Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Comprehensive Guide

by Sam Storms

What are spiritual gifts? Storms has spent several decades teaching on the topic of the spiritual gifts and equipping believers in the faithful practice of God's gifts. Yet there remains a great deal of confusion about the nature of the gifts and how they best function in the body of Christ. In this comprehensive guide to the spiritual gifts, Storms addresses the many bizarre and misleading interpretations while confronting the tendency to downplay the urgency of spiritual gifts for Christian living and ministry. He explains how spiritual gifts--both the more miraculous and the everyday--are given to build up the body of Christ. God has graciously provided these "manifestations of the Spirit" so that believers might encourage, edify, strengthen, instruct, and console one another, all with a view to an ever-increasing, incremental transformation into the image of Jesus Christ. Throughout this guide, Sam Storms unpacks the glorious truth that there is a supernatural and divine energy or power that fills and indwells the body and soul of every Christian believer. Understanding Spiritual Gifts is useful as a reference to address common questions about the gifts, but it also serves as a training manual for using and exercising the gifts in ministry. It is perfect for any individual or group who wants to grow in their understanding of spiritual gifts for today.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Audiobook, Faith, Nonfiction, Spirituality

384 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

(Some early works written as C. Samuel Storms)

Sam has spent 39 years in ministry as a pastor, professor and author. He was visiting Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College from 2000-2004, and is currently Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City. He has authored 22 books and founded Enjoying God Ministries. He's a graduate of The University of Oklahoma (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M) and The University of Texas (Ph.D.). He and his wife Ann have been married for 40 years and are the parents of two grown daughters and have four grandchildren. On a more personal level, Sam loves baseball, books, movies, and anything to do with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Reviews

[Maree Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time at the Redeemer book club!
I’m a bit confused. My best friend had a crazy conversion experience which I can’t deny but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a super healthy and obedient charismatic environment.

I don’t know how you eagerly desire the gifts and simultaneously use them wisely in the church context avoiding pride and hype.
Why are y’all speaking in tongues without interpreters?
Why are y’all being slain in the spirit?
Is this vague prophecy really what the bible was talking about? Did God really tell you that? What makes you anointed? I truly don’t get it.
I’ve been sheltered from spiritual misuse due to my bretho upbringing which I’m thankful for, but I wonder what I’ve missed out on and long for a bold and expectant faith like that of my Pentecostal brothers and sisters. From what I’ve read and seen I do feel convinced that the gifts are for today, I just don’t know how that would look exactly.
I will pray to be willing.

I am encouraged that my church is desiring to obey the Lord and serve him how he has uniquely gifted each of us.
I want to be bold in my faith to do the Lords will however he asks me. I am excited to see God to move in Redeemer!

[Philip Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad Storms put this together. So good to have a single resource by him on this topic. It's more broad than Grudem's 'The Gift of Prophecy' and doesn't have some of the theological eccentricities of Deere's 'Surprised by the Power of the Spirit' (though both are excellent books in their own right). I'm stoked that there's a comprehensive work on this from someone theologically solid in a bunch of areas (Storms is an amillennial, Calvinistic, complementarian evangelical Protestant). Even when I don't agree with a particular nuance or detail, I still think he's barking up the right tree, and I would just articulate something slightly differently. His arguments against cessationism are sound (IMO), and I appreciated his charitable interaction with dudes in that camp that I froth (Schreiner, Gaffin etc.). Particularly good here were the citations from church history. The second appendix, where Storms discusses the future of the charismatic movement, was well done. He is gracious, but does not pull any punches about a plethora of things that need quick adjusting, forever putting to bed the criticism that the movement does not 'police its own.' If you're continuationist and wanting to understand your own position better, or if you're cessationist and wanting to understand where your 'chaotic' friends are coming from, I enthusiastically recommend this book.

[George P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understanding Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms describes itself as a “comprehensive guide” to the topic. Its author describeshimself as “an Amillennial, Calvinistic, charismatic, credo-baptistic, complementarian, Christian Hedonist.” which helps you understand his theological and ecclesiological point of view (as well as affinity for John Piper!). He is founder of Enjoying God Ministries, senior pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and an erstwhile professor with a Ph.D. in intellectual history from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Storms has published four books and several articles on the topic of spiritual gifts, which he helpfully lists on pages xviii–xix, and from which he has adapted some of the material in Understanding Spiritual Gifts. The previous books include The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts (2002, reprinted 2013), Convergence (2005), Practicing the Power(2017), and The Language of Heaven (2019). I have not read the earlier books, so I cannot how or to what extent this book draws on them.

