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WHAT you are about to read is a topic that I know has been well documented by others before and I initially thought that another would be superfluous. It appears that much misunderstanding, if not confusion, still exists in many peoples’ minds however and I find this distressing because many good people are simply and unnecessarily missing God’s best for them. This is not right!

Please stop for a moment and pray before you read further. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you. This is what Jesus said that he would do.
In John 14:17, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth-

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.
All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ John 16:13-15.

For more than fifty years, I have found this to be so very true for me and for many others.

He has made Jesus real; revealed truth; guided and encouraged me and has occasionally lovingly chastised me for being naughty.

He is also the one who touches our hearts and stirs our spirits to tell us that we need salvation.
He also said-

...I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.
Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.
But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.
And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.
Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.“There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.
All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ John 16:5-15

It is a subject that gives me great joy to present to you, that, as I said, is already a much discussed topic, so I initially thought that it would be totally unwarranted.
Many  people I know and to whom I minister have revealed that this topic is not as well understood as it should be. It was evident that, despite years of being believers, many folk do not fully understand even the fundamental basics of Christianity, let alone deeper subjects. They are simply not being taught.

When I started teaching about the gifts, I thought of my own early experiences and the ways that the Holy Spirit gave me understanding on these things to allay initial fears or misconceptions and to show me the importance of His graces—for they are gifts indeed.
Because they are gifts, we cannot earn them. Nor should we attempt to earn them. Such a thing is not possible and I personally regard that as insulting the Holy Spirit. We receive them, graciously and humbly and should endeavour to put them to the best use for the purposes for which they were given. What is a gift? Webster’s Dictionary defines a gift as-

  • Something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation A notable capacity, talent, or endowment
  • The act, right, or power of giving
  • To endow with some power, quality, or attribute

When someone offers you a gift, I believe that you have to do one of two things. One is to receive it and the other is to reject it. By rejecting the offer, it is very likely that you offend the one offering that gift. Once a gift is placed in your possession, we believe that it then belongs to us and that it is not withdrawn.
The vast misunderstanding that prevails in many areas of the church occurs because of lack of understanding. It simply amazes me how religious opinion, religiously based commentaries, denominational stances and false assumptions without ever getting to the root of the matter exists. Theological debate often leaves people in a confused state, or rigidly set in a negative bias against the gifts with common elements quoted totally without thyme or reason leaving a large part of the church powerless. Two main areas of concern are-

  • The tongues talking issues:
    Much confusion exists in people’s minds as they mix the gift of tongues with the initial manifestation of speaking in other tongues as people receive the Holy Spirit. Some spoke about “getting tongues” instead of “receiving the Holy Spirit”. Others thought that once that they spoke in tongues as per scriptural injunction that they had the “gift of tongues” which technically speaking is incorrect as we shall see later.
  • The question of the best gift:
    The prevalent errors arise when love is brought into the equation, linking it to the gifts. Love is of paramount importance of course, but is never included in the list of the gift. Love is part of the very nature of God and is in this light not a gift at all, but a fruit of the Spirit. We shall look at this in due course.

This may sound like I am splitting hairs on terminology, but false perceptions (mostly due to lack of knowledge of the truth) can at times cause harm in people’s lives, hinder them from receiving the fullness of God’s blessing, or perhaps offending or grieving Him.
Our studies therefore are designed to present this biblical truth to you in a simple, logical manner with the aim of being a blessing and an inspiration to you.

Doctor Bill Winston told of a man who visited an Arab country for business purposes. When proceedings had finished, this gentleman was looking forward to returning home and his hosts told him that they wanted to present him with a gift. He graciously declined, simply wanting to go to the airport and fly back home, but they insisted. They explained that it was their custom and would be offended if he did not accept, so he agreed and said that he would like a golf club. They agreed and he returned home.

Some time later a man he did not know came to his home and asked him to accompany him to take delivery of his golf club. The businessman had been thinking of a golf club, such as a driver, iron or a putter, but they were thinking of a golf club complete with clubhouse, greens, lakes and the like.   They were saying the same things, but had totally different things in mind.

Christians can say similar sounding things, but have totally different concepts on what God really did say in His word.

I have found this to be very true even in my own experience because I was raised from childhood by God-fearing parents who were lay leaders in our denomination, but the things of the Spirit—the things we are discussing here were completely wrong, despite the way I was raised and cherished the relationships. My father was what we called the Priest’s warden, appointed to essentially run the parish administration wise. Priests temporarily boarded in our home. I was christened and confirmed, attended Synod, became the protégée of one of the priests, took communion, was much involved in all the parish activities but lacked one thing. I was not “saved”. The new birth experience was never taught at all. I eventually drifted away from the church, but a seed had been planted inside me and it took twenty-six years to grow. On September 1st 1968 at 7:30PM, I met the Lord Jesus Christ and was born again. I am so precise about this because it was indeed a supernatural encounter with the Living God, much like the encounter a man called Saul had on the dusty road to Damascus (i).

