Gifts of the Spirit
The nine gifts of the Spirit are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues (King James Version). Paul names other gifts in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11, and Peter in 1 Peter 4:10-11. Across those five lists there are 31 entries and 21 different gifts by this page's rule.
Updated October 25, 2026. Every wording below is checked against its verse in the King James Version and the World English Bible, and word counts cover the full text of both.
The 9 gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12
Paul gives this list after saying there are "diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:4). The two translations word 4 of the nine differently.
| # | King James Version | World English Bible |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | the word of wisdom | the word of wisdom |
| 2 | the word of knowledge | the word of knowledge |
| 3 | faith | faith |
| 4 | the gifts of healing | gifts of healings |
| 5 | the working of miracles | workings of miracles |
| 6 | prophecy | prophecy |
| 7 | discerning of spirits | discerning of spirits |
| 8 | divers kinds of tongues | different kinds of languages |
| 9 | the interpretation of tongues | the interpretation of languages |
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: (1 Corinthians 12:8-10, KJV)
All 21 gifts across the five lists
Each row is one gift and the lists that name it, with the King James wording from each. Of the 21, 7 are in more than one list.
| # | Gift | KJV wording, by list | Lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prophecy | "prophecy" (Romans 12:6-8) "prophecy" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) "prophets" (1 Corinthians 12:28) "prophets" (Ephesians 4:11) | 4 |
| 2 | Serving (ministry) | "ministry" (Romans 12:6-8) "if any man minister" (1 Peter 4:10-11) | 2 |
| 3 | Teaching | "he that teacheth" (Romans 12:6-8) "teachers" (1 Corinthians 12:28) "teachers" (Ephesians 4:11) | 3 |
| 4 | Exhortation (encouraging) | "he that exhorteth" (Romans 12:6-8) | 1 |
| 5 | Giving | "he that giveth" (Romans 12:6-8) | 1 |
| 6 | Leading (ruling) | "he that ruleth" (Romans 12:6-8) | 1 |
| 7 | Showing mercy | "he that sheweth mercy" (Romans 12:6-8) | 1 |
| 8 | Word of wisdom | "the word of wisdom" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) | 1 |
| 9 | Word of knowledge | "the word of knowledge" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) | 1 |
| 10 | Faith | "faith" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) | 1 |
| 11 | Healing | "the gifts of healing" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) "gifts of healings" (1 Corinthians 12:28) | 2 |
| 12 | Working of miracles | "the working of miracles" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) "miracles" (1 Corinthians 12:28) | 2 |
| 13 | Discerning of spirits | "discerning of spirits" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) | 1 |
| 14 | Tongues | "divers kinds of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) "diversities of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:28) | 2 |
| 15 | Interpretation of tongues | "the interpretation of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:8-10) | 1 |
| 16 | Apostles | "apostles" (1 Corinthians 12:28) "apostles" (Ephesians 4:11) | 2 |
| 17 | Helps | "helps" (1 Corinthians 12:28) | 1 |
| 18 | Governments (administration) | "governments" (1 Corinthians 12:28) | 1 |
| 19 | Evangelists | "evangelists" (Ephesians 4:11) | 1 |
| 20 | Pastors (shepherds) | "pastors" (Ephesians 4:11) | 1 |
| 21 | Speaking | "If any man speak" (1 Peter 4:10-11) | 1 |
Two entries count as one gift when the King James Version uses the same word or its root: prophecy and prophets, "he that teacheth" and teachers, ministry and "if any man minister". Every other entry is its own gift, so "he that ruleth" (Romans 12:8) and "governments" (1 Corinthians 12:28) are two rows, and so are pastors and teachers in Ephesians 4:11. The interpretation of tongues stays apart from tongues, because the gift it names is interpretation. A reader who joins more of them gets a smaller total.
The five lists, verse by verse
The lists are worded in different ways. Romans 12 and 1 Peter 4 mostly name what a person does ("he that giveth", "if any man speak"), 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 names what "is given by the Spirit", and 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11 name people, starting with apostles and prophets.
Romans 12:6-8
KJV: prophecy; ministry; he that teacheth; he that exhorteth; he that giveth; he that ruleth; he that sheweth mercy.
WEB: prophecy; service; he who teaches; he who exhorts; he who gives; he who rules; he who shows mercy.
1 Corinthians 12:8-10
KJV: the word of wisdom; the word of knowledge; faith; the gifts of healing; the working of miracles; prophecy; discerning of spirits; divers kinds of tongues; the interpretation of tongues.
