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Three passages of Scripture provide a list of spiritual gifts: Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28. The lists are not identical, and none of the lists claim to be exhaustive. Here are the spiritual gifts identified in each passage:
Romans 12:6–8 mentions prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
1 Corinthians 12:4–11 mentions the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Corinthians 12:28 mentions healings, helps, governments, and diversities of tongues.
And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
Given the differences among the lists, we can conclude that all of them are partial and not exhaustive. The question then becomes, do the three lists, taken together, provide an comprehensive list of the spiritual gifts? We cannot say for certain.
We do know that God is not limited in any way, and He is sovereign in the distribution of His gifts: “All [the gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11). So, if God wants to endow someone with a spiritual gift that’s not listed in Scripture, of course He is free to do so, and no one can say Him nay.
While it’s a possibility that there are more spiritual gifts beyond what the Bible mentions, we should not assume to know what they are or to whom they are distributed. The apostle Paul admonished the church to learn “the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written’” (1 Corinthians 4:6). That is, be cautious about embracing a teaching that is not expressly revealed in Scripture. The Bible declares many things plainly, and these doctrines should be firmly held in faith. But where the Bible is silent, we must not be dogmatic.
The spiritual gifts that we can be dogmatic about are listed in Scripture and were practiced in the early church. We can assign any additional spiritual gifts that we might think of to the category of what is “possible” or “theoretical.” But, to avoid going “beyond what is written,” we decline to be emphatic about other, unlisted gifts of the Holy Spirit.
