Spiritual gifts

Oct

2025

Knowledge

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . . (Hos 4:6)

The church sometimes has difficulty rightly valuing knowledge. Sometimes people equate head knowledge with spiritual maturity and thereby give to knowledge an importance and a role it does not have. Knowledge by itself does not make anyone greater in the eyes of God. God does not care how much you know if you don’t love. Or if you don’t trust Him.

However, sometimes people devalue knowledge because “knowledge puffs up.” They see that faith and love are greater than knowledge. They see that knowledge by itself does not produce maturity, and they conclude that knowledge is not that important.

Thus, some people overvalue knowledge while others undervalue it. We need to see the importance of knowledge along with its limitations. The reality is that faith and love are based on knowledge. You can’t believe in something that you don’t know. And the more you know about God, the more reasons you have to love Him. Knowledge by itself does not produce spiritual maturity, but a certain amount of knowledge is a prerequisite for spiritual maturity. Knowledge is not the same as faith, but without knowledge you can’t have faith.

Let me put it this way. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen (Heb 11:1). Some people take that to mean that faith kicks in when you don’t see or know something, and, thus, knowledge is not that crucial to faith. But those people are only half right. It is true that faith trusts in what it does not see, but the reason it trusts in what it does not see is because of what it does know. I have knowledge that God is faithful, and based on that knowledge, I can trust that He will provide for my family even though I don’t see how. I have knowledge that God has made me a new man, and that knowledge gives me hope for eternity. I have knowledge that God has forgiven my sins through the Cross, and that knowledge spurs me to love Him even more.

Faith and love do not exist in a vacuum apart from knowledge. Faith has substance. Faith trusts in something. Knowledge gives you that substance, that something. Those then with the spiritual gift of knowledge help provide the substance for our faith and for our relationship with God.

So let’s talk about the gift of knowledge. The spiritual gift of knowledge does not pertain to knowledge broadly speaking but to the knowledge of Scripture and of God. Thus, having a Phd in literature does not give anyone this gift. In addition, someone with the gift of knowledge knows more than the mere facts that, say, Ehud was a left-handed man and the gospels were based on eyewitness testimony. Someone with the gift of knowledge knows not just the brute facts of Scripture but how to interpret Scripture in a godly way. Thus, having a Phd in New Testament does not give anyone the gift of knowledge. A boy in middle school with the gift of knowledge may know more than a New Testament scholar, even if the New Testament scholar knows more facts.

We have to get out of our head the idea that those who know mere facts are somehow spiritually mature simply because they know facts.

People with the gift of knowledge are the people you go to when you want to know what the Bible says about this or that topic. When you want to know not just the facts but the heart. These people help you understand Scripture and God.

Knowledge vs Teaching

The gifts of teaching and of knowledge have some overlap even if they are not identical. Many with the gift of teaching also have the gift of knowledge, for you can’t teach what you don’t know. Yet the gift of teaching also involves a communication gift.

The gift of knowledge by itself does not necessarily involve teaching, and some people may know the Bible and God well without being strong teachers.

Importance of Knowledge

People with the gift of knowledge provide the substance for the faith of the church.

Strengths

love for Scripture
love to read and learn
ability to understand complex ideas
care about doctrine

Weaknesses

can be weak with relationships
can be proud of their knowledge
can trust in knowledge instead of God

Examples of People with this Gift

Ezra, Paul, John Calvin, D.A. Carson

Good Roles for People with this Gift

researcher, professor, apologist, teacher

Oct

2025

Mercy

“Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15).

God is a God of mercy, and we, as His disciples, are to love mercy. God sees us in our weakness and need, has compassion on us, and meets our need. This is what merciful people do.

People with the gift of mercy are the people you want around when you hurt. They listen to you. They hug you. They hold your hand. They weep with you. They sympathize with your plight. These people feel your hurt. They want to help you, and they will do what they can to help you because they care.

These people have a special heart for the weak, the vulnerable, the hurting, and the oppressed. They look out for the poor, the lowly, and the downtrodden.

These people are genuinely happy at your good fortune and genuinely sad at your pain.

Like those with the gift of service, people with the gift of mercy do not generally want the spotlight. They prefer to come alongside you and help in the background. They differ with the servants in that those with the gift of service focus their help more on practical needs while those with the gift of mercy focus more on emotional needs – holding your hand, giving an encouraging word, crying with you. Those with the gift of mercy still desire to meet practical needs because they see such help as emotionally helpful whereas those with the gift of service see such help as practically helpful. On the outside it looks the same, but underneath the actions lie somewhat different emphases. Those with the gift of mercy tend to have more feeling in their help.

