in the ministry of the Word of God; practical ministry gifts are used in pastoral care; and the gifts of instruction are used in conjunction with other ministry gifts to provide leadership to the church body.
The purpose of the gifts of instruction as recorded in Ephesians 4:12 are “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The responsibilities of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are to nurture spiritual development; oversee the operation of the ministry; and provide instruction in sound doctrine to the entire body of Christ.
Apostles – According to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary apostle is defined as "one who is sent out." An apostle is a personal messenger or envoy, commissioned to transmit the message or otherwise carry out the instructions of the commissioning agent. The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus to represent the twelve tribes of the children of Israel were also chosen to carry on his ministry through the church (44).
The Office of a Prophet – A prophet serves as a channel of communication between the divine and human worlds proclaiming the messages given by God. The office of a prophet is a calling from God to an individual. Prophets are typically supernaturally illuminated expounders and preachers of God's Word.
The difference between the gift of prophecy and the office of a prophet is that prophecy is the primary function of someone operating in the office of a prophet. God refers to the office of a prophet in the following passage of scripture: “And he said, ‘Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream” (Num. 12:6).
In Deuteronomy, Chapter 18, God tells the children of Israel how to discern if the words spoken by a prophet are from the Lord. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him” (Deut. 18:22).
God described the office held by Moses as higher than the office of a prophet (Num. 12:8). Although Samuel’s official capacity was that of a priest, he is also called a seer and prophet (1 Chron. 9:22; 2 Chron. 35:18). The four major prophets in Old Testament scriptures include: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The minor prophets include: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Many of the prophets also judged the people of Israel. While there are female prophets mentioned in the scriptures, Deborah is the only female prophet mentioned in scripture to have also “judged Israel” (Jud. 4:4). The office of a prophet existed in the early church (Acts 13:1; 15:32; 21:10; 1 Cor. 14:29-32).
Prophets intercede between God and mankind. Moses repeatedly interceded on behalf of the children of Israel when they sinned against God in the wilderness. One event in particular is when Moses pleaded with God not to consume the people after they made a gold calf to be their God (Exod. 32:10-14).
Evangelists – An evangelist is one who goes or is sent to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not heard. Although Peter is the only person in the Bible to be called an evangelist (Acts 21:8), the office of evangelist did exist in the early church (Eph. 4:11).
Pastors – The word "pastor" is derived from a Greek word meaning, shepherd. Therefore, the definition of a shepherd best defines the office of a pastor. A shepherd is one who pastures or tends a flock of sheep and/or goats. The activities of the shepherd are to provide supervision, guidance, and protection to the flock. Jesus refers to himself as the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep (John 10:11).
Teachers – The word “teach” is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary as “to impart knowledge or skill; to give instruction” (1246). Jesus is recognized as a teacher (John 3:2; 13:13).
STIR UP THE GIFTS
The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gifts of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6). At this point, some may ask, what are my spiritual gifts? It is not possible for an individual to immediately identify all of their spiritual gifts, because all of the gifts are not manifested in them during the same course of time. However, pursuing their passion for one thing or another is a good place to start in pursuing their spiritual gifts.
The Bible says that spiritual gifts differ according to an individual’s measure of faith (Rom. 12:6). Therefore, faith is the first step in operating in spiritual gifts. Some gifts are given through impartation, as shown in the preceding passage of scripture in 2 Timothy 1:6. Some individuals were born with spiritual gifts. God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Paul writes, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29).
The saints of God should pursue the gifts that God has placed in our hearts, and they should respect the gifts of others to prevent what Paul calls, “. . . schism in the body . . .” (1 Cor. 12:25), which results in envy, jealousy, backbiting, and other ungodly behaviors. The saints of God are also expected to demonstrate their spiritual gifts wherever and whenever Gods moves on them to take action on his behalf. As they operate in their individual gifts, they will excel in their individual callings.
If you desire to have a personal relationship with God, you must be born again according to Acts 2:38 where it is written, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
GIFTS OF UTTERANCES
The Word of Wisdom – The Word of Wisdom falls in the category of gifts of utterances. The word of wisdom is defined as: The revelation by the Holy Spirit of future events. Agabus reveals through the word of wisdom what will happen to Paul when he goes to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-11).
