What are the spiritual gifts?
Who are spiritual gifts promised to?
Why were spiritual gifts promised?
When are/were spiritual gifts Active?
My personal beliefs on the matter.
What?
Spiritual gifts are divine continuing empowerment to do a particular thing or fill a particular role within the Church. This does not mean that these are the only way God can or will work, For example, a person gifted with prophecy may at times be empowered to do some other work for a short time. A person may receive multiple gifts or just one. This is up to the working of the Holy Spirit.
Some of the gifts are:
Prophecy – Speaking God’s message or truth, often with insight into future events or divine will (Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10, Ephesians 4:11).
Serving – Practical assistance to others, meeting needs within the church (Romans 12:7).
Teaching – Instructing others in God’s truth or doctrine (Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11).
Exhortation (Encouragement) – Uplifting or motivating others to live faithfully (Romans 12:8).
Giving – Generously sharing resources with others, often with cheerfulness (Romans 12:8).
Leadership – Guiding or overseeing others in the church with diligence (Romans 12:8).
Mercy – Showing compassion and care to those in need, with kindness (Romans 12:8).
Wisdom – Applying divine insight or knowledge to specific situations (1 Corinthians 12:8).
Knowledge – Understanding or insight into spiritual truths, often through revelation (1 Corinthians 12:8).
Faith – Extraordinary trust in God, often for specific outcomes (1 Corinthians 12:9).
Healing – Miraculous restoration of physical or spiritual health (1 Corinthians 12:9, 12:28, 12:30).
Miracles – Performing supernatural acts that glorify God (1 Corinthians 12:10, 12:28).
Discernment of Spirits – Distinguishing between true and false spiritual influences (1 Corinthians 12:10).
Tongues – Speaking in unknown languages, often for prayer or prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10, 12:28, 12:30).
Interpretation of Tongues – Translating or explaining tongues for others’ benefit (1 Corinthians 12:10, 12:30).
Apostleship – Founding or leading churches with authority (1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11).
Helps – Supporting others in their ministries or tasks (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Administration – Organizing or managing church activities effectively (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Evangelism – Proclaiming the gospel to unbelievers with clarity and effectiveness (Ephesians 4:11).
Pastoring (Shepherding) – Caring for and guiding a group of believers (Ephesians 4:11).
Who?
Spiritual gifts are promised to all true believers in Christ Jesus. Not every gift is promised to every believer. There is no one gift promised to all believers either, contrary to what some denominations may teach.
"Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?" I Corinthians 12:27-30 (emphasis added)
However,
The Bible does not specifically exclude supernatural manifestations of power from happening for non-believers. There is evidence that there were some people who were working "miracles" who were not members of the church in the time of the Apostles. There are also passages that seem to indicate that at the time of the final judgement there will have been people who worked such "miracles" who will be denied by Jesus.
Why?
There are two general reasons given for spiritual gifts:
They WERE used to establish and empower the early Church and it's individual members for the glory of God.
They ARE used to establish and empower the Church and it's individual members for the glory of God.
When?
This is one thing that Christians are very divided over. There are two broad views on this
Cessationism : The gifts were active during the founding era of the Church to prove the authenticity of the the authority of the Christian as a spokesperson for God.
Continuationism : The gifts are still active today and will be until the end.
Biblical Basis:
Cessationists often cite Ephesians 2:20, Hebrews 2:3–4, and 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 to argue that miraculous gifts were foundational and tied to the apostles or the completion of Scripture.
Continuationists often cite passages like 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39, and the lack of explicit biblical evidence for cessation, emphasizing God’s unchanging nature (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8). They argue that the New Testament does not explicitly state that gifts would cease. They interpret 1 Corinthians 13:8–10’s “the perfect” as the return of Christ, not the completion of Scripture, meaning gifts continue until the Second Coming.
Which denominations generally align with Cessationism?
Reformed and Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Reformed Baptist Churches
Dispensationalist Baptists
Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches
Some Southern Baptist Churches
Anglicans
Which denominations generally align with Continuationism?
Pentecostals
Assemblies of God
Church of God (Cleveland, TN)
Pentecostal Holiness Church
Charismatics
Charismatic Catholics
Vineyard Movement
Calvary Chapel
Methodists/Wesleyans
Moravians
Many Non-Denominational Churches
Eastern Orthodox
Greek Orthodox
Coptic
There are also some traditions/denominations that are open to spiritual gifts but do not see them as normative in the church.
Lutherans
Some Baptists
Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)
Roman Catholic Church
Most Non-Denominational Churches
My personal beliefs on the matter.
I believe that the spiritual gifts continue now and will until Jesus return in glory.
I don't believe that explicit undeniable manifestations of divine power are normative in the Church today. I can not understand or explain why, but that seems to be the way it is.
I do believe that demonic sources of supernatural power are available and may be used to mimic spiritual gifts. They are rarely openly acknowledged as coming from Satan and his fallen angels. They take many forms but all derive from the same source.
I believe that spiritual gifts may be held by people who you think unworthy to bear them. This is something I struggle with myself. We all fall short of perfection and do not deserve these gifts. God uses those whom he chooses to use and it doesn't always make sense to us.
I believe that there are many deceivers in the Church today who are demonically empowered, whether they know it or not. There are whole congregations that are deceived in this way.
I don't believe that all Christians will speak in tongues.
I believe that tongues is meant to speak in a known human language to be able to converse with someone who you would normally not be able to understand.