Welcome to Authorized Sword Ministries. This is Lesson 3 in our series, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts. Today's lesson is called Spiritual Gifts: What the Bible Teaches.

We're so glad you're here.

Few subjects have caused more questions, and sometimes more arguments, than spiritual gifts. What are they? Does every Christian have one? What about tongues and healing? Today we will go straight to the three main passages, First Corinthians chapter 12, Romans chapter 12, and Ephesians chapter 4, and let the Bible speak for itself. We'll also look honestly at a question where Bible-believing Christians disagree, and we'll do it with grace.

Our Key Verse

Today's key verse is 1 Corinthians 12:7.

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." — 1 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV)

Two things stand out. First, the Spirit's gifts are given "to every man," which in context means every believer. If you are saved, God has gifted you to serve. Second, the gifts are given "to profit withal," that is, for the good of others. Spiritual gifts are not trophies to show off. They are tools to build up the church.

One Spirit, Many Gifts

Paul begins by showing that all the gifts come from the same source:

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." — 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (KJV)

Then he lists some of the gifts: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). And he reminds us who decides who gets what: the Spirit divides "to every man severally as he will" (1 Corinthians 12:11).

Next Paul compares the church to a human body. An eye can't say to the hand, "I have no need of thee." Every part matters, even the ones that seem weak (1 Corinthians 12:21-22). Then he asks a set of questions:

"Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" — 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 (KJV)

The expected answer to every question is no. Not every believer has the same gift. No single gift, including tongues, is the sign that someone has the Spirit.

The Serving Gifts in Romans 12

Romans 12 gives a list that looks very practical:

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness." — Romans 12:6-8 (KJV)

Ministry here means serving. Exhorting means encouraging and urging people on. Giving, leading, and showing mercy are all spiritual gifts. The person who quietly cooks for a grieving family, the person who gives generously, the person who visits the sick, all of them are using gifts from God. Notice the key word in verse 6: "grace." Gifts come by grace. Nobody earns one.

The Gifted Men in Ephesians 4

In Ephesians 4, the gifts are people Christ gave to the church:

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" — Ephesians 4:11-12 (KJV)

Notice the purpose. Pastors and teachers do not do all the work. They equip the saints so the saints can do the work of the ministry. Everyone in the church has a job.

Finding and Using Your Gift

Peter gives us a simple rule for every gift:

"As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." — 1 Peter 4:10 (KJV)

A steward manages something that belongs to someone else. Your gift is not yours. It belongs to God, and He will ask what you did with it. So how do you find it? Start by serving. Many believers discover their gift not by taking a test but by rolling up their sleeves. Help where there is a need, and pay attention to where God blesses, where others are built up, and where your heart comes alive. Listen to what godly people in your church see in you. And stay close to the Word, because every true gift will line up with it.

Don't sit on the sidelines, and don't envy someone else's gift. The body needs a hand as much as it needs a mouth.

Love Is the More Excellent Way

Right between the gifts in chapter 12 and the rules in chapter 14, Paul puts the great love chapter. He says if he speaks with tongues but has no love, he is just noise, "as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1). Then he writes:

"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." — 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 (KJV)

Charity is the King James word for love. Love lasts. Some gifts will stop, but love never fails.

Tongues and Order in the Church

In First Corinthians chapter 14, Paul corrects a church that was using tongues in a confusing way. First, the Bible tongues were real languages. On the day of Pentecost, visitors from many nations heard the apostles, and "every man heard them speak in his own language" (Acts 2:6). Paul also says tongues were a sign:

"Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe." — 1 Corinthians 14:22 (KJV)

Then he set clear rules. Only two or three were to speak, one at a time, and there had to be an interpreter. If there was no interpreter, the speaker was to "keep silence in the church" (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). The goal was always to build up the church in a way people could understand. Paul said he would rather speak five words with understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue (1 Corinthians 14:19). And he gave this rule for everything we do when we gather:

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." — 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)

"Let all things be done decently and in order." — 1 Corinthians 14:40 (KJV)

What the Bible Teaches About Tongues and Healing Today

We want to be plain here and stay with what the Bible actually teaches.

First, tongues. In the Bible, tongues were real human languages that the hearers understood. On the day of Pentecost, the disciples "were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). Visitors from many nations were amazed and said, "we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God" (Acts 2:11). Tongues were given as a sign, and God placed them under strict order: two or three at most, one at a time by course, with an interpreter, or else keep silence. And all of it was to be done decently and in order. When we hold what is commonly practiced today as tongues up to what Scripture teaches, it does not match. We say that without attacking anyone. Many who practice it are sincere, and we love them. But the Bible, not experience, must be our measuring line.

Second, healing. God still heals today in answer to prayer. James writes:

"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." — James 5:14-15 (KJV)

We have seen the Lord answer that kind of prayer, and we believe Him for it. So pray for the sick, and pray in faith. At the same time, trust His will, as our Lord Himself prayed, "not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). Sometimes God heals right away, sometimes slowly, and sometimes He gives grace to bear the sickness. Either way, we keep praying and keep trusting.

In all of this, let's be "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), and test everything by the written Word, because the Spirit never contradicts the Book He wrote.

A Simple Step for This Week

Here's our challenge for this week. Read Romans 12:6-8 and ask yourself, "Where has God equipped me to serve?" Maybe it's giving, encouraging, teaching, or showing mercy. Then do one thing this week to use that gift for someone in your church, and do it in love.

A Prayer

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gifts You have given to Your church by Your Spirit. Thank You that every believer has a place and a purpose in the body of Christ.

Lord, help us to use what You have given us, not for our own glory, but to build up others. Fill us with love, and help us to do all things decently and in order. Help us to pray for the sick in faith, to trust Your will, and to speak the truth in love.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for spending this time with us.

This is Authorized Sword Ministries. God bless you.

Study Questions

1. Read 1 Corinthians 12:7. Who receives a spiritual gift, and what are the gifts for?
2. According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, where do all the different gifts come from?
3. What do the questions in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 teach about whether every believer has the same gift?
4. List the gifts in Romans 12:6-8. Which ones are easy to overlook?
5. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, why did Christ give pastors and teachers to the church?
6. Why do you think Paul placed the love chapter between chapters 12 and 14?
7. What does 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 say will happen to prophecies, tongues, and knowledge?
8. What does Acts 2:6 show about the tongues spoken on the day of Pentecost?
9. What rules did Paul give for tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28, 33, and 40?
10. Compare Acts 2:4-11 and 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 with what is often practiced as tongues today. Then read James 5:14-15. How should we pray for the sick?

Verified Scripture References (KJV)

All quotations were checked word for word against the King James Version (bible-api.com, translation=kjv) on October 26, 2026.

1. 1 Corinthians 12:7 — "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."
2. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 — "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all."
3. 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 — "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?"
4. Romans 12:6-8 — "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
5. Ephesians 4:11-12 — "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"
6. 1 Peter 4:10 — "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."
7. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 — "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
8. 1 Corinthians 14:22 — "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe."
9. 1 Corinthians 14:33 — "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
10. 1 Corinthians 14:40 — "Let all things be done decently and in order."
11. 1 Corinthians 12:11 (phrase quoted inline) — "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
12. 1 Corinthians 13:1 (phrase quoted inline) — "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
13. Acts 2:6 (phrase quoted inline) — "Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language."
14. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (phrase quoted inline) — "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."
15. Acts 2:4 — "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
16. Acts 2:11 (phrase quoted inline) — "Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God."
17. James 5:14-15 — "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
18. Luke 22:42 (phrase quoted inline) — "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
19. Ephesians 4:15 (phrase quoted inline) — "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"