THE GIFTED - PART THREE

WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 (ESV)

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

There are three steps to becoming expert users of the gifts of the Spirit.

1.) Discovery

2.) Development

3.) Deployment

Discovering gifts means knowing what they are and how they’re to be used. You can’t use what you don’t know is available to you. Studying these spiritual gifts begins with properly defining what they are and what they are not.

Developing them is necessary for their proper usage. They need nurturing and growth to become full-fledged weapons in your arsenal. These are tools for us to use to demonstrate the love of God to people through the Spirit given to us in many different manifestations.

Finally, we will discuss the deployment of these gifts. They are worthless in your pocket. The utterance gifts are especially important in this way. The word of wisdom that we discussed last week and the word of knowledge that we’ll discuss tonight are useless if they are not deployed out of your mouth.

It’s also vitally important that we never separate these spiritual gifts from the Spirit Himself. You cannot operate in the Spirit’s gifts apart from the leading of the Spirit and the overflow of a life lived led by the same Spirit.

We won’t see the gifts in operation apart from the Holy Spirit. As we discover these gifts in more detail and embark upon developing them for deployment, we can’t lose sight of the source of the gifts. He gives them as He wills (verse 11) and He does it for the common good (verse 7).

Lexham Theological Wordbook γνῶσις

γνῶσις (gnōsis). n. fem. knowledge. Designates cognitive knowledge of something, or that which is known.

The utterance knowledge that comes from the Spirit is different than an utterance of knowledge that comes from our own learning or understanding.

It’s important to note that knowledge can be acquired in different ways. There is a natural gaining of knowledge and understanding, but there’s also a spiritual one.

Within spiritual knowledge, though, it’s important to make the distinction between knowledge from the Holy Spirit and knowledge from another spirit.

There is knowledge and information that is known not just to God, but also to the enemy. This is how “psychics” and “mediums” operate. It’s through a spiritual connection, but not by the Holy Spirit.

How do we differentiate a word of supernatural knowledge from the Holy Spirit from one originating from another spirit?

1 Corinthians 13:8 (ESV)

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

The purpose of the gift of the utterance or word of knowledge is fulfilled once Jesus returns. In the mean time, it is a testimony of God’s love. Because it’s a demonstration of His love, a Spirit-inspired word of knowledge will not be one of condemnation. It will simply speak the truth in love.

It’s also necessary that we differentiate between the word of knowledge and prophecy.

Prophecy is divinely-inspired speech. It’s the telling forth of God’s message in a particular situation. Sometimes, it’s a foretelling of the future. We see this in the latter chapters of the book of Acts.

A word of knowledge is information that you could not otherwise know given to you by the Spirit in a moment. This is not how to pass a test without studying. It’s for the common good. It’s for others. It’s by the Spirit for the edification of others.

Operating in this gift of the Spirit comes from a place of being filled with the Spirit. We need to be in a place of continuously being filled with the Spirit in order to consistently walk in the fruit of the Spirit with the evidence of the gifts of the Spirit. Spiritual gifts are God’s expression of love for people through people.

Ephesians 5:18–21 (ESV)

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.