The Importance of the Gift of Mercy

People with the gift of mercy are God’s heart in the church. Mercy is important because it treats people as if they are people. It has a soft heart for people, and the church needs a soft heart toward people.

Strengths of the Gift of Mercy

compassionate
sensitive to how people feel
generous
considerate
providing care to others
often desire right relationships
helping others

Weaknesses of the Gift of Mercy

can be driven by emotions to unhealthy places like depression or false doctrine
can focus on emotional or physical needs and neglect to bring the gospel to people
can be indecisive
desire to please people
sometimes judge doctrines or people largely by their feelings
sometimes feel things that are not true
can have difficulty drawing healthy boundaries
can have difficulty focusing on tasks
can have their feelings easily hurt by others
can have difficulty with rebuke or reproof – hard conversations
can have difficulty in leadership roles

Examples of People with this Gift

Ruth, The Good Samaritan, Mother Teresa

Good Roles for this Gift

mom, ministry to the poor or oppressed, visiting the sick, care for the elderly, counselor, confidante, prayer ministry, nurse

Sep

2025

Pastoral Leadership

“I am the Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11)

“Shepherd the flock of God . . .” (I Pet 5:2)

Pastors are shepherds.

And shepherds lead sheep.

Some people debate whether the New Testament speaks of pastoral gifting at all. They argue that the word “pastor” refers only to an office and not to a spiritual gift. Others disagree and say that the New Testament speaks of pastoral gifting. Sometimes people argue their points as if the two positions are mutually exclusive. They are not. In Ephesians 4, the pastor-teacher seems to be an office that is a gift (Eph 4:8, 11-12), and in I Peter 5:2, Peter tells the elders that their function is to shepherd the flock. Shepherding is central to the function of the office of pastor/elder, and the moment you say that the office has a function, you make the office something that is better held by someone with gifting to do the function. Some pastors are more naturally gifted at shepherding than others.

This is common sense. You’ve probably observed it yourself. It is true of virtually every function that exists. All believers are to evangelize, but some are more gifted at it than others. All believers are to serve people, but some are more gifted at it than others. All church treasurers are to handle the finances with integrity and skill, but some are more gifted at it than others. All cooks are to make tasty meals, but some are more gifted at it than others. Ten different people may hold the office of high school teacher, but they are not all equally gifted teachers. We could go on.

Functions involve gifting, and the office of pastor has a Biblical function.

What this means is that even the people who argue that the word “pastor” refers only to an office must admit differing levels of gifting at carrying out that office. And the moment you do so, you are referring to a pastoral gift.

Thus, a man may have the spiritual gift of wisdom, prophecy, or evangelism and fill the office of pastor, while someone else may have a shepherding gift and not fill the office of pastor. The office and the gift may have similarities, but they are not identical.

Now because our purpose is to discuss spiritual gifts, I want to focus on the gifting and not the office, but I understand that the office requires the man to do what the gifting is good at.

With that out of the way, let’s talk.

Pastoral leadership is leadership. But it is a different type of leadership. Pastors are shepherds. Shepherding is a combination of servant leadership and spiritual care.

Pastoral leadership does not focus so much on leading tasks or organizations but on leading souls. Shepherds lead hearts. Shepherds want to see you walk with God. They take great joy in seeing God’s people grow in Christ.

Shepherds provide spiritual care and spiritual direction for the sheep. This may entail encouragement when you are discouraged, rebuke when you are stubborn in sin, clarity when you are confused, and a push when you need to stretch your faith.

Because shepherds focus on hearts, they want to get to know you. They lead through relationship. Shepherds build up and equip the church in Christ. They come alongside you and spur you on and encourage you in your walk with Jesus.

Shepherding is an investment in the lives of others and, consequently, takes time. Because of the nature of shepherding, shepherds can shepherd only so many people. The more people in the flock, the greater the need for multiple shepherds.

Importance of Shepherding Gifts

Shepherds are the builders of the church. They build men. They build women. They build the hearts of the people to maturity in Christ.

Strengths of Shepherding Gifts

care for the church
care for souls
focus on spiritual growth
relational
see the spiritual realities of life
care about God’s Word
patience
comfortable being alone with God

Weaknesses of Shepherding Gifts

can have difficulty with evangelism. Shepherds are focused on the sheep.
can have difficulty with church planting and entrepreneurial tasks
can burn out trying to shepherd too many people
can feel lonely

Examples of People with Shepherding Gifts

John, Peter, Timothy, Richard Baxter, Francis Chan

Good Roles for Shepherds

pastor, husband, parent, mentor, discipler

Sep

2025

Entrepreneurial Leadership

“I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” (Rom 15:20)

Some people call this gifting “apostolic gifting.” I will avoid that term because sometimes people hear it and think you are describing a person with the same authority as the apostles. Instead, I will say simply that this gift is a starter gift. These people provide the leadership to start works in the spiritual world. These people plant churches and start ministries. They are generally task-focused, can operate well alone, and enjoy the challenge of starting something new. These are the people who push the church to great heights. They see a vision and inspire the church to accomplish that vision. They are good networkers and connect with many people.

