What are these gifts of the Spirit? How can you know that you have particular gifts of the Spirit? Can others give us an indication of what our gift is? What does the believer do with these gifts in the church? Are some gifts more important than others? Are the gifts of healing still being accessed today by believers? Is the gift of miracles still existent in the church today?
Each and every believer has been given by the Spirit of God, gifts of the Spirit. They are not gifts that they have developed my human capacities, therefore the believer has absolutely no right to brag on these gifts. If we exalt in our gifts, we are taking credit for something that we have not earned ourselves. It is like taking credit for a gift you receive on your birthday. It is just that; a gift that was not yours but given to your freely and it is given apart from any inherent capabilities that you have within you. It is not like changing the old hymn from How Great Thou Art to How Great I Am.
No believer can say that they have no gift of the Spirit from God. God has given all believers gifts; some have several but everyone has these gifts. These gifts of the Spirit are given not for the believer but for the Body of Christ. It is to make the Body complete. These gifts are intended for the church to edify it, to strengthen it, to feed it, to exhort it, to encourage it and to have the Body of Christ empowered to do the work of Christ. These gifts are always to exalt Christ, to witness of God’s power, to build up the Body, and to work to enlarge the Body of Christ by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost. There are several biblical tools and surveys that believers can use to discover their own gifts of the Spirit. These are helpful applications to allow the Christian to see what their gifts are and therefore how they can best help the church. No believer in Christ has any gift of the Spirit.
Isaiah 11:2-3 speaks of seven different spirits or gifts: “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord.
He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay (called discernment).” These are important gifts and some of them are similar to but different from the gifts of the Spirit that Paul talks about in the New Testament in I Corinthians chapter twelve. There are nine gifts of the Spirit mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians chapter twelve:
1) Word of Wisdom 2) Word of Knowledge 3) Faith 4) Gifts of Healing 5) Working of Miracles 6) Prophecy 7) Discerning of Spirits 8) Divers (or different) kinds of Tongues 9) Interpretation of (different) Tongues
This is not an exhaustive list of the gifts of the spirit, for example some are said to have the gift of mercy which is a person who is quick to forgive and not judge others who have sinned while others are not so quick to do so. God gives these gifts as He sees best and not what we think they are for (v 11). We can not receive gifts we are not intended to receive but we can desire certain gifts, indicating that we can receive gifts of the Spirit that may fulfill the desires of our hearts while still fulfilling God‘s purpose for them (v 31). Let’s examine what these gifts are and what is their intended use is for in the church today.
Romans chapter twelve has a similar listing of the gifts of the Spirit but I Corinthians chapter twelve is more comprehensive in nature. I Corinthians chapter twelve begin with Paul telling the Corinthian church, and for the most part, all believers in the church today. Paul wants to make these gifts crystal clear to us and so we will depend upon the inspired Word of God to reveal them to us (v 1).
Paul tells us that “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them” (v 4). No two gifts are the same and generally no two believers have exactly the same gifts but always these gifts are given for the common good of the church (v 7).
The Gift of Wisdom
The first gift Paul mentions is the gift of wisdom (v 8). It is listed first perhaps because it is foundational to the church and this is a gift that the believer can earnestly desire (v 31). Wisdom is clearly taught in the Word of God and “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 11:10). This is the precious gift that Solomon asked for and received from God to be able to rightly rule God‘s nation (I Kings 3:12). With this wisdom, Solomon could understand what do in difficult decisions. Wisdom is also associated with fearing the Lord. Fear is simply standing in awe of God in reverence and respect. It entails loving His Word and being obedient to what it says. There is no wisdom in disobedience. This means that if some members are revering God’s laws and statutes, including loving God and loving your neighbor, that many members in the church can have this gift. Of course, many can not have it either. This gift is of supreme importance for members in the Body of Christ for if we can love God and our neighbor, we can greatly contribute to the church and those outside of the church. This love is another way of showing unbelievers and attracting them to Christ by it (John 13:35).
The Gift of Knowledge
The next gift of the Spirit is that of knowledge (v 8). Some people have such a gift of remembering scriptures. They have knowledge of God and His ways. They seem to be able to quickly distinguish which is biblical and which is not. Some translations say it is the “Word” of knowledge while others say that it is the “utterance” of knowledge. The Word is most certainly the Word of God. The “utterance” of knowledge could indicate that those with the gift of knowledge know when to speak particular words, when not to, and what words to speak with. Both words seem to fulfill what true knowledge is. These with this gift make excellent teachers, deacons, elders, or pastors.
The Gift of Faith
The next gift of the Spirit Paul mentions is the gift of faith (v 9). Those with this gift are truly amazing in how they see things. They tend to exude confidence in all situations. For example, our church deacon has said about our church growth “when” it grows we will need more Sunday school books, while others say “if” we grow we will need additional books. I met an evangelist once that spoke about things as if they already had existed or had come to pass. He spoke about finances that God would provide while simultaneously have nothing to show for it in the church’s bank account. He would always later prove to be right. This is a person more like God. He sees things that aren’t as if they already are!
The Gift of Healing
The gift of healing has been a controversial one (v 9). Some “faith healers” claim to have this gift yet have often been exposed to be frauds by undercover reporters. Many of those “healed” have been interviewed prior to their supposed healing. Some tap the power of positive thinking to convince them that they are healed. Others have even used “scam artists” or actors to portray someone that has been healed from an infirmity that they never actually had. This gift was more prominent in the New Testament church to confirm that Jesus Christ’s name had power and that God was working in the church. I am not saying that people are still not healed today but the days of having someone’s shadow passing over them and they are instantly healed is over. The gift of healing may be in relations to the power of prayer and we know that the effectual prayer of a righteous man or woman can accomplish miracles (James 5:16). In any event, we must attribute any healing that is done is “…by that one Spirit“ and not by humans (v 9).
