spiritual gifts

Joseph Mattera- 7 Forms of Functional Cessationism

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From “Charisma” magazine:

 

#222222;font-family: sans-serif">7 Forms of Functional Cessationism Joseph Mattera — 8 minutes

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In this article, cessationism refers to the doctrine, practice or belief that the ascension ministry gifts and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit ceased with the early church and do not function in the present church age (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12: 4-11).

The charismatic and Pentecostal world believes in all the gifts of the spirit and in hearing God’s voice. Various terms are used to describe these manifestations: “revelation” and “illumination.” On the other hand, there are evangelical rationalists, who are, in function and theology, “cessationists.” Whether Pentecostal or a non-charismatic evangelical, you may be a functional cessationist if you don’t practice or experience divine spiritual phenomena. The term “evangelical rationalist” describes a person who believes in all the cardinal truths of the Scriptures but denies the practice of certain manifestations of Holy Spirit phenomena in the contemporary church (1 Cor. 12:4-11).

These believers “demystify” the Scriptures and have an enlightenment framework in which all biblical truth is verified through the grid of their rational minds and understanding. Of course, as true Christians, they are inconsistent in their anti-supernatural view. This is because salvation itself, the point of translation for every believer, hinges on faith and the profession of the Lordship of Christ and His historical and supernatural resurrection. This results in a supernatural conversion experience (Rom. 10:9-10; 2 Cor. 5:17).

The following are seven types of functional Cessationists:

1. Cessationism Regarding Ephesians 4:11 Ministry Gifts – Whether you or your denomination classify as charismatic, if there exists no belief in or embrace of the practical function of the ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11, then you or they are cessationists concerning these.

2. Cessationism Regarding Hearing the Voice of God – If you do not believe that God can subjectively communicate to you outside of the written Word of God or that He has ceased doing so since the completion of the canon of Scripture, you are a cessationist. Whether you describe divine communication as an “illumination,” (God impressing something upon your heart), or a “revelation,” (God speaking to you), it is all the same experience.

Evangelical rationalists take Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 13:10 to mean the completion of the canon of Scripture. (The 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament). Thus, when somebody claims “God spoke to them,” rationalists believe it is adding to the Word of God or the final canon of Scripture. (They use Revelation 22:18-19 to support their argument.)

They believe this, even though a proper exegesis of 1 Corinthians 13:10 shows that Paul was not talking about the final canon of Scripture but rather was referring to the saints seeing Jesus “face to face” in heaven. (1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2).

Furthermore, in the context of this verse, Paul said he would “know fully even as he was fully known.” Since he died before the book of Revelation was written, he could not have been speaking about canon completion but rather he was referring to going to heaven. In addition, the context of 1 Corinthians 13:10 also shows that “knowledge” will pass away, not just tongues and prophecies. Do any of these evangelical rationalists genuinely believe that our present-day need for “knowledge” no longer exists?

3. Cessationism Regarding the Gift of Prophecy – Doctrinally, Pentecostals and charismatics claim they believe in the gift of prophecy. (First Corinthians 14:31 says that “all may prophesy” so that the church may be edified. You can also see 1 Corinthians 14:4).

However, if members in such Pentecostal and charismatic churches never practice this gift in their gatherings, it is reasonable to classify them as functionally cessationist toward prophecy.

4. Cessationism Regarding the Practice of Glossolalia – Many leaders in the Pentecostal movement say that some of their young pastors and members in their contemporary churches do not practice “speaking in tongues” for personal edification (1 Cor. 14:2-4). Those who don’t pursue, receive and practice this spiritual gift, aside from the Pentecostal classification, are functionally cessationists (1 Cor. 14:18, 1 Cor. 39-40).

5. Cessationism Regarding Divine Healing – The Gospels and New Testament writings encourage believers to pray for the sick by faith for supernatural healing (Mark 16:15-18; Luke 10:1-9; John 14:12; James 5:13-15; Acts). Despite this New Testament chronicled practice, many Pentecostals and charismatics rarely pray effectively for the sick. Consequently, they are functional cessationists when it comes to divine healing.

