Welcome to Day 13. Today we will address spiritual gifts. There is mention of "spiritual gifts" both in the Old Testament and New Testament, indicating this was not just a New Testament "phenomenon.” A spiritual gift is "a gift or endowment characteristic of the presence or enabling of the Holy Spirit.” This means God supernaturally gives and enables gifts to humans for His glory through the power of the Holy Spirit. The difference between the Old and New Testaments concerning the gifts is that the Holy Spirit now rests within the believer because of what Jesus Christ has done. This means the Spirit doesn't just come and go. Below you will see verses that show the power of the Spirit enabling His people both in the Old and New Testaments.
Numbers 11:25-29 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Numbers 11:25-29 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Why Are There Spiritual Gift(s)?
Spiritual gifts or empowerment of Spirit were given to God's people for two purposes:
1) To demonstrate the truthfulness of God.
We see that the truthfulness of God can come in many forms. One of the ways is through prophecy. This is demonstrated in Acts 2:14-18 when the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers at Pentecost. At this moment, Peter confronted a small group of people who were saying the apostles were "drunk" because they were speaking in everyone's languages. Peter uses Joel's prophetic words in Joel 2:28-32 to combat these individuals. The prophetic words of Joel were confirmed by Peter in Acts 2 when we see him using the reference to attest to something God spoke through an individual long ago.
2) To assist and empower the believer to accomplish God's will on earth.
1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
The ministry (work of restoration) of God started right after sin entered the world. The Spirit's role is not limited to the creation of the world and assisting the believer, but the Spirit is the means to accomplishing the will of God. The coming of Jesus opened up a unique opportunity for God's people to have the Spirit rest upon them. Part of that uniqueness means spiritual gifts would assist the believer's daily life moving forward to accomplish God's will.
1) To demonstrate the truthfulness of God.
We see that the truthfulness of God can come in many forms. One of the ways is through prophecy. This is demonstrated in Acts 2:14-18 when the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers at Pentecost. At this moment, Peter confronted a small group of people who were saying the apostles were "drunk" because they were speaking in everyone's languages. Peter uses Joel's prophetic words in Joel 2:28-32 to combat these individuals. The prophetic words of Joel were confirmed by Peter in Acts 2 when we see him using the reference to attest to something God spoke through an individual long ago.
2) To assist and empower the believer to accomplish God's will on earth.
1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
The ministry (work of restoration) of God started right after sin entered the world. The Spirit's role is not limited to the creation of the world and assisting the believer, but the Spirit is the means to accomplishing the will of God. The coming of Jesus opened up a unique opportunity for God's people to have the Spirit rest upon them. Part of that uniqueness means spiritual gifts would assist the believer's daily life moving forward to accomplish God's will.
How Do I Receive Spiritual Gift(s)?
When you become a Christian, you receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives the gift(s) according to scripture, and we see this in 1 Corinthians. We see in both the Old Testament and New Testament when the "power" of God comes upon the believer they receive empowerment by the Spirit. The only difference between the New and Old Testament is that the Holy Spirit can now rest within the believer, since the Spirit doesn't come and go as we see within the Old Testament. We know the Spirit is the one who distributes the gifts based on 1 Corinthians 12.
1 Corinthians 12:11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Corinthians 12:11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Spiritual Gifts Test.
I write this section as a friendly encouragement and to emphasize that, as you pursue understanding your spiritual gift(s), you should first seek God in prayer and self-examination before taking a spiritual gifts test. While I believe that such tests can be helpful, they often come with limitations. Many of these tests seem to focus more on your personality, which can be problematic because it may limit what God is trying to do within you and how He wants to use you within the body of Christ. You might feel that you "don't qualify for that specific gift," which could hinder God's work in you.I also believe that the authors of these tests have good intentions, but the tests themselves might fall short of what God wants to achieve in our lives.
Consider Gideon's life (Judges 6-8). God enabled and empowered him to be a warrior for His name. Gideon's personality appeared frail and weak-minded, not suited to lead an army for the Lord. Yet, through miraculous signs, God empowered him, increasing his faith to carry out his calling. This is just one of many examples in Scripture where God adds the "super" to our "natural" for His glory. Spiritual gifts are given by God, and if we pursue Him first and foremost, He will guide us correctly.
If you desire, one of the best spiritual gifts tests I have come to find comes from a church called Milestone Church in Keller, Texas. Please click the image below to take the assessment.