A month-long crusade was being held by another church in town. It was one of those churches I knew were in town but never bothered to investigate who they were, what they did or what they believe. I simply formed and opinion! Mutual friends who attended that church invited me to attend and, not wanting to offend them, tentatively agreed, kept putting it off. At that time, my younger son Gary took ill and was admitted to hospital with an incurable ailment that was causing the ball joint in his left leg to decay. The doctors could not help because they really did not know what it was and what to do about it. They showed me the condition in x-rays and it was alarming. These dear friends asked if they could pray for Gary and I readily agreed. Jesus healed him and he returned home in the closing days of that crusade. I went to the last two meetings and it was on the last night, I met the Lord. My onw early experiences were dramatic, but one thing that vivdly stands out is the fact that the bible became real to me and what I read in it lined up precisely with the things that happened to me. The manifestaation of the Holy Spirit was one element that drew my attention and this is precisely what Jesus said His role would be.

I share these things because God has not changed (ii). Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (iii) and His word has never changed (iv). The people I knew then and many of those I know today have changed the rules. They believe that the days of miracles are over. They believe that people like the apostles and prophets no longer exist. They do not believe that speaking in tongues is valid and necessary today and they certainly do not believe that the Gifts of the Spirit remain in operation today.

Many wonderful people can read the bible and not see it the way God sees it. They may have a pre-conceived religious mind-set about things and not see that the days of miracles and the things of the Spirit are far from over and that they are valid and vitally necessary. They are looking at a “nine-iron” but God is looking at the whole “golf course”.

Notes: (i) Acts 9:1-6 (ii) Malachi 3:6 (iii) Hebrews 13:8 (iv) Matthew 24:35

Core Text:

With regard to spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
You know that when you were pagans you were often led astray by speechless idols, however you were led.
So I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are different ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.
For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11

See also Romans 12:1-8 Galatians 5:22-25 Ephesians 4:1-16

Contents:

This page covers the Gifts of the Holy Spirit only. For detailed description on the person of the Holy Spirit, the Ascension Gift Ministries, Church Government and administration, please refer to specific pages elsewhere on this site. See also Breaking the sound barrier. Our study outline is as follows-

  • Jesus' Command
  • Overview and Purpose
  • Titles
  • The Gifts Defined
  • The Vocal Gifts
    (a) Prophecy
    (b) Divers Tongues
    (c) Interpretation of Tongues
  • The Revelation Gifts
    (a) The Word of Knowledge
    (b) The Word of Wisdom
    (c) Discerning of Spirits 
  • The Power Gifts
    (a) The Gift of Faith
    (b) Working of Miracles
    (c) Gifts of Healings
  • The Best Gift
  • The More Excellent Way 
  • Prophets and prophecy
  • Practical issues, Addressing error, problems and misuse

Jesus' Command:

In John chapter fourteen, the Lord made some profound statements that were almost like a direct command, “Do not let anything disturb you”. He told them, “You believe God, so believe Me”! It was powerful! It was a command! That rattled their cages because they were living out of natural, sense reasoning and what He said demanded faith. One of the major problems in the church today is the intellectual approach that nullifies the very power of the word of God and all but nullifies true faith. Paul talks in depth about such matters in the first few chapters of his letter to the church at Corinth. The mind that is not renewed is at enmity with God!

Do you believe Him? Do you really trust and believe what He says?

He then talked about Heaven and I have been there! It is a very real place and what a place! You cannot use natural reasoning at all and can never argue about a real experience that is biblically sound.

The sometimes fierce debates over talking with tongues talking and the Gifts of the Spirit more often then not emanate from those who do not exercise them and try to reason it out. You can’t!

He spoke about His return before saying that anyone who wanted to see the Father should look at Him. What was stated next makes many people gag, but it is there in red in my bible! God says what He means and means what He says my friend.

The sooner we accept that and stop trying to rationalize things, the better we would all be.

Jesus said that those of us who truly believe would do greater works than He. This does not only mean more in quantity although there are more of us now, but more in degree or intensity.He never had a motorcar or jet airplane. He never wrote

 a book, but the book of life is written about Him. He did not have the Internet or TV.

Those factors alone dictate that our effectiveness should be much greater than it is. There are certain things that we alone can do simply because of the era in which we live and He knew that too.

He then said what I regard as a command. It is a conditional promise, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”.

It could not be simpler than that, but look again. There is a little word called And, that links this with a very powerful promise.

If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever John 14:15-16.

It would appear that the conditional word “If” means that if we reject the Holy Spirit, we are not keeping His commandments and do not love Him!

The other comforter is as we now know, Allos Paraklētos, who is someone else Jesus said was just like He—the Holy Spirit. By His own mouth, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is a very real person who will live with us and live in us! This was unprecedented.

Never before had anyone stated that there would be such an indwelling of the Spirit of God.