6. Cessationism Regarding the Expelling of Demons – Jesus made it clear that believers have authority over demons in His name. (Luke 10:17-20; James 4:7). Despite this, many charismatic Pentecostal believers are spooked out when casting demons out of people. This practice, sometimes called “deliverance,” should not be the special unique calling of any one person or church, but should be part of the spiritual arsenal of all believers as the need arises. Setting the captives free is one of the essentials of the Gospel (Luke 4:18). In this area, those who never engage in the expelling of demons are functional cessationists.

7. Cessationism Regarding Experiential Hermeneutics – Being trained in the historical/grammatical method of biblical interpretation enables me to properly discover the author’s original intent when they were inspired to write the sacred, canonical text. However, if the Holy Spirit is not allowed to give further insight into the practical application and understanding of the Scriptures, this would be a form of hermeneutical cessationism. After all, the Holy Spirit has come to guide us into all truth and is our primary Teacher (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27). For more recommended reading on this subject, refer to Dr. Craig Keener’s book, “Spirit Hermeneutics.”

In conclusion, my prayerful aim is to encourage all believers, irrespective of their classification, to pursue and allow the fullness of the Holy Spirit to flow through their lives, and in their local church so that all may become more effective witnesses of Christ (Acts 1:8). Examine the Scriptures and be bold as you respond to apostolic instruction (1 Cor. 14:1). Pursue, love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.

 

Dr. Joseph Mattera is an internationally-known author, consultant and theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence culture. He is the founding pastor of Resurrection Church, and leads several organizations, including The U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and Christ Covenant Coalition. Dr. Mattera is the author of 13 bestselling books, including his latest “The Purpose, Power and Process of Prophetic Ministry,” and is renowned for applying Scripture to contemporary culture.

Spiritual Gifts- Interpretation of Tongues

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The gift of interpretation of tongues is closely connected with the gift of speaking in tongues. Obviously where there is no message in tongues, no interpretation is needed.

When the twin gifts of tongues and interpretation work together they form a kind of prophecy.

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul gives guidelines about the use of tongues in a public meeting. His aim is to ensure that there is some sort of order in the proceedings, but above all that people are edified by what goes on.

He says that anybody who prays in tongues should pray for the ability to interpret what has been said (14:13). This seems like a good procedure to follow. A message in tongues is of little value in itself, and if God is speaking to me in tongues I should ask Him also to speak to me in English.

Paul also suggests that the number of tongues speakers should be limited to two or three, speaking one at a time. Each message must be interpreted, and if there is no one present to give the interpretation, then the the tongues speakers must remain silent (14:27-28). This may suggest that there were people who were known to exercise this gift, and if they were for some reason not present at the meeting the protocol was that if you had no interpretation with the tongue then you had to remain silent.

I have had a number of experiences of this gift in action, both as an interpreter of my own tongue and as an interpreter of someone else’s message. It is a strange experience for me, as my ears hear one set of words while my brain hears, more or less simultaneously a different set of words.

One of the strangest experiences of this gift happened at a Uniting Church Synod meeting. These meetings are not known for the use of spiritual gifts. At the start of each morning session that year, a member of an ethnic group within the denomination was invited to pray in their native tongue with an interpreter giving an English translation afterwards. On one particular morning, a South Korean pastor led the prayer, and as he started praying the Lord gave me a very clear interpretation, a strong prophetic word. The translation that was given was different to the words that I heard. Did I stand up and give the spiritual interpretation? No, it seemed inappropriate on that occasion.

This brings me to the final thought in this series on spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit never forces us to say or do anything. All of these gifts are subject to the judgement of the people involved. You don’t have to blurt out every word of knowledge, you don’t have to pray for every dead person to be raised. The operation of the gifts is according to the faith and the judgement of the person.

Spiritual Gifts- Speaking in Tongues

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This is described in the text as “speaking in different kinds of tongues.” It can be defined as speaking aloud words in a language that the speaker has never learned in the normal natural way.

There are three different expressions of “speaking in tongues” described in Scripture.