Consider Gideon's life (Judges 6-8). God enabled and empowered him to be a warrior for His name. Gideon's personality appeared frail and weak-minded, not suited to lead an army for the Lord. Yet, through miraculous signs, God empowered him, increasing his faith to carry out his calling. This is just one of many examples in Scripture where God adds the "super" to our "natural" for His glory. Spiritual gifts are given by God, and if we pursue Him first and foremost, He will guide us correctly.
If you desire, one of the best spiritual gifts tests I have come to find comes from a church called Milestone Church in Keller, Texas. Please click the image below to take the assessment.
Pride & Spiritual Gift(s).
It is important that we do not become prideful about gift(s) that God has given to us. Remember that the spiritual gift(s) and the assignments that God assigns to you are for His Glory, not yours. Stay humble because no matter the number of people God might enable you to reach for His name’s sake, this is all for His glory!
What Are The Spiritual Gifts?
There are many types of spiritual gifts that God gives. Below is probably the most comprehensive list of "spiritual gifts" I have ever found, but I will be the first to tell you, there might even be more gifts than this. The reason I say that is because if we are going by what the Bible describes as "spiritual gifts,” which is a supernatural enabling of a person by the Spirit within the human for the glory of God, there may be a variety of ways God wants to move that are not listed or maybe just not identified by this list.
Spiritual Gifts List:
***Created By Milestone Church (Keller,TX)***
Figure 9
GIFT DEFINITIONS AND
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
The following contains definitions of the Spiritual gifts. While not
meant to be dogmatic or final, these definitions and supporting
scriptures do correspond to characteristics of the gifts as
expressed in the Spiritual Gifts Assessment.
ADMINISTRATION
The gift of administration is the divine strength or ability to organize
multiple tasks and groups of people to accomplish these tasks.
Luke 14:28–30, Acts 6:1–7, 1 Corinthians 12:28
APOSTLESHIP
The gift of apostleship is the divine strength or ability to pioneer new
churches and ministries through planting, overseeing, and training.
Acts 15:22–35, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Galatians 2:7–10, Eph. 4:11–14
CRAFTSMANSHIP
The gift of craftsmanship is the divine strength or ability to plan,
build, and work with your hands in construction environments to
accomplish multiple ministry applications.
Exodus 30:22, 31:3–11, 2 Chronicles 34:9–13, Acts 18:2–3
DISCERNMENT
The gift of discernment is the divine strength or ability to spiritually
identify falsehood and to distinguish between right and wrong
motives and situations.
Matthew 16:21–23, Acts 5:1–11, 16:16–18, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 John 4:1–6
EVANGELISM
The gift of evangelism is the divine strength or ability to help non-
Christians take the necessary steps to becoming a born again Christian.
Acts 8:5–6, Acts 8:26–40, Acts 14:21, Acts 21:8, Ephesians 4:11–14
EXHORTATION
The gift of exhortation is the divine strength or ability to encourage
others through the written or spoken word and Biblical truth.
Acts 14:22, Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 4:13, Hebrews 10:24–251 7
FAITH
The gift of faith is the divine strength or ability to believe in God for
unseen supernatural results in every arena of life.
Acts 11:22–24, Romans 4:18–21, 1 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 11
GIVING
The gift of giving is the divine strength or ability to produce wealth
and to give by tithes and offerings for the purpose of advancing the
Kingdom of God on earth.
Mark 12:41–44, Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 8:1–7, 9:2–7
HEALING
The gift of healing is the divine strength or ability to act as an
intermediary in faith, prayer, and by the laying on of hands for the
healing of physical and mental illnesses.
Acts 3:1–10, Acts 9:32–35, Acts 28:7–10, 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28
HELPS
The gift of helps is the divine strength or ability to work in a
supportive role for the accomplishment of tasks in Christian ministry.
Mark 15:40–41, Acts 9:36, Romans 16:1–2, 1 Corinthians 12:28
HOSPITALITY
The gift of hospitality is the divine strength or ability to create warm,
welcoming environments for others in places such as your home,
office, or church.
Acts 16:14–15, Romans 12:13, Romans 16:23, Hebrews 13:1–2, 1 Peter 4:9
INTERCESSION
The gift of intercession is the divine strength or ability to stand in the
gap in prayer for someone, something, or someplace believing for
profound results.
Hebrews 7:25, Colossians 1:9–12, Colossians 4:12–13, James 5:14–16
KNOWLEDGE
The gift of knowledge is the divine strength or ability to bring clarity
and to understand situations and circumstances often accompanied
by a word from God.
