Tag Archives: spiritual-gifts

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

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KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 14:3 ” But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort”.

Prophecy is a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit that He inspires one to give a message to other believers to edify, exhort, and comfort them.

Prophecy in this sense is different from foretelling or to predict. It does not come in an unknown language. It is always in the dialect of the audience or congregation.

The Bible says in 1st Corinthians 14:4 that “He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself but he that prophecies edifies the church”. Speaking in tongues would only build the individual up, but the one who gives a message in prophecy edifies the church. This means he builds the church up.

From our key scripture, prophecies come with the following purposes.

  1. To edify the church.
  2. To exhort the church
  3. To comfort or strengthen the church.

Any inspired word that does not play any of the above-stated purposes may be another gift or may not be a word from the Lord. Prophecies come to strengthen the church. Prophecies that cast fear on the congregation may not be inspired by the Spirit of God. Some people have used prophecies wrongly. Prophecies could, therefore, be abused. 1st Corinthians 14:29 says” Let the prophets speak two or three and let the others judge”. There is the need to consider prophecies when they are given, so you can judge, whether it meets the scriptural standard.

In certain meetings, two people may be prophesying at the same time. This should not be so. One of them must keep quiet. The spirit of the Lord is not a spirit of confusion. 1st Corinthians 14:32

A note of caution: Do not call yourself a prophet because the Holy Spirit inspires you to prophesy. A prophet is an office that God appoints for ministry and comes along with several gifts of the Holy Spirit. (We would look at the ministry of the prophet when we come to consider ministerial offices)1 Thessalonians 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.

PRAYER

Father, I pray for the stirring of the power of the spirit amid your children to allow the gift of prophecy to function and function properly in Jesus’ name.

FURTHER STUDIES.

1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints”.

1 Corinthians 14:5. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interprets, that the church may receive edifying”

INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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KEY SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 12:1″ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant”.

Spiritual gifts as the Holy Spirit led apostle Paul to write about in our key scripture, is one of the topics that have been very silent in other parts of the Bible although we see its manifestation throughout the Bible.

Our topic for discussion spans through 1st Corinthians 12:1-11. Verses 4 to 6 reveal the working of the Trinity or Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, Playing various roles in the functioning, administration and operation of the gifts. In verse 4 the Holy Spirit reveals the diversity of the gifts that is the different divisions of the Spirit. Our Lord Jesus sees to the different administration of the gifts. The administration is that different people having the same gift may administer it differently. The Father reveals the diversities of operations. Here the Father sees to the divers operations of the gifts.

These gifts are very important to the church of God. When the supernatural gifts are in operation, the church’s evangelistic work is greatly enhanced. “Every Christian must earnestly desire for the gifts”. 1st Corinthians 14:1″Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophecy”.

Please note this: these spiritual gifts are different from talents (a talent is a natural ability given to an individual by God. A talent could be operated at will. There are countless talents. Examples are singing, playing football, barbering etc. Spiritual gifts are divine abilities that are solely manifested by the Holy Spirit through a child of God The person can’t operate it at will) 1st Corinthians 12:7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal “.Note that they are the manifestations of the Spirit. The supernatural gifts are never from one’s ability, it is purely the Holy Spirit who manifests them at His will. There are nine spiritual or supernatural gifts in all. They are as follows:

  1. Word of wisdom (verse 8)
  2. Word of knowledge (verse 8)
  3. Discernment of spirits (verse 10)
  4. Divers kinds of tongues (verse 10)
  5. Interpretation of tongues (Verse 10)
  6. Gifts of prophecy (Verse 10)
  7. Gift of faith (Verse 9)
  8. Gifts of healing (Verse 9)
  9. Gift of working of miracle (Verse 9)

These gifts can be divided further into 3 groups.

  1. Revelational gifts: these include, words of wisdom, words of knowledge and discernment of spirits.
  2. Gifts of utterance: These include, divers kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues and gift of prophecy.
  3. Power gifts: these include, the gift of faith, gifts of healing and gift of the working of miracles.

In our subsequent studies, we would look at each gift, what it is and how it functions.

PRAYER

Lord, thank you for these supernatural gifts given to the Church of God. I pray that these gifts would be manifested in all congregations, to reveal your glory and power.

FURTHER STUDIES.

1 Corinthians 12: 6. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all”.

1 Corinthians 12:8. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit