What is the difference between talent and the Gifts of the Spirit?
By levite
@levite (1062)
Philippines
October 27, 2009 5:14am CST
Let's have a friendly discussion about this topic. Can you share with me the difference between "talents" from the gifts of the Spirit? I know there are really difference between the two but talents can also be used for God's glory. I also wnated to know the difference between the gift of "knowledge" from the gift of "wisdom." These puzzles me so much for in the bible I notice they are sometimes used interchangeably. For example, in Proverbs 1:7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and insttruction. Knowledge and wisdom are both used but what is the difference between them? Thanks for dropping by.
1 person likes this
7 responses
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
28 Oct 09
I would think that a talent is something that you are good at, such as someone is a wonderful cook, another person can play the piano. The Gifts of the Spirit is the ability to use it to God's glory. It does not mean that if you are a writer, that suddenly you will go to Africa and help construct a church by making mud bricks in the Sudan. It means that when one becomes a Christian, God will use that person's talents for HIS glory. An example I can give you is of this classical singer who instead of singing songs about bad girls like Violetta, started to sing hymns and sacred songs. She was still a magnificent singer, but now her voice was to glorify God.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
28 Oct 09
I was also thinking of Paul the Apostle. When he was a Pharisee, he was no doubt a good orator and could talk people down, but then he was just talking out of his human pride, but once God's spirit overcame him, he was able to preach the word. So in an essence it was not as if he stumbled and stuttered and could not hold two words together and then suddenly when he sees Jesus in a vision on the road to Damascus, that now he could really preach a sermon.
Gifts of the Spirit are things that natural man does not possess but I do think that God uses people who already have the potential. So HE would give the gift of prophecy to someone who already was a forward thinker and HE would give the gift of sacrifice to someone who would possibly run out in front to grab a child from a moving car.
@levite (1062)
• Philippines
28 Oct 09
Hi suspenseful. I agree with you in the area where former worldly singers use their talents now for God's glory as I know many of them. But, I think, gifts of the Spirit are only for those people who fully surrender their lives to Jesus, meaning born-again or renewed Christians. For example the gift prophecy cannot be possessed by just an ordinary, carnal person but if he will surrender his life to Jesus, he can be empowered by God to receive the gift of prophecy. I think, based on the bible, spiritual gifts are supernatural , not worldly, carnal or humanistic.
1 person likes this
@levite (1062)
• Philippines
11 Nov 09
Got your point! 
. I remember one preacher in another church in our area who had been illiterate but has learned to read and write when he was already in the ministry. He learned to read the bible first before any other reading material. When he preaches, he does it powerfully and convincingly. Truly God chooses the foolish ones in this world to confound the wise and learned. God is great!
. I remember one preacher in another church in our area who had been illiterate but has learned to read and write when he was already in the ministry. He learned to read the bible first before any other reading material. When he preaches, he does it powerfully and convincingly. Truly God chooses the foolish ones in this world to confound the wise and learned. God is great! 1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
27 Oct 09
The biggest difference between a talent and a gift of the Spirit is that one is given by the Holy Spirit, empowered by Him, and used by Him for the edification of the Church, and the other is a natural or acquired talent, depending on one's ability.
As an example, while I might be a school teacher and even have a talent for teaching, this does not necessarily mean I will have the spiritual gift of teaching. The Spirit may, however, endow my natural talent with His enabling and gift me to use this teaching to edify the Church. On the other hand, the Spirit may choose to endow a person who has no formal training in teaching, and indeed has not previously taught, with this gift, and the person is used greatly in ministry.
Every born again Christian has at least one spiritual gift, not of his own choosing, but given by the Spirit as He wills.
The basic difference between knowledge and wisdom is in application. Wisdom is the correct USE of knowledge. As a gift of the Spirit, knowledge is the gift of injecting into a given situation a particular aspect of relevant truth. The gift of wisdom is the ability to give wise insights regarding the right course of action.
@levite (1062)
• Philippines
28 Oct 09
I agree with you that wisdom is the right use of knowledge. So, Solomon both have knowledge and wisdom as it is clear in the bible but lost his wisdom in his old age. Right?
Those that are learned in school, can you say that is knowledge too or merely intelligence or worldly knowledge?
What can you say about gifted children. Can you say that their talents in different areas where they excel are acquired not inborn?
Do you agree too that today there are many knowledgeable persons than wise persons?
@levite (1062)
• Philippines
28 Oct 09
I remember one school teacher who is a member of the church cell group who always interferes with the program in the church and wants to preside the church because she thought she is wiser than the pastor as she's a teacher while the pastor is just an ordinary man who only finished high school but responded to God's call in his life. The teacher may be talented and knowledgeable but the pastor was called by God to preach and teach (those are his spiritual gifts).
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
28 Oct 09
We gain knowledge from many areas. From infancy we learn from parents and others. We gain knowledge and its application from school and from life. SOME people gain wisdom from experience.
There certainly are gifted and talented children. I had a gifted child who was tested as being in the top .0002% of the world. There are children who develop an enormous musical talent from childhood. Their abilities depend on many things, including their inborn qualities but depending more on their environment, upbringing and opportunities. None of these abilities, however, are gifts of the Spirit.
The teacher who attempts to dominate in the Church should be brought under discipline.
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
27 Oct 09
A talent is an ability to do something and a gift of the spirit is a quality that you receive for your own use. One comes as part of your natural ensemble and the other comes when you pray or have a relationship with God. Of course, God can give you anything at anytime but this is how it usually is.
@lindiebiz (1006)
• Canada
28 Oct 09
A talent is a gift you are born with, while gift of the Spirit is given to you By the Holy Sprit to do his work when you become a Christian. I beleive knowledge i the ability to know things both in the spirit and physical also to know things that are about to happen while wisdom is a divine revelation to know what to do in situations
@advokatku (4033)
• Indonesia
27 Oct 09
knowledge is based on the workings of the brain power to what is seen and felt while the wisdom is based on the power of our inner.
That is the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Not all the smart people is sage but sage is smart people because life is not limited to the life of the world
@irene3184 (898)
• Philippines
28 Oct 09
There are similarities and differences between talents and spiritual gifts. Both are gifts from God. Both grow in effectiveness with use. Both are intended to be used on behalf of others, not for selfish purposes.A talent is the result of genetics and/or training, while a spiritual gift is the result of the power of the Holy Spirit. A talent can be possessed by anyone, Christian or non-Christian, while spiritual gifts are only possessed by Christians.
@manong05 (5027)
• Philippines
27 Oct 09
The words knowledge and wisdom are sometimes used interchangably. The only difference I see is knowledge speaks of the informations we have accumulated in our brains, may they be from studying or from experiences. Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge in a way that it will be beneficial both to the person and to the society where he lives. The "fools" may have knowledge of some sorts but they despise wisdom in not being able to use knowledge wisely and find practical applications in life.
enjoy!