In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon men, but now, He can come to live In men.

Jesus then said that some of the work that the Holy Spirit would do is to teach us all things (and all means all) and bring all things to our remembrance (and help us to recall things in God).

In John chapter 16, Jesus elaborated. In John 16:7, He said that He was telling the truth; that it would be better for us if He departed and sent the Spirit to us, adding that He is the Spirit of Truth!

My friend, the Holy Spirit never lies! He never boasts. He never draws attention to Himself. He is always faithful in glorifying Jesus and He receives things from Jesus and reveals them to us. This basically sums up the promises Jesus made to us concerning the Holy Spirit.

It never ceases to amaze me that so many professing believers deny Him! They are cutting themselves off from the source! If the Holy Spirit is to teach us the way Jesus said, then the act of denying the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit is tantamount to telling the Lord that He lied and that the Holy Spirit does not reach us all the truth. Their denials do not make sense.

Preachers try to build a ministry or start a church without the equipment necessary to get the job done and wonder why it is so hard, or why people are leaving in droves.

Jesus did not commence His ministry until He received that anointing and ability, yet many people deny this, thinking that such things were only temporary! Wrong! They are here until He returns. Come on. I am telling the truth here.

Jesus said that He would build His church and allow us to work with Him, but He supplies all the tools, abilities and talents and all of the materials required. If the Holy Ghost implements all this in our lives and we cut Him off, it is totally illogical.

At this juncture, may I ask you a question, “Did Jesus lie”? I hope you said, “No”. I will ask another question. “Did Jesus always have His prayers answered”? Of course He did! To continue, “If Jesus said something, did He mean it and did it happen”? I think so.

Turn with me then to John 20:22. This was after His resurrection and prior His return to Heaven. He Breathed on His disciples and told them to Receive the Holy Spirit.

If He said this, it had to have happened, else He lied and we have determined that He did not lie. What then did they receive? Was it something else? I think not! It was the Holy Spirit!

Forty days later after teaching the disciples about God’s way of doing things, He commanded them to stay in Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit.

Is there something wrong here? Of course not! Did they receive the Spirit back there in John 20 or not? 

If Jesus said so, then they had to have received something and as I just said, it was the Holy Spirit. 

He came to bring life to them. Jesus told Nicodemus about the necessity of being born of the spirit (John 3:16). The Spirit of God is the one who tells people that they need Jesus. He pokes them and prods them and stirs the hearts of men when the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached so that the hearer responds. At that point, He enters their lives and we call it getting saved, or born again.

Jesus breathed on them then, but He also wanted them to receive another administration or aspect of the Holy Ghost that has to do with equipping for service. He was about to depart and pass the baton onto them. He had to equip them for the task and it happened like that in His ministry.

He never performed one miracle until John baptized Him in water and the Holy Ghost came upon Him!

He is called Christ, but this is not His Surname. It is a title! The word Christ is Christos, which is taken from the word Chriō. It means Anointed.

He is the Anointed One and came in and with that anointing. He did not enter public ministry until the Spirit of God came upon Him! If this was so vitally important for Him, how much more important should it be for us now? The principles have not changed. The need has not changed. We need this anointing just as much as Jesus did.

Luke chapter four says that He was Full Of the Holy Spirit who had anointed Him for ministry and came in the power of that anointing to start preaching. Surely, as I just said, if it was so important for Him, should we not also rely on the same anointing? The Holy Ghost has not changed. The word of God has not changed.

People’s needs are still the same today so the answers are the same. Modern day technology can help us in the natural realm, but the ministry aspect has not altered one iota.

Jesus the Anointed one came in His anointing and did the things in His ministry that we marvel about by virtue of that anointing and we try to do without it? It is ridiculous. We are called “Christ-ones” are we not? If this is true then substitute the word Christ for Anointed. We are supposed to be the “Anointed-ones”, but where is the anointing now? Is sure does not exist in some of the churches I know. Some churches are full of sick, sad and disgusted people who have no joy whatever. You can see it on their faces. The anointing is supposed to set people free and bring joy into their lives.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-3 in His first public sermon recorded in Luke 4:14-21. It reads-

THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

He knew that these men needed what He had on a permanent basis, so set the disciples up to qualify for this anointing to come upon them also. We need it too.

The Old Testament priests were anointed for ministry, but the anointing oil could never be applied directly to the flesh. The blood had to first applied!

None of us are any different.

The blood has to be applied first, before the anointing can come and this is precisely what Jesus did.

People say that this was only for the disciples, but it was not restricted to the twelve. Luke 10 says that there were 70 others, thus making 82 disciples. We also know that many of His disciples left him from John’s account in John 6:66. When they all went out on temporary assignments, every one of them came back with glowing reports, but that was pre-Pentecost and thus temporary. 120 people were in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost including Mary, the mother of Jesus. Historians say that this prayer meeting could have started with up to 500 people! 1 Corinthians 15:6 states that 500 brethren saw Jesus after His resurrection, so the concept that there were only 12, is erroneous.

