Spiritual Gifts, What Do They Mean?

Imagine two groups in a game competition. Both are given the same task: to cut out some drawings. Except one group gets the scissors and the other does not. Guess who manages to do the job? Only the one who has the right tool in hand. Without scissors, the other group may even try, but it will not get far.

Well, that is more or less how the church works. God gave a giant mission to Christians: to proclaim Jesus to the whole world. But He did not send anyone to this task empty-handed. He handed over tools — and those tools are the spiritual gifts.

In the last lesson you studied the ministerial gifts (the people God calls to take care of the church). Now we are going to talk about the spiritual gifts: what they are, where they come from and what they are for. One thing we can already say up front: no one can do the work of God alone, in their own strength. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. Before the gifts, there is the baptism

Before any gift appeared, something very important happened: the baptism in the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, the second greatest feast of the Hebrews, Jerusalem was full of people from many nations. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven upon the disciples and baptized them with fire. They were filled with power and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4). They were clothed with power from on High to continue the mission that Jesus began: proclaiming salvation (cf. Acts 1:8). It was from that baptism onward that believers began to receive the spiritual gifts.

a) The gifts came from heaven. James said: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow." (James 1:17). In other words, a spiritual gift is not something you manufacture on your own or win because you are the best in the class. It is a gift sent by God to strengthen the church. And the question remains: what have you been doing with what God gave you — are you using it or hiding it? (cf. 2 Timothy 1:6).

b) Clothed with power. Think of a Roman soldier. Before going into battle, he puts on his armor: helmet, shield, sword. Without the armor, he does not last a minute in the fight. With us it is similar: without the power of the Spirit, the church would not have the strength to speak of the love of God. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is like that "clothing" that prepares us to proclaim the name of Jesus (cf. Ephesians 6:11-17). Whoever receives the divine gift is equipped to do the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11).

❤ For your life. You do not need to wait until you are an adult to desire the power of God. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to all who believe — including you, at 11, 12, 13 years old. How about praying like this this week: "Lord, baptize me in Your Spirit and give me Your power so that I can serve"? God hears the sincere prayer of a preteen with the same attention with which He hears that of a pastor.

🕊 Our reading. As the Assemblies of God, we believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a real and present experience, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:4). It did not end in Bible times — it continues to happen today in the church. And it is not for show: it is the "clothing with power" that makes us witnesses of Jesus. First the Spirit fills; then the gifts flow.

2. The distribution of the gifts

The gifts were not a last-minute surprise. They had already been promised back in the Old Testament, by the prophet Joel (cf. Joel 2:28), and later confirmed by Jesus (cf. John 14:16). It is the Holy Spirit working in the church so that Christians serve one another in love (cf. 1 Peter 4:10). The goal is always the same: to build up the believer's faith and fulfill the will of God.

a) About the distribution. In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul lists nine spiritual gifts:

1. message of wisdom;
2. message of knowledge;
3. gift of faith;
4. gift of healing;
5. gift of working miracles;
6. gift of proclaiming God's message (prophecy);
7. gift of discerning spirits (telling apart what comes from the Holy Spirit and what does not);
8. gift of speaking in tongues;
9. gift of interpreting tongues.

Notice one thing: they are different gifts. One is not better than another — each one has its own function, and together they form a perfect harmony in the church, like the pieces of a puzzle.

b) Gifts to bear fruit in the Kingdom. When we walk closely with the Spirit, the gifts produce something good and useful. They appear according to the sovereign will of the Spirit Himself (1 Corinthians 12:11) — you are not the one who chooses which one you want; He is the One who distributes them. And the goal is clear: to honor God by helping with the needs of the church and of the brothers and sisters (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:5, 6). A gift is not meant to stay locked away in a drawer. It is meant to be used, proclaiming the Gospel to those who are near and to those who are far away (cf. Matthew 28:20).

🏛 Did you know? The church in Corinth, for whom Paul wrote this list, had a serious problem: people were using the gifts to compete and show off who was more spiritual. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians precisely to correct this and teach that a gift without love is worth nothing (that is the famous chapter 13, "the love chapter"). In other words: the gift is the tool, but love is the hand that holds the tool.