Firstly, tongues is the initial sign of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is the manifestation described in Acts 2:6, where a bunch of uneducated Galileans praise God in languages which they did not know, but which turned out to be understandable by the cosmopolitan crowd which gathered outside. When Peter goes to Cornelius’s house, all who hear Peter’s message receive the Holy Spirit, “for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” (Acts 10:46)

Secondly, tongues is given as a special prayer language which allows us to pray directly from our spirit to God’s Spirit. Romans 8:26-27 describes the Spirit interceding for us “in groans that words cannot express.” 1 Corinthians 14:14 says, “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays.” Sometimes we don’t know how to pray in a situation, but the Holy Spirit can still use our prayers, especially if we pray in tongues.

Thirdly, an expression in tongues can be given publicly, that is, in a gathering. Here the tongues can be combined with an interpretation to function as prophecy. Sometimes someone who brings such an expression, may in fact be speaking a human language which they do not know but is known to a person in the congregation (similar to the experience in Ats 2). In that case, then the purpose is to carry an extra authenticity, particularly if the language is known only to a very few people.

Often, a group will start to all speak in tongues at once. This might be in response to a call for prayer, or it might just be a spontaneous response to a powerful worship time. Of all the gifts of the Spirit, tongues seems to be particularly resistant to being kept in a box.

Because the public use of the gift of tongues can be seen as chaotic or hard to understand, Paul gives some specific teaching about the use of this gift in 1 Corinthians 14. It should be understood that this chapter is about use of gifts in gatherings and not about the private use of tongues. Every gift is used at the discretion of the believer and should be used to build everybody up, and especially to glorify the name of Jesus.

Spiritual Gifts- Discernment of Spirits

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The spiritual gift of “discernment of spirits”, or more accurately “distinguishing between spirits” is of vital importance in an age where lies are dressed as truth and where satan can appear as an angel of light.

If somebody preaches a message or gives a prophecy, how can we tell if they are being led by the Holy Spirit, an unclean spirit or their own human spirit? How can we tell if a new person at church is a real christian or somebody sent to undermine the fellowship and destroy the ministry?

I have seen congregations destroyed by the white-anting of evil spirits in their midst. I have seen ministers driven to distraction by manipulation through unrepentant Jezebels.

This gift of distinguishing of spirits is the key to keeping us safe from the devil’s deceptions. It allows us to welcome genuine christians while avoiding people who are influenced by satan or sent on a mission of destruction.

Some years ago, a couple turned up at our night service. Through their conversation, we determined quickly that they were under the influence of demons. They claimed to have come with the support of ministers in another town, but we were able to establish that this was not the case. They had a bizarre theory about the New Jerusalem which anybody with an ounce of Biblical knowledge would see right through, but had the potential to deceive immature believers. We immediately warned the other pastors in town and the whole church was untied against them.

So how does this gift work? Often it is an impression that something is not right. Our first warning sign with any visitor to church is when they don’t give a full name or where they are from or the church they attend.

When there are strange events happening that don’t add up, or people become ill in strange ways or emotions and relationships are unusually stressed, these are signs that demons are on the prowl.

Sometimes in prayer, a word of knowledge may come that a particular person is under the influence of a particular spirit, or a key piece of information will come that suddenly makes sense of a previously baffling situation.

On one occasion, I was part of a group that was praying for a particular person. After we talked about the situation and were about to go into prayer the person said something that in any other situation would be quite innocent. Instantly I knew in my spirit “That’s it!” and my wife confirmed the same revelation.

As christians we have been given all authority by Christ. When these spirits are revealed, it is very easy (usually) to expel them. Sometimes we may need to get a group of people together and even fasting may be necessary. In any event, the blood of Jesus is our weapon in these times of spiritual warfare.

Spiritual Gifts – Prophecy

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The gift of prophecy appears in all three of Paul’s major lists of spiritual gifts. The gift operates differently in each list even though the same term is used. (See my other articles on Manifestation, Motivational and Ministry gifts).

Prophecy, in its simplest definition, is to hear the specific message of the Lord for a particular gathering, and then to speak it out. Unlike the words of wisdom and knowledge, prophecy is given to a corporate gathering and is usually less related to an individual.

