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.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.  Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1 Corinthians 12:1-6.

We use the term Gifts of the Spirit, or Spiritual Gifts and as we have stated elsewhere, they are gifts. Because they are gifts cannot be earned. The Spirit freely gives them to whomsoever He wishes and in the manner He deems best. There are times when the manner and frequency in which they function varies and for such reasons we need to understand the vocabulary of the Spirit.

The word diversities in the above scripture reference simply means different. Therefore there are different kinds of Gifts and there are differences and administrations, but it is the same Holy Spirit.

In the original language the word gifts is not found. The translators should have said spirituals or pneumatika. It simply means things of the Spirit. It may also relate to persons endowed with Spiritual Gifts. These spirituals refer on the one hand to our particular topic, but they may also relate to other gifts that are seen in scripture. 

The word gift in the Greek is charismata. You may have heard of the word Charismatic. Another word is charisma that is rendered as spiritual gift and the root is a word called charis, which means grace.

A charisma is then a grace bestowed on the recipient by way of a blessing, endowment or enablement.

Because the Holy Spirit freely bestows them, they are of Divine origin, which is why they cannot be merited or earned. They are operated through Spirit-filled persons to be a blessing to the Church, the Body of Christ.

Paul said that there are differences of administrations. The word administrations is better translated as ministries and comes fro the word diakoniai. You may see a similarity between this word and a deacon in a church. Deacons are appointed not to rule or govern as often happens in some churches, but as servants or helpers who take care of the practical aspects of things. This leaves the pastors free to focus on the ministry and not be bogged down with administrative or practical functions.

The spirituals are Gifts in regard to their origin and source, but they are ministries by way of their application. He who exercises his spiritual gift in the body ministers to the body.

We now have the term operations, or energemata.

The Holy Spirit activates or energizes them and, as the Greek word for operation is energema, He is the active agent. The word energy comes from the same root, so the Holy Spirit energizes them in the believer.

Paul said that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal  1 Corinthians 12:7

This word is phanerosis. Because the operation of the spirituals is a manifestation of the Spirit who we cannot see with natural vision, these Gifts are the outward evidence of His operation in the church through a believer.

The gifts of the Spirit bring the Holy Spirit into outward evidence in the body. The operation of the gifts causes the believers to be aware of the presence of God, producing the effects of praise and worship. Every Spirit-filled believer is given some capacity for the manifestation of the Spirit. The exercise of a gift is primarily a manifestation of the Spirit, not of the person and the test of its genuineness is that it profits the whole body.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.1 Corinthians 12:4-6

The word diversity or diairesis is mentioned twice here and it conveys the idea of distribution. There are many different Spiritual Gifts, more than the ones we are discussing and there are many useful functions in the Church.

Every believer should have some form of manifestation of the Spirit and every Gift should function in the local church. This does not necessarily mean that any one person could possess each and every Gift, but the idea is that the corporate body should exist within that particular body. That way the local church is fully equipped and operational in the way Jesus designed.

God is a God of infinite variety and the spirituals are also of great variety. With this in mind, Paul explains that there is one Lord and one Holy Spirit operating in this great variety of spiritual manifestations and ministries.

For ease of study, we are able to categorize or define the Gifts and they are listed below in different order to that in Scripture. No one Gift is of more importance than another and we shall deal with this more in the section The Best Gift.
There are nine Gifts in all and we can group them into three separate groups of three Gifts in each.
They are-

• The Vocal Gifts, comprising prophecy, divers tongues and the interpretation of tongues.
  These gifts say something.
• The Revelation Gifts, comprising the Gift of the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom and the discerning of spirits.
  These Gifts know something.
• The Power Gifts. This group that do something includes the gift of faith, gifts of healings and the working of miracles.

Again I emphasize that these Gifts are not natural talents or abilities. They cannot be obtained by diligent study, although is it urged that we all study about the things of God as encouraged throughout scriptures.
We cannot earn them in any way, because they are Spiritual Gifts.
They are Gifts that operate in the supernatural of God.

Their manifestation should proclaim Jesus as Lord and build up the Body of Christ.

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.

In this section we shall look at the Gift of Interpreting other tongues.
It is not translating as such in the acceptable sense of the word, such as translating one langue into another.
It is an explanation of what has been said during an utterance in tongues.

