<p>The Bible talks about spiritual gifts in more than one place,and the passages don't all say the same thing — which is exactly why they're worth reading together. St. Paul gives three different lists of gifts to three different churches. St. Peter adds the principle that ties them together. And the prophet Isaiah names a set of gifts centuries before any of them. Put side by side,they give you the full picture of what Scripture means when it says the Holy Spirit gives gifts.</p> <p>Here is every major passage,in the words of the Catholic Bible (the NABRE),with what each one is actually teaching.</p> <h2>What the Bible Means by "Spiritual Gifts"</h2> <p>The word underneath most of these passages is the Greek <em>charisma</em> — a "grace-gift," from <em>charis</em>,meaning grace. A spiritual gift,in the Bible's sense,is something the Holy Spirit gives freely,not something you earn,inherit,or train for. St. Paul states the purpose clearly: "To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit" (1 Corinthians 12:7). The gift is given <em>for</em> something — and,as we'll see,that something is usually other people.</p> <p>Two things are true across every passage below. The gifts come from God,not from you. And they're distributed on purpose — "one and the same Spirit produces all of these,distributing them individually to each person as he wishes" (1 Corinthians 12:11).</p> <h2>Romans 12:6–8 — Gifts for Serving the Body</h2> <p>"Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,let us exercise them: if prophecy,in proportion to the faith; if ministry,in ministering; if one is a teacher,in teaching; if one exhorts,in exhortation; if one contributes,in generosity; if one is over others,with diligence; if one does acts of mercy,with cheerfulness."</p> <p>Here Paul names seven gifts oriented toward ordinary service in the community: <strong>prophecy,ministry (service),teaching,exhortation (encouragement),giving,leadership,and mercy.</strong> What stands out is how down-to-earth they are. There's no lightning here — just teaching well,giving generously,leading diligently,showing mercy cheerfully. Paul's point is that these everyday capacities are themselves gifts of the Spirit,and that the right response to having one is simply to use it.</p> <h2>1 Corinthians 12:8–10 — The "One Body,Many Parts" Chapter</h2> <p>"To one is given through 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 gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues."</p> <p>This is the most famous passage on spiritual gifts,and the chapter our ministry takes its name from — a few verses later Paul develops the image of the Church as one body with many parts,no member able to say to another "I do not need you" (1 Corinthians 12:21). The nine gifts here run from the dramatic (healing,mighty deeds,tongues) to the less visible (wisdom,knowledge,discernment of spirits),and Paul's whole argument is that the variety is the design,not a problem to iron out. Different members,different gifts,one body. We walk through this chapter verse by verse in <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/one-body-many-parts-1-corinthians-12/">1 Corinthians 12,explained</a>.</p> <h2>Ephesians 4:11 — Gifts of People to the Church</h2> <p>"And he gave some as apostles,others as prophets,others as evangelists,others as pastors and teachers."</p> <p>Ephesians turns the idea at a slightly different angle. Instead of listing gifts given <em>to</em> people,Paul lists people given <em>as</em> gifts to the Church: <strong>apostles,prophets,evangelists,pastors,and teachers.</strong> These are the roles that equip everyone else — "to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry" (Ephesians 4:12). It's a useful reminder that some charisms are exercised in leadership and formation,building up the people who then go build up everyone else.</p> <h2>1 Peter 4:10–11 — The Principle Behind All of Them</h2> <p>"As each one has received a gift,use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. Whoever preaches,let it be with the words of God; whoever serves,let it be with the strength that God supplies,so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ."</p> <p>Peter doesn't give a list — he gives the logic underneath every list. <em>Each</em> one has received a gift (so no one is left out). The gift is for serving <em>one another</em> (so it's aimed outward). And you hold it as a <em>steward</em> (so it isn't yours to keep or bury). If you remember one verse about spiritual gifts,this is a good one: you've been given something,and it's meant to be spent on the people around you.</p> <h2>Isaiah 11:2–3 — The Gifts of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation</h2> <p>"The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,a spirit of counsel and of strength,a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD."</p> <p>This Old Testament passage is the source of the <strong>seven gifts of the Holy Spirit</strong> taught for Confirmation — wisdom,understanding,counsel,fortitude,knowledge,piety,and fear of the Lord. (You'll count six in the verse above; the traditional seven comes from the older Greek and Latin translations,which rendered "fear of the Lord" as both <em>piety</em> and <em>fear of the Lord</em>.) These differ in purpose from the gifts in Paul's lists: they're given to make the person holy,rather than to be exercised for others. If your search started with Confirmation,the fuller explanation is in <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/how-many-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/">how many gifts of the Holy Spirit are there</a>.