The Holy Spirit – Part 6
(2 Corinthians 13:14 TLB) May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May God’s love and the Holy Spirit’s friendship be yours.
(1 Corinthians 12:1 BBE But about the things of the spirit, my brothers, it is not right for you to be without teaching.
The Gifts of the Spirit
(1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV) (4) There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5) There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. (6) And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. (7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: (8) for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, (10) to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
- When the Holy Spirit is moving, Jesus will be the only one being lifted up. (John 16:13-14)
- The Word and the Holy Spirit will always agree and never conflict with each other. (1 John 5:7)
- A perfect Holy Spirit desires to move though imperfect people.
The gifts of the Spirit can be categorized:
Three gifts that say something:
- Prophecy
- Divers kinds of tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
Three gifts that reveal something:
- The word of wisdom
- The word of knowledge
- The discerning of spirits
Three gifts that do something:
- The gift of faith
- The working of miracles
- The gifts of healings
The Gifts that Say Something:
- The Gift of Divers kinds of tongues is a supernatural utterance in an unknown tongue.
- The Gift of Interpretation of tongues is a supernatural revealing of that which has been said in an unknown tongue.
- The Gift of Prophecy is a supernatural utterance in a known tongue.
The Gifts that Reveal Something:
- The Gift of the Word of Knowledge is the supernatural revelation by the Holy Ghost of certain facts in the mind of God.
A word is a fragmentary part of a sentence just as the Word of Knowledge is a fragmentary part of the complete knowledge that God has.
The Word of Knowledge can come through several different means: inward revelation, audible voice, an angel, dreams, tongues and interpretation, etc.
(2 Kings 5:25-26 NKJV) Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.” (26) Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?
(Acts 9:10-12 NKJV) Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” (11) So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. (12) And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
- The gift of the Word of Wisdom – a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God concerning the divine purposes and plans in the mind and will of God.
The difference between the Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom is that the word of knowledge is always present tense or concerning something that has happened in the past.
(Genesis 37:6-7 NKJV) So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: (7) There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
The Holy Spirit will often use the two of them together.
(Acts 9:13-16 NKJV) (13) Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. (14) And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” (15) But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
(Acts 11:27-29 NKJV) And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. (28) Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. (29) Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.
(Acts 27:10-11 NKJV) saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” (11) Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.
- The Gift of Discerning of spirits is the supernatural insight into the realm of spirits.
Discern: to perceive by seeing or hearing
It is somewhat limited because it is only revelation in regards to the realm of the spirit and not as broad as the word of knowledge or the word of wisdom.
- It is not the gift of discernment or suspicion.
- It is not the gift of discerning the faults of others.
- It is not limited to the discerning of devils.
The gift of discerning of spirits is supernatural insight into the spirit world where there are Divine spirits as well as evil spirits.
(Acts 16:16-18 NKJV) Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. (17) This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” (18) And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
Paul probably saw into the spirit realm and saw the spirit behind what this girl was doing because he spoke directly to the spirit.
You don’t necessarily need the discerning of spirits to know when something is out of order. You can know that simply by the inward witness of your spirit.
(Acts 27:23-24 NKJV) For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, (24) saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’
Any time in the scriptures that someone had an angelic visitation and “saw” the angel, this was through the gift of Discerning of Spirits.
Remember, these manifestations are to operate in the life of believers not just preachers and great ministers.
They are, however, as the Holy Spirit wills and not as we will.