Paul explained that we may be able speak in natural human languages...as well as in the language of the angels when uttering under inspiration of the Spirit. This implies that angels have a language of their own that is not like any human language known to man. If this is so, then literal translation is impossible because we do not talk like them. Unless they spoke to us in our own native language, which they can do on occasions, we cannot understand what they say. 

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:2 that we speak to God and we speak in mysteries. Please take note that when Christens talk in tongues, it is always God-ward, or God inspired. Anyone who presumes to say that we can curse God or talk to the devil is simply lying or blaspheming the Holy Spirit that is a serious matter. See Matthew 12:31-32.
This is why Paul went on to describe how it is best for the good of all to seek the ability to interpret or prophesy.

What then does it mean to interpret an utterance in another tongue?

The Greek words mean interpret, interpretation or interpreter. Bible scholars may recognize an associated word called Hermeneutics. Simply put, it relates to the study of explaining the meanings of words in a different language, or to explain or interpret. It may sound similar but there are big differences. When Jesus spoke to the two men on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:27, He explained or expounded things to them in this kind of manner. 

Another derived word means to change or translate from one language to another. We see references to this in such scriptures as Matthew 1:23; Mark 15:22; John 1:38; Acts 4:36, 13:8 etc.

The art of Hermeneutics however relates more to natural reasoning, using the intellect and so on, but the Gifts are supernatural and are totally devoid of natural reasoning faculties.

The manners in which the Gifts are used are better explained this way.

Firstly, someone speaks in an unknown tongue under the inspiration and anointing of the Holy Ghost. This utterance is totally different to the devotional or private tongue. The speaker is not edifying himself or herself as in devotional tongues, but is motivated to speak as a person appointed for that moment to speak on behalf of God to those present on that particular occasion. Paul said that on such an occasion the utterance must be interpreted.

The person speaking in an unknown tongue does not know or understand in the natural what is being said.

When the utterance is finished, a similarly anointed utterance in the known human language gives understanding.

It might or might not be a literal translation, but it explains what was just said in the Spirit. I have found that the amount of words spoken may vary. What I mean by that is that someone speaking in tongues may say a lot of words, but the interpretation may take few words or vice-versa. This is because it is not translation but interpretation.

This particular gift does not operate unless a gift of tongues has first been exercised. Unlike prophecy that stands alone, these two Gifts are inter-dependent.

There are times when one may speak in tongues such as in private prayer life and pray in the spirit and then suddenly break forth into interpretation of what was just prayed. This is perfectly acceptable and is what Paul described in 1 Corinthians 14:13-15.
…Therefore, the person who speaks in an [unknown] tongue should pray [for the power] to interpret and explain what he says.  For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays, but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody]. Then what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and understanding also. 

If you do not know how to pray, what better way to do this is by allowing the Holy Spirit to pray with you, for you and through you? See also Romans 8:26.

To sum this section up, the interpretation of tongues is the supernatural showing forth by the Holy Spirit the meaning of the supernatural utterance in other tongues.

...to another prophecy 1 Corinthians 12:10.

We conclude our studies on the Vocal Gifts with the Gift of Prophecy. I believe that all of the Gifts are precious and are of equal merit, because the Holy Spirit who always points to Jesus gives them to us and the order in which I placed the gifts is merely for convenience.

This is a way of determining the validity or authenticity of the Gifts. They should glorify Jesus and declare His Lordship and should be a blessing and an encouragement to the saints.

Having said that, I believe that the vocal gift of prophecy is superior to the other two vocal Gifts because it takes the combined efforts of those two gifts to produce the same affects as a simple prophecy. It stands alone. The other two are inter-dependent.  Paul said-

Now I wish that you might all speak in [unknown] tongues, but more especially [I want you] to prophesy (to be inspired to preach and interpret the divine will and purpose). He who prophesies [who is inspired to preach and teach] is greater (more useful and more important) than he who speaks in [unknown] tongues, unless he should interpret [what he says], so that the church may be edified and receive good [from it].  1 Corinthians 14:5.

Prophecy is a supernatural utterance in a known tongue. It needs no interpretation. My native language is English. Therefore I prophesy in English. If, on the other hand I were Italian, my words would be Italian, or if Russian, my words would be in Russian. If I were born in Japan, my prophecies would be in Japanese and so on.

