| I Cor 12:1
Now concerning the spiritual gifts brethren,
I do not want you to be ignorant
The Gk word Agnoein
is translated in the following versions differently.
NKJV & NIV – do not
want you to be ignorant
KJV – would not have you
ignorant
RSV – do not want you
to be uninformed
NAS – do not want you
to be unaware
TLB – don’t want
any misunderstanding
NAB – do not want to leave
you in ignorance
JB – clear up wrong impression
St. Paul says that a thorough understanding of
the spiritual gifts is very important for every
believer, it is not to be neglected. You must
know what they are, how to be used, for what purpose
it is given and how to receive them.
- Gifts are attributed to the Holy Spirit. He
is the distributor.
I Cor 12:4 Now there
are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
- Administration, Service, Ministries, Offices
are attributed to the Lord Jesus. Gk.Diakonion.
I Cor 12:5 and there
are varieties of service, but the same Lord.
- Working and operations are attributed to the
Father. Gk. Energema.
I Cor 12:6 and there
are varieties of working, but it is the same
God who inspires them all in every one.
I Cor 12:8-10 To one
is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom,
and to another the utterance of knowledge
according to the same Spirit, to another faith
by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing
by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles,
to another prophecy,
to another the ability to distinguish
between spirits, to another various
kinds of tongues,
to another the
interpretation of tongues.
Gifts of Inspiration or Speech :
Tongues, Interpretation and Prophecy.
Revelation : Wisdom, Knowledge
and Discernment.
Ability or Power or Sign : Faith,
Healing and Miracles.
There are nine gifts mentioned in this verse
and these are known as Charismatic gifts. The
word Charism comes
from the Gk. meaning ‘gift.’ However,
there are other gifts which God bestows to his
Church.
Eph 4:11 And His gifts
were that some should be apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, some pastors and teachers
These gifts are known as the five fold
ministry of the Church
Rm 12:6-8 Having gifts
that differ according to the grace given to us,
let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to
our faith; if service, in our serving; he who
teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his
exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality;
he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts
of mercy, with cheerfulness.
I Cor 12:28-30 And
God has appointed in the Church first apostles,
second prophets, third teachers, then workers
of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators,
speakers in various kinds of tongues. Are all
apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of
healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
I Cor 12:31 But earnestly
desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a
still more excellent way.
Earnestly desire, Gk. Zelos
= a strong passion.
Higher, Gk. Kreitton
= stronger.
I Cor 14:1 Make love
your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,
especially that you may prophesy.
We should be motivated by genuine love for God
and for His Church, in order to receive the spiritual
gifts.
I Cor 14:12 So with
yourselves; since you are eager for manifestations
of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up
the Church.
We should have a pure desire to edify the body.
We should seek to excel in the operations of the
gifts.
Gifts are not toys for the individual but tools
for building the community.
TONGUES
Mk16:17 ‘They
will speak in new tongues.’ To speak in
new languages which they had not learned as other
men learn them Gk. Lieterais
Glossais; other tongues, languages which
was different from the native language of the
speaker. The following lists given by Paul places
gift of tongues and the interpretation of tongues,
lowest in the scale.
I Cor 12:8-10 To one
is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom,
and to another the utterance of knowledge according
to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same
Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one
Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to
another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish
between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues,
to another the interpretation of tongues.
I Cor 12:27-28 Now
you are the body of Christ and individually members
of it. And God has appointed in the Church first
apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators,
speakers in various kinds of tongues.
I Cor 14:15-17 What
am I to do? I will pray with the Spirit and I
will pray with the mind also; I will sing with
the Spirit and I will sing with the mind also.
Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how can
any one in the position of an outsider say the
"Amen" to your thanksgiving when he
does not know what you are saying? For you may
give thanks well enough, but the other man is
not edified.
The main characteristic of the tongues is that
it is unintelligible. The man “Speaks mysteries”,
prays, blesses, gives thanks in tongues. No one
understands praying in tongues, it is a gift of
prayer. It is the Spirit of God in me praying
to God. It is a powerful tool of intercession,
when I do not know what to pray and how to pray.
