List of Spiritual Gifts

There are 21 spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the grace of Christ given to believers. Spiritual gifts are given so the church can be built, and each believer in Jesus has at least one spiritual gift. When believers operate their spiritual gifts, the body of Christ grows.

The primary spiritual gifts are the 5 ministry positions (Eph. 4:11). These 5 ministry positions are based on spiritual gifts – they operate by the power of God, not by human ability. It is impossible to function in these ministries apart from the Holy Spirit.

1. Apostle. The word apostle means one who is sent. Apostles are foundational for the church (Eph. 2:20). Apostles are the most important spiritual gifting in the church (1 Cor. 12:28). An apostle is sent by God to do something foundational for the building of God’s church. Apostles walk in spiritual power, and they promote the apostolic teachings of the New Testament. There are approximately 20 apostles mentioned in the New Testament. 
2. Prophet. Prophets are also foundational for the church (Eph. 2:20). They are the second most important spiritual gifting in the church (1 Cor. 12:28). Prophets speak out what God is saying now. A prophet might speak by revelation about the past, present (1 Cor. 11:24-25), or future (Acts 11:27-28). A prophet will understand mysteries and knowledge (1 Cor. 13:2). He will speak to edify, exhort, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3). 
3. Evangelist. Evangelists share the gospel effectively by the Holy Spirit.
4. Shepherd. A shepherd/pastor disciples others. He guides them to Jesus. He is able to counsel them by the Holy Spirit. The modern concept of pastor in most churches today is different from the New Testament concept of shepherd/pastor.
5. Teacher. Teachers are the third most important spiritual gifting in the church (1 Cor. 12:28). Teachers communicate the doctrines of the New Testament in a clear way and effective way. Teachers feed people the word of God. 

Other spiritual gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. Like all spiritual gifts, these are supernatural operations of the Holy Spirit.

6. Word of Wisdom. Wisdom means knowing what to do, how to solve a problem, or how to handle a person or situation. The spiritual gift of word of wisdom provides specific wisdom from God in order to handle situations, people, or problems. This wisdom does not come from human ability but from the Holy Spirit.
7. Word of Knowledge. A word of knowledge will give knowledge about a person or situation by the Holy Spirit.
8. Faith. The gift of faith provides someone with an extra measure of faith from God. A person with the gift of faith can believe God’s word and inherit God’s promises in particularly daunting circumstances.
9. Gifts of Healings. The gift of healing operates in order to heal people (especially physically) by the Holy Spirit.
10. Working of Miracles. Someone with a gift of miracles will operate astounding miracles by the Holy Spirit.
11. Prophecy. To prophesy means to speak out what God is saying now. Those who prophesy build up the church in a particularly effective way. All prophecies must be discerned (1 Cor. 14:29), which implies that it is possible that someone with a gift of prophecy might make a mistake. Every believer is instructed to desire the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:1). If a person has the gift of prophecy, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he is a prophet. A prophet is a person who has a particularly strong gift of prophecy; the gift of prophecy has molded a prophet’s life.
12. Discerning of Spirits. To discern means to distinguish. The spiritual gift of discerning of spirits enables a person to distinguish between what is from God and what is not from God. There are many spirits operating today, particularly in the church. Every Christian is called to discern, but a person with the gift of discerning of spirits will be particularly capable at distinguishing what spiritual activity is from God and what is not from God.
13. Tongues. To speak in a tongue means to speak in a language that the speaker does not know. This occurs by the Holy Spirit. Tongues might be another human language or a language that is not known to any person (1 Cor. 14:2). The gift of tongues edifies the person who has that gift (1 Cor. 14:4). Tongues can edify others when they are interpreted. If tongues cannot be interpreted, a person should not speak in tongues in the church meeting (1 Cor. 14:28). Not every believer will have the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:30).
14. Interpretation of Tongues. To interpret tongues means to translate the language of tongues into a language that is known to the hearers. This is done by the Holy Spirit. Everyone who speaks in tongues should seek for the gift of interpretation (1 Cor. 14:13). Interpretation of tongues elevates the gift of tongues to the level of the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:5), because it reveals what God is saying now.

More spiritual gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:28. Here are the ones that have not been repeated elsewhere.

15. Helps. Helps is the spiritual gift of helping people. This gift, like all others, operates by the Holy Spirit, and not by natural ability. Someone with the gift of helps will help others in a strategic way that is particularly edifying to them spiritually.
16. Administrations. Administrations is the spiritual gift of government and organization. Again, this is a spiritual gift, which means that it operates by the Holy Spirit and not by natural ability. A person with the gift of administration will be supernaturally gifted at leading groups of people and organizing them in order to get things done for God’s kingdom.

An additional list of spiritual gifts is found in Romans 12:6-8. Here are the ones that have not been repeated elsewhere.

17. Ministry. To minister means to serve. A person with the spiritual gift of ministry will serve others by the Holy Spirit. We are all called to serve, but this spiritual gift will cause someone to serve in a particularly effective way that leads to edification.
18. Exhorting. To exhort means to encourage or to motivate someone to go in a direction. One might be exhorted to move forward in God or to turn away from sin.
19. Giving. We are all called to give generously to God’s work, but a person with the spiritual gift of giving will give in a particularly generous or strategic way that will edify the church or propel the kingdom of God forward.
20. Leading. A person with the spiritual gift of leading will be able to direct people into the way God wants them to go. This leadership is done by spiritual ability, not natural ability.
21. Showing Mercy. We are all called to show mercy, but a person who has the spiritual gift of mercy will show mercy in a particularly effective way for the building of the church.

Each believer has at least one spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts are given for the building of the body of Christ. These gifts will become manifested in our lives and operate when we fellowship together with other believers in the church. These gifts are all from God, they all operate by God, and they are all for God’s glory.