The Gifts of Revelation
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:8-12 KJV
In our last discourse, we began a study on the person of the Holy Spirit, in this article, we shall be dissecting one of the major categories of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: The Gifts of Revelation.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are charismatic and extraordinary graces or capacities endowed on Christian believers, distinguished from the grace of sanctification. They can neither be earned but are freely given. The Greek words “pneumatika” employed originally in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in the first verse of 1st Corinthians 12 translates to mean “things of the Spirit”, “spirituals” or “spiritual gifts.” “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” – 1 Corinthians 12:1.
In subsequent verses, Apostle Paul uses the words diakonia [translated as “administrations”, “ministries”, “service”] and energemata [“operations” or “inworkings”] in describing the nature of the spiritual gifts. The term phanerosis symbolizes the manifestation of the Spirit.
These gifts, highlighted in the New Testament, primarily in the Pauline Epistles from 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14, Romans 12, to Ephesians 4 are cemented by the prophecy foretold by Prophet Joel:
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joel 2:28
In similar parlance, the administration of spiritual gifts is reiterated by Christ’s promise in Mark 16:17 – “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”
Categorically, they can be divided into three arms namely the Priestly; the Prophetic and the Kingly gifts. Of the priestly gifts are the gifts of revelation which operate from the mental sphere of God’s mind translating into man’s and are commissioned for the edification of the church and extolment of God.
The word “Revelation” is a translation of the Greek word apokalypsis which means the removal of a veil so that something can be seen. Thus, these gifts are called revelatory gifts because each one of them reveals something.
The gifts of revelation is the supernatural revelation by the Holy Ghost of certain facts in the mind of God.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Ephesians 4:11-13 KJV
Also Read: THE HOLY SPIRIT: An Introductory Presentation
They are outlined as follows:
1. Word of Knowledge
This refers to a supernatural revelation of hidden facts about the cosmos and its inherent entities by the Holy Spirit from the mind of God. This alludes to God’s All-knowing attribute (omniscient). Through the Holy Spirit, man can gain access to the library of knowledge of God’s mind. The Word of Knowledge can be manifested in diverse forms ranging from an audible voice
1 Kings 19:12 – And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice… (which oftentimes requires a sensitive ear)
Or visions
Acts 9:10 – And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord…
Or through an inward revelation in which the Holy Spirit sheds secrets into one’s hearts. When a man allows the working of this gift in him, he taps into the Supernatural mind of God.
Isa. 40:28 – Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
Another form of this is Prophecy. Prophecy is “reporting something that God spontaneously brings to your mind.”
Although the human mind is limited, through the Holy Spirit, it can broadened to occupy a higher divinity of intelligence that can neither be taught nor learned. The gift of Word of Knowledge is not learnt, it is simply bestowed with understanding upon its recipient.
When the gift is at work, the Holy Spirit pours into the man’s spirit a definitive knowledge about a person, place or thing to which the man might have had no prior relationship. As in the case of Prophet Elisha when he knew that his servant, Gehazi, had run after Naaman to collect the gifts he rejected. Elisha had no prior knowledge of this.
Furthermore, via the Word of Knowledge, the hypocrisy and deception of Ananias and Sapphira were revealed to Peter.
2. Word of Wisdom
This, almost synonymous with the Word of Knowledge, refers to a supernatural and uncanny ability endowed by the Holy Spirit on a person to provide groundbreaking solutions to problems wrought from the Wisdom of God that poses superiority to all other pearls of wisdom; for God is All-wise. Similarly, this wisdom is Spirit-imbued, and can neither be taught nor learnt but made manifest by the workings of the Holy Spirit in a man. It is divine, accurate, precise and infallible intuition!
1 Corinthians 3:19 – For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
A notable demonstration of the Word of Wisdom in the Bible is in the life of Solomon. It should be noteworthy that this gift is manifest in its practicalization through either prophecy or through tongues and interpretation of tongues or problem-solving.
Through the Word of Wwisdom, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams accurately and proffered a divine and precise solution to the seven years of famine in the land of Egypt.
One crucial attribute of this wisdom is that it is painstakingly directive to instructions. Doing otherwise or assuming an improved version of God’s instructions will mostly likely nullify the effects of the wisdom. So if God says jump, Jump! Don’t fly!
3. Discerning of Spirits
To discern means to see beyond the superficial meaning; it connotes understanding. It is one thing to have eyes, it is another to see. Seeing is understanding and all understanding of visions are made manifest by the discerning of spirits.
The Discerning of Spirits allows us to interact with the fourth dimension of the cosmos. This gift is not only for the discerning of evil spirits or dead spirits but also an insight into the realm of spirits of the goodly and godly.
By the operation of the Discerning of Spirits in a person, one can accurately identify the source of the spirit behind a manifestation, situation, problem, or illness. Such as Apostle Paul was able to discern the spirit of divination in a certain slave girl who was following them in Macedonia and shouting, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
This spirit allows for a more accurate diagnosis beyond the carnal basis of mere medical systems. The veil that covers the Spirit world is unshrouded via this gift.
In conclusion, the office of those endowed with these gifts is to equip the saints for the work of service through exhortation, edification and consolation. It is noteworthy that these gifts are not for self-glorification or gratification. They are tools to enhance our stewardship to the Father, and not for self-aggrandizement.