Rm 8:26-27 Likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do
not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep
for words. And He who searches the hearts of men
knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because
the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God.
Tongues are of two types praying in tongues and
speaking in tongues. Every believer can receive
the gift of praying in tongues, whereas speaking
in tongues is a rare gift. It is actually a gift
of prophecy, a message for another or a group
and whenever there is speaking in tongues, it
has to be accompanied by interpretation.
I Cor 12:3 Do all
possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?
Do all interpret?
I Cor 14:5 Now I want
you all to speak in tongues, but even more to
prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he
who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets,
so that the Church may be edified.
I Cor 14:13 Therefore,
he who speaks in a tongue should pray for the
power to interpret.
I Cor 14:27 If any
speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at
most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret.
INTERPRETATION
It is a companion gift to the gift of speaking
in tongues, it is a supernatural enablement by
the Holy Spirit to interpret tongues into the
known language of the congregation. It is not
the gift of translation. All who speak in tongues
are clearly told, let him who speaks in a tongue
pray that he may interpret.
I Cor 14:13.
If there is no interpreter then one should not
speak in tongues. I Cor 14:28
Rom 12:6 Having gifts
that differ according to the grace given to us,
let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to
our faith;
Take care not to speak beyond the proportion
of your faith, no personal thoughts, don’t
interpret the interpretation.
I Cor 14:29 Let two
or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh
what is said.
The one who has this gift speaks under a powerful
anointing of God.
PROPHECY
To utter inspired words. This is a gift by which
God, through a person, speaks a message to an
individual or to the whole Christian community.
It is God making use of someone, to state what
He thinks about the present situation, what His
intention is for the future or what He thinks
they should know or be mindful of right now. It
is not primarily nor necessarily a prediction
of the future.
I Cor 14:3 On the
other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for
their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
I Cor 14:31 For you
can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn
and all be encouraged.
I Cor 14:29 Let two
or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh
what is said.
Its purpose:
To edify.
- To exhort, stir up the believers, confront
and challenge.
- To comfort, to speak encouragingly words of
comfort.
I Cor 14:3 On the
other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for
their up building and encouragement and consolation.
Many a times all these elements may be included.
It should not be confused with preaching. It is
not the ability to preach well. Preaching and
teaching are usually the result of prayerful meditation
in the mind of God. By careful preparation of
his mind and spirit, a preacher can minister understanding
to the people. Prophecy is not the result of careful
study. It is usually an unpremeditated spontaneous
speaking forth by the Spirit.
It is not for foretelling, whenever there is
an element of prediction within a prophecy, it
is usually because there is another gift (knowledge
or wisdom) working along with it.
Scriptural teaching on Prophecy:
- Prophecy is speaking supernaturally to men.
It conveys the mind of the Lord to the Church,
the prophet speaks on behalf of God to believers
for their edification, exhortation and comfort.
- Requires no interpretation.
- Convinces the unbeliever.
I Cor 14:24-25 But
if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider
enters, he is convicted by all, he is called
to account by all, the secrets of his heart
are disclosed; and so, falling on his face,
he will worship God and declare that God is
really among you.
- Believers may learn spiritual truths through
the anointing of the Spirit. The verse also
means that those newly come to faith, may learn
how to use the gift of prophecy.
I Cor 14:31 For you
can all prophesy one by one, so that all may
learn and all be encouraged.
- Everyone should desire and covet this gift.
I Cor 14:1 Make love
your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual
gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
I Cor 14:39 So, my
brethren, earnestly desire to prophesy, and
do not forbid speaking in tongues.
- The person operating the gift, is responsible
for its use or abuse. It is not an uncontrolled
utterance, nor is the prophet under any kind
of trance or mind control. He is neither doing
anything nor saying anything against his will.
I Cor 14:32 And the
spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
- Because those who prophesy can make mistakes,
prophecy must be judged.
