"Gifts Of The Holy Spirit" (Hebrews 2.4).

by G. PRASHER, JR. | Category: Miracles And Miraculous Gifts: | Jul 1952

In dealing with the exercise of various gifts in the Corinthian

Church, Paul writes of nine different "manifestations of the Spirit"

(1 Corinthians 12. 7-11):

1.The word of wisdom.2. The word of knowledge.

3.Faith.4.Gifts of healings.

5.Workings of miracles.6.Prophecy.

7.Discerning of spirits.8.Divers kinds of tongues.

9.The interpretation of tongues.

There were other gifts, as verse 28 clearly shows. However, in connexion with the nine gifts detailed above, they may be broadly divided into two main groups:

(a)Those which were necessarily of a miraculous nature.

(b)Those which could find expression in the everyday experience of the believer.

The first group includes the following:

GIFTS OF HEALINGS: Scriptural examples of the use of such gifts involved the immediate healing of sick people by a touch or a word in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

WORKINGS OF MIRACLES: The raising of the dead (Acts 9.40), or the blinding of Elymas the Sorcerer (Acts 13.11), are illustrations of this gift.

DIVERS KINDS OF TONGUES, INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES:

Revelation on this subject is virtually confined to Acts 2.1-18 and 1 Corinthians 12. to 14. There was miraculous ability to speak in a tongue previously unknown to the person concerned, and/or a corresponding ability to interpret from that previously unknown tongue.

An analysis of the second group of gifts shows that they were normally exercised without any miraculous results.

THE WORD OF WISDOM, THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE: These two gifts may be considered together. The following definition of the difference between them is helpful: "The word of wisdom being an insight into divine truth, and the word of knowledge being the result of much searching and investigation into the Word of God".

The writers of the New Testament Scriptures were endued with these gifts, which enabled them to use words of wisdom and knowledge from "the oracles of God". The word of wisdom and of knowledge may be imparted to men gifted of the Lord. Their utterances are not, like the sacred writings, infallibly inspired, but they are nevertheless Spirit-imparted words based on meditation in the originally inspired writings.

PROPHECY: Certain New Testament prophets "spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit", and their oracular writings are with us to this day. In contrast to their miraculous foretelling of future events, which only few were privileged by God to do, there is the gift of prophecy as defined in 1 Corinthians 14.8, "He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort". Barnabas ably exercised the gift in this sense during his visit to Antioch (Acts 11.28-24).

FAITH: The gift of faith varies much. Some men are greatly gifted, and make it manifest in their everyday lives.

DISCERNING OF SPIRITS: With divinely imparted perception, Paul discerned the evil spirit of divination possessing the maid in Philippi, despite its clamorous assertion, "These men are servants of the Most High God". He also had power to cast it out (Acts 16.16-18). On the other hand, discerning of spirits may be based on the simple application of the test of 1 John 4.1-8; or by testing the "doctrines of demons" with the truths of the written Word.

Now it is clear from 1st Corinthians 12.-14. that whereas miracles were needed at the beginning of the dispensation, in the long term view certain of the gifts were of greater importance than others. For example, the Holy Spirit emphasizes the contrast between the gift of prophecy and speaking in tongues. From this we learn that the relative value of the gifts in our day is determined by the effect of their exercise on the spiritual growth of the 8aint'. Hence the vital and abiding importance of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, prophecy and discerning of spirits. These are continuously needed in the normal spiritual development of the child of God, apart from any miraculous manifestations. Workings of miracles, healings, tongues and the interpretation of tongues were not set before the saints as gifts after which they should specially aspire. The apostle did not forbid to speak in tongues, but he did emphasize the great superiority of the gift of prophecy (in its non-miraculous aspect). The same truth is reflected throughout the epistles. Stored as they are with minutely detailed instruction regarding the believer's quiet walk in faith, they give no prominence to the exercise of miraculous gifts.

From this brief summary we may be helped to see the miraculous gifts in the true perspective of their New Testament setting. They are not set before the New Testament believer as a primary objective of his Christian experience. We may therefore be justly suspicious of any movement which gives great prominence to the modern recovery of miraculous gifts; the more so when such claims are not soundly related to "the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge" in the written oracles of God.

"When wisdom entereth into thine heart,

And knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Discretion shall preserve thee,

Understanding shall keep thee;

To deliver thee .

From the man that speaketh froward things" (Proverbs 2.10-12).

G. PRASHER, JR. | Jul 1952
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