Jesus' command has not changed. He told those folk to get on with the job, but wait first until the Holy Spirit came on them. Part of this enabling and equipping comes from the Gifts of the Spirit. Without them, we are trying to go about God's business without God's tools.

In Acts 2:2-4, on the Day of Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit was poured out upon the waiting Church with visible and audible signs, and they began to speak in the tongues predicted in The Great Commission. The believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and were so thoroughly enabled by the Spirit’s power that everywhere their ministry was marked thereafter by the supernatural.

The Apostles were not mere guardians of orthodoxy and neither should we, because we are all ambassadors of Christ and are to be equipped with Divine capabilities. There is a Divine work to do and there must be Divine power with which to do it.

The Church’s mission is much more than promoting a great philosophy or calling people to a new morality. It is delivering men from the bondage of Satan and emancipating men and women into the liberty that Jesus obtained for us. It is to do what Jesus did. 

I could summarize it as being comprised of three major elements—Teaching, Preaching and Healing.

Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. 

So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, paralytics, and those possessed by demons, and he healed them.  And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan River. Matthew 4:23-25

Philosophizing and moralizing can be done with mere human capabilities, but delivering from bondage, bringing to repentance and faith and changing one’s whole way of life by becoming a brand new creature requires an anointing of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:4–6).

Certainly, God accepts and honors all human talent dedicated to His service, but He enhances that dedicated talent with the Spirit’s glow lifting it to a new level. God can and often does take natural capacities and transform them into spiritual operations. See Exodus 35:29–35; Romans 15:13, 14; Titus 1:7–9; 2 Timothy 2:2.

Overview:

Overview & Purpose

Three chapters of the New Testament and parts of two others are devoted exclusively to this subject. Approximately one hundred New Testament references to the subject of spiritual gifts exists, exclusive of the miracles of Jesus recorded in the Gospels exist.

Despite the frequent manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church, the Spiritual Gifts are largely ignored or glossed over. Most comments are in the negative sense, with the inference that gifts ceased at the end of the apostolic age, but the apostolic age continues. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a clear statement saying that any endowment of the Holy Spirit would cease before seeing face to face and before that which is perfect is come. Obviously we do not yet see face to face and that which is perfect (the Lord Jesus) has not yet come. 1 Corinthians 13:10–12. 

 

Paul wrote to a church that had major problems in any areas. It was full of divisions, immorality and family problems and was adversely influenced by the philosophies of the Greeks in a licentious city. The Greeks were proud of their learning, intellect and philosophy and were very fond of oratory but were in essence addicted to gross immorality. Paul wrote to address such issues, combating worldliness and sectarianism.

Sadly much of these influences still prevail in many areas of the church to this day.

The church at Corinth lacked in nothing when it came to the Gifts. They had an abundance of operations of the Spirit, but, as we shall see, did not conduct themselves decently and in order and in Christian love.
Faith worketh by Love. Galatians 5:6.

 

Christian love or charity does not replace the Gifts, rather love is the driving force or the motivation for their use.

His teachings show us how, where, when and why we should operate in the Gifts of the Spirit.

 

Jesus instructed His followers to go with the Gospel, but first to wait for enduement with power from on high according to Luke 24:47–49. With the giving of “The Great Commission,” Jesus promised in Mark 16:15-18- These signs shall follow them that believe…

Notice my emphasis. The signs are given to Them or Those who believe. He did not restrict His words to that handful of men. Such signs were the casting out of demons, speaking with new tongues, and recovery of sickness by the laying on of hands. When Jesus announced His return to the Father, He promised His followers that He would send the Comforter Who would abide forever, would teach them all things, would bring all His sayings to their remembrance, would guide into all truth, would convict of sin, righteousness and judgment and would testify of Him.

If you are a follower, then you must be included in the group Jesus mentioned. 

 

On the Day of Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit was poured out upon the waiting Church with visible and audible signs, and they began to speak in the tongues predicted in The Great Commission. There were 120 believers present, including Mary, the mother of Jesus and every single one of them were filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:2–4). Mary spoke in other tongues too!

 

The Holy Spirit’s work in their lives was so powerful that everywhere they went, their ministry was marked by the supernatural of God. The Church’s mission is much more than propagating a new philosophy or calling people to pure and righteous living, it is delivering men from the bondage of Satan. Philosophizing and moralizing can be done with mere human capabilities but still unable to deliver people from bondage and bringing men and women into relationship with God.

Whist human talent dedicated to God’s service is acknowledged it takes the Holy Spirit’s work to achieve what God desires in the lives of men.

 

The purpose of the spiritual gifts is the edification of the Church. They are to encourage and build people up.
Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts [spirituals], seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:12. Let all things be done unto edifying. 1 Corinthians 14:26. 