The Word of Knowledge – The Word of knowledge is defined as: The revelation by the Holy Spirit of past or present events. Peter reveals through the word of knowledge the deception of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10).
Gift of Prophecy – A prophecy is a revelation by the Holy Spirit of something beyond the human power to foresee, discern, or conjecture. The gift of prophecy is different from the office of a prophet, in that one does not have to hold the office of a prophet for God to use them in the gift of prophecy to address a particular need.
The meaning of the word “prophesy” means “to preach” (Acts 21:9). Just because God uses someone to prophesy in a particular situation, does not mean that the individual is called of God to hold the office of a prophet. God will use whomever or whatever he chooses to accomplish his will. In the book of Numbers, God used an ass to speak to the wicked prophet Balaam (Num. 22:28, 30). Someone claiming to be a prophet who is not, does not receive messages from God, but impart their own desires upon others. As history has shown, this could lead to individuals becoming engaged in cult-like activities that could cause traumatic events and even the loss of innocent lives. We will discuss the office of a prophet later in the section titled Gifts of Instruction.
Discerning of Spirits – This gift is defined by “Pictures of Wisdom” as the supernatural gift of perceiving the spiritual motivations for actions or what type of spirit is at work (1: 77-84). Paul discerns a spirit of divination in a damsel, and commands it to come out of her (Acts 16:16-18).
Diverse Kinds of Tongues – According to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary speaking with tongues is defined as the act of speaking in one or more languages unknown to the speaker or incomprehensible (1161). On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost fell on one hundred and twenty souls, and they all begin to speak with other tongues (Acts 2:4).
Interpretation of Tongues – This gift enables an individual to give the meaning of tongues spoken in one or more languages, or that are incomprehensible. The evidence that the gift of interpretation of tongues was active in the early church is found in Paul’s principles governing tongues (1 Cor. 14:27).
GIFTS OF PRACTICAL MINISTRY
Gift of Faith – Faith means trust in, or reliance on God. Faith works in combination with other gifts of the Spirit. Peter and John heal a lame man and declare that his healing is a result of faith in the name of Jesus (Acts 3:6, 16).
Gifts of Healing – The gifts of healing are the supernatural healing of diseases and infirmities without natural means. Paul operated in the gift of healing, and his handkerchiefs and aprons were given to the sick and those possessed with evil spirits, and they all recovered (Acts 19:11-12).
Working of Miracles – The working of miracles is defined as a supernatural intervention by God of the normal course of nature. Philip operated in this gift and was used of God to cast out evil spirits, heal those with palsies, and those that were lame (Acts 8:5-7).
Caring for the needy – This ministry includes serving, encouraging, contributing, performing acts of mercy, and giving aid (Rom. 12:7-8). When the disciple Tabitha became sick and died, the widows showed Peter the coats and garments that she made for the needy (Acts 9:39). Afterwards, Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40).
Ministry of Helps – This ministry includes the same activities as caring for the needy above (1 Cor. 12:28). In Paul’s greeting to the Roman saints, he describes a variety of services performed by the saints, which helped the church (Rom. 16:1-15).
Ministry of Administration – This ministry involves giving aid as in caring for the needy, and the ministry of helps above (1 Cor. 12:28). The disciples chose seven faithful men and appointed them over the care of the widows (Acts 6:1, 3).
GIFTS OF INSTRUCTION
Individuals holding specific church offices are gifts to the church. Unlike spiritual gifts, which are bestowed on the saints by the Holy Ghost to empower them for service, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are actual gifts to the church (Eph. 4:11-12).
The gifts of instruction are active in all three categories of spiritual gifts. For example, the gifts of utterance are used in the ministry of the Word of God; practical ministry gifts are used in pastoral care; and the gifts of instruction are used in conjunction with other ministry gifts to provide leadership to the church body.
The purpose of the gifts of instruction as recorded in Ephesians 4:12 are “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The responsibilities of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are to nurture spiritual development; oversee the operation of the ministry; and provide instruction in sound doctrine to the entire body of Christ.
