The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
7.3 - Foundations of the Christian Faith
Among the many gifts of the Holy Spirit named in the New Testament are faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, different kinds of tongues, the interpretation of tongues, and words of wisdom and knowledge. The Spirit distributes gifts to individuals as he wills for the sake of the Body of Christ. Other gifts in the New Testament include administration, service, encouragement, evangelism, teaching, giving, leadership, and mercy. Jesus promises that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask, and these gifts are often activated by asking the Father for them in prayer, remembering, however, that they are given not for our personal edification, but for the edification of the Church.
The nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 can be broken into three categories, which are useful for our study: the Revelation Gits, the Power Gifts, and the Vocal Gifts. Let’s look at these one at a time. You will note there are links to an external source for more explanation.
The Revelation Gifts
The Word of Knowledge - This gift of the Holy Spirit is having knowledge about something that you have no ability or means of knowing based on your human intelligence. This is something past or present.
The Word of Wisdom - This gift of the Holy Spirit works like the word of knowledge but gives you insight into something in the future. Jesus told Peter to “go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them” for your tax and mine (Matt. 17:27).
The Discerning of Spirits - This gift of the Holy Spirit equips the discerner to see evil spirits that are operating in someone’s life. The Holy Spirit pulls back the curtains, exposing the evil spirits so that the person can experience a breakthrough from their bondage.
The Power Gifts
The Gift of Faith - The gift of faith is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit whereby a believer is empowered with special faith to be able to receive a miracle. The Gift of Faith is not the same as “Saving faith.” Every believer has faith, a general faith. We are to “live by faith” (Rom. 5:17). Saving faith and faith we are to live by comes by “hearing the Word” (Rom. 1:17), not only when the Holy Spirit wills to give it as a gift.
The Gifts of Healings - There are actually different kinds of healings that the Spirit will do. Notice that the scripture says“gifts,” plural, and “healings,” plural. These gifts equip you in various ways to be an anointed vessel that will bring healing to others.
The Working of Miracles - This gift of the Holy Spirit is depicted throughout the Bible, from Moses parting the Red Sea to Jesus feeding 5000 people. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, He is still in the business of working miracles. Similar to the word of knowledge, this spiritual gift is manifested not by human efforts but by the Holy Spirit. The work is unexplainable by nature. It edifies and delivers others.
The Vocal Gifts
The Gift of Prophecy - This gift of the Holy Spirit is one that the scripture says we should “especially desire.” The spiritual gift of prophecy is to speak by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in a way that edifies, encourages, and/or comforts the person or people being spoken to. The gift of prophecy is not predicting the future; it is to help edify the church and to exhort and comfort the believer.
Different Kinds of Tongues - This gift of the Holy Spirit is simply a supernatural ability to speak and pray in a tongue that you do not naturally know. This can be spoken forth in prayer directly to God or in an assembly where God anoints another believer with the gift of interpretation to interpret the word spoken in the native tongue of the congregation (1 Corinthians 14:2, 13-14).
The Interpretation of Tongues - This gift of the Holy Spirit is to interpret the tongue that was spoken. This can either be for yourself (see 1 Corinthians 14:13-14) or for the Church (see 1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
Your assignment: Read the following scriptures to see what else the scriptures say about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 11:13
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Romans 12:3–8
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
1 Corinthians 12:7–31
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. 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
Ephesians 4:7–11
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
1 Peter 4:10–11
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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