What Are Considered the Spiritual Gifts From God?

Pneumatology -- Spiritual Gifts

What are spiritual gifts, and what is their purpose?

The reason for and definition of "spiritual gifts" is not always agreed upon among Christians and even among Christian theologians. At the very least spiritual gifts are a subject for deep discussion and debate. Christianity expert Mary Fairchild explains that in 1 Corinthians 12, the Bible says that spiritual gifts are given according to God's sovereign will. "There are certain kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them" (1 Corinthians 12:4); and 1 Corinthians goes on to explain that one spiritual gift is given for "the common good," another spiritual gift is for "wisdom"; another spiritual gift is for "knowledge"; another is for the "gift of healing"; and other spiritual gifts are for "miraculous powers… prophecy… speaking in tongues & #8230; and the "interpretation of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12: 7-11).

Jesus had the power to cast out demons "by the finger of God," and Christ's power was a gift given to him by "the Spirit of God" (Elwell, Holy Spirit, 569). Fairchild writes that "generally speaking, spiritual gifts are God-given graces (special abilities, offices, or manifestations) meant for works of service, to benefit and build up the body of Christ as a whole" (Fairchild, 2011). On page 1135 (Elwell, Spiritual Gifts) the author points to five gifts of the spirit (more specific than mentioned on the first paragraph: a) the working of miracles (casting out of evil spirits); b) gifts of healing (which are also part of miracles); c) the gift of helpers (providing help for the needy); d) the gift of governments or administration (the gift for church leaders), e) the gift of faith (to give strength to believers); and apostleship (the Apostle Paul saw his gift as the strength needed to fulfill the ministry of Christ) (Elwell).

How do spiritual gifts differ from the Fruit of the Spirit, and which of these two concepts show's one's spiritual maturity? The gifts mentioned in the preceding narrative are varied and all come from Holy Spirit. But the "Fruit" of the spirit is simply "the expression of our renewed nature as it is seen by others" (Wynn-Grove). In Galatians 5:22-23, the scripture explains that the fruit of the spirit is "…love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control…" (Wynn-Grove). The fruit of the spirit is what results from spiritual gifts, what people do with those gifts, just like a tree bears fruit, gifts also bear fruit.

What is the biblical definition and purpose of people speaking in tongues? One definition found in Elwell's book (1206) is that speaking in tongues was intended as "…a divine affirmation of a new group entering the church" (because the new group may be speaking languages unfamiliar to previously existing church members); speaking in tongues was also a "spiritual gift" that was given only to certain "sovereignly chosen individuals" that were already in the church (Elwell, 1206).

What is the baptism in the Holy Spirit and what biblical evidence supports your view? Baptism by immersion is symbolic of being accepted into the love of Christ, and also symbolic of repentance and washing away of sins; that is, the spirit is present in a person that has accepted Christ and is dunked into water as part of the spiritual ceremony. When Christ was baptized, the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) insisted that "The Spirit descended like a dove and abode upon him" (Elwell, 137).

Is speaking in tongues a sign of the baptism in the Holy Spirit? No, it is not, although the phrase "baptism of the spirit" was once associated with "miraculous, powers, gifts, abilities and emotional resources, manifest in spiritual healing" and "speaking in unknown tongues…" (Elwell, 138).