Importance

These are the catalysts of the church. These people expand the reach of the church and push the church to greater steps of faith.

Strengths

usually have faith
pray
can see a big vision
can mobilize people
are focused
can take criticism and move on
are zealous to see God’s kingdom advance
get things done
inspire others
are bold

Weaknesses

can struggle with deeper relationships
sometimes prioritize the job over the people
can be or seem uncaring
are sometimes impetuous
can be workaholics
can be proud
can compromise doctrine or ethics to get things done
sometimes rely on their energy and skills instead of on God
can ignore constructive criticism
can have difficulty being alone with God

Examples of People with the Spiritual Gift of Entrepreneurial Leadership

Caleb, Nehemiah, Peter, Paul, George Mueller, Hudson Taylor, Jonathan Goforth, George Verwer,

Good Roles for People with this Gift

church planter, pioneer missionary, leader of an organization focused especially on expansion of the kingdom, starting a new work of some kind: school, hospital, mission agency, ministry

Sep

2025

Leadership

Leadership is the gifting I have had the greatest struggle to describe. Two reasons account for this difficulty.

First, leadership comes in different varieties. A church planter and a pastor are both leaders, but they are quite different beasts. Paul is not John. Both have leadership giftings, but they have very different strengths and weaknesses.

Second, Paul mentions the gift of leadership in Romans 12, but in Eph 4, he mentions as leaders the gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. So is Paul using different terms to refer to the same thing? And if so, which term in Ephesians most corresponds to the gift of leadership in Romans? Or is Romans a broad umbrella that includes different types of leaders? Or is Ephesians merely a list of offices not related to spiritual gifts at all? These are some of the questions I have asked in trying to figure out exactly what Paul means by leadership.

Given these questions, here is how I plan on approaching the gift of leadership.

I believe it more likely that Paul’s use of the term “leadership” in Rom 12:8 is a reference to pastoral leadership than to more entrepreneurial leadership. Here is why:

Paul uses the same term in I Th 5:12 and I Tim 5:17 to refer to the elders of a church, and Biblically elders, overseers, and pastors are all different words for the same office. In addition, the word for “lead” can equally be translated “care for” (see BAGD) and care is a central component of pastoral leadership, but it can often be a weakness of entrepreneurial leaders.

These two facts are not conclusive, for entrepreneurial leaders can still be elders, and church planters still need to care for the flock, but, nonetheless, Paul’s use of the word and the alternate meaning of the word make me lean in the direction of saying that Paul has in mind a more pastoral function than a function that begins new works.

However, because my leaning is not certain, I will describe both of these leadership types with the proviso that I believe the pastoral one is the more likely of the two. Thus, in the next couple weeks, I will post blogs on entrepreneurial leadership and pastoral leadership.

Sep

2025

Giving

“. . . it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

God so loved the world that He gave. Giving is God’s nature. He loves to give.

People with the spiritual gift of giving have discovered how much God loves to give, and they show the rest of the church what that looks like.

Givers have learned the secret of letting go of material goods. Their money and possessions do not have a stronghold over their hearts, and they willingly and sacrificially give to meet the needs of others and to advance the kingdom of God. They see giving as a blessing and joy instead of a duty. They give from the heart. They give sacrificially and joyfully. They love to give. They want to give. They do not see their money as theirs. They see it as God’s money, for Him to do with as He pleases.

We usually think of givers as being wealthy. That is not necessarily true. The widow who gave all she had may not have given a great amount, but she gave more than the wealthy who gave greater amounts. A poor person can have this gift, and when he does he will give you what he can, and it may cost him more than you see.

The gift of giving is not restricted to money. Givers will give you clothes, a dining table, their car, and more. They see a need and look at what they have that can meet that need and are willing to give it up.

The Importance of Givers

Givers are those who sacrifice for the church. They are the inspiration for selflessness and the people who fund and resource God’s work.