Acts 5:1–11, 1 Corinthians 12:8, Colossians 2:2–31 8
LEADERSHIP
The gift of leadership is the divine strength or ability to influence
people at their level while directing and focusing them on the big
picture, vision, or idea.
Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 3:1–13, 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:17
MERCY
The gift of mercy is the divine strength or ability to feel empathy and
to care for those who are hurting in any way.
Matthew 9:35-36, Mark 9:41, Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:14
MIRACLES
The gift of miracles is the divine strength or ability to alter the natural
outcomes of life in a supernatural way through prayer, faith, and
divine direction.
Acts 9:36–42, 19:11–12, 20:7–12, Romans 15:18–19, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28
MISSIONARY
The gift of missions is the divine strength or ability to reach others
outside of your culture and nationality; while in most cases living in
that culture or nation.
Acts 8:4, Acts 13:2–3, Acts 22:21, Romans 10:15
MUSIC / WORSHIP
The gift of music / worship is the divine strength or ability to sing,
dance, or play an instrument primarily for the purpose of helping
others worship God.
Deuteronomy 31:22, 1 Samuel 16:16, 1 Chronicles 16:41–42, 2 Chronicles 5:12–13,
2 Chronicles 34:12, Psalm 150:1-6
PASTOR / SHEPHERD
The gift of pastor / shepherd is the divine strength or ability to care for
the personal needs of others by nurturing and mending life issues.
John 10:1–18, Ephesians 4:11–14, 1 Timothy 3:1–7, 1 Peter 5:1–3
PROPHECY
The gift of prophecy is the divine strength or ability to boldly speak
and bring clarity to scriptural and doctrinal truth, in some cases
foretelling God’s plan.
Acts 2:37–40, Acts 7:51–53, Acts 26:24–29, 1 Corinthians 14:1–4, 1 Thessalonians 1:51 9
SERVICE
The gift of serving is the divine strength or ability to do small or great
tasks in working for the overall good of the body of Christ.
Acts 6:1–7, Romans 12:7, Galatians 6:10, 2 Timothy 1:16–18, Titus 3:14
TEACHING
The gift of teaching is the divine strength or ability to study and learn
from the Scriptures primarily to bring understanding and depth to
other Christians.
Acts 18:24–28, Acts 20:20–21, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11–14
TONGUES (and Interpretation)
The gift of tongues is the divine strength or ability to pray in a
heavenly language to encourage your spirit and to commune with
God. The gift of tongues is often accompanied by interpretation and
should be used appropriately.
Acts 2:1–13, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:1–14
WISDOM
The gift of wisdom is the divine strength or ability to apply the truths
of Scripture in a practical way, producing the fruitful outcome and
character of Jesus Christ.
Acts 6:3, 10, 1 Corinthians 2:6–13, 1 Corinthians 12:8
Figure 9
GIFT DEFINITIONS AND
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
The following contains definitions of the Spiritual gifts. While not
meant to be dogmatic or final, these definitions and supporting
scriptures do correspond to characteristics of the gifts as
expressed in the Spiritual Gifts Assessment.
ADMINISTRATION
The gift of administration is the divine strength or ability to organize
multiple tasks and groups of people to accomplish these tasks.
Luke 14:28–30, Acts 6:1–7, 1 Corinthians 12:28
APOSTLESHIP
The gift of apostleship is the divine strength or ability to pioneer new
churches and ministries through planting, overseeing, and training.
Acts 15:22–35, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Galatians 2:7–10, Eph. 4:11–14
CRAFTSMANSHIP
The gift of craftsmanship is the divine strength or ability to plan,
build, and work with your hands in construction environments to
accomplish multiple ministry applications.
Exodus 30:22, 31:3–11, 2 Chronicles 34:9–13, Acts 18:2–3
DISCERNMENT
The gift of discernment is the divine strength or ability to spiritually
identify falsehood and to distinguish between right and wrong
motives and situations.
Matthew 16:21–23, Acts 5:1–11, 16:16–18, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 John 4:1–6
EVANGELISM
The gift of evangelism is the divine strength or ability to help non-
Christians take the necessary steps to becoming a born again Christian.
Acts 8:5–6, Acts 8:26–40, Acts 14:21, Acts 21:8, Ephesians 4:11–14
EXHORTATION
The gift of exhortation is the divine strength or ability to encourage
others through the written or spoken word and Biblical truth.