WEB: the word of wisdom; the word of knowledge; faith; gifts of healings; workings of miracles; prophecy; discerning of spirits; different kinds of languages; the interpretation of languages.
1 Corinthians 12:28
KJV: apostles; prophets; teachers; miracles; gifts of healings; helps; governments; diversities of tongues.
WEB: apostles; prophets; teachers; miracle workers; gifts of healings; helps; governments; various kinds of languages.
Ephesians 4:11
KJV: apostles; prophets; evangelists; pastors; teachers.
WEB: apostles; prophets; evangelists; shepherds; teachers.
1 Peter 4:10-11
KJV: If any man speak; if any man minister.
WEB: If anyone speaks; If anyone serves.
Prophecy is the only gift in four lists (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11). Teaching is in three. Serving (ministry), healing, working of miracles, tongues and apostles are in two each. Right after the second Corinthians list, Paul asks "Are all apostles?" through "do all interpret?" (1 Corinthians 12:29-30), each expecting the answer no.
The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2)
The list of seven comes from a prophecy about the Messiah, not from Paul. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1831, names wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord, and cites Isaiah 11:1-2.
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; (Isaiah 11:2, KJV)
The King James Version names six in that verse: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the LORD. The World English Bible has the same six, with "the fear of Yahweh". The seventh comes from the old Greek and Latin translations of Isaiah, the Septuagint and the Vulgate: they put piety where the Hebrew of verse 2 has the fear of the LORD, and keep fear for verse 3, where the King James Version repeats "the fear of the LORD". The Catechism also calls might "fortitude".
How often does the Bible say gift?
"Gift" or "gifts" appears 112 times in the King James Version and 109 times in the World English Bible.
| Count | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| gift, gifts (whole Bible) | 112 | 109 |
| gift, gifts (New Testament) | 61 | 69 |
| "spiritual gift(s)" | 4 | 3 |
The King James Version says "spiritual gift" or "spiritual gifts" in Romans 1:11, 1 Corinthians 12:1, 1 Corinthians 14:1 and 1 Corinthians 14:12 (the singular only in Romans 1:11). The World English Bible has it in Romans 1:11, 1 Corinthians 14:1 and 1 Corinthians 14:12; at 1 Corinthians 12:1 it reads "spiritual things". Not every gift is a gift of the Spirit: most of the Old Testament uses are presents, offerings and bribes ("a gift destroyeth the heart", Ecclesiastes 7:7). In Acts 2:38 the Spirit is the gift itself, "the gift of the Holy Ghost".
Questions about the gifts of the Spirit
What are the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit?
1 Corinthians 12:8-10 lists them: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues. The World English Bible says "languages" where the King James Version says "tongues".
What are the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit?
That list comes from Isaiah 11:2, not from Paul. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 1831) names wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2 in the King James Version names six: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the LORD. The seventh, piety, comes from the old Greek and Latin translations of Isaiah, which put "piety" where the King James Version has the first "fear of the LORD", and the Catechism calls might "fortitude".
How many spiritual gifts are there?
No verse gives a total. The five New Testament lists hold 31 entries. Joining entries that use the same English word or its root, such as prophecy and prophets, leaves 21 different gifts. Prophecy is the only one in four of the five lists.
Where are the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible?
In five places: Romans 12:6-8 (7), 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (9), 1 Corinthians 12:28 (8), Ephesians 4:11 (5), 1 Peter 4:10-11 (2). "Spiritual gift" or "spiritual gifts" appears 4 times in the King James Version, in Romans 1:11, 1 Corinthians 12:1, 1 Corinthians 14:1 and 1 Corinthians 14:12.
What is the difference between the gifts and the fruit of the Spirit?
The gifts differ from one believer to another: the Spirit gives them "to every man severally as he will" (1 Corinthians 12:11). The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 is one list of nine qualities, starting with love. Paul says even "the gift of prophecy" without charity is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).
Sources
- The King James Version (1769) and the World English Bible, both public domain: every verse quoted and every count on this page, counted by scripts/lists/gifts-of-the-spirit.mjs from the text at github.com/seven1m/open-bibles (read and counted 2026-10-25).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1831, the seven gifts (vatican.va, read 2026-10-25).
The nine qualities of Galatians 5 are on the fruit of the Spirit, and Ephesians 6 on the armor of God. Jesus' own works are counted on the miracles of Jesus. Read about 1 Corinthians and Romans, or the word counts for wisdom, faith and the Holy Spirit. More counts are on the Bible by the numbers.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-25.