Strengths of Givers

full of joy
generous
free from the pull of material goods
care about the needs of others

Weaknesses of Givers

can enable others in unhealthy behaviors
sometimes desire to please men instead of God
sometimes lack healthy boundaries

Examples of People with this Gift

the widow who gave her mite, Barnabbas, R.G. Letourneau, C.S. Lewis, Millard Fuller

Good Roles for People with this Gift

benevolence ministry, support for missionaries, mission organizations, churches, and other Christian ministries

Sep

2025

Exhortation/Encouragement

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (I Thes 5:11)

The Greek word translated “exhortation” in the list of spiritual gifts can mean encouragement, comfort, or consolation. It is the same word Jesus uses when He calls the Holy Spirit the comforter. People with this gift lift you up when you feel down. People with this gift spur you on to love and good deeds. Everyone likes to be around them because they make you feel as if you matter and as if God will use you. These people are encouragers and are often saying things like “I appreciate your heart for people” or “Your serving has been a great blessing to others” or “You can do that. God is with you” or “I’ve heard your testimony, and it is powerful” or a thousand other statements like these.

These people will call you just to see how you are doing. They will show up at your house uninvited because they were passing by and were thinking about you and just wanted to let you know they were thinking about you. They use words to build you up. Those words may take the form of face-to-face conversation, phone calls, emails, notes, or any other medium.

But encouragers are not restricted to words. When you are going through a hard time, they will send you a gift card to a restaurant or maybe even take you there themselves just because they want to encourage you. They may throw you a surprise party just to let you know that you mean something to them.

These people say with Caleb, “With God we can take the land.” People with this gift have much faith, a positive attitude, and a love for others. Encouragers are not necessarily leaders (though they can be). They love to come alongside you and spur you on and encourage you.

But the spiritual gift of encouragement is more than a positive attitude. It is more than making people feel good about themselves. The purpose of this gift is to strengthen people’s faith and help them walk more closely with Jesus. When you see words or deeds that make people feel good but never help them grow spiritually, you are not looking at the spiritual gift of encouragement.

The Importance of Encouragement

Encouragers are the morale boosters and the faith spurrers of the church.

This gift combats discouragement and depression and calls the church to take steps of faith and to trust that God will work.

Strengths of Encouragers

strong faith
joy
a positive attitude
a love for people
speaking spiritual words of encouragement
lifting people up
often good listeners
full of hope
can motivate others

Weaknesses of Encouragers

sometimes neglect confrontation or hard conversations
can be oblivious to real pain
can be too optimistic
can be people pleasers

Examples of People with this Gift

Deborah, Boaz, Jonathan, Barnabbas

Good Roles for People with this Gift

spouse, parent, friend, mentor, coach, counselor, visiting the sick

Aug

2025

Teaching

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we might present everyone perfect in Christ.” (Col 1:28)

The spiritual gift of teaching involves communicating Biblical truth in a way that brings about healthy spiritual growth and life change. The gift is more than being a good teacher generically. Someone can be a good biology or literature teacher without having the spiritual gift of teaching. People with this gift focus on Jesus and on Scripture. When these people teach, it’s not just that you learn something. It’s that they take you to God and help you spiritually understand and apply His Word to your life. People with this gift open your heart and mind to God’s ways. People with the spiritual gift of teaching proclaim Christ. They want to present everyone perfect in Christ.

People with this gift care about the truth and about applying that truth to real life. Good teaching should be a bridge between a text and a life. In order to bridge from a text, you must know the text. Thus, people with the spiritual gift of teaching often spend much time in Scripture to discern what it says. They want to proclaim it accurately.

But in order to bridge to a life, you must know life. Good teachers, thus, are active participants in the Christian life. To teach on prayer, you need to pray. To teach on taking up your cross, you need to take up your own. To teach on generosity, you need to be generous.

People with the gift of teaching still struggle with all of the above and more. They will have their strengths and weaknesses just as you do, but they are in the fight. And they understand the fight. From the inside.

James says that God judges teachers with greater strictness (Jas 3:1), so you should not become a teacher lightly. You will be held to the standard that you teach. If you teach a low standard, you are not a good teacher. If you teach a Biblical standard, you will be held to it. For an honest teacher, that is a fearful prospect.

This gift is more public. People with this gift are usually in front of the church in some capacity.

The Importance of Teaching

This gift is the compass of the church. Good teaching leads the church in a right direction. Bad teaching leads the church astray.

False Teachers

The New Testament is filled with condemnation for false teachers. Every era of history has had its false teachers, and today is no different. Modern examples of false teaching include cults like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, different forms of the prosperity gospel, and different teachings under the label “progressive Christianity.” Those who teach such doctrines lead people astray, and God will hold them accountable for their teachings. God loves His church with a passion. Woe to those who lead the sheep astray.