Storms defines spiritual gifts this way:

"A spiritual gift is when the Holy Spirit manifests his presence and imparts his power into and through individual believers to enable them to exceed the limitations of their finite humanity so that they might faithfully and effectively fulfill certain ministry tasks for the building up of the body of Christ (20)."

The author divides his argument into six parts:

1. The Nature, Purpose, and Prayerful Pursuit of Spiritual Gifts (1–66)

2. The Debate over the Cessation or Continuation of Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit (67–146)

3. Revelatory Gifts of the Spirit (147–202)

4. Speaking in Tongues (203–238)

5. Faith, Healing, and Miracles (239–278)

6. Other Gifts and Apostleship (279–318)

As can be seen from these titles, Storms covers the topics that are a matter of sometimes heated debate between continuationists and cessationists, as well as among continuationists, that is, among believers who are Pentecostal, charismatic, and Third Wave.

Storms directs his strongest arguments against cessationism, though these arguments are always graciously expressed. He defines a cessationist as “someone who believes that certain spiritual gifts, typically those of a more overtly supernatural nature, ceased to be given by God to the church sometime late in the first century AD (or more gradually through the course of the next few centuries)” (69). By contrast, a continuationist is “a person who believes that all the gifts of the Spirit continue to be given by God and are therefore operative in the church today and should be prayed for and sought after” (69). He devotes an entire section of the book to refuting cessationism (69–145), but he maintains a running critique of cessationism throughout the book as he examines various biblical passages.

As a charismatic, Storms positions himself between classical Pentecostalism and the so-called Third Wave. He does not affirm Pentecostalism’s interpretation of baptism in the Holy Spirit as an experience separate from and subsequent to conversion, though he does not spend much time developing his critique of its doctrine either (47). Similarly, though he does not address the topic explicitly, it is apparent that he denies Pentecostalism’s understanding of tongues as initial physical evidence, even as he leaves open the possibility that God wants every believer to speak in tongues, if only as a private language of prayer. (225–231).

Storms cites the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) as the context for discussing the debate regarding apostolic ministry. He writes, “I question whether there would be much of a controversy over the subject of apostleship were it not for the emergence of what is called the New Apostolic Reformation” (295). His treatment of the topic threads the needle between a cessationist denial of even the possibility of contemporary apostles on the one hand and NAR’s extravagant claims about its leaders apostolic giftedness on the other. Storms surveys the New Testament data, which points to a larger group of apostles than just The Twelve plus Paul, seeming to agree with Frank Chan’s definition of an apostles “remarkable leaders sent by God to establish new spheres of ministry by setting up the key governmental structures necessary for those ministries” (295). This definition is broad enough to encompass The Twelve plus Paul, others denominated “apostle” in the New Testament, and contemporary claimants as well.

I have drawn attention to how Storms distinguishes himself from cessationists, Pentecostals, and the Third Wave so that potential readers may understand where he is coming from theologically. However, aside from the extended debate with cessationism, Storms does not spend significant space on in-house continuationist debates. Rather, he works through the New Testament material patiently and thoroughly to arrive at a reasonable interpretation of what the various spiritual gifts are, what they’re for, how to seek them, and how to use them in individual and corporate contexts.

As a classical Pentecostal, I disagree with Storms’ dismissal of Pentecostalism’s doctrines of Spirit baptism and initial physical evidence. I also found his complementarianism irksome, arising as it did in a discussion of why Paul would permit women to prophesy but not to teach men (185–186), although thankfully this is the only reference to complementarianism in the book.

On the whole, however, I appreciated Storms’ exposition of the biblical material, along with his seasoned advice about how to use the gifts, and why. And his running critique of cessationism is worth the price of the book, which is quite reasonable for a text of this length. Whether you’re a pastor or a church member, I recommend Understanding Spirit Giftsas an addition to your library. You don’t have to agree with everything Storms writes to derive value from it

Book Reviewed
Sam Storms, Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Comprehensive Guide (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020).

P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.

[Jamie Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did it, it was a long haul and I’m a week behind Redeemer book club lol
I rate Sam Storms and have already read/listened to a lot of his content relating to his gifts, and still wrestle with how/when/what this looks like within my own spiritual life and that of my local church.
I’ll keep praying and trying to do good where the Lord has placed me, I would especially love to see miracles done in the lives of my sisters in Christ who are struggling- so this has spurred me on to be more fervent in my prayer life.

