THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT III: THE GIFTS OF POWER

The Gifts of Power can be formally defined as supernatural abilities given to believers by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate God’s supernatural power, resulting in the exhortation of God’s beinghood, salvation from devilish principalities and power, fruitfulness in God’s service and the edification of God’s people.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth, before the Great Ascension, he displayed an indescribable manifestation of power in channels of healing, miracles, and faith. From the first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where he miraculously turned water into wine, to the healing of the ten lepers, making the lame walk and the opening of the eyes of the blind. And even more the miracle of faith where he fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes.

Theologically, there are about 37 miracles documented in the Gospel books, and there are a thousand more that went unrecorded.

Countless times, Jesus Christ broke the laws of nature with the performance of these miracles, proving that he was, is and will not be limited by the mortality of the world which he has power over.

Also Read: THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT II: THE GIFTS OF INSPIRATION

Furthermore, these miracles are not without meaning. Often the scriptures called them “Signs and Wonders”. They demonstrate God’s omnipotence and sovereignty, authenticate Jesus’ ministry, and reveal him to be the Messiah and Son of God.

Signs and Wonders serve as symbolic prophesies for the Kingdom of God that is to come, where all will live in the experience of the supernatural. The miraculous, wrought by these gifts, is the supernatural, defying the physics or science of nature for the materialization of the impossible. With God in us, we have the intrinsic power to do the impossible.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
John 14:12 KJV

Categories of Power

There are four categorizations of power in the Bible according to Greek etymology, and they are as follows:

Dunamis
Exousia
Kratos
Ischus

1. DUNAMIS

The word is used about 117 times in the New Testament. It represents an inherent ability, strength or power. It also means “to be able.” It is also the root word of English words like Dynamite, Dynamo, and Dynamic. In relation to physics, it can be defined as a “potential energy”—an intrinsic capacity of power to be worked into “kinetic energy.”

Consequently, Dunamis, by scriptural definition, is the intrinsic power connected to the supernatural work of God. It is most often the power made available to born-again and Spirit-filled Christians after redemption which can be accessed for the manifestation of marvels.

The implication of this is that the power wrought by dunamis is not only for accomplishment or activity but feats of colossal magnitude that inspire wonder in others. It most often punctuates as a symbol of believers’ walk with Jesus and their gospel witness to His power in reflecting it as in 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.“

Like dynamite, we all carry the explosive power of God inside us.

2. EXOUSIA

Used about 104 times in the New Testament, it represents delegated authority. This power was made available after the dispensation of the day of Pentecost when Jesus commissioned his disciples for their mission in Luke 9:1-2 – “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.”

He gave the disciples both dunamis and exousia respectively, that is, the ability necessary for their assignment, and the authority to use it. This means it is possible to be powerful but not be authorised to execute power. Exousia is thus activated power and dynamics is inert power. Note that exousia also means “permission to act.”

3. KRATOS

Used about 11 times in the New Testament, it primarily refers to spiritual strength. It is most often used in the Bible to describe a type of power that is driven by a spiritual influence or catalyst but manifests itself in the physical realm. It is a spiritual force of influence on circumstances. As gravity is a physical force, Kratos is a spiritual force.

This power is beyond that which one believes in intellectually or psychologically, it is both demonstrative and tangible. It is not hypothetical but real power. It always comes with some type of external, outward manifestation that one can perceive with his or her senses. It is an indomitable and irresistible kind of power. An excellent illustration of this is Jesus’ power over death. Jesus resurrected after the third days of his demise because death had no hold on him rather Jesus’ power was the gravity that held death down.

4. ISCHUS

Used about 9 times in the New Testament, it primarily refers to physical strength as Kratos, but is tended more towards the idea of brute force and is not entirely spiritual. An excellent illustration of this is the power Samson exhibited.

Manifestation of the Gifts of Power

Gift of Faith
Gift of Healing
Working of Miracles

1. GIFT OF FAITH

Scope:

This is a supernatural impartation of God’s kind of faith into the believer’s heart to be inspired and emboldened to speak and act in an unusual, uncommon, or unprecedented manner to accomplish God’s purpose in a situation that might have seemed entirely impossible. The scriptural definition of faith can be found in Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The Greek word for faith in the New Testament is Pistis. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8. This connotes a sense of certainty, assurance, trust of confidence in the object of faith which is God. Those with this gift exhibit strange boldness and authority by virtue of their faith. They can manifest in mighty acts.

Illustrations:

A manifest example of this gift in action is when Peter saw a lame man at the Beautiful Gate, and called him to stand up and walk. And the lame man did.

And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Acts 3:2-8

Faith is the fuel that engenders us to believe the unseen and do the impossible! With the gift of Faith, the impossible becomes achievable. Many of the heroes of faith who understood this mystery and put it into use are recorded in Hebrews 11. Foremost amongst the list of the heroes of faith is Abraham, who is referred to as the father of faith. Others include:

a. Abel

Hebrews 11:4 – By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

b. Enoch

Hebrews 11:5 – By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

c. Noah

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

d. Sarah

Hebrews 11:11 – Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

2. GIFT OF HEALING

Scope:

Charismata iamaton is translated as “Gifts of healings” in Greek. The exercise of this gift is in fulfilment of Jesus’ final promise to the disciples before his ascension. Matthew 10:8 – Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

The gifts of healing refer to the supernatural restoration of health by the power of God to those with a physical infirmity. These gifts are not medical knowledge rather, they are works enacted entirely by God Himself, the Greatest Physician. In Hebrew, Jehovah Rapha means the God Who Heals. Exodus 15:26 – “… for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”

These healings are also often restoration in the alignment of the spirit, soul, and body of a man. Because there are many ways that sickness can manifest in an individual, likewise, there are varieties of the gifts of healing.

Divine healing is a direct incentive of the atonement work of Christ when he died of the cross. By his stripes, we are healed no matter the variant of infirmities.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

Illustrations:

a. Apostle Peter healed a man named Aeneas.

Acts 9:32–34

And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

b. Peter also brought a woman named Dorcas, or Tabitha, back from the dead.

Acts 9:36-40

Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

3. WORKING OF MIRACLES

A miracle is an extraordinary occurrence that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws. It nullifies all logical explanations. Those who have this ability, through the power of the Holy Spirit, are able to bend the natural laws of this world. Excellent examples are the stories of Moses parting the Red Sea, Elisha dividing the Jordan River with his mantle and many more.

The purpose of the working of miracles is to bring glory to God through the building up and edification of the Church.