When one prophesies, it is not telling the future as such, but is rather a forthtelling of something. I find that a prophecy usually blesses and encourages the listener. Even if there is a correction element or a chastisement of sorts, there is usually a loving element involved.

I dislike prophecies that lack the goodness and kindness of God in them. As a parent when I had to correct my children when they were naughty or warn them of something harmful, I always finished up with a cuddle or a signal that daddy loved them.

Please do not mix Old Testament prophecies with New Testament prophecies.

A prophecy might sometimes speak of future events such as the time Agabus warned the church of a coming famine. This gave the believers time to prepare for it. See Acts 11:28. He also warned Paul in Acts 21:8-14 of the perils of going to Jerusalem. Paul was already committed, so Agabus' word merely confirmed what was in his heart. This is very important. Prophecies often confirm something to you.

There usually is no revelation in prophecies, because they are given for edification, exhortation and comfort.

Prophecies should weigh up and confirm things to you, so do not act on a prophecy only. Many well meaning people have listened to words given them and acted on them instead of listening closely, checking the accuracy and making sure it lined up with what God has been already telling them. Prophecies are not infallible and we shall deal with these matters later.

Prophesying in the church is like a bubbling forth. If you have ever taken fruit salts, you may recall that when you mixed a spoonful of the salts in water, the mixture froths and bubbles up spontaneously. That to me is the best description of what prophecy is like. Something inside my spirit starts stirring and when I recognize it and flow with it, speech gushes up, starts flowing and continues until that flow ceases. We shall deal with the practical aspects elsewhere.

The Greek language depicts prophesying as speaking for or on behalf of another, so this implies that we can act as God's spokesman for that occasion. 

Prophesying is Not Preaching! 

Preaching should be inspired utterance of course and there may be times when a spontaneous utterance flows during the sermon as the Holy Spirit gives illumination. When this happens, it does not emanate from the head, but from the spirit. Preaching is an act of proclaiming, announcing, or telling something and usually involves a degree of prior study and preparation, but prophesying is a spontaneous supernatural utterance given to arrest peoples' attention... it grabs the listener... it has a different feel about it, which of course is the unction of the Spirit on the speaker. 

This Gift is so precious, Paul told us to covet to prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:39). He told us to follow after charity and to desire spiritual Gifts, but said that he would prefer we prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:1). He also said not to forbid speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39). He also told us not to quench the Spirit or forbid prophesyings (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20).

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 certain facts that are impossible to be aware of by natural faculties or reasoning.

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.

…For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit… 1 Corinthians 12:8.

Please note that both gifts are expressed as the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom. They are not gifts of wisdom or knowledge and we must call them what the bible calls them, otherwise people become as confused as they would if you called a dog a cat.

This scripture is not talking of wisdom and knowledge but supernatural impartations given by the Spirit of God for specific purposes. In this instance the Word of Wisdom concerns the divine purpose in the mind and will of God.

God has all knowledge and all wisdom. He knows everything that is possible to know, but He does not reveal everything He knows to us. He gives a small portion or a word of what He knows. A word is a portion of a sentence that conveys a message of some kind. It is not the complete sentence. In like manner a Word of Wisdom is a portion of God’s wisdom that He shares with someone via this Gift.

If you went to a doctor, he would not share everything that he knows with you but the part that relates to your case. If you had a legal matter, requiring a lawyer’s aid, the lawyer would not reveal everything he knows but that portion that is relevant to your case. He would thus give you a “word” of legal wisdom and counsel.

A Word of Knowledge concerns facts and events that relate to people, places or things. It thus speaks of things in the past and present things. Words of Wisdom however usually relate to the future because it deals with the divine purpose in the mind and will of God.

The two Gifts often work together. The Holy Spirit may reveal facts to someone by a word of knowledge, but knowing facts is only the beginning. What does one do next? How do you handle something? If for example a word of knowledge reveals a medical condition, what do we do with that? Obviously healing is the objective. The person with that condition needs prayer or must do something about it. Therefore one may receive a word of knowledge about a particular condition that needs to be acted upon such as by telling those present what god has revealed and then inviting that person or persons to receive prayer. On another occasion however, such public prayer may not be the right way to approach it. Perhaps one should speak to the ill person in a more private manner (observing all necessary protocols) and handle it that way. The important point is to allow the Holy Spirit to led and direct you on that occasion.