[Brandon Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough treatment. Storms looks at both sides of the argument, and delves into the arguments for each, with the intention of convincing the reader through biblical and historical evidence that all gifts of the Spirit have been in operation since the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. I think the case is very well made, even if it was already where I landed. Storms is gracious and firm to the cessationist, which I think is great as he doesn't just dismiss them as biblically reaching or illiterate but aims to show where the common arguments fall short. While I have issues with many charismatic churches, I think when this is approached in the way Storms does, he shows that there is a healthy way to be both reformed in doctrine and charismatic. I think the real gem is the appendix on the future of charismatic renewal and where churches who are convinced by scripture that the gifts are given to edify and build up the body can go from this. Hoping that the Lord can guide our elders further in this area.

[Storm Grimwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming into it leaning more on the cessationist side, because of the abuse I've seen from some Pentecostal Churches. This was a good argument for continuationism backed by lots of scripture, the Church History case wasn't as strong as I'd like but that's fine. Good read.

[Kirk Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Well researched, thought out, and thoroughly biblical. I don’t agree with everything here, but he has persuasive arguments and is kind to those he uses to point out counter-examples. We need more authors like Sam Storms.

[Matt Koser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book as a “cautious continuationist” (or maybe more accurately a “skeptical continuationist”). But after reading this book I’d say I’m now a “questioning continuationist.” The structure of this book is basically 1) arguments for continuationism and 2) an explanation of each of the spiritual gifts. (FYI The book gets a bit technical at times.)

This book was much more theologically stretching than I was expecting. I have a higher respect for this view and for Sam Storms as a result of reading. Although I learned a lot, the most helpful thing I took away from this book was devotional. Even though I’m leaning toward the continuationist camp, I’m functionally a cessationist. Sadly, I often don’t believe that God is at work by His Spirit, that He is powerful, and that He wants to (and can) work powerfully through me. Storms compellingly presents a big view of God and a confidence in His work in the church today. His faith that is evident in this book is contagious.

[Dan Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will need to read this again lol

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, but a bit more exhaustive than I was looking for 😂

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was one of Storms better books on the subject and he is pretty thorough, brings in other authors, which I appreciate it. He engages Schreiner’s new work which I appreciate because Schreiner is a fine scholar, great writer, and gracious opponent. I did not like how this book was organized. There should have been a better structure for each chapter with a good conclusion to summarize his arguments. This would of been great because he covers a lot of ground.

[Luke Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly helpful and informative title that I read easily and eagerly. Storms presents a thorough explanation of the relevant biblical texts, and even though I cannot agree with him on all things he presented, his approach (in nearly all things) was guided by scripture rather than experience or emotion. I could not follow his argument on the gift of prophecy (he presents that it can be errant), and he did lack some consistency on the issues of tongues in the public gathering. Overall, a helpful title that argues well for the continuation of the spiritual gifts.

[Hope Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was articulate, logical, and written with a great dose of common sense. Enjoyed this much more than his book on spiritual warfare which seemed to extrapolate from data further than I was comfortable with.

[Jared Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly useful book and serves as a thorough, convenient, and cohesive conglomeration of Sam Storms’ decades of scholarship regarding the charismata described in the New Testament. Where this book proves particularly helpful is in its compelling and rigorously scriptural polemic against cessationism. Storms is a careful scholar, and he attends to all of the primary arguments and talking points of cessationists (1 Cor. 13; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4; the “cluster” argument; the sufficiency of scripture; the abuses of charismata; etc.) with extensive exegesis, theological discernment, and attention to detail. More importantly, he addresses these issues with an irenic and pastoral spirit that all at once seeks faithfulness to scripture, unity in the body of Christ, and the glorification of God.

His analysis of the various gifts and their operative nature is also helpful, although I am still mulling over some of his conclusions. I remain undecided on whether the tongues described in 1 Cor. 12-14 are heavenly, non-human languages (glossolalia) or pre-existing human languages (xenolalia). Storms makes a reasonable case for glossolalia. He suggests that the description of tongues as prayerful and directed toward God, along with the inference that one might even pray in tongues privately (14:14-18), suggests that the tongues described in 1 Corinthians primarily serve a purpose that is doxological and self-edifying rather than evangelistic in nature. If xenolalia were the nature of tongues in Corinth, then it’s likely that others in the congregation would have understood the tongues and would have thus been edified; after all, Corinth was a cosmopolitan hub in the ancient world. Paul, however, exhorts the Corinthians to refrain from tongues in the absence of a gifted interpreter—suggesting that the congregation would otherwise not understand the words and would thus not be edified. Storms also makes much of 14:2, where the one speaking in tongues is described as “uttering mysteries in the Spirit.” These are reasonable and potentially correct arguments for glossolalia, but I remain somewhat ambivalent.