The Gift of Miracles
The gift of “miraculous powers“ is another gift of the Spirit that appears to be unique to the New Testament church (10). This may also be associated with faith healers who claim that that have the gift of miraculous powers but they must remember that any gift or its results are always credited to the spirit and not to humans. It could also be attributed to those who are prayer warriors. There is an elderly lady that I know I want her praying for me. I have had some pretty interesting results when this lady has prayed for me. I would call some of the things that have happened miraculous in some ways. The greatest miracles that occur today are, for the most part, the miracle of human conversion. I see this as the greatest miracle of all since only the Spirit of God can illuminate the Word of God and reveal to us Who Jesus Christ is (John 6:44, Matt 16:17).
The Gift of Prophecy (Speaking)
The next gift is that of prophecy (v 10). Prophecy has several different interpretations and it is clear that in this context, within the church at Corinth, prophecy is the gift of teaching and/or speaking. The literal translation here is that it is “publicly speaking” or “speaking forth” the Word of God. This gift is associated with those who are teachers or pastors since God would not gift someone in the church to teach or preach without having an ability to do so. It is not inferring that they know the future or know what is to come since only a sovereign God alone knows the future.
The Gift of Discernment
The gift of “distinguishing between spirits” is having the gift of discernment. It is able to discern scriptures and their application to believers in the church. It is also being able to tell whether someone is earnest and sincere, or they appear to have an agenda. Peter displayed this in Acts chapter five when Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property and kept back part of the money and brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet but lied saying they had given it all to the church (Acts 5:1-10). Those with this gift of discernment or “distinguishing between spirits” may be able to know whether the church should or should not do particular things.
The Gift of Tongues
The next gift is the ability to speak in different tongues (v 10). This has been one of the most controversial and most misunderstood gifts of all. When the original outpouring of the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, there were many speaking in tongues. Paul wrote about tongues extensively in 1 Corinthians, chapters twelve through fourteen, but he was reproving the Corinthians for misusing the gift. It’s very difficult out of this passage to get any kind of mandate to speak in tongues, to get any kind of affirmation that this is something to be sought, because what you have here are primarily corrective orders given to the Corinthians. They had actually prostituted the gift of tongues into something pagan that wasn’t even representative of the work of the Spirit. All you need to do is to go back to Acts 2 and read verse 4, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages”. The literal translation in Greek is “glossa” and means tongues. This same word “glossa” (language) is used again in Acts 2:11. This means it is a known language not some unknown tongue. Then it says (in Acts 2:5-11) that there were unbelievers present at Pentecost and were hearing God’s message in their own “dialektos” dialects or language: “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues” (dialektos or dialects)! So there were unbelievers present at Pentecost hearing God’s message in their own languages and their own local dialects, not ecstatic gibberish.
The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues
The next gift Paul mentions is the gift of interpretation of tongues (v 10). This gift is someone who is able to interpret another tongue or language. I am bilingual and can speak English and Spanish but I would not say that I have this gift necessarily. Some have a natural gift or ability to learn a foreign language. It was not natural nor did it come easy for me. For those who this is easy, then they may be imbued with such a gift. If anyone was speaking in tongues in the church, there absolutely had to be someone there to interpret or they were to be silent. And no more than one person was to speak in tongues because there is only one interpreter available to translate at a time. If several were speaking in tongues at the same time, there would be confusion and God is not the author of confusion, but He is the God of order (1 Cor 14:33). It would not be edifying the church to have several speaking in tongues at the same time and with no one to interpret. Tongues are a sign for unbelievers and not for the church. Paul writes, “In the Law it is written: ‘With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.’ Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers” (1 Cor. 14: 21-22). Isaiah 28:11-12 is where Paul quotes Isaiah the prophet, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, ‘This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.’” This clearly indicates that the gift of tongues (Greek for languages) and the interpretation of them is that of a known language as a witness to unbelievers.
Paul wants to make clear that we should not elevate one gift over another but esteem each and necessary for the completeness of the Body of Christ as Paul says in I Corinthians 12:12-23, “Now if the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.”
Other Gifts of the Spirit
Romans 12:7-8 also speaks of additional gifts; “if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” This shows that some are gifted at teaching, some at showing mercy, some in giving to the work of the Lord, and some who show an unusual amount of forgiveness (called mercy).
Ephesians 4:11 reveals yet more gifts as Paul indicates there are, “…apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.” Again teachers are mentioned, evangelists are those who are unusually gifted at sharing the gospel with the lost, pastors and prophets (again, this is those who proclaim the gospel). Apostles can no longer exist because by definition, they would be those church leaders who have been commissioned by the risen Christ and having been done so in His presence. Those who call themselves apostles have no such authority given by God and they are self-designated only, thusly disqualifying themselves as a true apostle.
Many Gifts, Many Members, One Body
Each and every church member is clearly a part of “… the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles (no longer in this church age), second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts“(I Cor. 12:28-31). I pray you not only seek and discover your gifts but that you utilize them to the strengthening of the Body of Christ, for which you are a part. If you are not, then today is the time to become part of Christ’s church because members of this body will live on into eternity.
Source,
The Holy Bible, New International Version
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what does the bible mean when it talks about praying in tongues?
