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Chapter
11
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THE NINE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Every Child of God who has been baptized with the Holy
Spirit may know and experience the nine Gifts of the
Holy Spirit.
1
Corinthians 12:1
"Now
concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have
you ignorant."
Ignorance
comes through a lack of knowledge and if we don't know
about these gifts, how will we be able to desire and
experience them?
1
Corinthians 12:31
"But
covet earnestly the best gifts:"
Here
the Greek word for gifts is "charismata >" and means gifts
of grace.
These
nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are given and ministered
by the grace of God and cannot be earned:
1
Corinthians 12:8-10
"For
to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to
another the word of knowledge.To another faith; to another
the gifts of healing;
To
another the working of miracles; to another prophecy;
to another discerning of spirits; to another divers
kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:"
There
are nine gifts that are divided into three categories:
The three
revelation gifts.
Word of Wisdom
Word of Knowledge
Discerning of spirits
The three
power gifts.
Faith
Gifts of healing
Working of miracles
The three
vocal gifts.
Prophecy
Divers kinds of tongues
Interpretation of tongues
Every
Christian may receive a gift of the Holy Spirit.
1
Peter 4:10
"As
every man hath received the gift, even so minister the
same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God."
Paul
had the desire to impart to all believers a gift of
the Holy Spirit.
Romans
1:11
"For
I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual
gift, to the end ye may be established;"
We
receive these gifts according to the measure of Gods
grace given us.
Romans
12:6
"Having
then gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us."
Every
child of God is a candidate to receive a gift of the
Holy Spirit.
It
is important that we do not neglect using the gift that
the Holy Spirit imparts to us.
1
Timothy 4:14
"Neglect
not the gift that is in thee."
We
should never let this gift lay dormant and unused in
our lives.
2
Timothy 1:6
"Wherefore
I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift
of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."
The
gift that is within us will be manifested and shown
through us.
1
Corinthians 12:7
"But
the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man
to profit withal."
The
invisible person of the Holy Spirit manifests himself
by these gifts through us.
He
visibly demonstrates His personality, will and purpose
through us.
1
Corinthians 2:4
"And
my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words
of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power:"
What
is the purpose of these nine Gifts?
Through
the nine gifts the Holy Spirit meets the different kinds
of needs of people:
A Word
of Wisdom.
There
is a significant difference between a Word of Wisdom
and a Word of Knowledge.
A
Word of Wisdom is directive and by that we mean that
it gives direction.
Ecclesiastes
10:10
"But
wisdom is profitable to direct."
Wisdom
points to or directs knowledge and it uses that knowledge
accurately and effectively.
Knowledge
is information. Wisdom is the effective use of that
information.
Proverbs
15:2
"The
tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright:"
A
word of Wisdom is a tiny fragment and portion of Gods immeasurable
wisdom given at a specific time, for a specific situation.
By using this gift, the Holy Spirit supernaturally effects
people, situations and things and brings about His desires
and purposes.
Here
are examples of the use of this gift.
In
the Old Testament King Solomon used this gift. (1
Kings 3:16-28)
In
the New Testament, a word of wisdom by Paul brought
confusion to the counsel of those apposing him and saved
his life. (Acts 23:6)
A Word
of Knowledge.
The
Holy Spirit is omniscient. He knows everything.
A
word of Knowledge is a tiny portion of God's Knowledge
supernaturally imparted by the Holy Spirit through man.
It is Divine information imparted by God for a specific
time and purpose. This knowledge is spoken out in words
to people, to help them.
Here
are some biblical examples of this gift in operation:
In
the Old Testament:
The
prophet Samuel imparts a word of Knowledge to Saul,
the soon to be King of Israel, about his lost asses.
1
Samuel 9:20
"And
as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set
not thy mind on them; for they are found."
In
the New Testament:
Jesus
revealed supernatural knowledge to Nathanael.
John
1:47-49
"Jesus
saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold
an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Nathanael
saith unto him, whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered
and said unto him, before that Philip called thee, when
thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Nathanael
answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son
of God; thou art the King of Israel."
Similarly,
Jesus gave a word of Knowledge to a woman of Samaria.
John
4:16-19
"Jesus
saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
The
woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said
unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
For
thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast
is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The
woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art
a prophet."
The
Apostle Peter spoke a Word of Knowledge to Ananias.
Acts
5:1-3
"But
a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife,
sold a possession,
And
kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy
to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the
apostles' feet.
But
Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart
to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the
price of the land?"
There
are five reasons why the Holy Spirit gives a word of
Knowledge:
1. To warn people.
2. To inform people.
3. To expose hidden things.
4. To confirm things. .
5. To reveal Gods power in knowing secrets.
1
Corinthians 14:25
"And
thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and
so falling down on his face he will worship God, and
report that God is in you of a truth."
