More Concerning the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Prophecy, Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom
The nine operational gifts given by the Holy Spirit are described in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, "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."
Quoting the Kingdom Dynamics in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, it says that, "Spiritual gifts are portions of God's grace. They display the personal, powerful presence of the Holy Spirit and are given to every believer for the common good of the church. Though we vary in what seems to be each believer's "dominant" gifting from God's creative work in us the Holy Spirit will give us whatever is needed to minister to distinct circumstances. He distributes these freely and readily in the moment of need in order to enable the believer's ministry in Jesus' name."
Each gift is a manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit working through a believer in Christ. And, as verse 11 says, these gifts are manifested as He wills.
There are those who have said and continue to say that the manifestation of the gifts are from the devil. Let's look at what God's Word says to refute this idea. A strong warning against this kind of thinking is issued in Mark 3:28-30, "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"-- 30 because they said, "He has an unclean spirit." So, those who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit "never has forgiveness." Blasphemes in the Greek means, "speaks evil against". Friends, when people speak against the good gifts the Holy Spirit has given and claims they are evil, that is the unpardonable sin.
Secondly, the scripture gives us a clear directive in how to test the spirits, as to whether they are of God or not. 1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."
The scripture, 1 Corinthians 12:7, also proves these gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit, given for the profit of all. His Word is truth.
We must be aware that satan imitates what God has initiated through His Word. The devil has never had an original idea. We know there are those who practice "false" (imitation) gifts, however, we can not throw the baby out with the bath water. The Holy Spirit is able to give us discernment between what is good and what is evil. If you know God's Word, you will know what is true. John 8:31,32, "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Often, these gifts when used, work together to meet a specific need. For example, prophecy is a divine disclosure given on behalf of the Spirit. At times, the Spirit will give a word or message to be shared with a particular individual or with a group of people. Quite often, pastors are used in this gift.
We also see the gift of the word of knowledge, which is a supernatural revelation of information pertaining to a person or event. This gift is given for a specific purpose, usually regarding a specific need.
My dad and I had gone fishing and he inadvertently shut his keys in the trunk of the car. After praying about what to do, God's Spirit gave me a word of knowledge that there was a set of keys which had been "lost" previously, by my mother, in the crack of the front seat.
My wife had a word from God for a woman whom we had never met before. As proof for this woman that the "word" was from God, Donna spoke the woman's address to her then gave the word from God. The address was correct. It was the word of knowledge given so that the woman would receive the word the Lord had for her to meet a need.
The gift of the word of wisdom is a spiritual utterance at a given moment through the Spirit, which supernaturally discloses the mind, purpose, and will of God as applied to a specific situation. We had a friend who had pancreatitis. The prognosis was very dire. Four of his major organs had shut down and the family was given very little hope that he would survive. The Lord spoke a word of knowledge to me, through a scripture, stating that "the disease was not unto death". I was able to share that word with the wife and thereby give them the assurance of the Lord's intervention in their situation. This friend is very much alive today.
Basically, the word of knowledge tells us "what is" and the word of wisdom tells us "what to do about it."
Notice, the gift is a "word" of knowledge and a "word" of wisdom.. This is not knowledge gained from teaching or experience or previous knowledge we have concerning an issue, but, it is that which is given by the Holy Spirit in a moment for a specific need.
John 4:3-24," He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 "for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." 19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
These verses give us an example of Jesus speaking by the Spirit, using these gifts of the Holy Spirit. The entire conversation from Jesus' side is a prophetic word. In verses 16 through 18, we see Jesus speaking by a word of knowledge and in verses 19 through 24, He speaks by a word of wisdom.
We also see these gifts of the Holy Spirit manifested through Peter in relation to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11, "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." 9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things."
I know a fellow minister who has had various gifts of the Spirit manifested throughout his ministry. In one particular meeting, the Lord gave him a prophetic word for a certain man who was secretly committing a specific sin. The minister named the sin and warned prophetically that if he did not confess and repent of the sin, that within a year, he would die, Tragically, the gentleman did not heed and within a year to the day, he died.
God used Paul in his letters to the church concerning similar things to bring about positive changes. These gifts are used in a positive way by the Spirit to minister to very specific needs.
God used the gift of a word of knowledge through me to minister to a man who needed healing concerning digestive issues. The Spirit of the Lord revealed the cause of the problem and the Lord ministered. The man was able to eat foods he had not been able to eat in years!
God also used this gift to let me know that a woman who had come to Donna and I for counseling had been involved in prostitution, so that she could be set free. Thank God!
The positives of moving in the gifts of the Spirit, to believers in ministry, is endless. Face it, you have the help of the Holy Spirit, Himself in ministering to the need! It is not about you or me. It is about Him and what He wants to do through you.
God didn't say, "Go and I will do it all!" He did say, "Go and I will help and empower you."
Church, we have great potential for ministry which comes from partnering with the Holy Spirit. Sad to say, we have not been entered in to that partnership. Please, please, please realize, these gifts have been given to the body of Christ, not just to ministers or evangelists. They are for every member of the church. That means, you.
Please seek God through prayer! Ask Him to use you in the greatest and most effective way possible... in the way He desires to use you!
He didn't give us the Helper so that He can sit on the sidelines watching us struggle. Partner with Him. Let Him help and empower you.
Next time, I expect, we will look at some of the additional gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Pray. Seek God. Listen. Obey.