We mentioned John’s revelation on the Isle of Patmos before when the Lord revealed the factual condition of the churches in Asia. That is part of the story. Jesus then told the people what to do about it and this is a future event.

When the Lord told Ananias to go to Saul in Acts 9:10-16, a Word of Knowledge revealed the present facts concerning Saul. The Lord revealed the street, the house and the person to Ananias. The outworking of this was a Word of Wisdom telling the man about His plan or purpose. He was to be a chosen vessel.

Please do not confuse this Gift with natural wisdom. The two are different. The text reveals that the Holy Spirit gives His Gifts to those He wishes, but not necessarily to everyone… If you look at our text above it says… to one and to another. 

Solomon exercised natural wisdom. God gave it to him of course, but it refers to the natural in the same way that James referred to natural wisdom.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 (emphasis mine).

Notice here that James said that God gives to all… not to one or another as Paul explained.

When God sees fit to reveal His mind, will and purpose to us, He does so by supernatural means. It is frequently by Words of Wisdom.

The last of the revelation Gifts is the Gift of Discerning of spirits.

We separate the different Gifts to make it easier to distinguish and study them but often times they work together.

What exists in the realm of knowledge is facts, events, motive and purpose, origin, past, present or future and origin or source comes under the group of these three Gifts. 

This particular Gift, the Discerning of spirits, gives us insight into the spirit dimension. It relates to spirits, regardless of their kind… good or evil.

Do not think that it refers only to evil spirits. I know of folk who say that they have the gift of discernment, but that too is wrong. We can discern things of course, but there really is no such gift. Most times such people are merely being critical, legalistic and judgemental. If there were such a thing, I would call their supposed gift the gift of criticism. Avoid such people. 

When the genuine Gift is operational, one is able to see into the spirit realm that is normally invisible to the natural eye. 

No one has literally seen God according to scripture, but there are recorded incidents in scripture when people did see God. To be precise they saw the similitude or likeness of God. Moses had that experience in exodus 33:20-23 when he asked to see God who told him that no man should see Him and live. God said that there is a place by Him and that he would stand upon the rock. 

There is a place by God. It is also on a rock and that Rock is Jesus.

Moses stood on the rock and as the glory of God passed by, he was put in the cleft of the rock and covered by the hand of God. God said that He would then remove His hand so that Moses could see his back. That sight was so glorious, Moses; face shone afterwards. This is the kind of thing I relate to with this Gift. 

When king Uzziah died, Isaiah said that he saw the Lord that is another example of seeing into the spirit world. See Isaiah 6:1.

This Gift also reveals the kind of spirit that is operational or behind a supernatural manifestation.

It may be good or it may be evil. An example of this is seen in Acts 16:16-18 when he dealt with manifestations by a woman who was possessed by a spirit of divination. 

Do not forget that the enemy can try to counterfeit the genuine. He tried that with Moses when he cast his rod before Pharaoh, but the time came when the magicians could not mimic and had to admit Moses moved in God!

Discerning definitely has nothing to do with mind reading and such things.

It has nothing to do with fault-finding in others and we are told not to judge according to Matthew 7:1. We are to walk in love not judgement. See Ephesians 4:32.

The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit (1 Corinthians 12:7) so when someone moves with this Gift it opens up a dimension to reveal something in the spirit world to act the way we are supposed to act and be a blessing.

It is probably easy to explain its function as to allow us to determine what is motivating someone, or to see the spirit force behind them.

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), one of with is the Gift of Faith. It could be the best Gift for you my friend. Pray about it.

The working of miracles is supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of things. When this Gift is operational there is a temporary change or suspension of what is normal to do or achieve something that is totally irrational. It may change the usual workings of nature.

As with the word faith, the word miracle is often applied incorrectly. We see or hear advertising proclaiming that such-and-such a product is a miracle-working thing. We hear of miracle drugs or declare some wonderful event of nature as a miracle of nature. In a sense, the latter is true, but we are dealing in this instance with something that is over and beyond the normal course of events. 

It is impossible for a dead stick to turn into a serpent, but it did when Aaron threw down his rod at the feet of Pharaoh. It was impossible for a sea to open up when a man held out his walking stick towards it, but it did. A careful analysis will reveal that two things happened on that occasion. One was the working of a miracle but the other was a gift of faith to keep the water at bay whiles close to three million people walked to the other side on dry ground. 

