9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
by David A. Brogdon
IntroductionRevelation Gifts of the Holy Spirit
1. Knowledge
2. Wisdom
3. Discerning of Spirits
Power Gifts of the Holy Spirit
4. Faith
5. Miracles
6. Healing
Oral Gifts of the Holy Spirit
7. Prophecy
8. Diverse Tongues
9. Interpretation of Tongues
INTRODUCTION - Gift of the Holy Spirit:
The mystery of iniquity is coming to the full in our day. Paul, writing to the Church in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 12:1, says, "Now concerning Spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." There is much ignorance in the Body of Christ concerning these gifts and there operation. God, throughout this century has been longing for a people to come forward, developed in the gifts, to lift up a standard in the Church, His Body, and the World. Isaiah 59:19 states, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." The outward manifestation of the gift of the Holy Spirit is to produce the Word, Logos, so all might hear and understand and be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to Guide, Speak, and Teach the Body of Jesus Christ. (John 14:25; 15:13)
The Gift of the Holy Spirit in the Church are an expression of the Divine mind through human channels of the indwelling Holy Spirit. When He came, He announced His coming by causing all who were filled to speak in other tongues, they overflowed with the Word (Logos) of God. Once the Holy Spirit gained entrance and made human beings His temples, He proceeds to teach new depths of revelation and understanding by the gifts of the Spirit. This was the beginning of the prophecy of "raising up a standard" against the flood tide of evil. How else can the Spirit work than through man? God's perfect plan is for the Church to be His Divine instrument to cry "halt" to the devils works. God began to teach His people by the Holy Spirit IN THEM.
When the Holy Spirit fills us, we overflow with the WORD OF GOD. The use of the gifts, however imperfectly they are used, brings a flood of Divine Revelation and the WORD becomes a living WORD. We need to be very careful today to be sure we are being led of the Spirit of God and not evil spirits or our human spirit. The rivers of living waters that flows from our innermost being, the LOGOS, the living WORD of GOD, is powerful and quick and two-edged, flowing ever-increasingly into a needy world.
This teaching is for every Blood bought believer, to
encourage them to
claim there heritage and instruct them in the operation of the Gifts
when they receive them.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another diverse kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (1 Corinthians 12: 7 - 11)
These Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit are generally categorized in three groups of three. Which are three revelation gifts; three power gifts; three oral gifts.
We shall deal in this first lesson with the three revelation gifts, these are Spiritual gifts that reveal something:
The word of wisdomThe word of knowledge
The discerning of spirits
These gifts operate best in an atmosphere of quiet strong faith. In these gifts the Holy Spirit makes Himself known in divinely imparted knowledge and wisdom and in knowing whether we are dealing with evil spirits, human spirits, or the Divine Spirit.
Let us look first at the word of knowledge then we will better gain an understanding of the word of wisdom.
The Gift of the Word of Knowledge is just that a 'word'
or a 'part'.
God is all knowing but He does not reveal everything He knows to man.
He gives a word or part of what He knows. A word is a fragmentary part
of a sentence, so a word of knowledge would simply be a fragmentary
part of the entire knowledge or counsel of God.
Let us first look at what the Word of Knowledge is not:
1) Is not natural knowledge.2) Is not a profound knowledge of the Bible.
3) Is not knowledge of God through close communion with Him.
The Bible has examples of the Word of Knowledge manifest through a vision, a dream, a message from an angel, or through the gift of prophecy, or directly from God to an individual.
Biblical examples of the Word of Knowledge:
1) John on the Isle of Patmos -- Rev. 1: 10-20 -- vision.2) To Ananias about Paul -- Acts 9: 10 - 12 -- vision.
3) To Peter in Joppa -- Acts 10: 9 - 19 -- vision.
4) To Samuel regarding Saul's donkeys -- 1 Sam. 10:2 -- from God.
5) Jesus at the well with the woman -- John 4: 18 -- from God.
6) Regarding Ananias and Sapphira -- Acts 5: 1 - 4 -- from God.
How do I know how the Gift of the Word of Knowledge operates?
We most likely receive the message from God's Spirit
through our human
spirit and speak what comes to our mind. To some it is like a screen in
our minds and we begin to see the picture frame by frame. Then we begin
to describe these frames to the individual. Others may just begin to
have an unction by the Spirit to speak and sentence by sentence the
thing is revealed, as one thought after another begins to flow.
