Gifts of the Spirit

Whether we should be speaking in tongues or not, was a question that sparked my interest in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ☕️🌿

This is a subject I used to shy away from because of all the debates about the gifts of the Spirit ending with the Book of Acts 2 and 3; plus I really did not know how to articulate what I have learned over the years.  

When I started speaking in tongues I couldn’t find any teaching around this subject at all.  If you read my other book Imagine It, then you will understand that we are given a measure of faith and that is why many times believers have a difficult time explaining what they believe.  

My prayer is that these books are to help you understand that wonderful and beautiful mysteries of God is not to be feared but enjoyed as a sons and daughters of the King!

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1 Corinthians 12:1

Christian brothers, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You need to understand the truth about this.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit include:

• The word of wisdom

• The word of knowledge

• Faith

• Gifts of healing

• The working of miracles

• Prophecy

• Discerning of spirits

• Different kinds of tongues

• The interpretation of tongues

A word of wisdom is an understanding of what is true or right, especially in decision making. The Holy Spirit gives you wisdom to apply to each scenario. For example, in Acts 27:9-19, Paul knew to warn the Roman centurion not to set sail.

A word of knowledge is an awareness or understanding received outside natural means. It may be something you learned by natural means but received supernaturally. For example, in Acts 5:1-10, the Holy Spirit revealed to Simon Peter that Ananias was lying to the Holy Spirit.

The gift of faith is different from the kind of faith we all have. In Romans 12:3, Paul said, “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” In other words, every person has enough faith to hear the gospel and be saved. The gift of faith is the supernatural ability to trust God or inspire others to trust God in a particular situation or circumstance.

Gifts of healing have to do with the spirit, soul, or body. A miracle doesn’t necessarily have to involve the human body. Healing is a restoration of health or soundness. Believers have a general authority to pray for the sick, but some have unique gifts to pray for healing.

A miracle is an event that appears unexplainable because it goes against the laws of nature. For example, Paul operated in the gift of miracles in Acts 20:9-12 when he prayed for a man to be raised from the dead. A miracle is an event that defies the laws of physics and nature.

The gift of prophecy, is a divine utterance in the language known by those listening. There are two kinds of prophecy: forth-telling and foretelling. Forth-telling is speaking by the unction of the Holy Spirit, not from your own intellect. Acts 2:38-41 describes Peter forth-telling and people repenting after. Then there is foretelling, which is sharing a future event spoken to you by the Holy Spirit. In Acts 11:27-28, Agabus foretold a worldwide famine so people could prepare.

The discerning of spirits is when you supernaturally know what spirit is influencing an action or behavior. For example, in Acts 16:16-18, Paul discerned a girl was possessed by an evil spirit and commanded the spirit to come out of her.

The gift of tongues. There is a difference between your prayer language—speaking in tongues during personal prayer—and the gift of tongues, which can edify the entire church. Speaking in tongues is for all believers, just like all have “a measure of faith.” However, the gift of tongues is to edify the church.

Then the gift of interpretation of various tongues. In I Corinthians 14:27-28, Paul speaks of the need for tongues to be interpreted in a church. The Holy Spirit gives to some the gift of interpretation, so everyone can understand what God is saying through tongues.

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1 Corinthians 12:7–11: 

"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good"

Acts 2:1-13 [AMP]

The Day of Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].

Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect. They were completely astonished, saying, “Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect? [Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia [Minor], Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism), Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!”  And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, “What could this mean?”  But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, “They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!”

Acts 2:43-47 AMP

A sense of awe was felt by everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 3:3-10 AMP

Healing the Lame Beggar

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), and a man who had been unable to walk from birth was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at that gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, so that he could beg alms from those entering the temple. So when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking [them] for coins. But Peter, along with John, stared at him intently and said, “Look at us!”  And the man began to pay attention to them, eagerly expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give to you: In the name (authority, power) of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—[begin now to] walk and go on walking!” Then he seized the man’s right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankles became strong and steady, and with a leap he stood up and began to walk; and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God; and they recognized him as the very man who usually sat begging for coins at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement and were mystified at what had happened to him.

ACTS 3:3-10 TLV

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the Temple, he began asking to receive tzedakah.

But Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us!” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you—in the name of Yeshua ha-Mashiach ha-Natzrati, get up and walk!” Then grabbing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began walking; and he went with them into the Temple, walking and leaping and praising God!

Now all the people saw him walking and praising God. They began to realize he was the one who used to sit begging for tzedakah at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were filled with wonder and astonishment over what had happened to him.

{meaning of "Tzedakah"} "Tzedakah" is the Hebrew word for the acts that we call "charity" in English: giving aid, assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However, the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word "charity" suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and powerful for the benefit of the poor and needy. The word "tzedakah" is derived from the Hebrew root Tzadei-Dalet-Qof (צדק), meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due.

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1 Corinthians 12:1-11 TLV

Spiritual Gifts for the Body

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed by idols that cannot speak, and you got led astray. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Ruach Elohim says, “Yeshua be cursed,” and no one can say, “Yeshua is Lord,” except by the Ruach ha-Kodesh.

4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Ruach. 5 There are various kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are various kinds of working, but the same God who works all things in all people. 7 But to each person is given the manifestation of the Ruach for the benefit of all. 8 For to one is given through the Ruach a word of wisdom, to another a word of knowledge according to the same Ruach, 9 to another faith by the same Ruach, to another gifts of healings by the one Ruach, 10 to another workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Ruach activates all these things, distributing to each person individually as He wills.

[* side note]

The Ruach was active in the creation of the world (Genesis 1:2 ; Psalm 104:29 ; Job 33:4 ), along with being the agent of recreation after the flood (Genesis 8:1 ), the agent of the creation of God's people of Israel (in the form of wind, Exodus 14:19–20 ; 15:10 ), along with the New Testament account of His creation of the Church..

{meaning of Ruach}

Ruach is the Hebrew word used in scripture for the breath of God. It is wind, Spirit, life. It's not so much a physical force but an essence—God's essence that sustains life. It's sometimes also translated as Spirit of God, such as in Genesis chapter 1

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Unity and Diversity in the Body

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

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. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are 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, 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.