The Gifts are thus bestowed with the purpose of bringing spiritual profit and edification to the whole body. If a gift is exercised without love, or merely as a personal display, a golden bell is changed into a clanging brazen cymbal. Exercising the Gift of Prophecy illustrates how this as with all the Gifts, builds up and profits the Body of Christ.

The word edification comes from the Greek word oikodome, which basically means the act of building a structure. The vocal gifts are intended to effect the building of the temple of Christ’s Body.

 

The word exhortation translates the Greek word paraklesis which means to exhort or encourage. It is related to the word Paraclete, the name Jesus gave to the Holy Spirit. Barnabas’ name meant Son of Consolation or encouragement and this also relates to paraklesis. See acts 11:22-26.

Paraklesis is often translated as I beseech you, so anyone who exhorts the church may stir and motivate or beseech believers to do God’s Will. 

Hebrews 10:24 says similar-
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.


The word comfort from the Greek word paramuthia, which means to sooth, comfort or console. This is clearly understood during times of persecution or sorrow.

The Important thing to remember concerning the Gifts of the Spirit is this. The church must be built up and the glory given to God.

Titles The Gifts Defined

The Vocal Gifts:

The first group of Gifts we shall consider are the three Vocal Gifts comprising the Gifts of Prophecy, Diverse Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues.

These are the Gifts that say something.

The order in which the Gifts are mentioned has been chosen purely for convenience sake and ease of study.

We consider every one of the Gifts of equal importance, because each individual Gift is best applied for a particular need or circumstance at a given time.

The Gift of Tongues

Divers or various kinds of tongues are supernatural utterances by the Holy Spirit in languages that were not learned by the speaker. They are not understood with the natural mind or the speaker and are not always understood by the hearer. The Greek word for tongues is Glōssa, relating to the tongue and thus by implication a distinct or definite kind of language. They have nothing to do with the mind, the intellect of man or linguistic ability, because this is a vocal miracle. They are tongues of men… and of angels and are thus distinct and intelligent means of speech and not gibberish.

… I speak in the tongues of men and of angels... 1 Corinthians 13:1.

Paul listed the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 12:10, saying-
…to another different kinds of tongues…

Denominational people often think Pentecostal or Charismatic folk emphasise or over-emphasise tongues. We don’t! They do! It might seem that those who do speak in tongues focus much on them for several good reasons.

We are drawn into the subject. We just get on with the job and do it, but debates rage over these issues by those who have no experience on them or are biased against them for so many reasons it is beyond belief. The bible lists them and clearly says that such things are for all believers and are set in place until Jesus returns. They would like to tear the references out of the bible, but that cannot be done, so are contentious about them. They almost fight you for their beliefs that say we are supposed to suffer for Jesus… sickness is sent to test us or teach us lessons… and as for speaking in tongues… it is pure emotionalism, sensationalism, evil and so on.

Speaking in tongues always occurs when people are baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is not the second blessing opponents call it and it certainly did happen every time we read of it in the early church accounts. For more on this matter please read the page Breaking the Sound Barrier.

Utterances in tongues in a public meeting are widely disbursed and it is probably the most frequently used gift. It need not be so, but it seems to be the case. In my own experience, this was the first Gift I received and it seems to be a starting point to enter into more as we grow and exercise what God has given us. We are also encouraged to seek the gift of interpreting tongues and again I followed that biblical principle and started to prophesy after that.

I would add that it seems to take less faith to operate in this gift than others and it often seems to be the first gift one receives as I just described. This is of course not how the bible teaches it, but it seems that when we begin, this often seems to be the starting point. Of course, one mjust be baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues to qualify as a resipient of these Gifts.

Utterances in tongues and the interpretation of tongues are distinctive to the New Testament era. Other gifts such as words of knowledge, discerning of spirits, working of miracles etc were evident in the Old Testament and we see illustrations of these throughout this page. 

Paul gave prominence to tongues. I think that he did so because of widespread misunderstanding that still exists to this day.

Tongues is a supernatural sign that Jesus gave to those who believe. The lord did not specifically state that these things were only for the disciples, but to those... who believe. Any believer qualifies for any or all of these gitfs ang graces of God.
And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name… they will speak in new languages. Mark 16:17.

Common misconceptions are that speaking in new tongues means that when a person becomes a Christian, the old coarse language etc., once spoken is replaced with a new tongue and they were given only to the early disciples. No! He said All who believe! He did not limit these things to the first disciples. A thorough analysis of this passage reveals that every one of the signs given including tongues is supernatural. Another misconception is that when one speaks in tongues, he or she seems to be in a state of ecstasy or in some way out of control! That is a blatant lie.
Whilst there may be emotional feelings and the like, but the person speaking is fully aware of things and in total control at all times. Even on the Day of Pentecost, believers were accused of drunkenness, but that was not alcohol induced. We shall deal with this more later.
Admittedly, certain groups of people go into excess and that is a sad thing because it gives scoffers and those who do not understand ground for criticism. I agree with them in this regard.

