THE GIFTS OF REVELATION

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“For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:8 NKJV)

 

The Holy Spirit bestows various spiritual gifts freely upon the believers as He pleases.

1 Corinthians 12:4-10 – 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.

These supernatural abilities are not intended for self-projection and aggrandizement but for God’s glory, effectiveness, and fruitfulness in God’s service and the edification of the Church—God’s people.

The Scripture highlights the Holy Spirit’s nine major gifts or manifestations in 1 Cor. 12:4-10. However, for this study, we shall group the nine spiritual gifts into three distinct divisions based on their unique nature, affinity, manifestation, and function.

First, the Gifts of Revelation: the Word of Knowledge, the Word of Wisdom, and the Discerning of Spirits.

Second, the Gifts of Inspiration: Prophecy, Different kinds of Tongues, and the Interpretation of Tongues.

Third, the Power Gifts: Faith, Gifts of Healings, and the Working of Miracles.

In this piece, we shall examine the first group—the Gifts of Revelation (the Word of Knowledge, the Word of Wisdom, and the Discerning of Spirits) and the others in the next piece.

First, the Word of Knowledge.

The gift of the word of knowledge does not imply possessing perfect, broad, general, unlimited, or infinite knowledge about everyone and everything. Only God is omniscient (all-knowing)—perfect, absolute, unsearchable, or infinite in knowledge and understanding.

The Psalmist proclaims, “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” (Psa. 147:5 NKJV).

Elihu queried Job, asking, “Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?” (Job 37:16 NKJV).

The Psalmist also said of God’s knowledge, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.” (Psa. 139:6 NKJV).

Although believers don’t possess supernatural or perfect knowledge about everything in life, they can manifest a fraction of such supernatural knowledge at a particular time through the gift of the word of knowledge.

The word of knowledge is a specific supernatural revelation, insight, or knowledge of facts and information given directly to you by the Holy Spirit and not by your mind, intelligence, education, observation, research, or experience.

The word of knowledge is a supernatural understanding of a circumstance, situation, or problem solely by divine aid. When this gift is in operation, the Holy Spirit transmits to your spirit a specific knowledge about someone or something you have no natural means of knowing about at that particular time.

The spontaneous divine transmission of a specific word of knowledge you need in a particular situation can come to you as an intuition, impression, inner voice, a mental picture, or in a dream, vision, or trance.

Whichever way it comes, this gift is always revelatory or informative—it reveals specific information supernaturally to you.

The Scripture is replete with instances of manifestation of this gift.

Through the word of knowledge, Prophet Elisha knew that his servant, Gehazi, had run after Naaman to collect his rejected gifts. Elisha could not have known that naturally (2 Kings 5:20-27).

Similarly, through the word of knowledge, the hypocrisy and deception of Ananias and Sapphira were revealed to Peter. He didn’t know that they kept back part of the proceeds through any natural observation or investigation but through the aid of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-10).  

Second, the Word of Wisdom.

This is not a general or natural wisdom gained through study, education, observation, research, or experience. The word of wisdom is a spontaneous supernatural understanding of a situation.

It is a spontaneous supernatural insight, instruction, direction, or revelation of solving a knotty problem or situation. It is a supernatural ability to operate or manifest God’s wisdom in a specific situation or circumstance.

The word of wisdom gives you an intuitive divine understanding of a situation, what to say, what to do, or how to act appropriately in a given complex situation or circumstance.

Through the word of wisdom, Joseph could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams correctly and proffer a divine and perfect solution to the problem of seven years of famine in the land of Egypt (Gen. 41:21-46).

Through the word of wisdom, James quelled the dispute in the early Church over the circumcision of the Gentiles who had become born again (Acts 15:1-31).

The gifts of words of wisdom and knowledge are closely related and interactive but are two different gifts. While the word of knowledge is primarily revelatory and informative, the word of wisdom is directive and instructive.

Third, the Discerning of Spirits.

This is not a natural or demonic ability to read people’s minds or palms (palmistry), to speak with the spirits of the dead (necromancy), or a psychic phenomenon or disposition to criticize and find faults in people.

But the gift of discerning spirits is a supernatural ability to detect, recognize, identify, and distinguish between various spirits in operation at a given place or time.

There are four primary kinds of spirits in the world today: the Spirit of God, the good spirits (angels of God), the evil spirits (demons or fallen angels), and the human spirit.

Through the operation of the gift of discerning spirits, you can accurately identify and discern the source of the spirit behind a manifestation, situation, revelation, prophecy, doctrine, information, problem, or sickness.

The gift of discerning of spirits is the spiritual insight, revelation, discernment, knowing, perception, or sensing that the Holy Spirit gives that enables you to see beyond the natural or physical manifestation, situation, problem, facts, and information into the realm of the spirits, and diagnose or judge correctly.

The veil that covers the unseen world is lifted through the gift of discerning spirits, and the enemy’s plans, purposes, schemes, and deceptions are exposed.

It was through the gift of discerning of spirits that Apostle Paul was able to discern and deal correctly with the spirit of divination in a certain slave girl who was following them in Macedonia and shouting, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” (Acts 16:17 NKJV).

Although the girl said the right things, her source and motives were evil. She spoke from a demonic spirit, and the motives were for financial gain and manipulation of the people.

The Scripture reveals that she possessed a spirit of divination, and she “brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.” (Acts 16:16 NKJV).

Likewise, many false prophets today prophesy with the aid of the spirit of divination in many churches. They speak great swelling words of emptiness to entice, defraud, exploit, or manipulate the undiscerning souls (2 Pet. 2:18).

Beloved, it is only through the aid of the Holy Spirit that you can discern, detect, or discover the evil motives of the false prophets and the source of their prophecies.

Learn more about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the next piece.

 

Prayer:

My Dear Heavenly Father, I ask and receive today the gifts of the Word of Knowledge, the Word of Wisdom, and the Discerning of Spirits, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our mandates is to preserve the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.

Ewpower by El- Bethel Christian Network.

AWH, Blogs.

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