I Cor 14:29 Let two
or three prophets speak, and let the others
weigh what is said.
- Guidelines for judging a prophecy
:
- It should never contradict the written Word
of God.
- It should always exalt Jesus.
- It should exhort, comfort, edify. It should
never leave them confused, distressed or uncertain.
- It should not break the spirit of the meeting,
though it may change the course of it.
- It should come to pass if there is a predictive
aspect.It should come from one whose life and
practice is according to God’s Word.
Mt 7:16 You will know them by their fruits.
Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from
thistles?
9. How
to Prophecy : Be relaxed, wait on the
Lord, this gift operates by faith, do not
prophesy beyond the proportion of your faith
Rm
12:6 Having gifts that differ according
to the grace given to us, let us use them:
if prophecy, in proportion to our faith.
WORD OF KNOWLEDGE
A fragment of God’s knowledge, given to
a person by the Holy Spirit at a particular time.
It gives faith and information through the supernatural
revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Examples
Jesus knew certain facts about Nathaniel before
He ever met him.
Jn 1:47-48 Jesus saw
Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold,
an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"
Nathanael said to Him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called
you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
Jesus knew many facts of the Samaritan woman,
though He had never seen her, the exercise of
this gift eventually brought a great revival in
the village.
Jn 4:18-19 “For
you have had five husbands, and he whom you now
have is not your husband; this you said truly."
The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that
you are a prophet.” In the early Church,
Ananias received in great detail, information
about Saul.
Acts 9:11-12 And the
Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street
called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas
for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he
is praying, and he has seen a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him so that he might
regain his sight."
In the O.T. God revealed to Nathan certain facts
and details regarding David’s sins.
It is distinct from human knowledge.
Its employment in scripture:
- To uncover sin of David: II
Sam 12:1-10 And the LORD sent Nathan
to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There
were two men in a certain city, the one rich
and the other poor. The rich man had very many
flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing
but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought.
And he brought it up, and it grew up with him
and with his children; it used to eat of his
morsel, and drink from his cup, and lie in his
bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now
there came a traveller to the rich man, and
he was unwilling to take one of his own flock
or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had
come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb,
and prepared it for the man who had come to
him." Then David's anger was greatly kindled
against the man; and he said to Nathan, "As
the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves
to die; and he shall restore the lamb fourfold,
because he did this thing, and because he had
no pity." Nathan said to David, "You
are the man.” Thus says the LORD, the
God of Israel, 'I anointed you king over Israel,
and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul;
and I gave you your master's house, and your
master's wives into your bosom, and gave you
the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this
were too little, I would add to you as much
more. Why have you despised the word of the
LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have
smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and
have taken his wife to be your wife, and have
slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now
therefore, the sword shall never depart from
your house, because you have despised me, and
have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to
be your wife.'
To uncover the sin of Ananias : Acts
5:1-10 But a man named Ananias with his
wife Sapphira sold a piece of property, and
with his wife's knowledge he kept back some
of the proceeds, and brought only a part and
laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said,
"Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart
to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part
of the proceeds of the land? While it remained
unsold, did it not remain your own? And after
it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How
is it that you have contrived this deed in your
heart? You have not lied to men but to God."
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down
and died. And great fear came upon all who heard
of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up
and carried him out and buried him. After an
interval of about three hours his wife came
in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter
said to her, "Tell me whether you sold
the land for so much." And she said, "Yes,
for so much." But Peter said to her, "How
is it that you have agreed together to tempt
the Spirit of the Lord? Hark, the feet of those
that have buried your husband are at the door,
and they will carry you out." Immediately
she fell down at his feet and died. When the
young men came in they found her dead, and they
carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
- To bring people to God : Nathanael and the
Samaritan woman Jn 1:47-49
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and
said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to
him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered
him, "Before Philip called you, when you
were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael
answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of
God! You are the King of Israel!" Jn
4:18-19 For you have had five husbands,
and he whom you now have is not your husband;
this you said truly. The woman said to him,
"Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.”