Zhanna, thank you so much for visiting the website. I would suggest that you read this article to find out more on what the Bible says about tongues: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-speaking-in-tongues-a-biblical-analysis/
A “tongue” in the Bible is a word which means simply “a language”. The English language is a “tongue”, as are all the languages of the world. ( Genesis 10: 20,31, Revelation 7:9 & John 5:2 give good examples of this ).
The Bible does also make mention of “unknown tongues” in 1 Corinthians 14:2,
“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”
It is however, important to note that in almost every example the Bible gives of tongues taking place, they were not “unknown languages” that were spoken, but rather known languages of different nations. Verse 28 of I Cor 14 says ” But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.”
What people presume to be “praying in tongues” is actually praying in the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26 teaches us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20 mention “praying in the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 14:4-17 and verse 14 especially: “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.”
The conclusion seems clear. If there is no interpretation they should remain silent and when we pray we do so with the help of the Holy Spirit because “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Rom 8:26).
I hope that helps or answers your questions Zhanna. Please visit us again and thank you.
The Gifts of Tongues is a heavenly language which is a gift to the Believers from GOD. Before, trying to teach on Spiritual Gifts, or replying to this message, I suggest inquiring of God. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. All gifts of the bible are still in use for building the church. In love and peace through Jesus Christ.
Hi thank you for your article. it is very informative. However, i beg to differ on a few points as relates to the gift of prophesy and praying and speaking in tongues. The Bible is very consistent on prophesy and people who prophesied were called prophets. Prophets spoke through revelation from God on events to come. You are right only God holds the key to the future but he reveals to His people through the prophet e.g. Jeremiah, Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Zechariah, remember prophetess Anna? Anyway God revealed things to the prophets of what was to come both encouragements and warning and this is a very important gift to the body of Christ. Its important should not be down played. Elisha the prophet also had this gift among other during the times of the Kings and that’s why they would be consulted by the Kings on what God’s word was whether to go into battle or not. Some ways that this prophesies occured varied and included but were not limited to dreams(Joseph, Daniel), visions, direct revelation as in what happened with Elisha in 2Kings3:15-17. in the new testament it happened several times and in several ways like the whole book of Revelations is a prophetic book. so prophesy is not preaching because in the five fold ministry all the evangelists, Pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets are preachers by the very definition of preaching. So prophesy is a different gift from public speaking. in the new testament we see people who God spoke to in dreams to warn them about events to come directly affecting them and indirectly the church. from Joseph the husband of Mary to Paul and others. these are also gifts and we see that there were others who also could interpret dreams but like Joseph rightly put it in Geneisis 41 “it is not in me God will give you the answer that brings you peace”. when it comes to praying tongues you are right and it is important that people pray to God and not use it as a way to show of. The Holy Spirit when we allow Him authority during prayer both reveals to us God’s will so we can pray right and also help us pray right and according to God’s will. Some of this will be unknown tongues. Some of the unknown tongues can be used in revelation/prophesy but as you rightly indicated. The only way this of God is if interpretation will be provided because it does not edify the church in anyway. but prayer is between God and the person praying. but we are not limited to pray in tongues but obviously we should take note of Christs warning on vain repetitions and public display of piety which the pharisees and sadly some people still do today. I am open to correction if i am wrong. Thanks.
Where in the Bible does it say that prophecy still happens today? I know verses that say that if somone speaks in tongues that it should be translated… I have a friend who believes some confusing stuff so I am trying to find out as much as I can about this. Thanks!
I don’t know where or if it says in the Bible that it still happens today, but recently my friends have had some experience with it. I go to college, and this past weekend my friends went to Minneapolis (I was too busy to go) to hang out with other friends and to go street evangelizing, talking to people and praying for them. A student from that area wanted to go evangelize with them, but was really busy, so she prayed about it and God sent her a vision that a blonde girl with a leopard print jacket would talk to her at 12:20, and that the blonde girl was having troubles with her dad. The student then decided to go, and while there she was talking to a guy and at 12:20 a blonde girl with a leopard print jacket walked up to her and asked her if she could use the student’s phone, because she could not find hers (she thought it was most likely stolen.) The student felt compelled to ask her if she was having troubles with her dad, and the girl broke down crying right there. They talked and eventually exchanged numbers, and are going to meet next week and talk some more!
Incredible Aaron. I truly believe that may have been the Holy Spirit for we can not put God in a box or limit the power of God the Holy Spirit. What truly pleased me is that your friends where going out to evangelize and to pray for them. Oh how I wish this were happening more often. I am overjoyed that someone would go out into the streets to evangelize. Truly this is the will of God and this girl may have come to saving faith by then or later next week due to this effort to go into all the world (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). I sense that you also evangelize. I must tell you this fills me with more joy than using a hundred gifts of the Spirit (if there were that many) than to save one single soul, at the least. Thank you for sharing this powerful testimony to the power of God. Please do keep us informed about this girl after the meeting next week and please do return again soon to comment. Thank you and I thank God FOR you Aaron.