In 2 Kings 4:1-7, a woman borrowed as many pot and pans as she could and filled every one of them with oil from one small remnant of oil in her possession. Here is a good example of how this Gift can provide for the needs of people in want. The same thing happened in Elijah’s ministry in 1 Kings 17:12-16. 

Jesus took a boy’s lunch and fed five thousand hungry men, women and children and have enough left over to gather up. They were not mere crumbs either! God does not give us breadcrumbs or fish bones pocked up off the ground, but good measure, pressed down, shaken together and enough surplus to pass on the blessing.

The working of miracles can change the very circumstances that threaten the lives and safety of others. In Mark 4:39, Jesus stood up in a boat in the middle of a storm and said Peace, be still and that fierce storm suddenly turned into a quiet millpond as smooth as glass. 

Many years ago, I heard a visiting missionary tell the story of his visit to a remote village in New Guinea where few white men had visited. He had a few people with him and they were visiting a village in the highlands and faced a growing hostility amongst a group of natives. They felt it wise to leave and started their return journey, only to be chased by a group of spear wielding men who intended murdering them. They reached a flooded river and the Lord told them to keep going. They walked across the river and could feel the rocks beneath their feet. The water covered them only to their calves and they crossed safely. The natives stopped on the other side unable to pursue them because the river at that point was flooded and at least 12 feet deep. I believe that this was the working of a miracle. 

Usually the working of a miracle occurs after someone speaks or declares something. Creation itself was a miracle and it came into being by the spoken word of God. Jesus spoke to the fig tree. He spoke to that storm. He spoke to dead Lazarus.

Please note that we just cannot blurt out just any old thing,because we feel likeit or it seems "spiritual". Jesus said that He only did what He saw the Father do and only said what He heard the Father say. It is a God initiated thing, but when the Holy Spirit moves in your life along a certain direction… go for it, because you will achieve the results He intends.

The difference between the Gift of faith and the working of a miracle becomes evident. The Gift of faith receives something, but the working or a miracle does or works a thing.

The working of miracles displays God’s power. The Greek word used for miracles is powers, so the meaning can read as the working of powers. Jesus said in Acts1: 8 that we would receive power… when the Holy Ghost came. Power in the Greek is dunamis speaking about explosive energy. It is stored up latent energy that when releases achieves something. A stick of dynamite is a prime example. The working of a miracle is thus an explosion of almightiness producing mind-boggling, staggering wonders or astonishments. All this flows through an ordinary human being and that in itself is a miracle.

The Gifts of healings are given by the Holy Spirit for the supernatural healing of people without natural means of any kind from any other source. The medical profession is a wonderful thing, but as many practitioners will tell you, there are certain things that they do not know or understand. My doctor and I have had many a discussion at professional levels in many ways and she has told my wife and I that she believes in miracles. She has said that there are times when medial science simply does not have the answer. I like that.

It is a good thing to have regular check-ups, even if only to testify about your state of health. When people are healed in my ministry, I like to see them return to their doctor to do two things- (a) Testify about it and (b) Verify the healing.

The Old Testament Law advocated such things.

Healing was very prominent in Jesus’ ministry. He taught. He preached and He healed the sick. He commanded the disciples to do likewise and gave them power and authority in the process and it had nothing to do with medical science. See Matthew 10:1, 8: Mark 3:15, 6:13; Luke 9:2-6; Acts 2:43, 3:1-11, 4:16-22, 5:12-16, 8:5-13, 14:8-10, 16:18. 

Healing is therefore an integral part of the Christian life and ministry and every believer should experience a portion of this in their own lives. See Mark 16:15-18. 

A Gift of healing however is something extraordinary and at a higher dimension than the normal. Again, this is one of the supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

Healing in the Christian life usually comes by the laying on of hands, with or without anointing with oil and by speaking the word of faith.

This group of Gifts is also supernatural manifestation of the power of God and I did say Gifts in the plural. Paul defines them as Gifts of healings—not a gift of healing. It is the only instance when the Gift is in the plural sense. I am not sure why this is so, because scripture does not say much more about that, but my feeling is that as there are so many different types of diseases, there are also different types of healings.