Where I decisively depart from Storms is in his unwavering commitment to Reformed and complementarian theologies. At times, his commitment to these doctrines seems to cloud his interpretive judgments and effect an unnecessary interpretive bias. One example will suffice. I believe that he, like Grudem, overstates the distinction between OT and NT prophecy, in an attempt to minimize as much as possible the authoritative nature of prophecy in the NT. One of his primary argument for making this distinction is the fact that scripture permits women to prophesy in the church. Thus, his presumption that women cannot be in any sort of authoritative position leads him to draw distinctions that are otherwise unnecessary. He further argues that discerning prophecy is more authoritative than prophecy itself; and that discernment of prophecy is what Paul prohibits women from doing in 1 Cor. 14:34-35. However, Keener has raised several compelling objections to this. First, the gift of discerning prophecy is cognate with the gift of spirit discernment in 12:10; and nothing in that passage suggests that women are barred from that gift. Second, the gift of prophecy is ranked second only to apostleship in 12:28; and it actually ranks above teaching—which is elsewhere understood as authoritative. More than that, teaching, while not identical to prophecy, is apparently included in prophesy, according to 14:31. Third, that these women were asking questions in order to learn from their husbands (14:35) renders its highly implausible that they were authoritatively evaluating their husbands’ prophecies. Lastly, it appears that all who prophesied were permitted to exercise the gift of discernment (14:29). Again, Storms makes unneccesary distinctions that are fundamentally required by his commitment to complementarianism. In Appendix B, Storms praises the egalitarianism wrought by recent charismatic renewal, insofar as it relates to “the distribution of spiritual gifts and the breaking down of socioeconomic and education barriers that tend to reinforce the the older distinctions between clergy and laity” (p. 333). Yet, he criticizes the movement for bringing about an “unbiblical egalitarianism that fails to acknowledge the…levels of authority that God has ordained for men and women” (ibid.). By contrast, Paul seems to recognize that the “breaking down of socioeconomic barriers” in Christ goes hand-in-hand with the breaking down of gender barriers (Gal. 3:28). For more on this new reality in Christ, I would recommend Barclay’s “Paul and the Gift” or “Paul and the Power of Grace.” Cynthia Westfall also powerfully argues that the egalitarian distribution of spiritual gifts is intrinsically tied to egalitarian ecclesiology. See her book “Paul and Gender” for more on that subject.

In spite of these critiques, I have recommended this book to many already—and I will continue to do so. I have often argued that continuationism is actually a more conservative position than cessationism, and I still stand by that. While I love all of my cessationist brothers and sisters and do not question their genuine allegiance to King Jesus, I fear that a commitment to hard cessationism often leads to the slander and disparagement of the Spirit’s real work in the world today. Cessationists should be extremely cautious of this danger, especially in light of the fact that the cessationist argument is largely derived from silence. While the New Testament never explicitly affirms the cessation of gifts after the apostolic age, it time and again warns against resisting and quenching the Spirit. What Storms has given us in this book is an example of how one might pursue the gifts of the Spirit a manner that is both biblically and practically responsible.

[Aaron Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did exactly what I needed and significantly changed my perspective on the revelatory gifts by providing a solid biblical foundation for why they remain. Before reading, I would have identified as a continuationist but practiced as a cessationist. After engaging with this book, my views shifted, as I realized many of my beliefs weren't rooted in God's Word, but rather in my fear of misuse, the views of those who discipled me, and the theological perspectives of influential figures like Edwards. (I love Edwards, this is not a critique of him— but just because it’s Edwards doesn’t mean he’s right on every theological point). I loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone. Further, I'm so thankful for God allowing me to witness the gift of prophecy being used this last year with a group of young adult men I disciple. That experience sent me into a theological tailspin, which led me to this book, for which I am grateful. While I don’t agree with everything the author says, particularly regarding apostleship, I can understand and appreciate his perspective on the matter.