We see this gift expressed in all its splendour in the Old Testament prophets. In the Old Testament the role of the prophets was to stand against both the priests and the kings to provide a brake on abuses of power and to remind the nation of its calling to serve only the Lord.

In the New Testament, prophets are an accepted ministry in the church, and the expression of prophecy a normal part of church meetings. The role of prophecy in the New Testament was to “exhort, encourage and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3). This suggests that the overall tone of prophecy is to be positive, building up rather than condemning, although there may sometimes be a place for prophecy that convicts or warns about hidden sins.

Prophecy was never accepted as “the word of the Lord” and should never be treated as such. It must always be tested (1Thessalomians 5:21), but not in such a way as to quench the Spirit or disrespect the gift (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21). Any “prophecy” that contradicts Scripture is not from the Lord.

Prophecy is not a sermon. Three is a place in the meeting for both teaching and prophecy. However, prophecy, like all gifts, needs to be administered by the church in a way that encourages order in the meeting but also spontaneous expressions of the desire of the Holy Spirit. Generally it is not helpful for people to randomly leap to their feet and declare “Thus says the Lord.” This is the issue being addressed by Paul in1 Corinthians 14.

Many churches, including New Life, have a prophetic protocol for their meetings. Often these involve writing down the words you believe the Lord is saying to the church and handing it to the pastor or the person leading the meeting. They are then at liberty to see if it is appropriate to read out the prophecy to the congregation or perhaps leave it until some other occasion. Usually in any congregation, people who have a good record of speaking genuine messages from the Holy Spirit are given more liberty than other, less trusted, believers.

Prophecy should never be used to direct another person into a specific course of action, for example, in marriage or career choices.

So how do we step forward in the gift of prophecy? We are told that we should seek all of the spiritual gifts but especially prophecy. “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1). Since these manifestation gifts are given for all believers to use, we should ask that God pours them out into our lives.

If you feel that God is saying something to you regarding the church, or an individual for that matter, write it down. Take it to your pastor or other trusted leader and ask for their advice. Ask them also to tell you about how the church handles the gift of prophecy.

As a matter of wisdom, it is far better to say, “I think God is saying…” rather than “Thus saith the Lord!” Humility in the use of any spiritual gift is far more effective than loud arrogance.

Above all, remember that all the gifts are valuable, and all the gifts are best used in the context of the Body where everyone is working together in the anointing of the Holy Spirit..

Spiritual Gifts – Miracles

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Spiritual Gifts – Miracles

The gift of being able to perform or work miracles is easy to understand, but much more difficult to exercise. It should be realised that this is not a gift for the super-spiritual. Like all of the gifts in this passage, the gift of miracles is available to all believers. The only qualification is that we are available for the Holy Spirit to use.

To understand the gift, we need to understand what a miracle is. A miracle can be defined as any situation where God intervenes and changes the normally understood laws of nature. In this sense, healings are in the same category as miracles. Other miracles described in the Bible include Jesus turning water into wine, Jesus walking on the water, Jesus stilling the storm, Peter and Paul and Silas being released from prison, Elijah setting fire to a saturated sacrifice, Elisha floating an axe head, and many more, in both the Old and the New Testaments.

The phrase “signs and wonders” is often used to describe miracles because they are meant to be signs of the Kingdom directing attention to Jesus.

Excluding healing, there are four broad types of miracles:

1. Resurrections- people have been raised from the dead throughout history. In the Bible we have several examples of this, including Jesus Himself. If God is the Lord of life, then we should not be surprised when He turns death to life. Livestock have also been raised form the dead on occasion, particularly in poor communities.

2. Nature miracles- these include walking on water and diversion of disasters. People have been known to order tropical storms such as cyclones to turn away from the coast. John Alley tells of how a potentially disastrous flood in Rockhampton was moderated by the hand of the Lord. Some years ago a huge bushfire in the Pilliga Forest was extinguished by rain that was not predicted in response to prayers.