Speaking in tongues is primarily a devotional abilty designed to be used in our prayer time and in our praise to God and it builds us up spiritually. The Gift of Tongues is different. It has a different role, purpose and function.

Jude said something interesting.
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions which were made by the apostles (the special messengers) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). They told you beforehand, In the last days (in the end time) there will be scoffers [who seek to gratify their own unholy desires], following after their own ungodly passions.  It is these who are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions—merely sensual [creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit and destitute of any higher spiritual life. But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—[which will bring you] unto life eternal. Jude 1:17-19.

On most occasions, those scoffers and agitators who set up distinctions and cause divisions in the church areoften within the church. Unsaved people really do not have any idea. Few read a bible dor example, so there are no religioous traditions and teachings to cloud the issue. With regard to the Gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues, most agitation comes from those who do not believe that they are still valid!
Jude continued –

But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit; Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—[which will bring you] unto life eternal. Jude 1:20-21.

To put it another way… but you beloved… build yourself up, increase more and more in the knowledge of Christ and grow in Him. How? By praying in the Holy Ghost! What better way to do that than by praying in tongues and praying with the understanding! 1 Corinthians 14:15.

I wish to deal more now on the actual gift of tongues.

We have seen that when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit, the initial physical evidence is speaking in tongues. This is for all believers, yet Paul encouraged us all to seek the gifts, including tongues. Let me put it this way. When one is saved, the Holy Spirit comes in to bring the life of Jesus. Then there is the baptism in the Holy Spirit that is another experience and when one is filled with the Spirit it is as if he or she becomes a candidate to receive one or more of the Gifts of the Spirit.

One such Gift is tongues.

When this is operational in a church setting, it is spoken under a different anointing than when one is speaking in private.It is as if the Holy Spirit infuses the speaker with a special or higher level of speaking
ability. There is a certain ring about it that stands out above the norm. When this happens, a flowing or bubbling up from the depths of the speaker’s spirit and utterance is given.

This kind of speaking needs to be interpreted so that all present may gain understanding. The one who spoke in tongues may interpret that utterance or it may come from another. I personally prefer the latter as it seems to have a greater impact and it also spreads the Gifts amongst more people.

It is an amazing thing to hear someone deliver a message in tongues in what to the speaker is unknown and when another person who also does not speak that language interprets, is recognizable by someone present who does know that language. Let us say for example, I spoke a message in French (I do not speak French) and a Frenchman was present. He may understand those words and when the interpretation (not translation) comes by someone who does not speak French, the affect is profound. The Frenchman can then be assured of its legitimacy. 1 Corinthians 14:22 can then take on real significance.

Evidently Paul had a great vocabulary in tongues speaking often in devotional and in corporate meetings and encouraged us to do likewise. He did not tell us to avoid doing so, but to ensure that when we do, it is done for the best of intentions. See 1 Corinthians 14:15-20; 26-33.

Interpretation of Tongues Prophecy

The Revelation Gifts:

The following group of Gifts we shall consider are the three Revelation Gifts, comprising the Word of Knowledge, the Word of Wisdom and the Discernment of Spirits.

These Gifts are the ones that Reveal things.

The order in which the Gifts are mentioned has been chosen purely for convenience sake and ease of study. We consider every one of the Gifts of equal importance, because each individual Gift is best applied for a particular need or circumstance at a given time.

The Word of knowledge

The Word of Knowledge is not knowledge as such. Although God can and sometimes does help us acquire certain natural knowledge, there really is no such thing as a gift of knowledge. Such natural knowledge is acquiring facts and information and is done in the natural realm, but the Gift of the Word of Knowledge is a supernatural revelation given on a special occasion by the Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. 

God is all knowledge and has all knowledge! He knows everything at all times, but He does not reveal everything that He knows to man. At His discretion, He may give a word, or a small fragment of what He knows via this wonderful Gift that is expressed vocally.

As I have often stated on this page, all of the Gifts are supernatural. They are not found in the natural realm at all, so cannot be confused with natural reasoning, intellectual deduction, much study, or sharing in any way what is known in the natural mind.

Sometimes the Word of Knowledge is confused with bible study when certain people think that by intense studies of scriptures they have the word of knowledge. Whilst it is true that we receive certain knowledge by such studies and that God can and does help us and give revelation of scriptures, this kind of knowledge is also natural and not supernatural. Paul told Timothy to study to shew himself approved in 2 Timothy 2:15, but Timothy had to apply himself just as much as you and me.

We acknowledge all such studies and the natural capabilities of men, but this has nothing to do with acquired facts or information, but by a temporary sharing by God of what is happening or exists. 

This Gift also has little to do with the maturity or length of time one has walked with the Lord. Remember at all times that these are gifts.