Perhaps some specifically relate to a particular group of ailments such as heart disease, cancers, lung problems or blindness. People may suffer from glaucoma, cataracts, conjunctivitis, mascular regeneration, myopia, tunnel vision and the list continues. Perhaps a specific Gift of healing is required for myopia and a different Gift of healing for cataracts. God knows. My suggestion is to be open for anything from the Holy Spirit and do not attempt to categorize or put anything into a box. 

Another reason may be that the Holy Spirit may gift a Gist of healing to one person to deal with muscular problems and a different Gift again for joint problems. 

We also need to consider that the Gifts may vary in type and intensity between individuals. One preacher may have a stronger anointing in one area of ministry than another. This does not mean one is better than the other. We should complement each other. One person may find that the Holy Spirit anoints him for the healing of people with hearing problems, but another may find that the Spirit moves in areas relating to vision.

The important thing to consider is that no one Gift is better than another, as long as there is a full or complete manifestation of what is necessary in that area or church.

These reasons may also be the reason why we are told to covet the best Gifts, or the ones more applicable in a given situation. We shall see more of this in the next section.

To close this segment, turn to the ministry of Jesus. He did not perform a single recorded miracle until after His baptism by John and the Holy Ghost came upon Him.  Luke 4:14 stated that He returned in the Power of the Holy Spirit to commence His public ministry. His first recorded sermon as seen in Luke 4:16-20 was based on Isaiah 61:1-3 when He specifically mentioned the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Without that anointing, all efforts are purely religious exercises with appropriate results. 

Peter reveals that this anointing that gained the Father’s approval-

How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.
Acts 10:38.

A common question is, “Which is the best gift?”

Everything that God gives us is good. James touches on this, saying:

Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change. God was delighted to give us birth by the truth of his infallible Word so that we would fulfill his chosen destiny for us and become the favorite ones out of all his creation! James 1:17-18

The gifts of the Spirit are thus good and are given to us to enhance our lives and help us to be as productive as Jesus was.

Our natural understanding and reasoning often cannot comprehend the things of God, so one way God helps us understand is by illustrations, types and shadows and the parables of the bible. By Jesus’ word in Mark 4, in the parable of the sower, if we can understand this, we will be able to understand all of them. The seed is the word, so our understanding has to line up with what God has said in His word.

Paul explained such things by using our human bodies as examples. Each part is individual and has its own particular function. An eye cannot do what the ear does. Neither can the heart that is an important part but hidden, cannot take the body to another place as the legs and feet do.

In like manner, the gifts of the Spirit are all individual and each one has its part in the overall scheme of things.

The best gift therefore is the one that is most suited at a give in time for a specific use and purpose.
They are all good, but trying to use the wrong one at the wrong time is useless. A nice, kind word is great, but if a miracle is required, all our good words avail nothing. Only a miracle will suffice.

If healing is necessary, a gift of healing is the best gift. If someone needs comforting, a prophecy may be the best gift. When we need to know what is happening behind the scenes, perhaps a word of knowledge is the best gift at that time.

The best gift is the most appropriate gift to be used for a specific objective at a specific time.

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

Many parts of the church where the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the manifestations of the Gifts of the Spirit are discouraged, opposed or simply ignored, base their preconceived ideas on a few statements Paul made without putting it all together.

What precisely is that more excellent way?
A quick and glib answer is usually charity or love, thinking that love is a gift to be preferred above the spiritual Gifts.
Paul told us us to seek after them, but love in that sense is not a gift—it is the very character or nature of God! We know that God is love according to 1 John 4:8.

Because God is love, everything He is, does and stands for is motivated by His nature. This is what we call the fruit of the Spirit.

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things. Galatians 5:22-23

The word love is loosely used to convey different meanings. One Greek word is Eros that describes the base natural form of expression. The word erotic and its derivative come from this.

Another word for love is Phileo. It basically means brotherly love and another word is Agape. This is the highest form of love there is. It is the God kind of love.

John told us that God is love in 1 John 4:7-8. He revealed this love by sending His Son. Such love is expressive and unconditional. Everything Jesus did was love driven and oriented. Everything we do should also be love driven and this is to be the motivating or driving force for us when exercising the Gifts of the Spirit. 

As we grow and develop in the Lord and allow Him to transform and mould us, we start to become like Him. We start to take on His nature and character and this is described as a fruit, or a by-product of His life being developed in us. 