</p> <h2>A List of Spiritual Gifts in the Bible,With Their Meanings</h2> <p>Drawing the passages together,here are many of the gifts Scripture names:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Prophecy</strong> — speaking God's truth into a situation so it moves people (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12)</li> <li><strong>Teaching</strong> — making the faith clear and compelling so people are changed by it (Romans 12; Ephesians 4)</li> <li><strong>Service / ministry</strong> — seeing what needs doing and doing it (Romans 12; 1 Peter 4)</li> <li><strong>Exhortation / encouragement</strong> — words and presence that restore someone's courage (Romans 12)</li> <li><strong>Giving</strong> — providing generously and gladly for others' needs (Romans 12)</li> <li><strong>Leadership</strong> — bringing order and direction that lets a mission flourish (Romans 12)</li> <li><strong>Mercy</strong> — practical,cheerful care for those who suffer (Romans 12)</li> <li><strong>Wisdom</strong> and <strong>knowledge</strong> — Spirit-given insight into God's truth and how it applies (1 Corinthians 12)</li> <li><strong>Faith</strong> — trust that God will act,strong enough to move others (1 Corinthians 12)</li> <li><strong>Healing</strong> and <strong>mighty deeds</strong> — God's restoring power at work through a person (1 Corinthians 12)</li> <li><strong>Discernment of spirits</strong> — telling what is of God from what is not (1 Corinthians 12)</li> <li><strong>Tongues</strong> and <strong>interpretation</strong> — prayer and message in the Spirit,and its understanding (1 Corinthians 12)</li> <li><strong>Evangelism</strong> and <strong>pastoring</strong> — drawing people to Christ,and shepherding them once they come (Ephesians 4)</li> </ul> <p>Because Scripture gives several overlapping lists rather than one closed set,the Church has never fixed the gifts at a single number — which is why counts of 7,9,19,and 24 all circulate. There's a short explanation of <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/how-many-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/">why the numbers differ</a>.</p> <h2>Are These Gifts Still Given Today — and to Me?</h2> <p>Yes,and yes. The Second Vatican Council teaches that the Holy Spirit still "distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank" (Lumen Gentium 12),and the Catechism is direct about who has them: charisms are given "to each person as he wishes" for the building up of the Church (CCC 799–801). Not just clergy. Not just saints. Every baptized person has received something on this list — including you.</p> <p>Which raises the one question the Bible's lists can't answer for you: <em>which</em> gifts do you have? Scripture tells you that you've been given some and that they're meant for others; it leaves the discerning to you and the Church. The Catechism even makes that a duty — "discernment of charisms is always necessary" (CCC 801).</p> <p>A straightforward way to start is the <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/product/charism-assessment">charism assessment</a>: about twenty minutes,and it points to the charisms you're most likely to have. From there you confirm the way the Church always has — in prayer,in the honest feedback of people who know you,and by putting a gift to work and watching for fruit. The gifts have been in Scripture for two thousand years. Finding out which ones you've been given is how they get off the page and into someone's life.</p> <h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2> <h3>Where does the Bible talk about spiritual gifts?</h3> <p>The main passages are Romans 12:6–8,1 Corinthians 12:8–10,Ephesians 4:11,and 1 Peter 4:10–11 in the New Testament,plus Isaiah 11:2–3 in the Old Testament (the source of the seven gifts taught for Confirmation).</p> <h3>What are the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible?</h3> <p>Across the passages,Scripture names gifts including prophecy,teaching,service,encouragement,giving,leadership,mercy,wisdom,knowledge,faith,healing,mighty deeds,discernment of spirits,tongues and their interpretation,evangelism,and pastoring. Paul's lists differ from letter to letter and were never meant to be a single closed set.</p> <h3>How many spiritual gifts are there in the Bible?</h3> <p>It depends on which passage you count. 1 Corinthians 12 lists nine; combining all the New Testament lists gives around nineteen. Because Scripture doesn't fix a single number,different traditions count differently — <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/how-many-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/">explained here</a>.</p> <h3>Does everyone have a spiritual gift?</h3> <p>Yes. The Catechism teaches that the Holy Spirit gives charisms to the faithful "of every rank" for the good of the Church (CCC 799). Every baptized person has received at least one. See <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/does-everyone-have-a-charism/">Does Everyone Have a Charism?</a></p> <hr> <p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/how-many-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/">How Many Gifts of the Holy Spirit Are There?</a> · <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/one-body-many-parts-1-corinthians-12/">1 Corinthians 12,Explained</a> · <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/blog/what-is-a-charism/">What Is a Charism?</a> · <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/what-are-the-24-charisms-of-the-holy-spirit">All 24 Charisms Explained</a> · <a href="https://www.manypartsministries.com/product/charism-assessment">Take the Charism Assessment</a></p>

Where the Bible talks about spiritual gifts — Romans 12,1 Corinthians 12,Ephesians 4,1 Peter 4,and Isaiah 11 — with each passage and gift explained.

Spiritual Gifts in the Bible

Explore Catholic teaching on charisms and spiritual gifts. Articles on discernment, identity, the Holy Spirit, and living your gifts in everyday life.

Part & Parcel Blog — Catholic Teaching on Charisms

Articles on Catholic charism discernment — what charisms are, how to discover yours, and how to live them out in the Church and everyday life.



Spiritual Gifts in the Bible

Spiritual Gifts in the Bible

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