Discovering this website has been a gift for me. I thank God for giving me a platform to share/learn in His word. I agree with Willis on the issue of prophecy. I’m saved and i attend a congregation that believes in the Holy Trinity, that Jesus died and rose again and that He will come again as He promised, we believe the Bible is the truth of God. Regarding the gifts i agree on most of what Jack said however regarding prophecy this is what we believe. There are members of our church who we believe have the gift to foresee events in the future that affect the church or an individual’s life. At first i had a lot of reservations and doubt but i have witnessed events that show that indeed there are pple who have such a gift (only problem is some do not do so by God’s spirit thus the need for those with the gift of discernment). An example is of a young man who stood up to lead the church in song, as he sang the first line a brother in Christ asked him not to lead. At that point we did not understand why and the young man displayed his displeasure. As the service came to a conclusion we came to the time where those who want to share prophesies do so. The young man was told that through God’s Spirit there had been instruction that he was not to lead the church because he needed to confess and repent from ‘stealing from his wife”. The shock on his face was so obvious and yes he agreed in not so many words he was having an adulterous affair even though he was recently married. At this point the elders in the church pray with and counsel the young man BUT importantly encourage him to pray to God and maintain a relationship with Him in order that he overcomes temptation.
I have heard a lot of controversial responses from friends regarding such prophecy but i believe God still speaks to us through phophecy even today.
I would love to hear from anyone who may have had other experiences.
Priscilla, thank you for your comment. About prophesying being a gift of knowing something about someone at the time, like the young music leader. That was not prophecy since it was not predicting the future. The New Testament word prophecy is Greek and does not mean a future prediction as used in Hebrew in the Old Testament. A good Greek and Hebrew Lexicon will show you that.
Well over 95% of biblical scholars and theologians, and almost 100% of seminary professors (Chicago Statement of Beliefs) says that the term prophesying the New Testament writers do not mean the gift of foretelling the future, but as in 1 Corinthians 14:3 the science of the interpretation of Scripture, so that a prophet is the interpreter of the divine will… Let us understand prophesying to mean the interpretation of Scripture applied to the present need.[1]
The gift of prophecy that is now in the church is something different. Kenneth Gangel writes, “The gift of prophecy is congregational preaching which explains and applies God’s [written] revelation.”[2] Rick Yohn concurs: “The major responsibility of the gift of prophecy today is to study and interpret the Word of God…”[3]
A consensus is emerging that the distinctive factor of the gift of prophecy is the element of revelation. James Reisling notes on 1 Corinthians 14:26, “The use of apokalupsis instead [of prophetia] suggests that Paul wanted to stress the nature of prophecy as revelation against teaching… Prophecy receives its content through revelation, teaching from tradition.”[4]
The Christian prophet is a “spokesman for God,” much as Aaron was for Moses before Pharaoh (Ex 4:15-17; 7:1),[5] one who speaks what he hears by revelation rather than from his own mind.
[1] John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries: The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans and to the Thessalonians (Tr. Ross Mackenzie; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960), p. 376f. On 1 Corinthians 12:28 he writes (Calvin’s Commentaries: The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians [Tr. John W. Fraser; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960], p. 271),
[2] Kenneth O. Gangel, You and Your Spiritual Gifts (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), p. 64. He gives a similar definition in his more recent book, Unwrap Your Spiritual Gifts (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983), p. 38. See also Kurt Koch, Charismatic Gifts (Montreal: The Association for Christian Evangelism [Quebec] Inc., 1975), pp. 111.
[3] Rick Yohn, Discover Your Spiritual Gift and Use It (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1974), p. 57.
[4] James Reisling, “Prophecy, the Spirit and the Church,” in Prophetic Vocation in the New Testament and Today, p. 70. This distinction is noted by many scholars including Gerhard Friedrich, “prophetes,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament [abbreviation TDNT], eds. G. Kittel and G. Friedrich, trans. G. W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, ET 1964-1974 [1933-1972]) VI, pp. 848, 853f; Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., “The Gift of Prophecy in Acts and Paul, Part I,” Studia Biblica et Theologica 5 (March 1975), p. 36; Wayne Arden Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians 12-14, unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Cambridge, 1978 (now published as The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians [Washington, D.C: University Press of America, 1982, with different pagination.]), pp. 139ff; and James D. G. Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975), pp. 186, 228, 237. See also R. B. Y. Scott, “Is Preaching Prophecy?” Canadian Journal of Theology 1 (1955), pp. 11-18. Ernest Best, (“Prophets and Preachers,” Scottish Journal of Theology 12 (1959), p. 145) comments on “the way in which the New Testament writers (and Judaism generally) regarded the prophets of the Old Testament. To them they were essentially foretellers and their predictions were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, i.e., for them a primary element in prophecy is prediction… It would be surprising if when they used the term ‘prophet’ they did not immediately think of the revelation of the future.”
[5] Bruce Yocum, Prophecy: Exercising the Prophetic Gifts of the Spirit in the Church Today (Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1976), p. 31; and E. Earle Ellis, “Prophecy in the New Testament Church–And Today,” in Prophetic Vocation in the New Testament and Today, p. 56.
If you believe this, then this goes against the Early Church Tradition, the teaching of the Early Church Fathers, and most modern day scholars, theologians, and seminaries in the U.S.
It concerns me when you say the day of someone’s shadow healing someone is over. I would say that likely the day of someone having the faith of Peter or Charles Finney for that matter sadly may be over. However, I am pursuing that level of faith and asking for the power that goes with it… that God might be glorified and souls stunned into submission. Who told you it was over?
Thanks Tim…I didn’t say it was over exactly but if someone can heal by their shadow or by miracle healing today like Peter and Paul, I would love to see them go into all the hospitals and children’s hospitals and empty them. It concerns me when some think they are healing but it is God alone Who heals and He does it to glorify Jesus Christ and not any man. The day you have this power of healing, please get a camera and go to the hospitals. I would love to see it.
