Gifts of the Spirit is Bible study dedicated to understanding the Holy Spirit and why the Holy Spirit distributes gifts of the Spirit and how it should be used.  Most have a weak understanding of this topic; therefore, lack the proper knowledge to discern between Biblical and unsubstantiated teachings.

Holy Trinity

Beginning from the basics is good starting point, and we’ll go over one of the fundamentals of the faith, the Holy Trinity.  Christianity is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Christians believe in One God. Our understanding of the Biblical God is first presented in the Old Testament or Tanakh in Hebrew.  The TANAKH consists of 24 Books broken down into three groups: Torah (Pentateuch – Greek for five books), Nevi’im (prophets) and Ketuvim (writings).  In the Catholic and Orthodox tradition, there are 8 additional books called the Apocrypha which means hidden and it is rejected by the Protestant tradition because it was never a part of the original Hebrew TANAKH. Most scholars beginning from Martin Luther stated that the Apocrypha is not in harmony with the rest of the Bible, and some have claimed that the Apocrypha supports salvation through works instead of through faith.

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The TANAKH was translated into Greek by the Hellenic Jews which is known as the Septuagint, and the Old Testament as we know it as Christians, is either translated directly from Hebrew or from the Septuagint.  For the Jews the notion of the Trinity was not made known in the manner we know it today. The New Testament more clearly speaks about the presence of a Triune God with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Even within this fundamental principle of the faith, there are varying views.  For example, Eastern Christianity believes that the Son and the Holy Spirit came forth from the Father, while Western Christianity believes that Jesus came from the Father while the Holy Spirit came from the Son. This is called the Filioque Controversy, and it’s still being debated today. Here are some examples, verses that have the Holy Spirit presented:

Here are some examples of where the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the New Testament: Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19-20 and Matthew 28:18-20

Pre-Pentecost and Post-Pentecost

The difference between Pre and Post Pentecost is that the Holy Spirit came upon various Jews at various instances and left them (It even entered a donkey). We see many people of the Bible experience this where they were led by the Spirit; however, the Spirit did not dwell in them permanently as is in the case within the New Covenant. In the New Covenant, believers are given the Spirit at the time of conversion, when they repent of their sins and receive Christ.

Here are some references: Gen. 41:38, Num. 27:18, Dan. 4:8; 5:11-14; 6:3, Num. 24:2, Judges 3:10 6:34 11:29 13:25, 1 Sam. 10:10; 16:13, 2 Chron. 15:1, Ex. 31:1-7 and 35:30-35, Neh. 9:20, Num. 11:29, Judges 13:25; 16:20 and 1 Sam. 10:10; 16:14

Grace Not Works

The foundational difference between the New Covenant compared to the Old Covenant is the emphasis on Grace not Works. The Lord Jesus came to this earth became a man in order to suffer and die for our sins – He became the sacrificial lamb. Thus, all who believe in Him in their hearts and profess Jesus as Lord are saved.  Spiritual Gifts, like salvation, is a gift. It’s not given based on merit, rather, it’s bestowed on us by God.   Grace and Works are married in a perfect union presented in the New Testament within Letter to the Romans and the Book of James. You can review Romans 3:9-4:1-8 and James 2:14-26, to fully understand this concept.  Furthermore, the verses attest to the fact that the Holy Spirit who is in every true believer moves them into action to serve the Lord. Here are some additional examples: Genesis 15:6, Genesis 22:1-18, Acts 16:27-31.

The Impact and Outcome Of Having The Holy Spirit

Two main factors are worth mentioning regarding the impact and the outcome of having the Holy Spirit.  First, the Holy Spirit transforms the believer, and the byproduct is the characteristics which we call the fruit of the Spirit – see Galatians 5:22-23, and opposite which is the works of the flesh is outlined by Paul in Galatians 5:19-21.

Secondly, God has bestowed us with gifts, and the word for gift in Greek is Charisma.  These Gifts are spiritual abilities such as teaching and prophesy, which are given by the Lord for the purpose of the affairs of the Kingdom, the body of Christ.

