Your Helper the Holy Spirit: Session 7 – The Gifts of the Spirit

Notes:

The Gifts of the Spirit

1 Cor.12:1-11. The gifts are manifestations, i.e. a showing forth, making visible or making known, various aspects of the love and power of God. Nine gifts are listed which can be divided into three groups of three:

1) The gifts of utterance. These operate in the vocal sphere and are prophecy, tongues and interpretation of tongues. Their purpose is to say what God wants to say. Power to say.

2) The gifts of revelation. These operate in the mental sphere and are the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits. Their purpose is to reveal that which otherwise would be unknown.

3) The gifts of power. These operate in the physical realm and are faith, gifts of healing and the working of miracles. Their purpose is to do what God wants to be done.

The gifts of utterance.

  • 1) Prophecy. 1 Cor.14:1,39. Prophecy is an inspired utterance. It is to speak forth a message in one’s own language to the Church, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is for edification, exhortation and comfort. 2 extremes to avoid – glib acceptance (1 Cor.14:29) and outright rejection. (1 Thes.5:19-21).

The gifts of revelation.

  • 1) The word of knowledge. God is omniscient. He comprehends all things. – past, present or future. Since a word is a fragment of a sentence, a word of knowledge is a fragment of God’s knowledge. A word of knowledge is informative. Its main purpose is to impart knowledge, information, facts, revelation concerning a specific problem or situation. Examples: Jn.4:16-19, 28-30; 13:38; Acts 5:1-11.
  • 2) The word of wisdom. The word ‘wisdom’ means to have prudence or to know how to act in a situation or how to deal with a problem. Whilst the word of knowledge reveals facts to the recipient, the word of wisdom informs them how to act upon the knowledge they have received. The word of knowledge is informative, but the word of wisdom is directive. Often both work together. E.g. Jn. 11:11-15.
  • 3) Discerning of spirits. There are 3 sources of inspiration. Holy Spirit, 1 Jn.4:2, human spirit, Ezek.13:2-3 and an evil spirit, Acts 16:16-18. Discerning of spirits enables us to know what spirit is operating.

The gifts of power.

  • 1) Faith. This is faith to believe God for miraculous intervention or provision in a given situation.
  • 2) The working of miracles. This is the supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature by the Holy Spirit through a Spirit-filled believer. It often involves the temporary suspension of natural laws. The gift of faith helps us to receive the miraculous; the gift of miracles helps us to do the miraculous. Daniel had a gift of faith when he was in the den of lions; Samson worked a miracle when he slew a lion.
  • 2) The Gifts of Healings. Note the double plural, ‘gifts’ for different people and ‘healings for different diseases. There are three different aspects of healing:

Moving In Spiritual Gifts

The Holy Spirit is sovereign in His manifestation of the gifts, 1 Cor.12:11. The Holy Spirit is likened to wind, Jn.3:8. The wind blows where it chooses. Spiritual gifts do not operate according to human will, but as the Spirit chooses. Yet, they are manifestations through human channels. 2 Cor.4:7. We are involved. We are not passive. So there is divine operation and human co-operation.

What is our responsibility?

  • 1) Seeking the gifts. 1 Cor.12:31; 14:1, 39. Don’t seek them selfishly, or even individually, but seek them collectively, as a church. The gifts are for the profit of the church. 1 Cor.12:25-26; 14:5, 12,26.
  • 2) Setting The Sails. The captain of a ship cannot dictate to the wind, but he can set the sails. Prepare for them by: Love, faith and a willingness to be ministered to by others.
  • 3) Sensitivity to the Spirit. There is no formula to operating in spiritual gifts. No two healings of Jesus were the same. Ministry, like the Christian life, is the result of a relationship with Christ through the Holy Spirit. Learn to be sensitive.


# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.