- To give guidance and direction: Ananias. Acts
9:11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise
and go to the street called Straight, and inquire
in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named
Saul; for behold, he is praying.
- To minister encouragement:
I King 19:9-18 And there he came to a
cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word
of the LORD came to him, and he said to him,
"What are you doing here, Elijah?"
He said, "I have been very jealous for
the LORD, the God of hosts; for the people of
Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down
thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the
sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they
seek my life, to take it away." And he
said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount
before the LORD." And behold, the LORD
passed by, and a great and strong wind rent
the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks
before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the
wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but
the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after
the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not
in the fire; and after the fire a still small
voice. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped
his face in his mantle and went out and stood
at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there
came a voice to him, and said, "What are
you doing here, Elijah?" He said, "I
have been very jealous for the LORD, the God
of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken
thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain
thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only,
am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."
And the LORD said to him, "Go, return on
your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and
when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to
be king over Syria; and Jehu the son of Nimshi
you shall anoint to be king over Israel; and
Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah you
shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And
him who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall
Jehu slay; and him who escapes from the sword
of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I will leave
seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that
have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that
has not kissed him."
- To impart knowledge of future events: Acts
11:28 And one of them named Agabus stood
up and foretold by the Spirit that there would
be a great famine over all the world; and this
took place in the days of Claudius.
- To reveal hidden things: Saul
I Sam 10:22 So they inquired again of
the LORD, "Did the man come hither?"
and the LORD said, "Behold, he has hidden
himself among the baggage."
The operations:
- Supernatural in character.
- Operates by faith.
- Revelation received in one’s spirit,
not intellect or emotions.
- Not essentially a vocal gift, may be received
quietly within the person’s spirit or
audibly on occasion (Ananias) Acts
9:11-12 And the Lord said to him, "Rise
and go to the street called Straight, and inquire
in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named
Saul; for behold, he is praying, and he has
seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his
hands on him so that he might regain his sight."
- It may become vocal when shared with others,
Samaritan woman Jn 4:18
For you have had five husbands, and he whom
you now have is not your husband.
- Any spirit filled Christian willing to hear
God’s voice may experience this gift.
- Invaluable asset in the ministry of counseling.
- Obedient action and response, is essential
to the continuing function of this gift.
- Frequently manifested in conjunction with
Word of Wisdom, to know what to do about a Word
of Knowledge.
WORD OF WISDOM
This gift stands first in the list in terms of
its importance, enables us to speak and act with
Divine wisdom to live a true Christian life and
ensures the correct use and application of other
gifts, when wisdom is absent, the other gifts
can be used wrongly.
It is a fragment of Divine wisdom supernaturally
imparted by the Holy Spirit at a particular time.
It supplies with immediate wisdom to know what
to say or do in a given situation.
Distinction:
- It is not natural wisdom.
- It is not wisdom gained from academic achievement.
- It is not gained by experience.
- It is not even the wisdom to understand the
Bible.
- It is supernatural in character.
- It is given as the Holy Spirit wills.
- Is given for specific need or situation.
- It is not the gift of wisdom, but Word of
Wisdom.
Biblical examples:
- Jesus replies to Satan with words of wisdom
imparted by the Holy Spirit. Lk
4:3-4 The devil said to him, "If
you are the Son of God, command this stone to
become bread.” And Jesus answered him,
"It is written, 'Man shall not live by
bread alone."
- The Scribes tried to trap Jesus, but the
word of wisdom given by the Spirit confounded
them all.
Lk 20:22-26 “Is
it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar,
or not?" But He perceived their craftiness,
and said to them, "Show me a coin. Whose
likeness and inscription has it?" They
said, "Caesar's." He said to them,
"Then render to Caesar the things that
are Caesar's, and to God the things that are
God's." And they were not able in the presence
of the people to catch Him by what He said,
but marveling at His answer they were silent.