3.
Discerning of spirits.
To
discern is to recognize or distinguish between certain
things.
This
gift allows Gods servants to recognize or distinguish
between good and evil spirits.
It
operates in the following ways:
1.To see people as they actually are.
It
helps discerning good or evil people and identifying
an unclean spirit in a person. It helps to detect demonic
activity in the life of a person. It clearly identifies
different positive or negative characteristics of the
human spirit. It discerns a bitter, fearful, depressed,
tormented or broken spirit.
2.To be able to distinguish between
different spirits namely;
The
Holy Spirit
Angels
Fallen
angels
Evil
spirits and demons
Human
spirits
There
are numerous examples of this gift in operation in the
Bible:
Jesus
discerns the characteristic of Nathanael's spirit.
John
1:47
"Jesus
saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold
an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."
Peter
discerns bitterness as the characteristic of Simon's
spirit.
Acts
8:23
"For
I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness,
and in the bond of iniquity."
Paul
perceived that the lame man had a spirit of faith.
Acts
14:9
"The
same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him,
and perceiving that he had faith to be healed."
Paul
discerned an evil spirit in a woman.
Acts16:18
"But
Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit,
I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her. And he came out the same hour."
John
encourages us to discern all spirits.
1
John 4:1
"Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world."
Gods
word has the ability to penetrate and discern the deepest
depths of mans being.
Hebrews
4:12
"For
the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner > of the thoughts
and intents of the heart."
4.
The gift of Faith.
Christians
experience different aspects of faith:
Faith
to receive salvation.
Faith
to experience answers to prayer.
Faith
as a Fruit of the Holy Spirit to bring forth spiritual
character.
Faith
as a Gift of the Holy Spirit for spiritual warfare.
Faith
as a portion of God's supernatural Faith.
Hebrews
11:3
"Through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the
word of God, so that things which are seen were not
made of things which do appear."
When
this God kind gift of faith operates through us, we
can remove mountains.
Mark
11:22-23
"And
Jesus answering saith unto them, have faith in God.
For
verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto
this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into
the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come
to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."
1
Corinthians 13:2
"And
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains."
Here
are two examples in the Old Testament of this gift in
operation:
a.
By faith Gideon defeated the Midianites.
Judges
7:19-21
"So
Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came
unto the outside of the camp ... blew the trumpets, and
brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left
hands, and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of
Gideon.
And
they stood every man in his place round about the camp;
and all the host ran, and cried, and fled."
b.
By faith David Killed Goliath.
1
Samuel 17:50
"So
David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and
with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him;
but there was no sword in the hand of David."
In
the New Testament we have two examples of the use of
this gift:
a.
By faith Peter raised the lame man.
Acts
3:6-7
"Then
Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as
I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand,
and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle
bones received strength."
b.
By faith Peter raised Tabitha from the dead.
Acts
9:40
"But
Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed;
and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And
she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat
up."
5.
The gifts of healing.
The
gifts of healing are God's supernatural way of curing
all manner of sickness and disease in the human body.
We know that God is a healer and loves imparting healing
to the sick. God is called Jehovah Rapha which means
the Lord our healer.
Exodus
15:26
"For
I am the LORD that healeth thee."
Many
healings were imparted to men through the life of Jesus.
Mark
5:30
"And
Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had
gone out of him."
Acts
10:38
"How
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
with power: who went about doing good, and healing all
that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
The
Apostle Paul ministered healing to the father of Publius.
Acts
28:8
"And
it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick
of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered
in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed
him."
The
gifts of healing destroy viruses and germs in the human
body and reverse the damage they've caused bringing
total restoration.
6. The Working of Miracles.
Miracles
are a supernatural energy flow from God that causes
an instantaneous creative change.
This
may be in a human body, nature or a specific situation.
It is described as a mighty work.
Matthew
13:54
"Whence
hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?"
Here
are examples of this gift being used in the New Testament:
a.
Examples of miracles performed by Jesus.
Acts
2:22
"Jesus
of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles
and wonders and signs."
Jesus
turned water into wine:
John
2:7-11
"Jesus
saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And
they filled them up to the brim.
And
he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the
governor of the feast.
When
the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was
made wine called the bridegroom.
And
saith unto him; Every man at the beginning doth set
forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then
that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine
until now.
This
beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee,
and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed
on him."
Jesus
multiplied the loaves and fishes.
John
6:9-11
"There
is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two
small fishes: but what are they among so many?
And
Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks,
he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to
them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes
as much as they would."
Jesus
walked on water.
Matthew
14:25
"And
in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them,
walking on the sea."
b.
The Apostles performed many miracles.
Acts
5:12
"And
by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders
wrought among the people."
Acts
8:13
"Then
Simon himself believed also and wondered, beholding
the miracles and signs which were done."
