Brief Primer on Spiritual Gifts (w/Video)

Spiritual Gift Intro

According to Scripture, every born-again believer in Jesus has at least one spiritual gift—a spiritual ability sovereignly & freely given by God only to His children for His plan for the Body of Christ.[1] The spiritual gifts have been broken up into three categories:

  • “sign gifts” — tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, and miracles

  • “speaking gifts” — teaching, prophecy, words of wisdom, & words of knowledge

  • “service gifts” — every other non-speaking & non-sign gift, which also includes “gift-offices” = apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, & teachers.

Also, these three categories contain all 19 distinct gifts (to include the offices) mentioned in the New Testament:

Spiritual Gifts in the First Century Church

During the first century, as seen in the book of Acts, there were particular spiritual gifts purposed by God for three reasons…

(i)the initial indicator of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,[2]  

(ii)the writing of the New Testament (i.e., divine inspiration),[3]

(iii)instituting the foundation of the Church Age.[4]

The “particular” spiritual gifts would be all the “sign gifts”, plus the “speaking gifts” of prophecy, wisdom, & knowledge, and then the “service gifts” of apostle & prophet. These particular spiritual gifts were used at that time for this threefold purpose, not in general to every believer.

Views on Spiritual Gifts

Now, there are two dominant views on spiritual gifts: Cessationism & Continuationism.

  • Cessationists believe all the “sign gifts”, almost all the “speaking gifts” (all but teaching), and some “serving gifts” (specifically apostles & prophets) have ceased as gifts when the last apostle died and the canon of Scripture was closed. They use passages like 1Cor. 13:8-13 and 1Pet. 4:10-11 to support their view.

  • Continuationists believe no spiritual gifts or offices have ceased and they all continue as is. They use passages like Rom. 12:4-6a, 1Cor. 12:11, and Eph. 4:7 to support their view.

So, how can we reconcile these to uncompanionable views on gifts? By finding where Scripture agrees between the two and settling there.

  • We do see evidence in Scripture about some of these gifts not being needed in this particular first century function after the first century. Go read Acts 14:1-3, Eph. 2:20; 3:1-7, 2Cor. 12:12, Heb. 2:1-4. These verses highlight these particular gifts being needed for a specific purpose. Once that purpose is complete those gifts wouldn’t be needed, at least in that way anymore.

  • We also see evidence in Scripture that is it the sole prerogative of the Holy Spirit to grant spiritual gifts to whichever believers He wills for God’s will in His Church. Go read 1Cor. 1:4-7; 12:4-25; 13:1-3; 14:1-4, 12-17, 26, 39-40. These verses highlight the Holy Spirit is the sole authority of the gifts, not the church, which is why the gifts are to be used in a proper manner by believers and in the local church. God has assigned all the gifts value for both—the believer and the local church.

Therefore, those particular spiritual gifts & offices that are no longer needed in their ‘threefold first century function’ but can still be granted by the Spirit, must have a different functional use now. Hence, the follow-up question is, what is that use? Well, both Apostles Paul & Peter tell us the ‘threefold timeless function’ of God’s spiritual gifts to His children:

(i)for the building up of the Body of Christ and

(ii)are to be carried out in decency & order—(i.e., as they were revealed by God and not in a disorderly manner), “for God is not a God of disorder but of peace”.

  • In 1Pet. 4:10-11, Peter writes that the God’s spiritual gifts are

(iii)to be used to glorify God through Jesus Christ in every way.

Thus, whatever your belief about spiritual gifts is and whatever way you think they are to be used, if it’s not in accordance with God’s revealed will in Scripture, not done in an orderly manner, not building up other believers & the local church community, and not glorifying God in every way, it is wrong. But so long as the spiritual gifts are viewed and used in these ways, they are acceptable.


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Bonus Question: What about Healings & Miracles?

Does God still perform healings and miracles by way of His children like we see in Acts? Yes and no.

  • Yes, God still performs healings and miracles by way of His children, and also by way of other means.

  • No, God’s healings and miracles may not be done necessarily as He did during the first century.

From the second century (AD/CE) to the present day, history has recorded that God is still in the healing and miracle working business. But history hasn’t displayed that it looks like how it did in Acts. Instead, we read, possibly have witnessed or been told, or may have experienced ourselves, how God uses His Word, the prayers of His children as a vehicle, and other means at times for these miracles and healings He performs—all according to His will and all for His glory.[5]  Furthermore, it’s important to note, not everyone may experience a miracle or healing. Sometimes God may allow people to suffer or endure something for a greater purpose according to His will.[6]


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[1] Rom. 12:3-13, 1Cor. 1:4-7; 12:1, 4-31; 14:12, 40, Eph. 4:1-16, 1Pet. 4:10-11

[2] E.g., Acts 2:4, 32-33; 3:1-16; 5:3-16; 6:8-10; 8:4-8; 9:32-42; 10:44-48; 11:15-18; 13:6-12; 14:1-3, 8-10; 19:1-7, 11-20

[3] E.g., Acts 4:8; 5:19-32; 13:14-52; 14:21-28; 15:6-35; 16:4-5; 17:1-3, 10-11; 18:9-11, 24-28; 19:8-10; 20:26-27; 23:11

[4] E.g., Acts 2:40-47; 4:1-4; 5:12-16; 6:7; 8:12-13; 9:31; 11:19-26

[5] E.g., Gen. 20:17, Num. 12:13, 2Kin. 20:5, Psalm 30:2; 107:20, Gal. 3:5, Jam. 5:14-16, 3John 1:2

[6] 2Cor. 12:7-11, Heb. 12:5-11, Jam. 5:10-11, 1Pet. 2:21-23; 4:12-19


March 12, 2022

Bible Study, VideosChristopher B. Davisspiritual gifts, Christians, controversial doctrinesComment