- Scribes and Pharisees tried to trap Jesus
with the sinner woman. Jn
8:3-9 The Scribes and the Pharisees brought
a woman who had been caught in adultery, and
placing her in the midst they said to Him, "Teacher,
this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone
such. What do you say about her?" This
they said to test Him that they might have some
charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down
and wrote with His finger on the ground. And
as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and
said to them, "Let him who is without sin
among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
And once more He bent down and wrote with His
finger on the ground. But when they heard it,
they went away, one by one, beginning with the
eldest and Jesus was left alone with the woman
standing before Him.
- Giving wisdom in Church administration (distribution
of bread to widows). Acts
6:1-4 Now in these days when the disciples
were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured
against the Hebrews because their widows were
neglected in the daily distribution. And the
twelve summoned the body of the disciples and
said, "It is not right that we should give
up preaching the Word of God to serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you
seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit
and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to
the ministry of the Word."
- Solving a Church crisis (circumcision of
gentiles) Acts 15:5-11 But
some believers who belonged to the party of
the Pharisees rose up, and said, "It is
necessary to circumcise them, and to charge
them to keep the law of Moses." The apostles
and the elders were gathered together to consider
this matter. And after there had been much debate,
Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren,
you know that in the early days God made choice
among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should
hear the Word of the gospel and believe. And
God who knows the heart bore witness to them,
giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to
us; and He made no distinction between us and
them, but cleansed their hearts by faith. Now
therefore, why do you make trial of God by putting
a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which
neither our fathers nor we have been able to
bear? But we believe that we shall be saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as
they will."
- Gave Paul control over the situation resulting
in the salvation of many lives (storm). Acts
27:23-24 For this very night there stood
by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and
whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid,
Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and lo,
God has granted you all those who sail with
you.'
- It is promised to all disciples used in counseling,
preaching, teaching, prophecy, how to respond
to God’s command. Lk 21:14-15 Settle it
therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand
how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and
wisdom, which none of your adversaries will
be able to withstand or contradict.
DISCERNMENT
To distinguish between Satan, God and the human
in the spiritual realm. We can discern the origin
of certain actions, teachings, circumstances,
that have been inspired by spirit beings. It is
limited in its revelation to the origin of the
behaviour. Primarily, this gift, discerns the
presence of the Holy Spirit.
Function:
Gives one a supernatural understanding of the
nature and activity of spirit, to distinguish
and reveal the nature of the spirits themselves.
Acts 16:16-18 As we
were going to the place of prayer, we were met
by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination
and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying.
She followed Paul and us, crying, "These
men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim
to you the way of salvation." And this she
did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned
and said to the spirit, "I charge you in
the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."
And it came out that very hour.
Need for the gift:
It is necessary for missionaries and evangelists
in lands where spiritism, satanism and occultism
abound.
Operation:
To reveal the presence of evil spirits in the
life of people or Churches, it functions to evaluate
the source of a prophecy, teaching or some supernatural
manifestation. The person functioning with this
gift will be able to tell whether the source is
human, Divine or demonic. The person functioning
in this gift will also usually be able to reveal
:
- The nature of the demon: lying, infirmity
(causing cancer, blindness), unclean behaviour.
- Name of the demon.
- The number of demons. Mk.5:8-9 For He had
said to him, "Come out of the man, you
unclean spirit!" And Jesus asked him, "What
is your name?" He replied, "My name
is Legion; for we are many." Lk 8:2 And
also some women who had been healed of evil
spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene,
from whom seven demons had gone out.
- The strength of particular demons, which is
strongest and has greatest authority.
This gift does not always give one the faith
to expel demons, it is essential for effective
deliverance, it is not sufficient by itself. It
must work with the gift of faith and miracles.