3. Provision of money and other resources. For over a decade our family drew very little salary, and yet God provided more than enough for us. Those who looked at our finances deemed it was impossible for us to survive. Almost everyone in ministry has a story to tell of a time when they were desperate for money to meet a need, and then the money came in.

It is not only ministry where God provides needs. During the recent long drought, a member of our church who has an agriculture related business stated that God provided just enough business for him to keep going at a time when there should have been no work for him.

4. National and international interventions. At the last Australian election the polls and the conventional wisdom was that the Labor Party, led by someone from the Left wing of the party would win the election. It turned out that the Liberal- National Parties won. The re-elected Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, noted in his acceptance speech, “I have always believed in miracles.”

During the coronavirus pandemic there have been several occasions when public health experts feared an outbreak but it was averted. Recently, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said “It was a miracle” that security guards associated with quarantine hotels had not previously been infected and taken the virus out to the community.

Billy Graham in his book “Angels” recounts eye witness stories from the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. According to these accounts, British fighter planes continued to fly and participate in the battle after the pilots had been killed. Some saw a second figure in the cockpit actually flying the plane.

Miracles take many forms, but are always associated with a gift of faith. A miracle takes at least one person who is desperate for God to intervene in a situation that seems hopeless.

Again it should be noted that miracles, by definition, are a gift from God. To the sceptic, they will always appear impossible or subject to other explanations, but to the follower of Jesus “Nothing is impossible with God.”

To learn to walk in miracles, it is necessary to pray. When we lay our heart’s concerns before the Lord, and see prayers answered, then our faith grows to a place where we can believe for the impossible and see God working in every situation.

Spiritual Gifts- Healing

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Spiritual Gifts- Healing

The fourth gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12 is “healing”, literally “gifts of healing.”

Healing refers to the supernatural ability to restore to wholeness a person who is broken in some way. Paul probably refers to this as gifts of healing because there are many ways in which people may need to be healed- physical, emotional, psychological, relational, social.

There are also many ways in which healing may be administered- laying on of hands, anointing with oil, prayer in the person’s language, prayer in tongues. Jesus once spat in the dirt and made mud to apply to a blind man’s eyes (John 9:6). In Acts, we are told that people would bring the sick onto the streets so that Peter’s shadow might fall on them and they would be healed (Acts 5:15).

At the heart of the ministry of healing is the fundamental fact that God did not create human beings for sickness and death. It was Adam and Eve’s sin that brought death and sickness into the world, but now Christ’s death has reversed this curse.

When God recreates the heavens and the earth there will be no more sickness, death or grieving. We will once again live in perfect fellowship with God and sin will no longer impede the relationship.

In the meantime, christians have the blessing of healing gifts through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Because we are imperfect and are still affected by the law of sin and death, people still become sick and people still die. Unlike Jesus who had a perfect track record with healing, we don’t always get it right and we don’t always have the necessary faith to see complete healing take place. That does not mean we shouldn’t try and learn to work in this gift.

For many years, I have prayed against colds and flu each winter. Most years, I remain free of these conditions, although some years they sneak through. I have found that if I pray in faith, binding the disease as soon as symptoms show up, I prevent it from developing into something more severe.

This gift, perhaps more than other gifts, relies on both the faith of the healer and the faith of the person being healed. Placing hands on the person or anointing with oil are ways of building faith by providing a visible connection between the healer, the healed and the Holy Spirit.

It helps after praying to ask the person if there is any noticeable improvement, perhaps asking them to do something they previously could not do, or if there is a change in pain levels. If there is partial healing, we can pray again. Even Jesus did this at least once (Mark 8:24).

Some healing ministers say that we should not pray to the Father, but directly address the disease or the affected body part. They say that this is the way Jesus worked. That probably is not so important, as long as we have faith that Jesus is present to heal.

The test of faith for healing is not “Do you believe God can heal?”, but “Do you believe God wants to heal you of this condition now?” That is the level of faith that God responds to. Too many people profess a theoretical belief in healing, but even the Devil believes that. Healing happens when we believe God is here right now to heal this problem.

