There are 16 specific gifts identified in Scripture and several ministry offices or capacities distinguished. The 16 spiritual gifts are wisdom, knowledge, faith (distinct from saving faith), healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, serving, teaching (God’s Word), encouraging, helps, leadership, mercy, and administration. The specified offices or ministry positions are apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, workers of miracles and healing, workers of hospitality, and administration.
It is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to allocate spiritual gifts to believers and appoint individuals to various ministry positions within the Body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are not distributed, nor are offices assigned based on a believer’s worthiness, value, or ability in the Church. They are dispersed according to God’s sovereignty and design for accomplishing His purposes.
Every believer possesses one or more spiritual gifts. It is not uncommon for believers to have multiple gifts; however, the Holy Spirit will not empower every believer with each gift available. Likewise, He will not designate believers to serve in every ministry capacity or office. Instead, in His sovereignty, the Holy Spirit disperses gifts throughout the Body of Christ, with each member doing their part in various arenas, so it functions as a whole unit.
One spiritual gift should never be set apart or characterized as “the” evidence that substantiates the Holy Spirit’s presence in believers’ lives. Every spiritual gift is a work of the Holy Spirit and is essential, highly useful, and effective in furthering His purposes upon the earth and within the Body of Christ. Likewise, specific gifts should never be discounted, disregarded, or elevated above any other gift. Each spiritual gift is necessary and vital to the Church, as are all ministry roles and functions. The Holy Spirit imparts them and calls believers to administer them faithfully.
The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts among male and female believers without prejudice. Both genders are given the same spiritual gifts to grow and edify the Body of Christ. Men and women are called by God to use their appointed gifts in specific capacities or offices according to God’s sovereign design and purpose. The only gender-specific parameters God gave are related to the role of the pastor.
Much like God ordained men to be their families' spiritual leaders, He designated them to be the spiritual leaders of His family, the Church. Therefore, the Bible reserves the role of church pastor for men to occupy exclusively. All qualifications and descriptions of pastors in Scripture depict men. This fact never implies women have less-than-equal importance or cannot teach or lead others spiritually but illustrates God’s church leadership design based on His will, purpose, and sovereign plan.
Women possessing the gift of teaching God’s Word may instruct other women, children, or teenagers in various capacities in the church. But using their gift to teach and have spiritual authority over men is explicitly prohibited in Scripture since that role is reserved exclusively for men.
(See the Scripture References link at the top of the page.)
