The Nine Gifts of the Spirit -- part 1

Introduction to the Nine Spiritual Gifts

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:1 that we should not be “ignorant” regarding spiritual gifts. Ignorant means unaware, untutored, or uninformed. Being ignorant of the spiritual gifts can frustrate the purposes of God, keep us from fulfilling God’s will in the earth, or lead us to making up our own systems for supernatural giftings.

Occult practices, witchcraft, mediums, witches, and wizards have all tried to create their own supernatural ways. Their methods are not the type we should emulate or use as believers according to the Scriptures in Deuteronomy 18. If we follow such ways, we can bring a curse upon ourselves! The Corinthian Church did not lack experience with God’s spiritual gifts, but they did lack in understanding how to operate in them properly.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural, not natural. They are weapons of warfare given to the Body of Christ that we might further the Gospel, set captives free, and minister to others. We can also describe spiritual gifts as manifestations or communication tools. They are not earned, not mechanical, and not goals but rather gateways to the supernatural realm.

The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts when we invite Jesus Christ into our lives. Along with that salvation experience comes peace. God also gives us another spiritual experience called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This experience first occurred at Pentecost when the upper room was filled with the presence of God and individuals received supernatural power to witness. With that endowment of power also came the gifts of the Spirit.

Specifically, nine spiritual gifts are listed in our foundational text for this new series of blog entries. We find them in the following passage of first Corinthians chapter twelve.

1 Corinthians 12: 1-11  (NKJV)

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.

3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

The nine spiritual gifts are commonly studied individually, corporately, or in groupings of three. Over the next several weeks we will break down our investigation of these nine gifts into groups of three.

• The "inspiration gifts” of tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy that inspire or bring fresh life.
• The “revelation gifts” of word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and discerning of spirits that reveal something either past, present, future, demonic, angelic, or godly.
• The “power gifts” of working of miracles, gifts of healing, and the gift of faith that involve power.

Mothers of Nations, all nine of these spiritual gifts have been given to believers to profit the Body of Christ, confirm the Word, and perfect the saints. Next week we will begin our investigation of these nine gifts starting with the gift of tongues.

Dr. Sharon Predovich