First, it’s important to note that while the term “spiritual gifts” is common in Christian usage, it doesn’t appear literally in Scripture. In the Statenvertaling (State Bible) and Herziene Statenvertaling (Revised State Bible), we encounter the expression twice (1 Cor. 12:1; 14:1), but “gifts” is italicized there, meaning the translators inserted it, but it’s not actually there.
pneumatikos
The Greek word rendered “spiritual gifts” in these verses is pneumatikos. It derives from pneuma, which means “spirit,” and is an adjective. Pneumatikos is difficult to capture in a single Dutch or English word, and the context must make it clear what it refers to.
The word is not reserved solely for what we call “spiritual gifts” but appears in all sorts of contexts. Such as: spiritual things/goods (Rom. 15:27), spiritual words (1 Cor. 2:13), and the spiritual man (1 Cor. 2:15; 3:1). The context then makes clear what it’s about. Here too, translators had to insert words that aren’t actually there. In these verses, only the word “spiritual………” appears, but what exactly follows is missing. The meaning must be inferred from the context.
Often, however, a noun is added, as in: spiritual food (1 Cor. 10:3), a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44), spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), spiritual wickedness in the heavens (Eph. 6:12), etc.
Hebrew and Greek
It is important to know in this context that in both Hebrew and Greek, the same word is used for wind, breath, and spirit: rûach in Hebrew and pneuma in Greek. These concepts are closely related and are often even used synonymously.
Construction
The elements that make up the Greek word pneumatikos are: to blow + result. What we call spiritual gifts are the effect of God, who gives (>breathes) His spirit, His life, into someone. For example, God breathed the breath of life into Adam, and thus man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). And when the Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples, they received holy spirit (John 20:22).
Different
Spiritual gifts are those things that God’s Spirit works in the believer. This is different for each person. Just as with musical instruments. It is the same breath that blows into an instrument, but a trumpet, flute, clarinet, etc., all produce a different sound. It is the same with the spirit. It is the same spirit that works, but in each of us it has a different effect, according to our personality, dispositions, abilities, etc.
1 Corinthians 12
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts (Greek: pneumatikos), brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
(…)
4 Now, there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of influences, but it is the same God who works all things in everyone.
7 And to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for profit.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
9 and to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of health by one Spirit;
10 and to another working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another kinds of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues.
11 And all these things worketh that one and the same Spirit, dividing to every man his own as he hath determined.