Someone once said after seeing the Vatican treasury that “surely the church can no longer say Silver and Gold have I none” but someone replied “neither can it say ‘but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk’.” Jesus said that we would do greater than things than what He did and with the faith of a mustard seed move mountains in ours and others lives. The main issue is what I call religious christianity. Christ didn’t preach religion but a kingdom. He spoke against the Pharisees and Sadducees whom He called hypocrites and vipers. They were the religious who though they did understand the letter of the law they didn’t understand not the spirit of it. They had a form of godliness but denied the power thereof. I mean they believe that Jesus was using sorcery. They could not see the fulfillment of the Messiah because though the read scripture they did not understand it. They used human wisdom and not Godly wisdom. The truth were hidden from them because the things of God are spiritually discerned. God’s ways are higher than ours and His thoughts greater than ours. It’s not about being a professor or a doctor of theology. If you lack the Spirit of God you will not understand it. The Bible says that God uses the babes to shame the wise. Jesus says that unless we come as little children we will not enter the KINGDOM of Heaven. Listen it’s not about religion but simply about a kingdom. He came as a King but His kingdom was not of this world. Problem is the church became exactly what Christ came to preach against. It became religious. That is why ‘christians’ killed to propagate the religion. the persecuted anyone opposed to it. they forgot that the greatest among them had to be the servant of all. they instead lorded it over people to do things their way. Church politics and rivalry set it. all this against what Christ prayed for; The unity of the church. The church has become a source of hurt to many people and has conformed to worldly standards of governance. Bringing democracy in the church where people are free to have their sexual preference regardless of what the Bible says. They have used their professors to prove that song long us something is done in love then it is right. if a man is in love with another man then since love is involved then we ignore what scripture clearly calls sin. anyway Jesus said that we should seek first the KINGDOM of God and His righteousness and ALL this things will be added. Including the gifts of miracles to drive out demons, raise the dead, heal the sick, and see the future all through the Name and for the Name of our Lord. Seek the Giver and not the gift. God bless you.
I’d like to start off by saying thanks to you Jack for writing this! It was very helpful on a few things. What you wrote though, underneath healing, concerns me. I have been a Christian all my life..but in the past year I have came to know God for real. And God’s days of someone being healed by their shadow or by miracle healing today, is not over with. Did you know that at the Jesus Culture seminar this past summer many people were healed? A man that had been in a wheelchair his whole life, got up and walked after being prayed for. A man who had a bullet in his back, and couldn’t afford to remove it, was prayed over, and the bullet dissapeared right then and there. Praise the Lord! Over in Africa, there’s a man who has raised babies from the dead. Right after they die, he will walk around with them and pray over them, and some of the time, they come back to life! How amazing is that? I do very much back up your point that these works were not done by us, but by the Lord! God is still healing people today. And in your comment above, We can walk into hospitals and walk around and heal people, and get on camera, but again, no one ever said it was “us” who had the power to do it. It is through our Savior, Jesus Christ. In fact, there is a video on youtube of a group of high school students praying over people at DisneyWorld. They healed quite a few people over the span of 4 hours. How great is our God. People have been healed just by the presence of the Lord, without being prayed for at all. I ask, that you please change that the days of miraculous healing are over. Because they aren’t and they never were, and for new comers in Christ, well I would hate for them to think that. Well, that is all, I have to say. God bless you.
Oh yeah, and that youtube i was talking about above, its got 4 parts, and its on hannahfordmusic’s page. One, actually has it caught on camera, a mans leg/foot grow out an extra few inches..(his legs weren’t the same length, so he wasn’t able to walk)..Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.
Emily, thank you again for such a great point. I am not saying that healing is over for this age but that if anyone has such a gift for healing, I would love to see them go to the Children’s hospitals, to Cancer Wards, to ICU’s and such and this would be the true test…Jesus came and healed all He came in contact with but I have doubts that any human can heal every person they come into contact with. If they can, then get a TV network and send them out to empty all the hospitals. The proof would be there. The Apostle Paul asked three times to be healed and God told him “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Could we think that Paul’s faith was weak and therefore he wasn’t healed? We can be healed by miracles yes, but it is God Who does the healing…the greater miracle is a person become born-again and living for eternity and never dying. Everyone that is healed will die again but he or she who receives eternal life in Jesus can live for eternity someday.
Great, great discussion on healing and prophesy.
I have enjoyed reading all of your points of view and I am encouraged to study these topics more in depth.
Thank God for this amazing website and for brothers and sisters in Christ. God is good.
I thank you so much Summer and I thank you so much for your fine comment. I have discovered that the more I study the Word of God (Bible), the more I realize just how much I don’t know yet. God bless you and thank you for visiting us and your uplifting and edifying comments. Your comments did much for me my friend. Please come back again, soon I hope! Thank you.
I must say that I cannot agree with all your comments as they are written but I will definitely give you credit for having a backbone to stand for Jesus in these last days. May I make a suggestion? As a teacher, it is very common for me to pay close attention to the wording of a sentence or group of sentences. In the future, perhaps you could pay close attention to the wording and it might save some confusion. The most common example is your thought about the gift of healing. I have interpreted the discussion to mean that you believe healing can still happen but not necessarily in the same extent as that of Peter’s shadow. I agree healing is to glorify our Lord and Savior but I would like to add one point. In red letters (Jesus spoke it), He said “greater works than these shall you do”. We have the same Holy Spirit in us that was in Jesus and one who has the gift of healing can exercise it and miracles will happen. Jesus gave instructions for His disciples to do these works and it still happens today through that same Holy Spirit for that one purpose to glorify Jesus Christ. One who has such gifts must also use wisdom and obey God because it doesn’t mean that every person he/she prays for will be healed. I have that gift in my life and have seen many miracles in our church and ministry. But that doesn’t mean I can automatically go to the hospital and heal everyone there. Besides, if I tried that, I would be like Paul and Silas and inside the jail because by the time I made it to the 2nd or 3rd floor, with the hospital personnel realizing they were going out of business and fixing to lose their jobs, I’m sure they would have me arrested. It’s called using wisdom and obedience. When God speaks and tells me to pray for someone at the hospital or anywhere – even in Wal-mart, the person is healed because I have acted out of obedience. Don’t get me wrong. If God told me to go to the hospital and pray for every sick person there then I would do it. So far God hasn’t put that on my to-do list.
