Teaching: Spiritual Gifts Definitions, Scriptures, and Ways to Serve
[If you have not already done so, please take a moment now to take this free spiritual gifts assessment. Once you have your results, come back to this and the corresponding 22 blog posts for a detailed description of each of the gifts, focusing on your own as well as becoming familiar with all of them so you can spot and call them out in others.]
Teaching
The gift of Teaching involves studying, understanding, explaining, and applying Scripture’s truths in such a way that people grow in their own understanding, are challenged, and are inspired to apply what they’ve learned. This can be done in a church or other context, since God’s truth is true everywhere. Those who have this gift teach with authority, relevance, insight, and stimulate the hearers, through the work of the Spirit, so they are motivated to learn, understand and apply what they hear.
Scriptures that reference Teaching or show someone exhibiting this gift:
Exodus 35 (Bezalel and Oholiab); Gospels—Jesus; Mark 2;Mark 4;John 17;Acts 5 (the apostles); Acts 11 (Barnabas, Saul); Acts 13 (Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, Saul; Acts 18 (Apollos); Paul (Romans 1; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 4; Colossians 1; 1 Timothy 2; 2 Timothy 2; James 3; 1 Peter 4.
Questions on the assessment that pertain to Teaching:
I can usually explain Biblical truth to people in a way that allows them to “get it.”
I am able to connect God’s truth with today’s life situations.
Others have consistently said that they have learned from or been challenged by my teaching.
Some words that describe people with this gift:
Communicator
Inspiring
Accurate
Thorough
Insightful
Instructor
Potential negatives to this gift:
May see teaching as only a talent instead of recognizing it being enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit.
May become prideful in the attention received or results seen.
May use the gift in inappropriate settings—where people might need mercy, hospitality, intercession, etc. instead.
Some possible ways to serve using this gift:
Sunday School teacher/Vacation Bible School teacher/assistant
Adult Education teacher/Bible Study leader
Mentor/coach
Preacher
School teacher/educator
Worship leader
Youth ministry
In one-on-one settings
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, DIOS. DONES. TÚ.: Tu llamado y diseño único (Spanish Edition), and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with hundreds of faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and executive leaders in a diversity of fields for four decades. She currently serves as Catalyst for Equipping at her church.
Photo © Shirley Giles Davis.
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