So how do we grow in this gift? By doing it! Start by asking God to lead you in the ministry of healing. Then when a friend or relative is ill, offer to pray with them. Don’t rush for the Panadol when someone gets a head ache, but pray first. Learn some key scriptures about healing and soak them into your heart.

This gift works in concert with other gifts such as faith and word of knowledge. As you step out in faith and believe that God is able to heal, you will find times when you work in the other gifts as well.

Don’t be discouraged when people are not healed straight away. This is not your fault. Ask the Lord to give you more insight into how He heals and how you can work with Him.

The gifts of healing are as important as ever, even though medical science is much more advanced than in Biblical times. God is still present to heal people.

Spiritual Gifts- Faith

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It may seem odd that faith is listed as a gift of the Holy Spirit in a list of rather extraordinary gifts. In most translations it is simply translated this way: “to another faith by the same Spirit”, although the NLT calls it “great faith.” The original Greek word is faith.

There are many so levels or types of faith that we need to tease out what is being referred to here.

Firstly here is normal human faith in which we trust things because in our experience, or to all appearances, they can be trusted. We trust that a chair will support our weight. We get on to planes operated by total strangers without too much fear because we trust that the pilot is able to fly and land the plane, and that all the maintenance, flight control and other systems work together to keep us safe. We drive at thigh speeds on highways separated from oncoming vehicles by a thin coat of paint on the middle of the road.

Next there is saving faith. This is the faith in Jesus that He will forgive our sins and bring us into relationship with God. This is a gift from God because we aren’t smart enough in our sinful nature to work out the gospel is true. But it is also a response from the human heart to the gospel- we know that the message rings true and is the answer to our desperation.

Then there is normal christian faith. We trust that God’s word is true, that He will supply all that we need, and He will answer prayers. The quality of this varies from person to person and even from time to time in the same person. Some are able to believe for healing for another person and for miracles, but other people are content to know that God loves them and that He answers fairly generic prayers.

Then there is the gift of faith which is a whole different level. Most people do not work in this gift all the time, but it comes as it is needed to the person who needs it for a particular occasion. This is the gift that makes possible the operation of other gifts such as miracles and healings.

This gift works in a number of ways, so we should not try to pin down the exact method of operation. The Holy Spirit is creative in His use of the gifts.

Some years ago, my wife, Margaret, suffered from a torn rotator cuff in her shoulder. This consists of several layers of muscle in the shoulder which make it possible to lift your arm. A sonogram revealed that it was torn right through all the layers, and this meant that it would not heal naturally. Surgery would be expensive, even with health insurance. So we prayed, believing that God would do what was impossible and heal this rotator cuff. We prayed three times a day for a couple of months. Then she noticed that she was able to lift her arm a little. We kept praying for complete healing and soon she had full use of her arm again. We had faith that God was able and willing to do what doctors said was impossible.

At other times the gift of faith is experienced as a surge of confidence that God is active right now. I have felt this when praying for people for needs of all sorts. You just know that God is going to answer this prayer and so you can pray with boldness. It might lead to a prophetic declaration that this need will be met in the name of Jesus. In any event, this surge of faith is exactly what is needed to bring about a miracle.

The person I think of when I think of the gift of faith is Peter. Peter was the one who had faith to walk on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:29). Peter was the one who preached to the crowd on Pentecost and led 3000 people to Christ in a day (Acts 2:41). Peter was the one who healed the lame men at the Temple gate (Acts 3:1-10).

The gift of faith leads to breakthroughs in many ways because it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to act through the other gifts.

Spiritual Gifts- The Word of Knowledge

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The second Manifestation Gift of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 is the word of knowledge. Like the first gift, the word of wisdom, this gift is often misunderstood by people who have not experienced it. The NIV translates this gift as “the message of knowledge” while the NLT comes a little closer with “a message of special knowledge.”

A word of knowledge is a word or phrase, even a whole message, that comes to a person by means of the Holy Spirit. It is often information that the person could not know by any natural source.

A good friend of mine was once walking along the water’s edge in his home city. He met a couple he did not know coming the other way. The word “divorce” came into his head, and so he stopped them and asked them if that word meant anything to them. As he tells the story, it evidently did as they took off as quickly as they could. Perhaps he could have used a word of wisdom to go with the knowledge.