Thank you Karen. I agree that we “believe healing can still happen but not necessarily in the same extent as that of Peter’s shadow.” I can live with that. I frequently visit the hospitals and even did so today and prayed but God does not heal every person and chooses for Himself that prerogative. God refused to heal Paul even though he asked God three times but God said, “My grace is sufficient (enough) for you.” If God told you to go to the hospital and pray for every sick person, I am sure you would do it.
I thank God for women of prayer like you who are obedient in praying for the sick. The greatest healing comes from a person receiving eternal life because a person that is healed will again, eventually, die and one who is born again, even though they die, will live for eternity. The Great Commission is therefore the greater work and given 5 times by Jesus and an imperative command and the last thing He told the disciples (i.e, Act 1:8, Matt 28:18-20). It was not to go into all nations and heal the sick but to preach the gospel. Praying for healing is wonderful, praying for a human soul to be converted and to share the gospel is the thing that has more eternal implications – do you not think? Thank you Karen.
I agree with you Karen, Jesus gave us power to do greater things than He did. And I dont have to see it done on camera to believe it. For the bible declares that we walk by faith and not by sight. If God said it then I just believe it. I see Jack’s point of view also about going in to hospitals and heal the sick. Jack just because no one has done it does not mean it can’t be done. With God ALL things are Possible. Jack, you don’t have a prayer problem, you have a faith problem. I believe that even the shadow or a anointed man or women of God can heal the sick or raise the dead. the bible says it and God watches over His Word to Perform it. God’s word shall not return unto Him void, but accomplish that which He sent it. the problem is not that it cant be done in these times, but the problem is finding someone who believes without doubting and it shall be done. We as Christians should be living to be that one that God can use.
If today someone’s shadow can heal the sick then I have never seen it. I am not saying that healing still does not occur nor did I say this. God can not be put into a box. Jesus said that we will do greater things than He did and healing is wonderful but even the person healed will die again. The person that is born-again will never die. Which is the greater? How do you know the depth of my faith. My faith is as great as the object that I place it in and it is in Him and there is no greater object of faith than Jesus Christ. Which is greater: to heal temporarily in this life or to share the gospel so that a person may have eternal life?
This is my very first time to read this website & i believe it was not coinscidence but i have been going through a lot in my life & i need the spiritual fulfilment ,this website has shown me a lot & given me faith when i was about to give up, iwould like updates send via email & quotes from the bible too on a regular basis. Thank you all for opening my spiritual eyes & seeing that if GOD is with me no one can be against me…
Nyasha, thank you so much for your kind remarks. I am glad that you hunger and thirst for the Word of God and to learn more about God. If you would like updates, please visit the link on the top where it says “Free Updates.”
Also, you can subscribe to our newsletter and get a free copy of our new ebook, “15 Questions Christians Want To Know”. Just click on the eBook and send us your name and email address you will receive free updates. Thank you for your visit today and please come back again soon Nyasha.
Thank u so much Jack, for the uncompromising truth. God bLess you
Hi Hanzo. Thank you so much for your kind words. I don’t often get as encouraging words as you have given me so I truly want to thank you and please return again soon if you can.
I have a question, do any of these gifts include seeing spirits? Becuase sadly, or whatever, I can. Or atleast I think I can. Could you give me your input? Thanks
Hello Diana. Thank you for your question. I have not seen written anywhere in the Bible where a person has the gift or received the gift of seeing spirits. There is no such thing. You said, “you think you can” so does this mean you believe you can or you have actually seen them? In either case, spirits are not composed of physical matter, just like the Holy Spirit, they are invisible. Please let me know more of what you saw or think you saw, because no such gift exists that the Bible speaks about.
Thank you for visiting us.
Hello how are you? Yes I agree totally on staying with the word of God. And in His word, Jesus our Lord and Saviour of this world preaches a lot on faith. Faith is believe and trust, and it is a duty. The reason why things are like they are today is simple because there is no more faith, and it is forsure in our Churches. Faith in our Churches today are, How much money is going into the baskets. Things we can see and feel, like statues and so fourth. We put our trust in Doctors more than Jesus. Jesus has been teaching me a lot about faith and just trusting Him and only Him for everything I need. That He will take care of it and not to worry. Like He says in His word Dont Worry.. I believe in the Gospels of Christ Jesus and I also believe that Jesus has risen and has all power in His hand! And I love the faith of all of you on this website! You are right just like when Jesus said to His discples- I tell you the truth. If you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree and even more. You will be able to say to this mountain. Go, fall into the sea. And if you have faith, it will happen. We as preachers and teachers and so fourth should be speaking the truth. To have Faith in Christ Jesus only and to know that He is alive and His words are so powerful if we just would believe as He does things would happen for us with no doubt in our hearts about you He says He is and what He is capable of doing. The spirit of truth is in us and we need to speak it and put it into action. God bless all of you in Christ Jesus our Lord. Praise Jesus!