Strengths of Teachers

care about truth
care about the church
love to read
love to learn
are willing to do the work of studying Scripture
are good communicators
want to see people apply the Bible
can explain complex spiritual ideas simply
are usually strong in the Word

Weaknesses of Teachers

can be too intellectual
can focus on ideas and miss the people
may struggle with personal relationships
may be proud of their knowledge and abilities
may be proud of being in front of others
need to be right

Examples of People with this Gift

Ezra, Paul, Timothy, Apollos, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Francis Chan, Tim Keller

Good Roles for People with this Gift

pastor, Bible study leader, Bible teacher, seminary professor, apologist, writer

Aug

2025

Service

“. . . whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt 20:26-8)

Greatness in the kingdom of God is backwards from greatness in the world. Jesus came to serve. He came to give His life a ransom for many. To Jesus, the great ones are the servants. Therefore, the spiritual gift of service is Christ-like and makes men and women great in the eyes of God. People with this gift show the rest of us how to be great in the kingdom of God.

Servants generally prefer to be behind the scenes and are usually the ones most willing to do the dirty jobs. At a supper you’ll find them setting up and tearing down tables, doing dishes, and taking out the trash, and they will do these jobs with a smile and a glad heart. In different ministries, you’ll find them giving rides to people, serving meals, helping an immigrant find work, or doing the taxes of an elderly man. These people bring meals when you are sick or repair your car when it breaks down. They thrive on meeting practical needs. They want to serve you.

These people do the leg work of ministry, and without them much that the church does would come to a standstill.

The Importance of Service

Servants are the hands and feet of the church. They show the rest of the church how to be great.

Strengths of Servants

content behind the scenes
can be humble
get things done
want to help
care about others first

Weaknesses of Servants

sometimes say yes to everything and burn out
can try to do everything themselves
can stress out because there is so much to do
sometimes focus so much on practical needs that they miss people’s spiritual needs
sometimes focus on working and miss abiding in Christ
sometimes try to please men instead of God

Examples of People with the Gift of Service

Ruth, Martha, Stephen, Tabitha, Mother Teresa

Good Roles for People with this Gift

support roles, nurse, needs ministries, most any work that is behind the scenes and that helps people

Aug

2025

Prophecy

“The one who prophecies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues” (I Cor 14:5)

This gift is mentioned in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4.

Most people associate prophecy with foretelling the future, and prophecy certainly can include that aspect. But prophecy is bigger than foretelling the future. New Testament prophets are a continuation of the Old Testament prophetic tradition but under a new covenant. When you read Isaiah or Jeremiah, you read a lot of “Thus says the Lord,” and most of those statements have nothing to do with foretelling the future. Sometimes a prophet rebukes sin. Sometimes he offers restoration and forgiveness. Sometimes he gives direction concerning God’s will. Occasionally he predicts the future.

What do Prophets Do?

At its most basic level prophecy is a word from the Lord. Like Old Testament prophets, New Testament prophets speak a word from the Lord for the church, and that word is informed by the new covenant and the coming of Jesus.

Prophets:

rebuke sin
call the church to repentance
call you to repentance
let us know of God’s judgment, love and mercy
point us to God and to His character
communicate messages from God to the people
provide guidance and direction
may speak about the future

The Importance of Prophecy

Prophets are the conscience of the church.

Who is Prophecy For?

Prophecy can be for individuals or for the church.

Strengths of a Prophet

boldness, no fear of men
a focus on righteousness and holiness
can see the truth and communicate that truth clearly and simply
care about the truth
want to see the church honor God
are sensitive to the Spirit
have high ethical standards

Weaknesses of a Prophet

can be proud
can be insensitive
can be offensive needlessly
can lack tact
can speak the truth without love when speaking from the flesh

False Prophets

Because false prophets exist, the church must test the message of a prophet to see whether it is of God (I Jn 4:1). The standard for such a test is Scripture. The message of a prophet is, thus, subordinate to Scripture, not equal to Scripture. People who listen to a self-proclaimed “prophet” who gives a message that does not align with Scripture are not listening to a prophet of God (Dt 13).

Prophecy and Teaching

Prophecy communicates a message from God. Teaching also communicates a message from God. But the two are not the same. Prophecy tends to be less formal, shorter, and more spontaneous than teaching. It is more like a word God gives on the spot to address a particular situation.

Examples of People with the Gift of Prophecy

Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, A.W. Tozer, Keith Green, Paul Washer

Good Roles for People with the Gift of Prophecy

mentor, writer, speaker, jail ministry, evangelist

Spiritual gifts

Knowledge

Mercy

Pastoral Leadership

Entrepreneurial Leadership

Leadership

Giving

Exhortation/Encouragement

Teaching

Service

Prophecy

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