Theological glossary · FaithLogic

Spiritual gifts (charismata)

Abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers for the building up of the church and its mission — 'to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good'.

Greek charismata ('grace-gifts'), from charis ('grace'); also pneumatika ('things of the Spirit').

Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:1–31; 14:1–40; Ephesians 4:11–13; 1 Peter 4:10–11; Hebrews 2:4.

The gift lists differ and are not exhaustive; they range from teaching, service, and mercy to prophecy, healing, tongues, and miracles. All are given 'as the Spirit wills', are oriented to others, and are governed by love (1 Cor 13) and order (1 Cor 14).

Every believer is gifted; gifts are for service, not status. The main dispute is whether the miraculous or 'sign' gifts (healing, prophecy, tongues, miracles) continue today (continuationism) or ceased with the apostolic age (cessationism).

Cessationism vs. continuationism; the definition of 'prophecy' (infallible revelation, or a weighable Spirit-prompted word) and of 'tongues' (known languages, or non-cognitive utterance).

Open in the glossary for related terms and the doctrines this concept appears in.