What are the Spiritual Gifts?

Organizing the Spiritual Gifts: An Overview

To help believers better understand the purpose, function, and relationships among the spiritual gifts, the gifts have been arranged into five broad groups. These groupings do not change the divine nature of the gifts themselves but offer a framework for studying how the gifts operate within the body of Christ.

Grouping the gifts in this way helps believers move from simply identifying their gifts to understanding how their gifts function in ministry, how they complement others in the body, and how each person contributes to the unity and maturity of the church.

Groupings of the Spiritual Gifts

GroupGifts
Greater GiftsApostle, Evangelism, Shepherd, Teacher, Prophecy
EducationWisdom, Discernment, Knowledge
CommunicationFaith, Miracles, Tongues (Speaking & Interpreting)
Individual HelpHelping, Healing, Exhortation, Compassion
Service to the BodyGiving, Leadership, Servanthood, Administration

The Gifts of Education

The Gifts of Education bring clarity, understanding, and practical application of God’s Word. They illuminate spiritual truth, distinguish sound doctrine from error, and help the body interpret God’s will. These gifts are divine in origin—not the result of education, intelligence, or human insight—and they enable the church to understand God’s truth and apply it wisely.

The Gifts of Communication

The Gifts of Communication serve as the spiritual backbone of the body. These believers operate like the “central nervous system” of the church—deeply in tune with God’s work and sensitive to His leading. They illustrate the fruits and power of prayer, embody profound trust in God’s will, and often act as bridge-builders to those outside or drifting from the body. Their gifts propel the church forward through trust, intercession, and testimony.

The Gifts of Helps

The Gifts of Helps focus on supporting and aiding individuals within the body. These believers are “first responders,” stepping into moments of crisis or need with immediate compassion, practical assistance, and spiritual encouragement. Their work is generally one-on-one or in small groups, supporting individual healing, growth, and restoration.

The Gifts of Service

The Gifts of Service focus on the practical functioning and forward movement of the body as a whole. These individuals work behind the scenes to ensure that the church stays organized, resourced, equipped, and prepared for ministry. They allow others to flourish in their callings by handling logistics, planning, coordination, and administrative care. Without these gifts, the work of the church would slow under the weight of operational demands.

The Greater Gifts

Paul’s teaching presents a helpful tension: all gifts are equally necessary (1 Corinthians 12:4–11), yet some gifts carry greater responsibility (1 Corinthians 12:28–31; Ephesians 4:11–13). These gifts are called “greater” not because they are more valuable, but because they bear heavier spiritual, doctrinal, and pastoral responsibility.

Those with the greater gifts often possess a cumulative expression of other gifts—such as wisdom, exhortation, leadership, or faith—equipping them to shepherd, teach, build up, and safeguard the body.

It is important to remember that while these gifts carry significant influence, they do not carry greater worth. Every gift is essential to the health of the church, and no believer’s value is determined by the gift they possess.

Unity in Diversity

Although the gifts are grouped for clarity, the body of Christ is interdependent and interconnected. The Spirit gives different gifts to different people so that the church functions as a unified, living organism. Diversity does not weaken the body—it strengthens it.

These groups highlight how each believer has a unique part to play in the work of God, but all gifts share the same purpose: to build up the church and advance Christ’s mission.

How the Groups Interact

While each group has distinct strengths, the gifts are meant to work together. Examples include:

  • Education gifts clarify God’s truth so Communication gifts can proclaim it and Service gifts can implement it.
  • Helps gifts provide care and stability to individuals so Greater gifts can guide and instruct the whole body.
  • Service gifts keep the church organized and resourced so Education and Communication gifts can flourish.
  • Communication gifts strengthen faith and prayer, empowering Helps and Service gifts during times of need.

This interdependence creates a healthy, balanced, Spirit-led body.

An Encouragement Against Comparison

Understanding the groupings should never lead to comparison or feelings of superiority or inadequacy. The Spirit distributes gifts with complete wisdom and purpose. Some gifts carry greater public responsibility, but none carry greater spiritual worth.

Every believer plays an irreplaceable role. The eye is not more important than the hand—and the administrator is not more valuable than the teacher, nor the encourager than the leader. All gifts exist for the glory of God and the good of His people.

Detailed information on each gift can be found in the links below. Be sure to try our online Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire to assist you in your discernment of your Spiritual Gift.