Often the word of knowledge can be experienced when we are ministering to someone. I often find that as I am praying with a person, various words will pop into my head which often give insight into the true source of the person’s problem. Alternatively these words may indicate something that is more important or more pressing from God’s perspective than the issue we have been praying about.

The American revivalist and healer Smith Wigglesworth would pray for healing for many people at each of his meetings. People could come and ask for apparently identical ailments and Wigglesworth would cast a demon from one, pray healing for the next and address emotional issues for the third. This is the word of knowledge in action showing the true cause of a physical sickness.

I have been in meetings where a person with a healing ministry would be very specific about an injury or ailment, naming a particular vertebra for example.

In Acts 5 we read of a word of knowledge that carried tragic consequences. A couple named Ananias and Sapphira had decided to sell some spare property and give the proceeds to the church. They kept some of the money for themselves, but tried to say that they have brought the full amount. Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, confronted him about this. There was no way he could have known that they had lied about the sale of the land except by the Holy Spirit. As he aid they were free to sell the land or keep it, and were free to do as they wish with the money. But they had lied to the Holy Spirit. Ananias was struck down dead. When his wife came some time later, Peter asked her about the value of the land, and she again lied and was also struck dead.

The actual operation of the gift operates differently from person to person. One person might have a word or phrase pop into their mind. Other people see the words written moving like a news ticker on a television screen. Some people see images or video. However it is experienced, the word of knowledge comes from the Holy Spirit.

On one occasion, I was leading Communion when I felt this severe pain in my left knee. I asked if anyone had a pain in their knee. There was no response. I explained that I was feeling this pain and it seemed to indicate that the Lord wanted to heal someone with a sore knee. Still no response. When I was more specific and mentioned which knee, a lady behind me called out “Oh, that’s me!”

As stated earlier, the word of knowledge often requires a measure of wisdom in its use. We don’t need to blab every word we receive. Sometimes it may not be obvious what we need to do with a particular word of knowledge. On occasions, it may not be appropriate to speak the word explicitly, but we can use it to inform our prayer or other ministry.

Spiritual Gifts- The Word of Wisdom

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“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, NIV

This is the first article in a series about the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, These gifts are often called “Manifestation Gifts” because their operation is a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Each believer is able to operate in all of these gifts from time to time according to the need of the moment and the faith of the believer.

In the NIV, the first of these gifts is described as the “message of wisdom”, while the NLT translates it as “the ability to give wise advice.” Both of these are problematic because they suggest that this wisdom is human wisdom. The original Greek term is literally “word of wisdom.”

The gift of the word of wisdom may be defined as a special impartation of wisdom or knowledge of how to act in a current situation. This is not human wisdom but God’s wisdom given in a particular context.

This seen in many situations in the Old Testament where people are facing a dire situation, but a prophet comes along and tells them how to act at this moment in order to see God’s rescue. Often God’s wisdom runs exactly opposite to human wisdom or common sense. This is because human wisdom is rarely directed at exalting God and is constrained by experience.

We see this exemplified in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat received word that a huge army is coming to invade his country. His first response is to pray, “Lord we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Then while he is consulting with his leaders, a prophet tells him not to be afraid because this battle belongs to the Lord. Jehoshaphat then does something remarkable: he sends out his army, but with musicians and singers at the head of the army singing praises to God. The Lord causes the invading army to turn upon itself and it is completely destroyed without the army of Judah even lifting a weapon.

Nobody would come up with a plan like that, but it was the wisdom of the Lord.

In practice, the word of wisdom comes as a deep conviction of what needs to be done next. When a person or a church feels like they are under siege and surrounded by enemies, it may seem impossible to determine what needs to be done. The word of wisdom may come from the least qualified person, but it will show clearly the way ahead, which may not even have been considered. The word will carry the conviction of the Holy Spirit and it will be confirmed by others as being genuinely from God.

The word of wisdom is a gift that individuals and churches need to exercise often. We are the poorer in every way because we do not listen for God’s wisdom.