The Charisms are God’s love in action, demonstrating His care for each of us. As mentioned in Exodus 3:9-10, God responded to the Israelites’ cries and empowered Moses with Charisms to lead them out of Egypt.
Charisms serve as the conduit for the Holy Spirit’s power, enabling believers to perform extraordinary deeds in their respective fields.
Character of God
Charisms reflect God’s character: a God of revelation, miracles, and supernatural utterances.
Understanding Charisms
The Three Groups of Charisms
Charisms can be categorized into three groups for better understanding:
Revelatory Gifts
God of Revelation
God, the Omniscient One, knows everything—past, present, and future. As Jeremiah 33:3 states, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Gifts of Revelation
- Word of Knowledge
- Word of Wisdom
- Gift of Discerning the Spirits
Power-Gifts
Importance of Power-Gifts
The power-gifts are essential for advancing God’s Kingdom, meeting the needs of the needy, and demonstrating God’s power.
Demonstration of Power
No human strength can match Satan’s kingdom; only God’s power can overcome it. Acts 10:38 highlights how “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.”
Gifts of Power
- Gift of Faith
- Gift of Working Miracles
- Gifts of Healing
Speaking Gifts
God’s Voice
God speaks to us through the speaking gifts, and His voice is full of power and majesty. As Psalm 29:4 states, “The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.”
Gifts of Utterance
- Gift of Speaking in Tongues
- Gift of Interpretation of Tongues
- Gift of Prophecy
St. Paul’s Description of Charisms
St. Paul identifies the nine Charisms in his letter to the Corinthians:
- Utterance of Wisdom
- Utterance of Knowledge
- Faith
- Gifts of Healing
- Working of Miracles
- Prophecy
- Discernment of Spirits
- Various Kinds of Tongues
- Interpretation of Tongues
