Jesus Christ, as Head of the church, empowers His disciples through the Holy Spirit to perform mighty acts in service to His purpose and to their brethren. On the day of Pentecost, the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues was revealed, enabling the apostles to communicate the gospel in recognizable languages to people from distant lands gathered in Jerusalem. This gifting of aptitude for foreign languages equipped them to fulfill their commission to be witnesses to Him to the ends of the earth. In the first century, spiritual gifts were vital to the church's work, and the apostle Paul provides extensive instruction on them, emphasizing their purpose and proper use. He notes that each of God's chosen people has received at least one spiritual gift through His Spirit, distributed individually as He wills, according to the grace given to us. These gifts, termed charismata, are free, unmerited endowments from God, manifesting as talents or abilities for spiritual aims, such as prophecy to proclaim God's Word, healings to restore physical health, leadership to galvanize action, and service to aid others. Throughout Scripture, God has bestowed various gifts for His specific purposes, enhancing natural talents or granting unique abilities to individuals like Bezalel, Moses, Joshua, Samson, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Whether visible gifts like speaking or writing, or less noticed ones like organizing, praying, or bringing cheer, all are essential to the church's function. God desires that we identify and use these gifts to the best of our abilities in service to Him and His people, giving freely as they have been freely given, and not burying what He has entrusted to us.

All human beings receive gifts from God, and each one has his own gift from Him, one in this manner and another in that. Spiritual gifts, imparted through the Holy Spirit, are extraordinary endowments given to members of God's church for the benefit of the whole church. They are provided by the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, according to His will. The primary purpose of spiritual gifts is the edification and unity of the church, while a secondary purpose is the conviction and conversion of future prospective members. Spiritual gifts differ according to the grace given to us, and they are distributed based on individual capacities and the needs of the church. The Spirit may infuse entirely new powers or stimulate existing ones to higher activity. Every member of the church receives at least one spiritual gift, and often more, to contribute to the Body of Christ. Unity in the church does not mean uniformity, as differing gifts and functions exist, but all are given by the same Spirit for the good of everyone. The use of spiritual gifts should always glorify God through Jesus Christ. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God; if anyone ministers, let him do it with the ability God supplies. We are encouraged to desire spiritual gifts and not to be ignorant about them, understanding what they are, how to use them, and when they are applied, as they are vital for the unity and edification of the church. Each individual's use of spiritual gifts impacts the church, contributing to equipping the saints, the work of ministry, and the building up of the Body of Christ. The gifts help us grow into the fullness of Christ, speaking the truth in love, and ensuring that every part works effectively for the growth of the body in love. Even the least noticeable gifts are vital, functioning like unseen parts of a physical body, supporting the health of the whole. Spiritual gifts are not for personal glory but for the collective benefit, and their use must be guided by love, the greatest gift of all. Without love, the other gifts are meaningless and would be misused. Love regulates the proper use of all spiritual gifts, ensuring they are applied for the church's edification and unity. We must actively use the gifts we have been given, as neglecting them may hinder God from increasing their power in us. The spiritual gifts remain available for our use as needed, ready to be bestowed by God when the time and necessity arise.

Jesus Christ is the giver of every gift in the church. Grace was given to each one according to the measure of His gift. He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries but the same Lord. There are diversities of activities but it is the same God who works all in all. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. The gifts have a unity in their source and they also have a unity in their purpose. They are not given for personal enrichment as much as for the benefit of others. All that is produced in the mind by the Spirit is a manifestation of God's character and will. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Christ alone is the Head of the church. The church consists of members each having a function under the Head. It is Christ Himself who gives each one this precise grace. Men and women in the church are called to given functions and given the ability to perform them by Christ Himself. We do not call ourselves. The need is not the call. The church does not give the call either. It is God who gives the call to draw a person to His church and to redemption. Each one of us must be willing to do anything that God through Christ may call us to do. A person who is truly called is a humble person who does not set himself up. God does that through Christ and the church.

God calls believers to faithful stewardship of spiritual gifts that He entrusts for the edification of the church and the advancement of His Kingdom. In I Timothy 4:14 Paul exhorts Timothy not to neglect the gift given through prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership, a warning that applies equally to all Christians today. Every believer receives grace, abilities, opportunities, and spiritual gifts according to the measure of Christ's gift, so that no one is without a gift. These gifts include teaching, leadership, evangelistic work, pastoring, mercy, encouragement, hospitality, and service, each intended to strengthen the body rather than to remain dormant. Gifts may become neglected through fear, distraction, discouragement, busyness, or complacency, yet the Greek term for neglect conveys carelessness or failure to cultivate what is valuable. Paul therefore urges Timothy in II Timothy 1:6 to fan the gift into flame, just as the laying on of hands by mature leaders confirms and commissions the calling. Development requires diligent cultivation through prayer, Scripture study, consistent exercise, and teachable service, because a gift unused weakens while a gift employed grows. Scripture illustrates the principle in the Parable of the Talents, where faithful use brings reward and neglect brings loss, and in the commissioning of Joshua, where authority is recognized through the laying on of hands. Gifts serve the common good, equipping saints for works of ministry until the body reaches maturity in unity and love. Neglect deprives others of needed ministry and incurs accountability, for to whom much is given much is required. Believers must therefore identify their gifts, reject worldly distractions, and commit to faithful exercise so that God is glorified and the church is built up in unselfish love.