FAITH
It deals with the unseen and things not physically
possible. The gift of faith is the special endowment
given to someone God is calling upon, to take
impossible action steps because of what God has
spoken to them. God supernaturally empties us
of any doubt and fills us with special faith,
that enables us to accomplish God’s purpose,
despite every contrary and contradictory circumstance
of life. The gift of faith is a special dispensation
of faith, which God grants a spirit filled believer
when the task He has given that believer, requires
more than ordinary or general faith. The gift
of faith has a function which is vastly superior
to that of general faith. General faith grows
from the original seed of saving faith which God
has planted in our hearts. Rm
12:3 For by the grace given to me, I bid
every one among you not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think, but to think with
sober judgment, each according to the measure
of faith which God has assigned him.
The degree of general faith varies with the stage
of development of the believer, little faith,
great faith etc. Peter walking on water.
Mt 14:28-31 And Peter answered Him, "Lord,
if it is You, bid me come to You on the water."
He said, "Come." So Peter got out of
the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus,
but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning
to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught
him, saying to him, "O man of little faith,
why did you doubt?"
Lk 7:2-9 Now a centurion
had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick
and at the point of death. When he heard of Jesus,
he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him
to come and heal his slave. And when they came
to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying,
"He is worthy to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue."
And Jesus went with them. When He was not far
from the house, the centurion sent friends to
Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble
Yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come
under my roof; therefore I did not presume to
come to you. But say the Word, and let my servant
be healed. For I am a man set under authority,
with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,'
and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and
turned and said to the multitude that followed
him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have
I found such faith."
General faith grows as a result of feeding on
the Word and application of the Word in any circumstance
of life. Faith can develop to a very high degree.
However, the gift of faith has a superior function
to even the highest degree of general faith. It
is special faith for special circumstances. Elijah
declares to King Ahab that there will be no rain
until he speaks the word. His gift of faith produced
the miraculous fulfillment of that prophecy.
I King 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of
Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD
the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand,
there shall be neither dew nor rain these years,
except by my Word." This extraordinary faith
was lacking when Elijah sat under the juniper
tree wanting to die. The gift of faith was not
needed at that time I King 19:4 But he himself
went a day's journey into the wilderness, and
came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked
that he might die, saying, "It is enough;
now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am no better
than my fathers."
God wants you to know that you can minister with
confidence knowing that when special demands are
made upon you. He will supernaturally give you
special faith to enable you to fulfill His purpose.
How does the gift work:
It seems to operate in a rather passive manner,
but not always. Daniel’s protection from
the lions is a passive instance of the gift of
faith. Samson’s slaying of the lion is an
example of working of miracles.
Judges 14:6 And the
Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and
he tore the lion asunder as one tears a kid; and
he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell
his father or his mother what he had done.
The gift of working of miracles involves man’s
active involvement in the manifestation of the
power of God. This impression that the gift of
faith functions passively is because, it often
works in co-operation with more dramatic gifts
(miracles and healings).
It operates through the speaking of words and
can be used in many ways to bless or to create.
- Joshua commands the sun and the moon to stand
still. Josh 10:12-13
Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when
the LORD gave the Amorites over to the men of
Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel,
"Sun, stand thou still at Gibeon, and thou
Moon in the valley of Ai'jalon." And the
sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until
the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The
sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and did not
hasten to go down for about a whole day.
- Elijah controls the weather by his word.
I Kings 17:1 There shall not be dew nor
rain these years but according to my word.
- Paul silences Elymas. Acts
13:8-11 But Elymas the magician (for
that is the meaning of his name) withstood them,
seeking to turn away the proconsul from the
faith. But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled
with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy
of all righteousness, full of all deceit and
villainy, will you not stop making crooked the
straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold,
the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall
be blind and unable to see the sun for a time."
Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him
and he went about seeking people to lead.
- Peter speaks God’s judgement on Ananias
and Saphira Acts 5:1-10
But a man named Ananias with his wife
Sapphira sold a piece of property, and with
his wife's knowledge he kept back some of the
proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it
at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias,
why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the
Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds
of the land? While it remained unsold, did it
not remain your own? And after it was sold,
was it not at your disposal? How is it that
you have contrived this deed in your heart?
