Prophecy and Discerning of Spirits

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 New King James Version

1 Corinthians 12:8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

1 Corinthians 12:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,

1 Corinthians 12:10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

Prophecy is the prototypical Gift of the Spirit

1 Corinthians 14:3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

1 Corinthians 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

Five Levels of Prophecy

1. The Testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10)

2. The Motivational Gift of Prophecy (Romans 12:6-8)

3. The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:8-10; Acts 21:8-9)

4. The Office of a Prophet (Ephesians 4:8-12; Acts 11:27-28)

5. The Prophecy of Scripture (2 Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

1 Corinthians 12:10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

Natural Discernment

Hebrews 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 John 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

1 John 4:3a and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

Supernatural Discernment

1. Holy Spirit

a. Acts 11:28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

2. Demonic Spirit

a. Matthew 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

b. Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

c. Matthew 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

d. Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

e. Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

f. Matthew 16:20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

g. Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

h. Matthew 16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

i. Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

j. Acts 16:16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

k. Acts 16:17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

l. Acts 16:18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

3. Human Spirit

a. Ezekiel 13:3 Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

b. 2 Samuel 7:1 Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lordhad given him rest from all his enemies all around,

c. 2 Samuel 7:2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”

d. 2 Samuel 7:3 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lordis with you.”

e. 2 Samuel 7:4 But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

f. 2 Samuel 7:5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in?

Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lordyour God in vain, for the Lordwill not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

1 Corinthians 14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:20 Do not despise prophecies.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

1. Acts 21:10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

2. Acts 21:11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

3. Acts 21:33 Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done.

1 Corinthians 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

Prophetic Transmission

1. Vision/dream

a. Acts 2:17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

b. Jeremiah 1:11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”

c. Jeremiah 1:12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”

d. Jeremiah 1:13 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.”

e. Jeremiah 1:14 Then the Lordsaid to me: “Out of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land.

f. Jeremiah 1:15 For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord; “They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah.

2. Word

a. Joel 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

3. Burden

a. Habakkuk 1:1 The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.