Apostles – According to The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary apostle is defined as "one who is sent out." An apostle is a personal messenger or envoy, commissioned to transmit the message or otherwise carry out the instructions of the commissioning agent. The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus to represent the twelve tribes of the children of Israel were also chosen to carry on his ministry through the church (44).
The Office of a Prophet – A prophet serves as a channel of communication between the divine and human worlds proclaiming the messages given by God. The office of a prophet is a calling from God to an individual. Prophets are typically supernaturally illuminated expounders and preachers of God's Word.
The difference between the gift of prophecy and the office of a prophet is that prophecy is the primary function of someone operating in the office of a prophet. God refers to the office of a prophet in the following passage of scripture: “And he said, ‘Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream” (Num. 12:6).
In Deuteronomy, Chapter 18, God tells the children of Israel how to discern if the words spoken by a prophet are from the Lord. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him” (Deut. 18:22).
God described the office held by Moses as higher than the office of a prophet (Num. 12:8). Although Samuel’s official capacity was that of a priest, he is also called a seer and prophet (1 Chron. 9:22; 2 Chron. 35:18). The four major prophets in Old Testament scriptures include: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The minor prophets include: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Many of the prophets also judged the people of Israel. While there are female prophets mentioned in the scriptures, Deborah is the only female prophet mentioned in scripture to have also “judged Israel” (Jud. 4:4). The office of a prophet existed in the early church (Acts 13:1; 15:32; 21:10; 1 Cor. 14:29-32).
Prophets intercede between God and mankind. Moses repeatedly interceded on behalf of the children of Israel when they sinned against God in the wilderness. One event in particular is when Moses pleaded with God not to consume the people after they made a gold calf to be their God (Exod. 32:10-14).
Evangelists – An evangelist is one who goes or is sent to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not heard. Although Peter is the only person in the Bible to be called an evangelist (Acts 21:8), the office of evangelist did exist in the early church (Eph. 4:11).
Pastors – The word "pastor" is derived from a Greek word meaning, shepherd. Therefore, the definition of a shepherd best defines the office of a pastor. A shepherd is one who pastures or tends a flock of sheep and/or goats. The activities of the shepherd are to provide supervision, guidance, and protection to the flock. Jesus refers to himself as the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep (John 10:11).
Teachers – The word “teach” is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary as “to impart knowledge or skill; to give instruction” (1246). Jesus is recognized as a teacher (John 3:2; 13:13).
STIR UP THE GIFTS
The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gifts of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6). At this point, some may ask, what are my spiritual gifts? It is not possible for an individual to immediately identify all of their spiritual gifts, because all of the gifts are not manifested in them during the same course of time. However, pursuing their passion for one thing or another is a good place to start in pursuing their spiritual gifts.
The Bible says that spiritual gifts differ according to an individual’s measure of faith (Rom. 12:6). Therefore, faith is the first step in operating in spiritual gifts. Some gifts are given through impartation, as shown in the preceding passage of scripture in 2 Timothy 1:6. Some individuals were born with spiritual gifts. God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Paul writes, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29).
The saints of God should pursue the gifts that God has placed in our hearts, and they should respect the gifts of others to prevent what Paul calls, “. . . schism in the body . . .” (1 Cor. 12:25), which results in envy, jealousy, backbiting, and other ungodly behaviors. The saints of God are also expected to demonstrate their spiritual gifts wherever and whenever Gods moves on them to take action on his behalf. As they operate in their individual gifts, they will excel in their individual callings.
If you desire to have a personal relationship with God, you must be born again according to Acts 2:38 where it is written, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please share your comments or questions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
Diane Margo Penny is an author, content creator, social media specialist, and Web designer.
Works Cited:
The Holy Bible King James Version. 1990.
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary.
Word Aflame, Pictures of Wisdom.
The American Heritage Dictionary.
Image Citation:
sky7232494_1920. Pixaby.com. Web. 9 Oct. 2023.
Diane Margo Penny is an author, content creator, social media specialist, and Web designer.
Works Cited:
The Holy Bible King James Version. 1990.
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary.
Word Aflame, Pictures of Wisdom.
The American Heritage Dictionary.
Image Citation:
sky7232494_1920. Pixaby.com. Web. 9 Oct. 2023.
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