It is therefore not a gift as such and is not specifically listed as a gift. Paul is actually telling us to operate the gifts in or by love.
He was telling us to let love be the motivating force and flow with the gifts in love so that the balance is then evident. People can be the nicest, most gentle and lovable person you would like to meet, but weak and powerless without the gifts. Conversely, someone may flow in all of the gifts but have a rotten disposition, lacking love and gentleness and jar us like the clanging bell and noisy cymbal Paul spoke of. They jar our spirits. The other extreme leads to weakness. The people are wonderful and nice, loving and caring all of which are excellent traits but may not be able to "perform" or achieve much when something extraordinary is required.

 IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.  1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

Let love be the motivating force.

The word Prophet in the New Testament is a transliteration from the Greek word Prophetes, which is derived from two other words.
One is Pro which means before, forth, for, in behalf of. The other word is Phemi that means to declare or speak.

Prophetes can mean one who predicts or tells beforehand, one who speaks forth, or one who speaks for or in behalf of another. 

The office of the prophet begins in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word for prophet is Nabi. It means to announce, witness or testify. The office of a prophet is clearly defined-

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deuteronomy 18:18. 

The prophet is one who speaks to the people, on behalf of God, the words that God puts in his mouth. We see this when the Lord told Moses-

See, I have made thee a God to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh. Exodus 7:1-2.

Aaron is called the prophet of Moses because he spoke in behalf of Moses, delivering Moses’ message.

The same idea of speaking for God is borne out by the testimony of Jeremiah-

Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.  Jeremiah 1:9.

The prophet’s ministry varied. The prophet would speak forth God’s message to the people for their times or he would predict coming events.

Several qualifications for a prophet and tests of his authenticity are given in Deuteronomy, chapters thirteen and eighteen: 

• He is one taken from among his brethren (Deuteronomy 18:18)
• He is to speak to his brethren in the Name of the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:19)
• He may show signs and wonders with his prophecies (Deuteronomy 13:1)
• If he prophesies anything contrary to God’s Law already revealed (Scripture), he is to be rejected in spite of any signs or wonders (Deuteronomy 13:1–3)If he predicts the future and the prediction fails to come to pass as he prophesied, he is to be rejected (Deuteronomy 18:20–22).

In the New Testament, things changed slightly, but we need to be mindful that God has not changed!
If He does not change, He must still appoint prophets today, which He does, but their ministries now take on a different perspective.
John the Baptist was a prophet and he ministered under Old Testament conditions
Jesus was a prophet and He too ministered under Old Testament conditions, but after His return to Heaven something took on a different light. He gave a gift to the Church which is seen in Ephesians 4:11. This gift is the office of a prophet. It is a divine appointment and no person can assume this office, therefore it is not available to all believers.

… And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Ephesians 4:11-14.

We are far from that state of perfection, but getting there but please notice the emphasis in the use of the words Some (not all) are apostles. Some (not all) are prophets. Some (not all) are evangelists and so on.

Obviously therefore not all are prophets. Jesus gave prophets as His gift to the Church.

With regard to the gift of prophecy, it is evident that the Holy Spirit bestows this gift and it is vastly different to the ministry gift.

Whereas the former is restricted to divine appointment, the latter is freely available to any Spirit-filled believer.
According to 1 Corinthians 14:31, Ye may all prophesy one by one. Notice that Paul said ye all!

Prophecy is to be earnestly desired by all (1 Corinthians 14:1-5, 24-25, 39). Its importance is indicated by the fact that some form of the word is found twenty times in 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14. The gift of prophecy is described- 

The one who prophesies … speaks to men for their upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation.
1 Corinthians 14:3.

Predicting future events is not normally associated with the gift of prophecy as this is a function of the prophetic office. The gift operates to build up the local church body. When the church faces a problem of missing facts, or a need for wisdom for practical action, a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom may operate in conjunction with the gift of prophecy. A word of wisdom may have assured the Apostles in their decisions as seen in Acts 15:27-28. When Judas and Silas, who were prophets, delivered the conclusion of the council to the Gentile church in Antioch Luke reports said-

Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them. Acts 15:32.

Normally, in the operation of the gift of prophecy, the Spirit heavily anoints the believer to speak forth to the body, not premeditated words, but words the Spirit supplies spontaneously to uplift and encourage, incite to faithful obedience and service and to bring comfort and consolation.

