1 Corinthians 12:1 | NKJV (1) Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
The word “gifts” was added by the translators. This verse actually says,
1 Corinthians 12:1 | BBE (1) But about the things of the spirit, my brothers, it is not right for you to be without teaching.
Introduction to 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.
Things to know about the Moving of the Holy Spirit:
- When the Holy Spirit is moving, Jesus will be the only one being lifted up.
John 16:13-14 | NKJV (13) However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (14) He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
- The Word and the Holy Spirit will always agree and never conflict with each other.
1 John 5:7 | NKJV (7) For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
- A perfect Holy Spirit desires to move though imperfect people.
- In the New Testament, the doorway into the Gifts of the Spirit is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
- Believers who have not received this experience can and should be used by God to minister to others. These manifestations add a different dimension to ministry to others.
The gifts of the Spirit can be categorized:
- Three gifts that say something (vocal):
- Prophecy
- Diverse kinds of tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
- Three gifts that reveal something (revelation):
- The word of wisdom
- The word of knowledge
- The discerning of spirits
- Three gifts that do something (action):
- The gift of faith
- The working of miracles
- The gifts of healings
The Gifts that Say Something (Utterance Gifts):
- The Gift of Divers kinds of tongues is a supernatural utterance in an unknown tongue.
Divers Kinds of Tongues is supernatural utterance by the Holy Spirit in languages never learned by the speaker, nor understood by the speaker, nor necessarily understood by the hearer.
The Gifts of Tongues is the most prominent as it is often the most manifested gift in our services, it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and it is only found in the Church Age.
Speaking in tongues has nothing to do with linguistic ability; it has nothing to do with the mind or intellect of man. It is a vocal miracle of the Holy Spirit.
- The Gift of Interpretation of tongues is a supernatural revealing of that which has been said in an unknown tongue.
Interpretation of tongues is not a translation of a message in tongues.
The purpose of this gift is simply to render the gift of tongues understandable to the hearers so the whole church congregation as well as the one who gave the utterance in an unknown tongue, may know what has been said and be edified.
1 Corinthians 14:13 | NKJV (13) Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
There is Interpretation of tongues in your private prayer times and interpretation of tongues in a corporate setting. In your private time, there could be revelation or insight that comes or it could, you could see something, or a thought rise up out of your spirit.
- The Gift of Prophecy is a supernatural utterance in a known tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:3 | NKJV (3) But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
In the simple gift of prophecy there is no revelation, only edification, exhortation and comfort.
The gift of prophecy is greatest of the utterance gifts because it takes the other two, divers kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues to equal this one gift.
1 Corinthians 14:1 | NKJV (1) Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14:39 | NKJV (39) Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
- God desires for all present in the church to be blessed by this gift.
- With this gift there is a forthtelling but not a foretelling.
- The gift of prophecy goes beyond speaking by our own reasoning processes and intellect.
- It may be involved in preaching as some preaching may be an inspired utterance.
- It may be involved in witnessing or sharing because one may be inspired to share something with someone else. For instance, one may be led to share a scripture or encouraging word with someone. That can be the Gift of Prophecy in operation.
- There is a difference between this simple gift of prophesy and the office of the Prophet. Just because you might be used in this gift does not make you a Prophet.
- Simple gift of prophecy in private prayer along with the word of wisdom is available to every believer.
Ephesians 5:18-19 | NIV (18) Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, (19) speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs are a form of prophecy as they are an inspired utterance given to us by the Spirit.
The Gifts that Reveal Something (Revelation Gifts):
- 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, an angel, dreams, tongues and interpretation, etc.
2 Kings 5:25-26 | NKJV (25) 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 (10) 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. The Word of Wisdom is pertaining to things in the future.
Genesis 37:6-7 | NKJV (6) 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 (27) 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 (10) 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 into 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 (16) 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 do not 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.
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.
The Gifts that Do Something (Power Gifts):
- The Gift of Faith – a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit whereby a believer is empowered with special faith and it is beyond simple saving faith.
1 Corinthians 12:9 | AMP (9) To another [wonder-working] faith by the same [Holy] Spirit…
- The gift of faith is given to the believer so that he can RECEIVE miracles.
Daniel 6:21-23 | NKJV (21) Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! (22) My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” (23) Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
- When special faith is in operation, the believer will believe God in such a way, that God honors their word as if it is His own and miraculously causes it to come to pass.
Joshua 10:12-14 | NKJV (12) Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” (13) So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. (14) And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.
- This special faith cannot be increased by hearing and feeding on the Word of God like simple saving faith can.
- Smith Wigglesworth said, “…If you will take a step of ordinary faith, when you come to the end of that faith, very often this supernatural gift of special faith will take over. One reason more folks don’t see the manifestation of special faith operating in their lives is that they don’t first use what faith they already have.”
- The Gift of the Working of Miracles – a supernatural intervention by God in the ordinary course of nature, a temporary suspension of the normal order, operated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- The Gift of Special Faith receives the miracle, where the Gift of Working of miracles does the miracle.
- The Greek word for “miracles” in 1 Corinthians 12:10 means: acts of powers, explosions of almightiness, staggering wonders or astonishments.
John 2:5-11 | NKJV (5) His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (6) Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. (7) Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. (8) And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. (9) When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. (10) And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” (11) This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
- Jesus fed the multitudes twice with not enough food and it was supernaturally multiplied; He walked on water; calmed the sea, etc.
Acts 6:8 | NKJV (8) And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Acts 8:6 | NKJV (6) And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
- Gifts of healings – supernatural manifestations for the healing of sickness and disease to deliver the sick and destroy the works of the devil in the human body.
The Gifts of Healings have nothing to do with medical science or natural learning.
Acts 19:11-12 | NKJV (11) Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, (12) so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
Acts 28:8 | NKJV (8) And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.
Jesus operated in the Gifts of Healings and Working of Miracles in His ministry.
Jesus did not perform any miracles or heal anybody as the Son of God. He did it as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit and did none of these things until after the Holy Spirit came upon Him and He was anointed.
Jesus was just as much the Son of God when He was 25 as He was when the Holy Ghost came upon Him at 30 but He did not heal anyone when He was 25.
John 14:12 | NKJV (12) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.