What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, we understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit through two primary lenses: the Seven Gifts prophesied in the Old Testament and the Charismatic Gifts described in the New Testament.

The Gifts are what the Spirit gives us for service, and the Fruit is how the Spirit changes our character.

1. The Seven Gifts of the Spirit (Isaiah 11:2)

These are given to every believer through the Sacrament of Chrismation. St. Athanasius the Apostolic teaches that because the Son is Wisdom and Truth, the Spirit is the Spirit of Wisdom and Truth. These seven gifts are:

1. Wisdom: The ability to see things as God sees them.
2. Understanding: Helping us grasp the deep truths of the Orthodox faith.
3. Counsel: Helping us choose the right path and make godly decisions.
4. Fortitude (Strength/Power): The courage to stand up for the truth, even during persecution.
5. Knowledge: Learning the nature of God and His creation.
6. Piety (Godliness): A deep love and reverence for God and the Church.
7. Fear of God: Not being "afraid," but having such great respect for God that we do not want to offend Him by sinning.

2. The Manifestation Gifts (1 Corinthians 12)

St. Paul lists specific gifts given to members of the Church to help it grow and function. As noted in the homilies of the Fathers (Source 2), these gifts are motivated by "genuine love." They include:

• Word of Wisdom and Word of Knowledge
• Faith: A supernatural depth of trust in God.
• Gifts of Healings: Restoring health to the sick.
• Working of Miracles
• Prophecy: Speaking God’s message to the people.
• Discerning of Spirits: Knowing the difference between God's truth and the lies of heretics.
• Speaking in Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues: In the early Church, this was primarily the ability to speak foreign languages to spread the Gospel to all nations.

3. The "Fruit" of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

While the "Gifts" are tools for work, the "Fruit" is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is living inside you. There are nine:

• Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering (Patience), Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control.

Key Points

• The Difference: A gift is like a tool (a hammer or a screwdriver) used to build the Church. A fruit is like the health of the tree itself.
• Purpose: The Spirit does not give gifts for us to show off. As St. Cyril of Alexandria teaches, the Spirit acts in us so that we can perform "divine signs" to lead others to Christ (Source 1).
• The Apostles: During the Apostles' Fast, we focus on how the Spirit gave the Apostles the Gift of Tongues (to speak to different countries) and the Gift of Fortitude (to not be afraid of mean kings or lions).

Unlike some modern groups (Protestants/Pentecostals) who focus only on "Tongues" or "Miracles" for excitement, the Coptic Orthodox Church teaches that the greatest gift is Love. Without love, as St. Paul says, all other gifts are noisy and useless. We receive these gifts primarily to serve the Church and stay united in the one true Faith.