given by the Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:8
12:8 given by the Spirit. There are thirteen different gifts of the Spirit listed in I Corinthians 12:8-10 and 28-30, while seven are given in Romans 12:6-8 (two of which, however, are also listed in I Corinthians 12). Another list of four (possibly five) gifts is found in Ephesians 4:11, but there they are listed as “gifts” (still a different Greek word, doma, meaning “a present”) of Christ…unto men,” implying these are gifts to those in the church for the edifying of the whole church (Ephesians 4:16). Only two in this list are still different, making a total of twenty different gifts. One more may be the gift of celibacy, mentioned as a charisma in I Corinthians 7:7. Since the three lists are all different, it is obvious that none are intended as complete lists, but rather simply as typical lists. No individual would have all the gifts, nor (probably) would any one church. Some would cease with time, others would be added, as needed. They are gifts of the Spirit “as He will” (I Corinthians 12:11), not “as we wish!”