The gift of the Word of Wisdom usually works in conjunction with the Word of Knowledge. This Spiritual gift reveals the future and future events. The Old Testament prophets often operated in these gifts as well as the gift of prophecy. The Old Testament prophets often foretold of events in the future, the near as well as the distant.
Let us look at some Biblical examples of The Word of Wisdom:
1) Ananias to Paul -- Acts 9: 10 - 16. Instrument of God2) Philip and the eunuch -- Acts 8: 26 - 29. Salvation
3) Noah and the Flood -- Gen. 6: 13 - 18. Salvation for a people
4) Joseph's dream -- Gen. 37 - 50 (Gen. 45: 5-8 read). Israel's Salvation
5) Agabus about drought and famine -- Acts 11: 28. Church prepare
6) Paul's shipwreck -- Acts 27: 10. Life to those who hear and obey
There are incidents of which a Word of Wisdom was repealed and did not come to pass. This we will call conditional, depending upon the person's obedience. Hezekiah is an example, 2 Kings 20: 1- 6.
How do I know how the Gift of the Word of Wisdom operates?
This Gift of the Holy Spirit operates in the same manner as The Gift of the Word of Knowledge. Either as a picture in our mind or by faith just opening our mouths. God is faithful to show us the part that is needed to help the individual(s) in there work for the Lord.
Remember that the Gift of the Word of Wisdom gives us
the revelation of
the plans and purposes in the mind of God.
This gift of the Holy Spirit gives us supernatural insight into the spirit world. "To discern" means to perceive by seeing or hearing. Discerning of spirits is the same as seeing or hearing in the realm of spirits. This gift has a more limited range of operation, because it is limited to a single class of objects -- spirits. It reveals the kind of spirit that is in operation behind a supernatural manifestation, whether evil, human, or Holy Spirit.
What Discerning of Spirits is not:
1) It is not the gift of discernment. Could be Word of Knowledge2) It is not spiritual mind reading. Not power to discern faults in others
3) It is not just discerning of evil spirits but of human and good spirits.
This Gift is used to help many who are ensnared by Satan, to help the captives be set free. We must remember that supernatural manifestations can come from different sources. Many things that seem to be supernatural or miraculous to us actually do not come from God. Remember that Satan comes as an angel of light and is a supernatural being. Too many people are ready to follow anything that is supernatural or spectacular whether it is of God or not. Supernatural manifestations are not necessarily a demonstration of the Spirit of God. If the Discerning of Spirits is in operation, we can know the spirit behind a given manifestation or operation.
In the book of Acts the 16 chapter verses 16 - 18, we see this gift in operation with Paul.
Usually, a person who has been involved in witchcraft will display what seems to be the valid gift of Discerning of Spirits, when it is nothing more than the working of a familiar spirit.
This gift needs to be in operation more today than ever
before. The
Body of Christ is being invaded by seducing spirits, doctrines of
devils like never before. (1 Tim. 4:1)
We shall deal in this lesson with the three power gifts, these are Spiritual gifts that do something:
The gift of faithThe working of miracles
The gifts of healing
When we remember that the whole purpose of the gifts of
the Holy Spirit
is to build up the church, we can see why we must take great care how
to use them not bringing confusion in the church by unseemly behavior
or presumption.
As with the other gifts mentioned these gifts of the Spirit are supernatural. In the Amplified Bible this gift is called wonder-working faith.
This gift is more than general faith or saving faith (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 10:17)
The gift of Faith is a gift of the Spirit to the believer in order that he might receive miracles. The working of miracles, on the other hand, is a gift of the Spirit given to the believer that he might work miracles. One gift receives, the other does something.
These gifts operate in conjunction with our faith (Mark 9:23) People who operate in this special gift, the gift of Faith, can believe God in such a way that God honors their word as His own.
We see the gift of Faith in casting out of devils or demons. We need this gift in operation and exercise it as we cast out the demons. When you are casting out demons, you are trusting God to honor your word as His own.
This gift of faith is more of a process and is
manifested by the Holy
Spirit to enable a person to receive a miracle beyond the capacity of
ordinary faith to receive.
Under particular circumstances, the 'best' gift may be that gift that is needed at the time. In 1 Cor. 12:31; Paul said to "... covet earnestly the best gifts ...", also He said in 1 Cor. 14:1; " ... desire spiritual gifts ...".