We should of course increase in the knowledge of the Lord as we spend more time with Him, but again we need to realize that it is a Gift that is bestowed by the Holy Spirit on whomsoever He wishes, regardless of position or status. We see a good example of this in the story of Samuel and Eli in 1 Samuel 3:4-10. Samuel at that time was a boy serving in the Temple. He knew nothing. When God called him, he thought it was Eli calling. Eli had been in his role a long time and he was not walking with God as he should have, but he did at least eventually realize that God was calling the lad.

A Word of Knowledge is a supernatural impartation of a fragment of the things God knows about a certain matter at a particular time. It is otherwise impossible in the natural for the one who receives this to know the facts. The reasons may vary immensely but I find that they all point to the Lord in some way and give real assistance to those on the receiving end. 

The Holy Spirit may reveal a physical problem with another, such as an illness. The intention is to stimulate faith and reveal how much God cares about us. When I operate in this Gift, it can vary so much I am always amazed. Sometimes I see the ailment much like an x-ray of the person. Sometimes I feel their symptoms as if in sympathy pains and so on and describe what is happening. On other (more frequent) occasions, I have that inner witness that is very important, that this situation or problem or whatever it is… exists. It has to be spoken of course, so the person flowing with the Holy Spirit can say something like, “There is someone here with”… and name it.

It can and I believe should draw us closer to the Lord. The woman at the well in Samaria is a good example. John 4:7-26 tells the story. Jesus spoke to her about something no stranger could possibly know. It drew people to Jesus. See John 4:28-30.

Jesus knew beforehand that Lazarus was dead (John 11:4, 14).

In John 1:45-49, we see how Jesus knew all about Nathanael before they met in person. That was a Word of Knowledge. Please remember that everything Jesus did was as an ordinary man under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
I have experienced such a thing myself when a man walked into the church whilst I was talking to someone else with my back to the door. I turned around to meet him and told him all about his life to that date. He told me later that the Lord told him to come to the church that morning and he started following the Lord from that day onwards.

This Gift may sometimes operate through visions. You may see this in Acts 9:10-12; Acts 10:9-20 and in Revelation chapters one to three when John saw the conditions of the seven churches that he did not know exist. He was at that time exiled to the Isle of Patmos!

This Gift was operational in the Old Testament to enlighten a discouraged servant (1 Kings 19:2-4, 14, 18), expose a hypocrite in 2 Kings 5:25-26, warn God’s man of an enemy’s plan in 2 Kings 6:9-12, recover lost property in 1 Samuel 9:3-6, 19-20 and to reveal a man in hiding in 1 Samuel 10:21-23. 

Words of Knowledge reveal things in or from the past and of present events. They may be used to reveal sicknesses, encourage the disheartened, comfort those who need comforting and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ.

Core text 1 Corinthians 12:8.

… to another [the power to express] a word of knowledge and understanding according to the same [Holy] Spirit.

The Word of wisdom Discerning of spirits

The Power Gifts:

This group of Gifts are what I call the Power Gifts, or Gifts that Do something. They are powerful and as with all the Gifts operate by faith. 

Anyone who is spirit filled may operate in them. They are not restricted to full time ministers, but to anyone who seeks and receives them. A good example is found in Acts 9:10-12, when Ananias had his experience with the Lord who instructed him to go to Saul and minister to him.

Ananias was not one of the first apostles. We do not know if he ever preached or pastored a church, but what he did in obedience to the Lord’s command has had a profound affect on all of Christianity and he flowed in the Gifts. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if he had refused to go to Saul. 

The point I want to make is that anyone, preacher, layman, man, woman, boy or girl, educated or not, ordained or not can receive and flow with the Holy Spirit in all of these things.

The Gift of Faith

We now come to the first of the Power Gifts, namely the Gift of Faith. Before we elaborate on the Gift itself, we need to define what is meant by faith because this is a term that is used too loosely in Christian circles and for that matter, elsewhere. What is faith?

Webster’s Dictionary defines faith as-

  • Allegiance to duty or a person or loyalty
  • Fidelity to one’s promises
  • Sincerity of intentions
  • Belief and trust in and loyalty to God
  • Belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
  • Firm belief in something for which there is no proof
  • Complete trust
  • Something that is believed especially with strong conviction especially a system of religious beliefs, such as the Protestant faith and the Catholic faith etc.

On many occasions the word faith is used merely as a belief structure, which it is, but in a purely religious manner without full understanding or outworking. Without being critical, such attitudes as reciting a catechism or the apostle’s creed is not faith. They are mere religious expressions.

Jesus told us to have faith in God in Matthew 11:22 after cursing the fig tree. This was no mere suggestion, but an action word. Call it a command if you will. He had spoken something knowing that His word would work. The more appropriate rendition of this statement is to have the God kind of faith or to have the same faith that God has. This is much more than the mere belief structure most religious folk adopt. That faith works!

There are two main kinds of faith in the New Testament. One is oligopstos and the other is pistis. One is a powerful belief structure and the other is doing something about it with power and results.

One is passive and the other is active.