7. Kinds of Tongues.
Every
Believer when baptized in the Holy Spirit, may speak
with unknown tongues.
It
is a mysterious, heavenly prayer language to God, by
the Holy Spirit, through us.
1
Corinthians 14:2
"For
he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto
men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit
in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."
Romans
8:26
"Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered."
This Gift is called divers kinds of Tongues ç:
The
word "kinds" is the Greek word "genes" ".
It
means various purposes.
This
gift achieves various purposes that are deemed necessary
by the Holy Spirit when the Christians come together.
There
are four kinds of tongues manifest in the Assembly:
Exhortation.
With
this manifestation, the Holy Spirit speaks a message
to the Church in words of comfort, edification and encouragement.
This message requires an interpretation by the gift
of Interpretation of tongues.
2. A rebuke.
With
this manifestation, the Holy Spirit reveals, rebukes
and attacks satanic forces at work against the Church
or Believers.
Here
no interpretation is always required.
3. Intercession.
With
this manifestation, the Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf
of a person, a situation or Church where prayer is urgently
required.
Here
no interpretation is always required.
4. Praise.
With
this manifestation, the Holy Spirit introduces, directs,
effects or harmonizes praise within the Assembly of
Believers.
Here
no interpretation is necessary.
8. Interpretation of Tongues.
This
manifestation only relates to a situation where a message
or utterance has previously been given in an Unknown
Tongue. Those who are used by the Holy Spirit to speak
a Message in an unknown tongue should pray for the Interpretation
and receive it from the Holy Spirit.
1
Corinthians 14:27-28
"If
any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two,
or at the most by three, and that by course; and let
one interpret."
But
if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in
the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God."
Messages
in Tongues should be by two or three and followed in
course by the Interpretation. If no interpretation is
given all the Saints must silently pray to God.
9. The gift of Prophecy.
This
manifestation of the Holy Spirit is strongly emphasized
and recommended by Paul for the Saints. It is directed
at either the whole church or specific individuals.
It is a supernatural utterance in a known tongue.
It
has five purposes:
It edifies.
It
builds, strengthens and makes Christians more effective.
2. It exhorts.
It
encourages, motivates and stimulates Christians.
3. It comforts.
It
cheers up and comforts Christians when they are discouraged
or brought under condemnation by satan.
4. It ordains and sends.
By
words of prophecy, Christians are given special Gifts,
Ministries, Assignments and are sent forth by the Holy
Spirit.
1
Timothy 4:14
"Neglect
not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by
prophecy."
Acts
13:2
"As
they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost
said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto
I have called them."
5. It ministers to Unbelievers.
When
unbelievers are present in the Church, the Holy Spirit
may minister to them through Prophecy.
1
Corinthians14:24
"But
if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth
not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is
judged of all:"
All
Prophecy should be judged.
1
Corinthians 14:29
"Let
the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge."
In
judging Prophecy, one may ask three questions -
Is it scriptural?
2. Does it glorify God?
3. Does it fulfill the five purposes of Prophecy?
How
do the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit operate?
The
nine Gifts operate:
1. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Acts
10:38
"How
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
with power: who went about doing good, and healing all
that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
1
John 2:20
"But
ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all
things."
By being
sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Revelation
3:6
"He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches."
Romans
8:14
"For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God."
By faith.
Galatians
3:5
"He
therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh
miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith?"
4. By love.
Everything
we do for God should be packaged in love.
Ephesians
4:15
"But
speaking the truth in love."
Those
who do not operate in love are irritating, noisy workers
and are counted as nothing.
1
Corinthians 13:1-2
"Though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have
not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal.
And
though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
love, I am nothing."
The
manifestation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit should
never bring any glory to man. Only God should be glorified.
1
Peter 4:10-11
"As
every man hath received the gift, even so minister the
same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God.
If
any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;
if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability
which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion
for ever and ever."
In
ministering the Gifts of the Holy Spirit we always need
to focus on two things:
Edifying
the Church:
1
Corinthians 14:12
"Even
so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts,
seek that ye may excel to the e difying of the church."
Defeating
satan and his kingdom:
Mark
16:17
"And
these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name
shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues;"
Paul
wanted us to desire, obtain and use the best Gifts.
1
Corinthians 12:1, 30, 31
"Now
concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have
you ignorant.
Have
all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?
Do all interpret?
But
covet earnestly the best gifts."
Those
who operate the Gifts of the Holy Spirit should do so
in a decent and orderly way.
They
should obey the Lords commandments, living a holy and
dedicated spiritual life.
1
Corinthians 14:37,40
"If
any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,
let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto
you are the commandments of the Lord.
Let
all things be done decently and in order."
The
Gifts of the Holy Spirit are to be continually manifested
until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1
Corinthians 1:7
"So
that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
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