Without the Holy Spirit, the believer can not function in the capacity that the Lord desires.  It is through the Holy Spirit that we are led in the life of the faith. He empowers us, emboldens us tp carry out the mission laid before us by Christ. Additionally, the Holy Spirit grants us power over sin which is a result of Jesus victory over the cross.  We can conquer every addiction and every vile thing in our lives because the Lord has already conquered them for us.

Gifts of the Spirit & Talents

Most believers mistake talents for Gifts of the Spirit and vise a versa.  On the surface both may seem to be the same, but they are different.  Basically, talents are as a result of genetics/training, and Spiritual Gifts are not.  Talents can be possessed by believers and non-believes alike and it can be used for selfish purposes.  However, gifts of the Spirit are also given by God but it’s not due to genetics, neither is it due to training. Spiritual gifts are given at God’s discretion including the type and quantity.  It’s possessed by believers exclusively it’s used for the Kingdom, Body of Christ and for the Lord’s glory.

Without the gifts of the Spirit, you cannot serve the Lord.  There are specific roles outlined by Paul and some of them are supernatural such as, healing and speaking in tongues. In the case of speaking in tongues, without the Gift of the Spirit, we cannot speak in languages we haven’t learned, or speaking in the language of the Holy Spirit – see Acts 5:12-16.

Also, important to define and to note is the term, body of Christ.  The body of Christ refers to believers who profess Jesus as Lord and follow Him.  We are a body, an entity that the Lord has created, also known at the Church.  This is the institution that the Lord has created for His glory sake.  All believers are the ambassadors of Christ.

What Are The Gifts of the Spirit & How Is it Supposed To Be Used

The Gifts of the Spirit is to be used in conjunction or exclusively with the other gifts and with other believers. Individually, we are supposed to exercise our Gifts given by the Lord; however, the setting is within the Body of Christ which is the Church.   In the Church there are many roles, therefore, we need the various gifts that the Lord has given to effectively serve Him and each other.   See the following verses: 1 Corinthians 12:7 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.

In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 the Gifts of the Spirit are outlined as:  word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues.  Furthermore, Romans 12:6-8 outlines the gifts of the Spirit as prophecy, serving, teaching, encouragement, Giving, Leadership, Mercy.

We see many verses in the New Testament that have overlapping and distinct Gifts of the Spirit which helps us to develop a comprehensive understanding as well as to organize them in functional groups. There appears to be a hierarchy and a level of importance that is present in the gifts of the Spirit as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12:28:

  • Apostle
  • Prophet
  • Teacher
  • Miracles
  • Healing
  • Helping
  • Guidance
  • Tongues

Based on the various Gifts of the Spirit, we can categorize them into several groups – Here are the Functional Categories

Administerial/Leadership

  • Apostle
  • Pastor
  • Teacher
  • Administration
  • Leadership
  • Distinguishing between spirits
  • Word of wisdom
  • Word of knowledge

Comforting

  • Gifts of Healing
  • Serving
  • Encouragement
  • Giving
  • Mercy
  • Miracles – For the Church to remember who God is

Proclamation/Gospel Outreach

  • Prophet
  • Evangelist
  • Tongues
  • Miracles – from an outreach point and showing the Lord’s glory

Obtaining the Gifts of the Spirit & Striving For Them

The way you obtain the Gifts of the Spirit are twofold: (1) at the time of Salvation and (2) throughout your walk with the Lord. Here are some examples through various verses to validate this point:  See the following verses: 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6.

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that we can earnestly ask the Lord for the Gifts of the Spirit- ones we want or are lacking (from our perspective). However, it is the Lord that determines what we need, and He is the One who grants us the Gifts.  See 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

If you haven’t already received the Lord and you feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart, please pray this prayer and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior: Lord Jesus I know that I am sinner and I ask you forgive me of my sins.  I believe that you were crucified for my sins and through your blood I have redemption and salvation.  Please come into my heart and I receive you as my God.  I pray in Jesus name. AMEN