Thanks for your teaching on the gift of the spirit, I believed that it was a good start for anyone that is fascinated with this topic. I was just researching for some material on this topic to teach when I found your article. The only comment that I have about some of your ideas about these teaching is that you seem to have a religious belief about these topic, and most of your comments about this topic is based on your perspective; maybe your denominational belief. Paul writing in one of his epistle said that the gospel of Christ is not in words alone but in the demonstration of the power of the spirit, I will think that instead of discrediting the manifestation of these gift in some Christian circle because of some disgruntled fake believers, a sincere christian should desire the full manifestion of these gifts in there lives so that he or she can be a more effective witness of Christ.
Interpretation of tongues needs some major revision. Contact if necessary.
The section on interpretation is very wrong. It is not to do with earthly tongues, but glossolalia. It is the gift to interpret those who speak in tongues. The tongue is one which only God understands.
i like this post, but i have a question. I know people still recieve the Holy Spirit, but do people recieves these gifts anymore? Because i was reading a different post were the guy said that these gifts were only mean’t for the people of those times, who didn’t have the entire Bible to look at. He them claims that 1 Corinthians 13:12 goes with James 1:25 as in when the Bible is finished no one will recieve these gifts anymore. But i couldn’t help but think of Acts 2:17-21 where God says that in the last days He will pour out His Spirit on people and they will have dreams and prophesy. Please help, I do feel that we are able to still recieve these gifts, but i don’t want to be wrong about this.
Hello Wyatt. Thank you sir for your comment and question. First Cor 13:12 says, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” James 1:25 says, “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” I do not see a connection of these two myself.
As for Acts 2:17-21, “‘In the last days, God says,I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women,I will pour out my Spirit in those days,and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This is a quote from Joel 2:28-32. This in fact came true for Peter who saw a vision, Paul say a bright light which was Jesus and many of these early Christians and apostles saw visions and dreamed dreams so this came true and speaks much about Pentecost but so much more. The main thing is that God still gives gifts to men and women and every Christian has at least one gift, if not more, but not every Christian has all gifts and it appears that some gifts were particularly for the early church.
Please are you saying tongues without interpretations are not needed or useful. thanks
Thank you for commenting Francios. I believe that unless someone knows what it being said, tongues in church are useless, according to what Paul has written, as Paul says in 1 Cor. 14:27-28 “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.” Does this make sense Francios?
Excellent article … lots of insights.
Thank you Nanci for you gracious comment. I am still a student too…and lots to learn still yet. Thank you for visiting us here. Please come back again soon.
Hi! I have seen people who are in church and they just start speaking in tongues and was wondering how so? I thought that your spirit will lead you to do so. I dont feel comfortable just openly speaking in tongues unless the spirit moved me. Is it possible that people are just speaking these words on there own?
Hello Nakia. Thank you for your comment and for visiting us. I truly believe it is possible that at least some are speaking these words on their own. In fact, I have heard from many who later told me and interviewed with other evangelicals that they did so because they felt pressured and people tried to make them feel inadequate if they did not speak in tongues…or that they were not filled with the Spirit enough or spiritual enough and one person criticized them by saying, “What’s wrong with you!” This person is no longer in that church today and is an outstanding Christian leader in a different church as an elder and has never been more joy-filled. By your not feeling comfortable this might mean that you would feel more comfortable in another church for tongues or churches that emphasize this are not for everybody as the Apostle Paul asked this question: “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet I shew unto you a more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12: 29-31)
hi i need some assistence i have been praying to the lord jesus about a gift of knowing i had as a child the more i prayed for the lord to take it away it increased i have led people to become closer to god and give insperation i use to charge for this which was wrong i would still like to charge to give money to the ministies and missionairys so they can do there work for god this is truley why i think god has given this ability to me like i said people said it was wrong and i asked god to take away this ability but it has only increased i even had a exorsism done and when asked who is responsible for this gigt my reply was lord jesus if anything it seems since i become closer to jesus this gift increases please help i am trying to do right and it seems the more i pray to god the more this ability increases along with my love for the lord and the feeling of helping the father however i can i asked jesus when i was 8 years old to give me a job to help him and did not know what that meant untill a dove came to me when i was still in my 20 am i going to go to hell because of this gift that jesus seems to increase sorry for bothering you i dont know were to go
Hello Joanna. Thank you for visiting the website. I am guessing that your gift is to be able to read minds? Or to see the future? I am not sure what this gift is. Let me say that no believer in Jesus Christ can be possessed so I don’t know why you had to have an exorcism. Who performed the exorcism? Was it a Christian, a priest, a pastor? They should already know that no Christian can be possessed by evil spirits or the devil. See this article: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/can-christians-be-demon-possessed-a-biblical-analysis/ Please let me know.
I feel that you may not be truly saved and if that is the case, please click on the link above where it says “Come to Jesus” and please keep in touch and let us know what happens or if you are truly saved for no believer can be possessed and Jesus nor should any believer use a gift like you are describing to help missionaries. If you feel you want to answer confidentially, click the “Contact” link at the top of this website and we will help you privately. God bless Joanna.
thank you for your kindness and support yes i am saved and love god and jesus very much i was just confused thank you
God bless Joanna….I am so glad you replied for I was concerned for you as a sister-in-Christ but good to know that you are saved. Amen!
