Spiritual Gift Quiz

Spiritual gifts (charismata in Greek) are abilities or endowments believed by Christians to be given by the Holy Spirit to believers for the purpose of building up the Church and serving God's purposes. The concept of spiritual gifts is described primarily in three New Testament passages: 1 Corinthians 12 - 14 (the most detailed treatment), Romans 12:6 - 8, and Ephesians 4:11 - 13. The Apostle Paul, writing to the diverse early Church communities, emphasizes that spiritual gifts are given diversely - Each believer receives different gifts - But all gifts come from the same Spirit and serve the same purpose: the common good of the body of Christ.

Types of Spiritual Gifts

The spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 include: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Romans 12 lists: prophecy, service/ministry, teaching, exhortation/encouragement, giving, leading, and showing mercy. Ephesians 4 describes leadership gifts given to the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Christian traditions differ on which gifts are still active today - Cessationists believe miraculous gifts like tongues and healing ceased with the apostles, while continuationists believe all gifts remain active today.

The famous "love chapter" - 1 Corinthians 13 - Appears in the midst of Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts, emphasizing that no gift has value without love. Paul writes: "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." The chapter concludes: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." This passage is widely used at weddings and is one of the most recognized passages in Christian scripture. Various churches take different approaches to spiritual gifts testing and development - Many churches use spiritual gift inventories to help believers identify their primary gifts. Test your knowledge - Also try our Book of Matthew quiz and our Christian quiz.