People who prophesy in a church are thus exercising one of the Gifts of the Spirit.

They might not hold the office of a prophet, so just because someone prophesies, does not mean that they are a prophet.

I am firmly convinced that someone occupying the actual office of a prophet should prophesy, so in that case they are both a ministry gift and exercise a spiritual gift. Please do not confuse the two.

This brings my coverage of the Gifts to a close. It is simply an overview as this is a massive topic, but I have covered the most important aspects.

I must leave you with a few practical tips.

Assuming that you desire to function in these Gifts, the first thing I would recommend is that you seek the Lord about it. Get your bible and something to write with and ask Him for His input. It might cut right across previous denominational prejudices or it could be just what you are looking for. The point is to be open and flexible. 

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that you are more spiritual if you receive these Gifts. The vessel should of course be holy, but the Holy Spirit gives the Gifts as He chooses and they are just that—Gifts. Some people go overboard and think that they are superior in some way. They may even try to force the issue and show off, but this is self-evident. Avoid such things.

If you are beginning, there are several things to consider. The major one is that of self-consciousness. Some people do not think that they are worthy, but that is not the issue. We are worthy of anything God does for us because of Jesus, so if He sees fit to give you something, be gracious enough to recognize it and accept it. You could insult the giver!

There is a matter of timing. There is a right time and a wrong time to start doing something. On most occasions, the preacher is or should be prepared and is the person delegated or authorized or anointed for that task. Don’t interrupt whilst the preaching is happening!

You are always in full control, so you can learn how to handle it. Ask the leader if in doubt. Seek permission if you need to. Be aware that there are scriptural requirements in which they operate. If for example you want to give a message in tongues, then make sure that it can be interpreted. If in doubt…don’t! You can of course ask the Holy Spirit to grant you the ability to interpret. 

There are excesses around, Paul said so, but that does not negate the validity of the Gifts. He said that the prophets could speak two or three and let the others who prophesy judge. See 1 Corinthians 14:29-32. In verse 32, he said that we are in control, so stay in control. 

Sometimes more than one person can tune in to the Holy Spirit simultaneously. I’ve experienced this many times. For example I may have a prophecy to give, but someone else could have the same prophecy to give. That’s OK. In fact it is good because it confirms things. We could both start speaking simultaneously, but two or more people talking simultaneously is being rude and creates confusion. God is not the author of confusion.

What do we do then? It is simple. One simply stops talking! 

The woman question sometimes arises. It is perfectly legitimate for women to minister. I encourage everyone to do so.

When it comes to things like prophecy or words of knowledge, please do not do so in private. Parking lot prophecies can get out of hand and I discourage them. Let everything be done decently and in order and share what God gives you in the context of the meeting. By following that principle, simple tests like affirmation... at the mouth of two or three witnessss is possible.
Paul said:

Let two or three prophets speak, while the others weigh what is said. And if something is revealed to a prophet who is sitting down, let the first one be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, with the result that all will learn something and all will be encouraged. Also, the prophets’ spirits are under the prophets’ control; for God is not a God of unruliness but of shalom.
1 Corinthians 14:29-33

This reveals several things:

• We are always in full control of our faculties and have the ability to prophecy or to do other things or not to proceed.
• There is a “right time to share” and a time when it is not appropriate.
• If we are all led by the same Holy Spirit, we can all receive the same kinds of “message” and bear witness of it.
• Genuine prophets can assess the prophecy and determine if it is genuine or not.

If you are not the leader or preacher, and know that the Holy Spirit is prompting you to share, then it is a simple matter of courtesy and protocol to ask for permission. If it is granted, then go ahead. If it is refused, then it is refused, so be gracious and not get offended. You have tried.

Sometimes, I determine beforehand if the church or meeting is open to such things. If they are not, then I do not attempt anything. The Holy Spirit knows anyhow, so trust him.

I’ve touched on when to start but sometimes people do not know when to stop. They may commence well and under the anointing, but when the anointing lifts, they continue, remembering that we are always on control. If this keeps going, it often develops into a fleshly show and often times those who know, recognize it. The meeting goes flat. People wonder what it was all about and this negates the whole purpose.

When the Holy Spirit starts, we start and when He stops, we stop. It is as simple as that.