Sir I think you are very wrong in your article.Miracles still do happen.I am a living proof.this had nothing to do with positive thinking .I was diagnosed with a terminal disease. i was dying.Medical doctors had given up on me.I was in a lot of pain. One day a friend took me to their church.I have already accepted Jesus into my life and was of the a denomination which like you did not believe in miracles.However in my friends church Jesus was not some mental knowledge. He was Alive and the presence of His Spirit could be felt. How you might ask? well for the first time I actually believed that Jesus is still in the healing business. He is the same today,yesterday and tommorow. The pastor prayed a simple prayer for me in Jesus Name. Immediately the pain left. I felt as if something came out of my body.I vomitted some strange substance and since then i have been free
Thank you Ben for your comment. I did not actually say that miracles are still not happening today. I am glad you are proof of them. I actually said that one lady who prayed for me showed me that miracles still do occur today. I believe the greatest miracles today that happen are that of human conversion, while not discounting other miracles. We were once blind but now can see, we were dead in our sins, but made alive by Christ, we were children of the devil but now children of God. God bless and am so glad you experienced a miracle as I truly believe they do occur today for I can not put God in a box or limit the Mighty God. Thank you for your comment sir.
well done this is really great. thank you so much
Thank you Gilbert for your comment and encouragement. I do hope you can return again soon. There are enough negative comments from believers so yours was so refreshing.
Sir, Jesus himself did not do many miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief, Matthew 13:58 so when you suggest someone with the gift of healing take a camera to hospitals to heal the sick I think may need to put that in consideration. God is truely awesome, he createds the whole universe we cannot fully comprehend but our doubt llimits and not God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever more. He is still very much in the healing business. Yes it is greater to have our salvation because a healed person will still die, but I believe in the context where Jesus said greater works than these will u do, He was refering to the miracles He performed. I belive it is Gods will for usd to live life to the fullest on earth and in heaven there after. We need to read and receive Gods word as He intended it not as scholars and professors sir. I believe it is important to ask God to interprete the message of His word to us and not go in search of what mans opionions. Lastly, I hope you come to Nigeria and see dumbfounding miracles take place, then you will be convinced that the days of healing and the miraculous are still here. Blessed is he who does not see evidence but believes – just because Jesus said so
Thank you for your comment. No where in this article have I said that God is not still doing miracles nor can we or should we put God in a box and limit Him. I too believe that we should not interpret the Word of God to fit our own beliefs. I do not need convincing that God is still healing by miraculous means but not everyone can be healed by just claiming it. Whatever is God’s will is the priority, not whoever we believe should be healed.
2 Cor 12:8-10 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Do you believe Paul’s faith was too weak so that He was not healed? No, God has a purpose for not healing everyone but He still does miraculous healings today, I have no doubt.
Jack sure this is not by accident i have been praying for doors to open especially on my spiritual life, God’s favour on wisdom, the 7 spiritual gifts, that i get funding and publisher to publish the five books i have written that God gives me wisdom to start a project and i vow to give 5o % of profits to KIngdom financing. deliver my two boys. that this is my year of occupying and restoration.
I too thank God for you and that God will continue to open doors for you Sarduzai. I pray that God will direct you to a publisher. There are many self-publishers out there and CreateSpace.com is among the best from Amazon.
Glory to God to get an experience publisher who can also help me climb the ladder
God bless you
I have enjoyed reading the comments as well. This is a very interesting and challenging subject about prophesy and healing. I agree with jack in the fact that i such person has the gift of healing then the hospitals should be empty, although i have seen God heal people right in front of me using one of his servants, we know that this dosent always happen. We speak about miracles, but to me the greatest miracle was and will always be that Jesus Christ saved me and healed my heart and delivered from addiction when no one else could. Our job is to pray and preach the gospel and believe that God will heal people according to his will.!!!!!!!!!!!!God bless you all
Mr. Garcia….awesome post. Truly you have found the authentic priority here sir: “Our job is to pray and preach the gospel and believe that God will heal people according to his will.!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Amen and amen to that! For many it is the “great omission” but I sense that the gospel for you is the “Great Commission” and for that I thank God for you sir. I think you are also spot on the mark with your comment.
how does one recieve the gift of speaking in tongues.
Hello Gabriel. All gifts of the Spirit are from God and He gives to each different and various gifts. We can not ask for a gift if it is given, otherwise it is not a gift. As Paul said in Romans 12:3-8, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
I know alot will disagree with me here, but I feel like, if chosen, god grants certain ones with special abilities. I had a dream and heard a low humble voice. I saw waves, covered with fire. but something told me it was humble, not fierce or negative. Just peace, and Passionate with warmth. I heard this voice say in spanish, “Don’t worry, its under control “Mijo” (in spanish this can me, nephew, or son, or just a term of loved family youngster). And then I heard a popular old mexican song, and I ended up whistling it and my mom knew right away what it was. I never met my grandpa because he was involved with the wrong drug croud, and they shot him. I’m going through recovery, keeping in touch with my higher power, and just figuring out who I truly am as a person… The “Phrase” the voice said, is my Datta’s (grandpa) line for everything when family would get stressed. The song I heard, was his favorite song. Not only did it impact me by making me that much closer, and faithful in god, but it showed my mom a sign of hope too… Any thoughts you guys? And I dont care if you dont believe, but the ones who truly do show an interest in my experience, please share because I want to know more! I’m infatuated with this new direction of my life..
i already received the holy spirit. so i have a question that holy spirit will gives us all the gifts???
Rens, thank you for your question. Yes, you have already received the Holy Spirit since you are a Christian because you can not be a Christian and not have Him, otherwise no one could call themselves a Christian. Every single believer in Christ has gifts of the Spirit, no doubt. There are no Christians who do not have at least one or more.