19 Gifts of the Spirit

Spiritual gifts are one of those topics that can either unite or divide theologians, Bible study students, or even friends. The subject of spiritual gifts is covered in 4 main Bible passages: 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, 1 Peter 4, and Ephesians 4. In each of these passages, unity in the body of Christ when dealing with spiritual gifts is emphasized . In Ephesians 4:3 – a key passage dealing with spiritual gifts – the Apostle Paul urges Christians to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” So why is there such division in the body about this subject? I believe it is because many people have not actually studied the Bible to see what it says about spiritual gifts.

After studying through the 4 main passages listed above, a good commentary on this subject is Leslie B. Flynn’s book 19 Gifts of the Spirit. Easy to understand and thoroughly researched, this book provides excellent insight into each gift listed in Scripture. Other commentators may number the gifts differently – and you may, too, after you have thoroughly studied. That’s okay. Flynn’s book is still a valuable tool when studying spiritual gifts.

At Precept Camden we are currently studying this subject using the Precept Upon Precept workbook on Spiritual Gifts to guide us through the scriptures. If you’d like to study with us online, you can go here to see how to do that. Once you have learned everything you can about spiritual gifts, go here for help on how to find out what your gift is.