You have not lied to men but to God." When
Ananias heard these words, he fell down and
died. And great fear came upon all who heard
of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up
and carried him out and buried him. After an
interval of about three hours his wife came
in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter
said to her, "Tell me whether you sold
the land for so much." And she said, "Yes,
for so much." But Peter said to her, "How
is it that you have agreed together to tempt
the Spirit of the Lord? Hark, the feet of those
that have buried your husband are at the door,
and they will carry you out." Immediately
she fell down at his feet and died. When the
young men came in they found her dead, and they
carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
- He shall have whatever he says Mk
11:22-23 And Jesus answered them, "Have
faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says
to this mountain, 'be taken up and cast into
the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that what he says will come to pass,
it will be done for him.”
GIFTS OF HEALING
It is a supernatural gift by which the healing
process is hastened. E.g. If a wound is left to
be healed naturally, it may take about 10 days
to heal, if you wash the wound and apply ointment
regularly, it will heal faster, maybe in 5 or
6 days, but if the same wound is prayed over by
someone with the gift of healing, the wound will
heal still faster, maybe in 1 or 2 days.
Note it is mentioned in the plural. There are
many different types of this gift.
I Cor 12:9 To another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of
healing by the one Spirit.
I Cor 12:30 Do all
possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?
Do all interpret?
Gk. Charismata Iamaton
= gifts of healings. There is a great variety
of manifestation of this gift.
The purpose:
- To deliver the sick and the suffering : Acts
10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power; how He
went about doing good and healing all that were
oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Lk 13:16 And ought
not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan
bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this
bond on the Sabbath day?
- To prove Christ’s claim to be the Son
of God: Jn 10:36-38 Do
you say of Him whom the Father consecrated and
sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,'
because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I
am not doing the works of My Father, then do
not believe Me; but if I do them, even though
you do not believe Me, believe the works, that
you may know and understand that the Father
is in Me and I am in the Father."
- To confirm the Word: Mk
16:15-18 And He said to them, "Go
into all the world and preach the gospel to
the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized
will be saved; but he who does not believe will
be condemned. And these signs will accompany
those who believe: in my name they will cast
out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
they will pick up serpents, and if they drink
any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they
will lay their hands on the sick, and they will
recover."
Acts 4:29-30 And
now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant
to Thy servants to speak Thy word with all boldness,
while Thou stretchest out Thy hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are performed through
the name of Thy holy servant Jesus.
- To attract people to the Gospel: Lk
4:40-43 Now when the sun was setting,
all those who had any that were sick with various
diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His
hands on every one of them and healed them.
And demons also came out of many, crying, "You
are the Son of God!" But He rebuked them,
and would not allow them to speak, because they
knew that he was the Christ. And when it was
day He departed and went into a lonely place.
And the people sought Him and came to Him, and
would have kept Him from leaving them; but He
said to them, "I must preach the good news
of the kingdom of God to the other cities also;
for I was sent for this purpose."
- To bring glory to God: Mk
2:12 And he rose, and immediately took
up the pallet and went out before them all;
so that they were all amazed and glorified God,
saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Lk 13:13 And He laid
His hands upon her, and immediately she was
made straight, and she praised God.
Lk 18:42-43 And Jesus
said to him, "Receive your sight; your
faith has made you well." And immediately
he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying
God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave
praise to God.
Jn 9:2-3 And his
disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned,
this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Jesus answered, "It was not that this man
sinned, or his parents, but that the works of
God might be made manifest in him.”
God works healing through normal channels, laying
on of hands Mk 16:18 They will pick up serpents,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not
hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick,
and they will recover.
Peter’s shadow. Acts
5:15 So that they even carried out the
sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and
pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow
might fall on some of them.
Paul’s handkerchief, Aprons. Acts
19:11-12 And God did extraordinary miracles
by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or
aprons were carried away from his body to the
sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits
came out of them.
WORKING OF MIRACLES
It is a supernatural power endowed by God to
create, it does not depend on the laws of nature.
