Spiritual gifts are abilities the Holy Spirit gives to every believer for building up the church and serving others, not for show. They are diverse, but all come from the one Spirit, and their whole purpose is to make Christ known and His people strong.
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
1
Every believer has been given at least one
'To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.' The Spirit apportions gifts 'to each one separately, as he desires.' No Christian is giftless; gifts are not for a spiritual elite, but for the whole body.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.
Paul lists 'various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit… various kinds of service, and the same Lord… various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all.' The diversity is not a flaw to envy or despise; it is the beauty of a body made to need every member.
Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages. But the one and the same Spirit works all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
They build the church; they don't show off the church
The purpose of every gift is edification: 'Let all things be done to build each other up.' Gifts are given 'for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ.' A gift used for applause is a gift misused; a gift used for the good of others is a gift well used.
that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.
Paul can imagine tongues, prophecy, and mountain-moving faith, and call them nothing without love. Gifts are for this age; love never fails. The most impressive gift exercised without love does not resemble Christ at all. So we pursue gifts, but we pursue love most of all.
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.
The Spirit's gifts build the church, and the Spirit's fruit in your character, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control, shows Christ. 'Earnestly desire the best gifts,' Paul says, and then shows the way that is still more excellent: love.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching; or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives, let him do it with liberality; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.