Acts 14:22, Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 4:13, Hebrews 10:24–251 7
FAITH
The gift of faith is the divine strength or ability to believe in God for
unseen supernatural results in every arena of life.
Acts 11:22–24, Romans 4:18–21, 1 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 11
GIVING
The gift of giving is the divine strength or ability to produce wealth
and to give by tithes and offerings for the purpose of advancing the
Kingdom of God on earth.
Mark 12:41–44, Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 8:1–7, 9:2–7
HEALING
The gift of healing is the divine strength or ability to act as an
intermediary in faith, prayer, and by the laying on of hands for the
healing of physical and mental illnesses.
Acts 3:1–10, Acts 9:32–35, Acts 28:7–10, 1 Corinthians 12:9, 28
HELPS
The gift of helps is the divine strength or ability to work in a
supportive role for the accomplishment of tasks in Christian ministry.
Mark 15:40–41, Acts 9:36, Romans 16:1–2, 1 Corinthians 12:28
HOSPITALITY
The gift of hospitality is the divine strength or ability to create warm,
welcoming environments for others in places such as your home,
office, or church.
Acts 16:14–15, Romans 12:13, Romans 16:23, Hebrews 13:1–2, 1 Peter 4:9
INTERCESSION
The gift of intercession is the divine strength or ability to stand in the
gap in prayer for someone, something, or someplace believing for
profound results.
Hebrews 7:25, Colossians 1:9–12, Colossians 4:12–13, James 5:14–16
KNOWLEDGE
The gift of knowledge is the divine strength or ability to bring clarity
and to understand situations and circumstances often accompanied
by a word from God.
Acts 5:1–11, 1 Corinthians 12:8, Colossians 2:2–31 8
LEADERSHIP
The gift of leadership is the divine strength or ability to influence
people at their level while directing and focusing them on the big
picture, vision, or idea.
Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 3:1–13, 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:17
MERCY
The gift of mercy is the divine strength or ability to feel empathy and
to care for those who are hurting in any way.
Matthew 9:35-36, Mark 9:41, Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:14
MIRACLES
The gift of miracles is the divine strength or ability to alter the natural
outcomes of life in a supernatural way through prayer, faith, and
divine direction.
Acts 9:36–42, 19:11–12, 20:7–12, Romans 15:18–19, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28
MISSIONARY
The gift of missions is the divine strength or ability to reach others
outside of your culture and nationality; while in most cases living in
that culture or nation.
Acts 8:4, Acts 13:2–3, Acts 22:21, Romans 10:15
MUSIC / WORSHIP
The gift of music / worship is the divine strength or ability to sing,
dance, or play an instrument primarily for the purpose of helping
others worship God.
Deuteronomy 31:22, 1 Samuel 16:16, 1 Chronicles 16:41–42, 2 Chronicles 5:12–13,
2 Chronicles 34:12, Psalm 150:1-6
PASTOR / SHEPHERD
The gift of pastor / shepherd is the divine strength or ability to care for
the personal needs of others by nurturing and mending life issues.
John 10:1–18, Ephesians 4:11–14, 1 Timothy 3:1–7, 1 Peter 5:1–3
PROPHECY
The gift of prophecy is the divine strength or ability to boldly speak
and bring clarity to scriptural and doctrinal truth, in some cases
foretelling God’s plan.
Acts 2:37–40, Acts 7:51–53, Acts 26:24–29, 1 Corinthians 14:1–4, 1 Thessalonians 1:51 9
SERVICE
The gift of serving is the divine strength or ability to do small or great
tasks in working for the overall good of the body of Christ.
Acts 6:1–7, Romans 12:7, Galatians 6:10, 2 Timothy 1:16–18, Titus 3:14
TEACHING
The gift of teaching is the divine strength or ability to study and learn
from the Scriptures primarily to bring understanding and depth to
other Christians.
Acts 18:24–28, Acts 20:20–21, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11–14
TONGUES (and Interpretation)
The gift of tongues is the divine strength or ability to pray in a
heavenly language to encourage your spirit and to commune with
God. The gift of tongues is often accompanied by interpretation and
should be used appropriately.
Acts 2:1–13, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:1–14
WISDOM
The gift of wisdom is the divine strength or ability to apply the truths
of Scripture in a practical way, producing the fruitful outcome and
character of Jesus Christ.
Acts 6:3, 10, 1 Corinthians 2:6–13, 1 Corinthians 12:8