It is more than healing.
a) Miracles give proof of the resurrection :
Acts 4:30-33 While Thou stretchest out
Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed
through the name of Thy Holy servant Jesus. And
when they had prayed, the place in which they
were gathered together was shaken; and they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the
Word of God with boldness. Now the company of
those who believed were of one heart and soul,
and no one said that any of the things which he
possessed was his own, but they had everything
in common. And with great power the apostles gave
their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
b) Accomplished the following:
- Gave boldness: Acts 4:13
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were uneducated,
common men, they wondered; and they recognized
that they had been with Jesus.
- Encouraged prayer: Acts
4:29-31 “And now, Lord, look upon
their threats, and grant to Thy servants to
speak Thy word with all boldness, while Thou
stretchest out Thy hand to heal, and signs and
wonders are performed through the name of Thy
Holy servant Jesus." And when they had
prayed, the place in which they were gathered
together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God
with boldness.
- Convicted of sin: Acts
5:28 Saying, "We strictly charged
you not to teach in this name, yet here you
have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and
you intend to bring this man's blood upon us."
Acts 5:33 When they heard this they were enraged
and wanted to kill them.
- Converted 5000 in one day through one miracle
: Acts 4:4 But many
of those who heard the word believed; and the
number of the men came to about five thousand.
- Glorified God : Acts 4:21
And when they had further threatened them, they
let them go, finding no way to punish them,
because of the people; for all men praised God
for what had happened.
- Spread the gospel quickly :
Acts 5:12-16 Now many signs and wonders
were done among the people by the hands of the
apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's
Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but
the people held them in high honor. And more
than ever believers were added to the Lord,
multitudes both of men and women, so that they
even carried out the sick into the streets,
and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter
came by at least his shadow might fall on some
of them. The people also gathered from the towns
around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those
afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were
all healed.
Jn 6:2 A great multitude
followed Him because they saw His miracles which
He did on them which were diseased.
Lk 4:33-35 And in
the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit
of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a
loud voice, "Ah! What have you to do with
us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy
us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent,
and come out of him!" And when the demon
had thrown him down in the midst, he came out
of him, having done him no harm.
Lk 4:37 And reports
of him went out into every place in the surrounding
region.
20 facts and questions about Gifts.
- Their names and number.
I Cor 12:8-10
- By whom imparted. I Cor
12:4
- Who operates them. I Cor
12:6
- Purpose, To confirm the Word of God.
Mk 16:20
- Who may have them? Every believer.
I Cor 12:11
- Can one have all of them? Yes. Has one man
ever received all of them? Yes. Jn
3:34, Rm 15:29
- Were they manifested before Pentecost? Yes
John the Baptist and others were filled with
the Spirit but not baptised. Lk
1:15 Mary was filled
Lk 1:41, Elizabeth was filled. The disciples
had gifts and great power before Spirit baptism.
Mt 10:1-8
- Can gifts be misused? Yes. I
Cor 13:1-3
- Can gifts be exercised in backslidden state?
Yes. Eccl 2:9-11
- Should one be afraid of getting an evil spirit
manifestation? No true child of God should.
Lk 11:11-13.
- Are gifts permanent or temporary? Permanent.
Rm 11:29
- Are gifts exercised at will? Yes.
I Cor 14:26-32
- Can gifts be neglected in use? Yes. I
Tim 4:14
- When should gifts be used? When needed.
I Cor 12:7, I Cor 14:17, 26
- Where should gifts be used? Where needed.
I Cor 12:12-31, I Cor 14:1-40
- How can they be received? By faith and prayer.
I Cor 14:1, Mt 7:7-11
- Do we need gifts today? Yes. Mk
16:15-20
- Can we choose which gifts we need today? Yes.
I Cor 12:31, I Cor 14:1 & 12
- How do we know when we have received them?
When the Spirit manifests them through us to
accomplish their intended purpose.
I Cor 12:4-11, 28-31
- Are gifts to continue throughout this age?
Yes. Mt 28:20
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