The woman with the issue of blood was healed because of her faith. She believed but put her belief to work.

Another illustration is the way four men tore a roof apart to get their friend to Jesus so that he would be healed. Passive faith would merely say, “well… I believe”, but never act on it.

Faith can be measured.

We see terms like great faith, little faith. We know that faith comes by hearing and putting the word of God to work for us. See Romans 10:17. We walk by faith and not by sight according to 2 Corinthians 5:7 and we know that it is impossible to please God without the exercising of faith according to Hebrews 11:6. 

Clearly faith is more than a mere religious belief, but an active element in our lives. It has to work. Anyone can say that they have faith, but it has to be working. See James 2:20.

Every one of us has faith according to Romans 12:3 where Paul stated that God has dealt to each man (or every man) the measure of faith, but in 1 Corinthians 12:9 Paul said that the manifestation of the Spirit, which includes the Gift of faith, is given to one; that is, one person who receives that Gift.

There is a big difference. We are to live by faith—day-by-day; moment-by-moment, but the Gift of faith comes when the Holy Spirit disburses it. 

This faith—the gift of faith is over above the normal.

It is in the realm of the supernatural. When your ordinary faith is not sufficient, the Spirit of God can impart a much higher degree or intensity of faith to achieve something at that moment, giving us a surge of belief to receive or achieve the extraordinary. 

When Jesus walked on the water, he was doing the miraculous that we may call the working of miracles, but it took faith to take each step.

Peter had to exercise a temporary measure of supernatural faith to get out of the boat to walk to Him.

When Jesus went to Lazarus and commanded the stone to roll away and issued the faith command Lazarus come forth, He performed a miracle, healed someone and had to exercise faith. It had to have been the Gift of faith in operation. 

Although it seems to be a New Testament phenomenon where it is more prevalent, we can see occasions when such a gift could be the driving force behind certain events in the lives of Elijah and Elisha. God told Moses to stretch out his rod to open the Red Sea. That would require some extraordinary faith. It was required for that moment, but not for another. Read through such incidents throughout scripture and you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

The bible says to covet earnestly the best Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31). The Gift of Faith could be the best Gift for you my friend. Pray about it.

The Working of Miracles Gifts of Healings

Practical Matters:

The Best Gift

The bible speaks powerfully about covetousness.

Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. Deuteronomy 5:2. 

You shall not covet your neighbor's house, your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.  Exodus 20:17.

I noticed something very interesting when researching this topic. Both passages listed are preceded by an identical command. It deals with bearing false witness against our neighbour. See Exodus 20:16, Deuteronomy 5:20, Romans 7:7, 13:9.

Those who dislike the manifestations of the Spirit, especially the part that deals with speaking in tongues, actually infringe on this area, saying all manner of things against the manifestation and against those who exercise themselves in them. It is bearing false witness against those of us who do. Please don’t do that… for your own sake!

 Paul told us to covet them—twice.

But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:31.

Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.1 Corinthians 14:39.

The Greek word used for covet is Zēloō. It means covet, covetous, covetousness, desire, desirous, envy, envying, jealous, jealousy, zealous and so on. We usually think that some of those words are not desirable, but in this instance that are powerfully descriptive of wanting something so much it is like a fire within. Part of the meaning is Zēlos that talks about being fierce, having fierceness about something, being jealous, envious and zealous. 

They are powerful words indeed, yet in essence are often discounted by many and the church suffers great lack as a result, being rendered impotent and powerless. The best gifts are those that Paul described as being Kreittōn. This speaks about power or strength. The literal meanings include better, best, nobler and stronger (coming from a derivative word Kratos).

Paul is not talking about sloppy, sentimental, intellectual, kind and gentle love at all. This is powerful stuff because it equips any believer with the same enablement that Jesus and the early church possessed. Little wonder then that the enemy has worked so hard to discredit these things and has been very successful in many places.

What really is the best Gift?

Well there is no one better than another in a literal sense. Paul spoke of the human body by way of illustration about such matters. All members of the body are of importance. Try living without one of them and you will know what I mean. The eye cannot smell and the ear cannot see, but if they are not in the right place and functioning correctly, the whole body lacking and out of balance.

Try taking these elements out of the church and the same result happens. The spiritual ear must be in place for us to hear properly. The spiritual eye has to have perfect vision or we are blind to truth.

In like manner, take the Gifts of the Spirit out of the body and the body is lacking and is less effective. The ear is thus the best organ for hearing. The eye is best suited to give vision. So too are the Gifts of the Spirit. A kind word of encouragement to someone in an emotional crisis many be more appropriate than a physical healing. The best gift in this instance would probably be a prophecy. If someone is suffering with a serious illness, a gentle pat on the head and a kind word will not suffice. A miracle of healing is required.

The best gift would be the one most appropriate for a given situation.

Covet them! Want them! Desire them! Ask God for them!

The More Excellent Way Prophets and Prophecy Practical Matters


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