A miracle can be defined as a supernatural intervention by God in the ordinary course of nature.
A look at the gift of working of miracles in the Bible:
1) Moses on Egypt -- Exodus 7 - 14.2) Elijah and the widow woman's cruse of oil -- 1 Kings 17: 8 - 16.
3) Jesus feeding the five thousand -- John 6: 5 -14.
4) Divine judgment on Ananias and Sapphira -- Acts 5: 1 - 10.
5) Paul to Elymas the sorcerer -- Acts 13: 4 - 12.
6) Jesus speaking to the sea -- Mark 4: 39.
The gift of Working of Miracles could also be called the working of acts of power. The Greek for Miracles is the word "dunamis", translated acts of power, explosions of almightiness or impelling, staggering wonders or astonishments.
The Working of miracles is the mighty power of God flowing through a person. The same power that created the universe.
Why don't we see this gift more in the Body of Christ?
Because we do
not earnestly desire spiritual gifts. If someone desires something, he
is going to make an effort in that direction in order to see what he
desires to come to pass. The word 'covet' means earnestly desire. Many
are not very earnest about making sure there desires are fulfilled.
Start praying for the fullness of the spiritual gifts to be in
manifestation.
The gifts of healing are manifested for the supernatural healing of sickness and disease without any natural source or means. These are, as you will notice, in the plural tense. There are many manifestations to these gifts. Being that God uses different personalitys and each of us operate differently.
Jesus said "freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). The gifts of healing and other methods of divine healing are supernatural. As we receive of the Holy Spirit let us give to those who are in need freely. Healings were in prominence in Jesus' ministry. In John 14: 12; "Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; even greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father."
Some people have a greater success in some areas of healing than others.
1 Corinthians 12: 30 states; "Have all the gifts of
healing?" The
answer of course is, no. This ministry gift is for the person to bless
others.
In this lesson we will deal with the three oral gifts, these are Spiritual gifts that say something:
The gift of prophecyThe gift of diverse kinds of tongues
The gift of interpretation of tongues
These gifts are not very well received in some
congregations. The gift
of prophecy, if used in the congregation, would bring edification,
encouragement, and comfort to the Body of Christ. It takes the gift of
tongues and interpretation to equal prophecy. 1 Cor. 14:5 says; "...
greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh in tongues, except
he interpret...".
Prophecy is supernatural utterance in a known tongue. The Hebrew of "to prophesy" is to flow forth, to bubble forth like a fountain, to let drop, to lift up, to tumble forth, to spring forth. The Greek word "prophesy" means to speak for another. We are told to desire to prophesy (1 Cor. 14: 1, 39).
Those who prophesy are not prophets, for in the office of a prophet there would be other gifts in operation.
Example of the Gift of Prophecy:
1) Paul at Philips house -- Acts 21: 8- 11
We need to be very careful about personal prophecies,
lives can be
ruined through the misuse of this gift. That is why there is a need to
practice in the Body where we can be corrected.
Diverse kinds of tongues is supernatural utterance in an unknown tongue. It is languages never learned by the speaker, nor understood by the speaker, nor understood by the hearer. It has nothing at all to do with linguistic ability, with the mind or the intellect of man.
When bringing forth tongues in a meeting or praying we
should desire to
interpret. (1 Cor. 14: 13 - 15) The Holy Spirit should give us the
unction to bring forth tongues in a public meeting. tongues are for a
sign to the unbelievers. (1 Cor. 14: 22)
The interpretation of tongues is a supernatural showing forth of that which has been said in an unknown tongue. It is not translation of tongues; it is the interpretation of tongues.
This gift is the least of all the gifts because it depends upon another gift --diverse kinds of tongues -- in order to operate.
The purpose of this gift is to render understanding of tongues to the hearers so that the whole congregation may be edified.
Tongues may be short but the interpretation may be long, to give a clear understanding of what God is saying.
1 Corinthians 14:27 gives us a scriptural understanding
of tongues and
its interpretation.
God's desire is for the Gift of the Holy Spirit to flow
regularly in
the Body of Christ. Smith Wigglesworth once said, "If the Spirit does
not move me, I move the Spirit." What did he mean? That we do not wait
for a special visitation of the Holy Spirit, for He is already in us,
if we have been baptized into Him.