[Ash Larnder · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the author has some good points and takes a comprehensive look, imo the organizational structure both overall and for his arguments were disorganized, making it hard to follow and repetitive. In getting a feel for the author throughout, his tone came across as condescending to me. He tears apart opposing views matter of factly, then presents his views using directive language. As a scientist, terminology in arguments is drilled into me – we have a responsibility to portray the uncertainty that is our human understanding. While he makes statements saying "we can't know for sure", the language he uses often implies causal reasoning in his arguments. I also felt that some sub-points to his primary arguments were not well supported and sometimes drifted from his original claims.
... but that's just one girls opinion. Seems like many people enjoyed it and found it useful since its so highly rated.

[Christal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Sam Storms. He's just a good theologian and a good teacher. For that reason, alone, I liked this book alot. He goes into great detail in the book describing spiritual gifts. He gives lots of scriptural references for his positions. He explains alternate viewpoints in regards to the spiritual gifts. I like the fact that he just seems to have such an open and honest approach to teaching. It's very charismatic... lol! No pun intended. I am still not 100 percent sure how to feel about this particular doctrinal area. Charismatic or Cessationist? I'm gonna say that I think charismatic is more biblically aligned because the prevalence of witchcraft and false signs and wonders does not eliminate the authentic; especially when you take into account that Pharoah's magic men could copy Moses' miracles up to a point, before being unable to keep up with all God was doing through him. No matter what you believe about spiritual gifts, this is a good read.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this guy writes. He is very fair with opposing views and is always careful not to overstep in his language when citing scripture. I really appreciate that, so I felt I could trust the conclusions he was drawing. He brought up so many good points t helped persuade people like me to understand his point. He takes a very sober and biblical view of the use and misuse of spiritual gifts. He was clearly very willing to consider criticisms leveled against charismatic churches, and again that made me feel confident that he wasn’t writing this book to prove a point, rather to demonstrate a well thought out argument.

[Zachary Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter where you may land on the issues of the miraculous gifts continuing today, Storms' book is very helpful in gaining clarity on the issue and he deals carefully with the text. There are several strong arguments in the book that makes his case appealing. The strongest arguments came when he argued from the biblical text: a hurdle for all who hold to the cessationist position.

Theologically, there are some holes in his argumentation, but he acknowledges these and they do not dismantle his stance overall.

[Joel Lomman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storms outlines that we are expected in the new testament, and we are exhorted to pursue them. We have no strong exegetical argument to say that they have ceased.
Certainly, we then must be desiring, but discerning.

the cluster argument simply helps us explain why we do not see the same strength or number of gifts today, not prove that they have ceased.

Not sure about his arguments around apostolic gifting or office.

[Danny Theurer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first opportunity to take in one of Sam Storms's works and, although still in disagreement on a couple of points he makes, I found myself impressed my his approach and skill in handling such a controversial subject. His brilliant chapters on Cessationism alone are worth the purchase of this book. Storms is a credit to the Kingdom and this book was fine work.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are few books on spiritual gifts that are as biblically sound as this one. I could commend this volume with little reservation. Storms' defense of a continuationist position on the gifts was well-reasoned. I appreciated his careful explanation of each of the gifts, and his willingness to admit where there was less open-and-shut clarity in the text. Very helpful!

[Daniel McRee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and thorough dive into the continuationist view of the spiritual gifts.
Supported by scripture. As a cessationist I must admit I was challenged by this book and came away with a deeper respect for the opposing view even if I am not yet convinced.

[Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Very thorough. Storms presents a strong argument for his position (a somewhat conservative continuationism) while also graciously acknowledging those who disagree on either side. Perhaps not the best starting point for studying this topic, but it is a very valuable resource!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam delivers a well researched presentation on the spiritual gifts. I listened to the audiobook, and after a while, I was bored and ready to move on. It reads very much like a lecture. Best read in print, 1 chapter at a time or in a book study.

[Barry Ickes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without question THE best book I have ever read on the topic of spiritual gifts. The thoughtful exegesis of all the major NT texts are unmatched.

[Andrew Wahrman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great summary of Dr. Storm's other work.

[Luke Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this

[Johnnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of repetition and leaning in one direction but he admits this from the get-go. Content is spot on and so much citing of scripture and other texts. Happy I read it.

[Sam Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERY thorough—he leaves nearly no stone unturned. As always, Sam communicates with great clarity and charity. Recommend!