I Corinthians
Chapter 12 Vs. 1-11
Vs. 1 Paul tells the believers that he wants to explain to them about spiritual gifts.
Vs. 2 Paul tells them that before they believed in Jesus they worshipped idols. So they did not understand how the Sprit of God worked in believers.
Vs. 3 Paul says No person who is a true believer in Jesus Christ is going to curse Jesus or God. And no one can truly say that “Jesus is Lord” except by the Sprit of God.
A person who is a true believer in Christ Jesus believes that Jesus is God. If they say Jesus is not God but something less than God they are not a true believer in Jesus.
There are religious groups who believe that Jesus may be God’s Son, but he is not equal to God. They believe Jesus was created like the angels. They believe that Jesus died for our sins, but he is less than God.
Much can be said about this way of thinking, but it would take pages and pages of talk and showing of scripture verses. There are other places on my website that I explain that Jesus is God—-God and Jesus are one. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one.
Vs. 4 There are many gifts. They all come by the same spirit the Holy Spirit
Vs. 5 These gifts have different ways they show themselves in how they serve people for the Lord’s work.
Vs. 6 They have different uses but they are all from God the Holy Spirit.
Vs. 7 Each gift works to help believers to grow in the Lord.
Vs. 8 The Holy Spirit may give to one person the gift of “a word of wisdom”.
To another the “word of knowledge”
Vs. 9 To another the “word of faith”, to another the gift of “healing”
Vs. 10 To another the working of “miracles”, to another “prophecy”. to another the discerning of “spirits”, to another speaking in another “tongue” “language”, to another the “ability to interpret another language”
Vs. 11 All of these “gifts” are given by the same Holy Spirit and are for the purpose/reason to help the believers grow in faith.
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I want to go over these “gifts” and explain more.
The “word of wisdom” is a word or sentence or thought that comes to a person’s mind about a situation. As a believer we have the Holy Spirit in us to guide us.
Sometimes we or others have a problem and we are not sure what to do about it. The Holy Spirit can “whisper” into our spirit and mind “wisdom” of what we should do.
This is not just our own reason. It is something we feel sense in our spirit and mind that seems to “come to us” as a thought and in our spirit we know it is the right thing to do.
The “word of knowledge” works much the same. The “word of knowledge” is often something we speak to others.
The “word of wisdom” may be for our own use or we may also speak it to others.
The “word of knowledge” most often is for us to speak to others.
The “word of faith” is a “feeling” an “understanding” a “knowing” that God is going to do something for us for others. It may be a situation that has many problems and does not look like it could possibly work out well, but in our heart/spirit we have a special “knowing” that God is going to work it out.
This “word of faith” is much stronger than just our usual faith of walking with the Lord and trusting him. It is as if the Lord has put extra faith into us when it is a “word of faith”.
There are people to whom God has given the gift to heal people when they pray for them.
There are people to whom God does miracles when that person prays for it.
There are people to whom God gives messages of prophecy.
This is my warning and opinion of this gift——-be careful about believing everyone who has a prophecy message and wants you to believe it.
The Bible has many messages of prophecy. There are still some prophecies that are yet to happen.
In today’s world, there are many who say they have a “message” of prophecy. They tell something but it does not come true. If it does not come true, then it was not God who told them.
We have many people giving messages about the end of times. The question is how many of them are truly speaking from the Spirit of God?
When you hear a message of prophecy check the Bible to see if it agrees with what the Bible says check that person’s life to see if they are walking a life of obeying God and wait and see if it comes true.
If they tell you to do something to get ready for this thing that is to happen you pray about it and maybe make some plans but be careful be wise be reasonable and pray for God to guide you about what you should do.
The gift of “discerning of spirits” is a gift we should all pray for the Lord to give to us.
It is being able to “know” when something is being preached, said, done. but it is not of God.
Sometimes we hear preaching or teachers who sound very religious or spiriual but something in our spirits is giving us a warning. The spirit warning means not all is as it looks. There is something wrong here.
Look deeper, ask questions, watch and see what happens. Look into that person’s life and see if they are really living the life of a believer in Jesus. Look to see if they are really obeying Christ’s teachings.
The last two gifts of the spirit the speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues is something that usually happens in a church service. It can happen elsewhere but it is usually in church.
It is when a person feels God wants them to speak a message a paragraph of words to the people. A person speaks out in a language that the people do not know. The message comes from God but it comes in an unknown language.
This does the people no good if they can not understand it so another person must give the interpretation of what was said. This person must have the gift of interpration given by the spirit of God to be able to speak the interpretation of the message.
I want to give some examples:
the “word of wisdom” I heard a missionary tell this. He was in a foreign country exchanging his money for their money. As he was at the table of the man who was taking care of the money, the Holy Spirit whispered into the missionary mind to test the coins by tapping the edge of the coin on the table. He was to accept only coins that made a certain sound.
The missionary began to tap the coins on their edge against the table. The man exchanging the money became angry. He did not like it that the missionary was checking each coin and taking only certain ones.
The missionary learned later why. The coins that had a certain sound were pure silver and the other coins were made of another metal but with a thin coat of silver.
God was watching out for the missionary and wanted him to get the full value for his money.
The “word of knowledge” My sister told me this. She had been working at a place for a time, and another job opened up. But my sister was not sure she should take the new job. She began praying that the Lord would show her.
A lady she knew but had not seen in some time came to her at church and said that the Lord spoke a word to her and she felt she was to tell my sister. The lady said this word just one word came to me in prayer very strong. This word does not make any sense to me but I feel I am to tell this word to you. She said the word, “Washington”.
The lady said I’m sorry it seems so strange. It does not make any sense to me.
My sister thanked her and said “But it does make sense to me.” You see the job where my sister was working was on Washington street.
My sister felt that the Lord was telling her to stay on Washington street. Which she did for several more years.
There are many testimonies of people whom the Spirit has helped guide them by wisdom knowledge discerning of spirits etc. The stories are wonderful and show the Lord is faithful to those who believe and trust in Him.