If you looking for a good explanation of the 9 Gifts of the holy spirit for your next bible study, christwin has gathered detailed biblical explanations for you with some good scriptures, all put together on this article.
Each Gift has a specific function in the body of Christ. For instance, apostles are responsible for spreading the gospel message; prophets teach and give guidance to believers; evangelists proclaim God’s word to lost people; pastors lead churches; teachers teach Bible concepts to children; healers minister to the sick and wounded; and senders of outreaches minister to people in other countries. The gifts are not limited to these roles but can be used in any way that will help others come closer to God.
The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are given in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, which says:
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but it is the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but it is the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who gives them all in each one. gives the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good, for to one is given by the Spirit the expression of wisdom, to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another the the gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. given by the same Spirit, who distributes them to each one in particular as he wishes.” .
From this passage we can extract nine different spiritual gifts:
- Word of wisdom
- knowledge word
- gift of faith
- gift of healing
- miracle treatment
- Prophecy
- The distinctive spirits
- Speak in tongues
- interpretation of tongues
It is currently being debated whether some gifts have disappeared from the world today or whether they are all present and active among believers. Whichever side of this debate one falls on, the fact remains that all nine gifts were present in the early Church and are given to us as actual and specific ways in which the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
1. word of wisdom
The word of wisdom and the word of knowledge are closely related; but, just as they are listed separately in the Scriptures, they must be understood separately.
Wisdom generally means the correct application of knowledge. Viewed in this way, the spiritual gift of the word of wisdom is understanding how to apply God’s truth to situations that may arise in life.
They can be circumstances of our own life, or the lives of those around us; If we have the gift of wisdom, we will almost instinctively know what God wants us to do. This can apply to a new job, deciding whether or not to marry someone, how best to deal with or forgive someone who hurts others, or any other circumstance that requires discernment and wisdom to correctly apply the Scriptures.
This doctrine was abused in the early Church by the practice of Gnosticism, which claims that there is “secret knowledge” available only to a select few believers. This is not reinforced by the rest of the Bible, as we believe that God has distributed spiritual gifts and the way of salvation equally to all.
2. Word of Knowledge
The word knowledge has a somewhat more practical character and usually refers to the correct knowledge and interpretation of the Scriptures or doctrinal matters.
It is important for all believers to be able to articulate what they believe and defend their faith to others who want to know more or who may discuss the Bible. In academic circles, this field of study and practice is called apologetics. The word means “defense of the faith” and often pits the believer against the unbeliever in a debate over what the Scriptures say.
Although we should not seek arguments to enter or debate to win, we must always be prepared to defend the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. To do this, we must practice the gift of knowledge so that we can correctly understand and interpret the scriptures the way God intended them to be given.
3. Gift of Faith
Faith is an important theme of Scripture and is essential to the life of the believer. We can only be saved from the power of sin by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, and we can only resist temptation by our faith in God’s power and ability to deliver us from it.
Everyone has a measure of faith, but it needs to be practiced regularly to strengthen it. This may also be necessary during some of the most difficult times in your life, when faith seems simply impossible. But if we are able to overcome our fear and doubt, and choose to trust God, our faith can be strengthened and we will have a greater measure of faith when the next crisis comes.
4. gift of healing
Healing may be indirectly related to faith, as it refers to supernatural healing that defies known medical science. In other words, it is a miraculous healing that is based on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than what we would understand as typical modes of healing.
Most denominations teach that this type of healing requires an extraordinary amount of faith. Sometimes this faith is only required of the person who performs or requests the healing, and in some cases a strong faith is also required on the part of the one who needs the healing (for example, both the person who proclaims the healing of a sick person and the patient himself). However, this gift is cited several times in the scriptures as a gift used in the early Church and is found in religious circles today.
5. The work of miracles
Miracles are a more visible supernatural act and are generally considered an “extinct” spiritual gift. This does not exclude God’s intervention in the natural world, since He is the true source of all miracles and can never be limited by human imagination or understanding. However, many conservative denominations believe that this gift disappeared because of the death of the original apostles.
In any case, we must always keep our hearts open to the possibility that God will do great things in our lives and in our world, even things that we would never expect or believe to be true without his direct intervention.
6. Prophecy
Some passages affirm that the gift of prophecy is the greatest of the spiritual gifts, although all of them have enormous value for the Church.
It is also accompanied by different explanations. In most cases in the Bible, prophecy is a direct word from the Lord that must be transmitted exactly as received.
Some theologians think it means more of a word of encouragement or exhortation; then it takes on the meaning of speaking directly to someone’s life and circumstances with a word of Scripture. In either case, it requires direct action when God’s truth is clear for a given situation.
7. Discerning of spirits
Both angels and demons are active in the world, and it takes a great deal of spiritual discernment to understand the source of supernatural activity. Along with knowledge and wisdom, we must try to distinguish between the spirits that try to influence this world, either for God or for the devil.
Someone can claim to have received a message from God, but if it doesn’t fit the truth of the Bible, we must quickly recognize a human or demonic influence at that point.
8. Speaking in tongues
It is believed that this gift has practically disappeared from the modern world. It is not simply speaking in different languages, but an ecstatic practice of speaking with the language of angels or other supernatural beings.
Again, we should never assume that such things are impossible for God, but there are very few authoritative sources for speaking in tongues today.
9. Interpret tongues
Closely associated with speaking in tongues, this gift involves the interpretation of the spoken language so that others can clearly understand the message the speaker is receiving.
Paul spoke of this gift in the context of a church service, telling believers that no one should speak in tongues in church unless someone else was willing to interpret. This was said for Paul to ensure that the entire congregation could benefit from the message, reinforcing the communal nature of spiritual gifts.
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conclusion
We have all been influenced by the Holy Spirit in our lives, and all of these spiritual gifts, along with other powers of God, are present in each of us. We must try to discern where we have received the most important gift for ourselves, and then try to use that gift for the betterment of the whole church.