3. What are my gifts?

That is the question that interests us the most, right? "Cool, but what about me — what gift do I have?" The Bible teaches the way: seek the spiritual gifts in prayer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1). The gifts, both ministerial and spiritual, depend on the direct action of the Holy Spirit. Many times they manifest in the moment of need. For example: if someone is sick, God can heal that person through the prayer of someone who has the gift of healing.

a) God is in control. God never loses control of any situation. He can heal someone supernaturally, but He can also use a doctor's knowledge — both come from Him. That is no reason to lose confidence; on the contrary, it is a reminder that the Lord is the owner of all things. Just as the Spirit distributes the gifts, He is also the One who gives us the ability to use each gift according to the need of the church (1 Corinthians 12:7). Whenever there is a need for a miracle or for help, in the name of Jesus the gifts go into action (cf. Mark 16:17, 18).

b) Guidance. For the Spirit to guide us in the use of the gifts, we need to make ourselves available and try serving. "to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:10). Every Christian must discover what their function is in the Body of Christ and how to use the gift to help people grow, be comforted and receive help. At the end of the day, it is always the same truth: spiritual gifts are for serving others, never for showing off.

Christ in the Lesson

Where is Jesus in this whole story? In everything. Notice: the One who sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was Jesus. Before ascending to heaven, He promised: "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever —" (John 14:16). It was Christ who, already victorious in heaven, poured out the Spirit upon the church. So every gift you see at work — a healing, the right word at the right time, a faith that does not give up — is a gift that Jesus sent.

And there is more. The Golden Text says: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." (Matthew 10:8). The One who said this was Jesus, sending the disciples out to serve without charging anything. Why freely? Because everything we have, He gave us freely first — starting with salvation, which cost His life on the cross. Before giving you any gift, Jesus gave you Himself. That is why there is no room for pride: you paid nothing for what you received. You received freely; now serve freely.

Application

At church. Do not sit around waiting for "the gift to fall from the sky" before you start serving. Many times it is the other way around: you start serving and right there, while serving, the gift is revealed. Pray during praise for a friend, help with prayer in the children's class, take part. Ask God for the best gifts and make yourself available.

At home. How about praying for your family? If someone gets sick, you can be the one who lays a hand on them and asks God in faith. Do not underestimate the prayer of a preteen — God honors sincere faith, not age.

At school. Discernment is one of the nine gifts. At school, you will need it to know what is right and what is wrong, what pleases God and what does not. Ask God for wisdom to be different, without fear of showing whose you are.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You because You sent Your Holy Spirit to Your church and did not leave us empty-handed. Baptize me in Your Spirit and clothe me with power from on High. Share the best gifts with me and teach me to use them to serve, to comfort, to proclaim Your name — never to show off. May I always remember: freely I have received, freely I will give. Use my life, even though I am still a preteen, to build up Your church. In Your name I pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Class activity (suggested by the quarterly): divide the class into two groups and hand each one sheets with drawings to cut out — but give the scissors to only one group. Let the group without scissors realize that it cannot do the task and start to complain. Then ask the groups to take turns with the scissors for one minute. At the end, explain: the gifts are the indispensable tools for us to fulfill our mission as a church; without the equipping of the Spirit, we are like the group without scissors. And, just as the tool was shared, the gifts are meant for us to build up one another, not to keep just for ourselves.

(If there is time left, use the "Reflecting" activity: set up a board with the gifts from 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; one student lists the gift and the others write what it is for — e.g., gift of faith = believing the impossible; gift of healing = healing of sicknesses; discernment = telling apart what comes from the Spirit.)

Five questions for the class:

1. What needed to happen on the day of Pentecost before the gifts began to work?
2. Can you name at least three of the nine spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians 12?
3. What is the difference between a common talent (like playing soccer) and a spiritual gift?
4. Why does the Bible say that the gifts are for serving others, and not for thinking you are better than them?
5. According to the lesson, what is the way to discover the gift that God has for you?