Spiritual Gifts

Special abilities that God gives to His people. The Holy Spirit works through people as they use their gifts. These gifts are to be used to help people learn about Jesus and to help other Christians grow in their faith. Some of the gifts Paul mentions in his letters are the following: prophecy, teaching, helping, encouragement, speaking in tongues, hospitality, working miracles, healing, and being a pastor, evangelist, administrator, or apostle.

When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, He gave Jesus’s disciples the ability to speak in languages other than their own. When Peter and John healed the man begging at the Beautiful Gate, this was another gift of the Spirit. Barnabas, a missionary who traveled with Paul, was called the “Son of Encouragement,” because of his spiritual gift.