What are the spiritual gifts? (the gifts of the Holy Spirit, are they for today?)

Q: What are the spiritual gifts? (the gifts of the Holy Spirit — are they for today?)

Spiritual gifts (Greek charismata, 'grace-gifts') are abilities the Holy Spirit gives to believers 'for the common good' — to build up the church, not for private status (). The New Testament gives several overlapping lists rather than one fixed catalog: - – — wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. - – — prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, mercy. - — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers (gifted people given to the church). - – — grouped simply as speaking gifts and serving gifts. One Spirit distributes them 'to each one as He determines' (BSB, ), and love matters more than any of them (; ).

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Short answer

Spiritual gifts (Greek charismata, 'grace-gifts') are abilities the Holy Spirit gives to believers 'for the common good', to build up the church, not for private status (1 Corinthians 12:7). The New Testament gives several overlapping lists rather than one fixed catalog:

1 Corinthians 12:8–1 Corinthians 12:10, wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.
Romans 12:6–Romans 12:8, prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, mercy.
Ephesians 4:11, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers (gifted people given to the church).
1 Peter 4:10–1 Peter 4:11, grouped simply as speaking gifts and serving gifts.

One Spirit distributes them 'to each one as He determines' (BSB, 1 Corinthians 12:11), and love matters more than any of them (1 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Corinthians 13:13).

Question

What are the spiritual gifts? (the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and are they for today?)

Analysis

One body, many gifts

Paul's governing picture is the body: many different parts, one body, each needed (1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 12:27). No one has every gift, and no gift makes its holder superior, the 'lesser' parts are indispensable. The gifts come from the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God (1 Corinthians 12:4–1 Corinthians 12:6), and their purpose is always to serve others and build up the church (1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 4:12). Paul frames his most famous chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13) precisely as the corrective: gifts without love are noise (1 Corinthians 13:1).

A seam: are the miraculous gifts for today?

Christians agree the gifts are real and God-given; they differ on whether the miraculous gifts (tongues, prophecy, healing) continue now:

View	Position
Continuationist	All the gifts, including the miraculous ones, continue today and should be sought and used in an orderly way. Held broadly in Pentecostal and charismatic traditions.
Cessationist	The miraculous/sign gifts served to confirm the apostles' foundational message and ceased (or became rare) once Scripture was complete; the 'ministry' gifts (teaching, serving, giving) continue. Held in some Reformed and dispensational circles.

Both agree on the purpose (building up the church in love) and reject seeking gifts for show. Scripture itself urges orderly use and testing (1 Corinthians 14:40; 1 Thessalonians 5:19–1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Sources, trace every one

Every cited verse, in full. Tap any reference to open it in the reader.

1 Corinthians 12:7bsb
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:8bsb
To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit,
1 Corinthians 12:10bsb
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
Romans 12:6bsb
We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;
Romans 12:8bsb
if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Ephesians 4:11bsb
And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
1 Peter 4:10bsb
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
1 Peter 4:11bsb
If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 12:11bsb
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.
1 Corinthians 13:1bsb
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:13bsb
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 12:12bsb
The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:27bsb
Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.
1 Corinthians 12:4bsb
There are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:6bsb
There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people.
Ephesians 4:12bsb
to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,

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