I’m not a big one for categorizing spiritual gifts.
1) Scripture does not categorize them.
2) Categorizing could merely be based on one’s beliefs about spiritual gifts.
3) Categorizing them could put spiritual gifts into neat little boxes whereas God might use them in a much more diverse way.
1 Peter 4:10-11 comes the closest to categorizing spiritual gifts but even then I would be careful because all the gifts do not fit neatly into these two categories — that of speaking and that of serving.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
The essence of this passage isn’t so much to categorize gifts but to say that whether your gifts have you speaking or doing something, you are to make it all about God … His word … His strength … for His glory.
Consequently, I can see the possibility of grouping spiritual gifts together into categories based on the function of spiritual gifts, or the practical side of how the gifts help the Church be and do what God wants. But, even in doing this, we must still remember that these are man-made categories that we must hold loosely.
Click on the links below to learn more about those types of spiritual gifts.
communication/speaking types of gifts: exhortation, prophecy, teaching (due to how much communication is used)
serving types of gifts: giving, helps, hospitality, mercy, service (due to how much hands-on ministry is involved)
leading types of gifts: administration, leadership, pastor (due to how much oversight they provide)
outreach types of gifts: apostle, evangelism, tongues, missionary (due to how much they advance the Gospel)
spiritual insight types of gifts: discernment, knowledge, wisdom (due to how much they help prevent or deal with issues or problems)
intercessory types of gifts: faith, healings, miracles (due to how much prayer is involved)
In this type of grouping we are merely acknowledging that God provides the spiritual gifts needed to accomplish different types of ministry.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Cor. 12:4-7)
Get more help understanding how the various spiritual gifts might be used in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use so you can recruit for different ministries based on gifting. This resource includes the above content.
can interpretation of dreams, celibacy and singing be classified as spiritual gifts?
Hello, Elijah Kajoba. If you look at the key passages on spiritual gifts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4) where spiritual gifts are clearly listed, we do not find mention of interpretation of dreams, celibacy, or singing. We do find examples in the Bible where God gave certain people in specific situations the ability to interpret dreams (Joseph, Daniel) but there is no passage that says it is a spiritual gift. Some will suggest celibacy as a possible spiritual gift because of 1 Corinthians 7:7, 8 where the word “charisma” appears in the context, which is the same word used for spiritual gifts. Natural abilities, like singing, certainly are a gift from God but there is no passage about it where we find the word used for spiritual gifts. Sometimes God uses our natural abilities as vehicles through which we express our spiritual gifts. Singing, for example, could be a way of using the spiritual gift of exhortation. Whether a spiritual gift, or natural ability, all we do should be to the glory of God.
I know this is a late reply, but regarding interpreting dreams, you should look again at 1 Cor. 12:8, word of wisdom, particularly the definition of the Greek word sophia (G4678).
Thanks for your input, Phillip. Yes, if you look at the Strong’s definition (G4678) for sophia (wisdom), it gives a definition as “wisdom, broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters” and then goes on to suggest what some of those “diverse matters” might be and there lists “the act of interpreting dreams and always giving the sagest advice.” Interpretation of dreams is given as one of seven possible applications or uses of wisdom (sophia).
I think under dif/ gifts are various flows of how that gift operates. Celibacy I do see as referred to a gift based on the Greek word used in 1 Cor 7:7. With interp. of dreams, that would be a flow under prophecy. Something like a worship leader (for music) would go under Leadership and intercession under mercy, missionary under evangelism, craftsmanship under service. Some churches list these out and test specifically, others do not at all, and others will put within the main gift categories listed from Rom 12 or 1 Cor 12, or Eph 4:11…. I think it would be good to note they are not found in the main gift passages, to put them or teach them as a function of one of the main gifts and to test on it more specifically in that way.
Thanks for your thoughts, Lauren. Though some do call some of what you mentioned as spiritual gifts, they are not listed in the key passages on spiritual gifts (Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12, Eph.4) which you can see in the Spiritual Gifts List & Definitions page. It is very possible, as you wrote, that these miscellaneous “gifts” are actually a way to exercise one of the gifts listed. Craftsmanship, for example, could indeed be a way to exercise the spiritual gift of service. For more thoughts, you might want to read: How Many Spiritual Gifts Are There?
This is an interesting discussion of the spiritual gifts. I agree with the first interpretation as to there being a question to the value of putting gifts in little boxes. Modern Christianity has made the “gifts” little idols in themselves. They wear them as tokens of a person’s salvation.
I was pastor of a Charismatic congregation, I wanted them to have every blessing God had for them but many of them were constantly looking for some new “gift” that would make them better than other Christians. It was a selfish and consuming quest.
I believe the gifts more appropriately might be called the “tools” of the spirit. Like any worker we have our tool box and as we go about from day to day we know that God will provide what we need, Many look at gift in sense of a Christmas present just for me and it will make me a super Christian. Another issue that causes problems in a charismatic congregation is the idea that God will give this or that gift to us. I find no place in scripture where the gift of discernment or the gift of tongues was given to whole congregations. They all might receive a like gifting but it would still a personal gifting.
Indeed, Jerry Bullock, spiritual gifts are intended to be more than a “selfish and consuming quest” as we read in 1 Peter 4:10. — “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” — We all receive spiritual gifts by grace. In fact, one of the key Greek words used for spiritual gifts is charis, meaning grace. As “grace” gifts they are not earned or merited. My gifts make me no better than the next person. When we understand that, so many of the issues you wrote about get resolved. There’s no room for pride, comparisons, or competition.