WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
THE HOLY SPIRIT
by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.
Copyright © 1997 by J. W. Jepson
All rights reserved, including the right to grant the following permission and to prohibit the misuse thereof:
The Author hereby grants permission to reproduce the text of this book, without changes or alterations, as a ministry, but not for commercial or non-ministry purposes.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations in this publication marked "NKJV" are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
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7
Tongues--and a Lot More
Remember, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a new, distinct, and dynamic dimension of the presence and power of the same Holy Spirit who dwells in every true believer.
In the Early Church, the baptism in the Holy Spirit normally occurred so soon after conversion that the New Testament usually refers to it as receiving the Spirit (see Acts 19:2), even though the believer in Christ already received the Spirit in a sense at regeneration (Romans 8), and the Church as a whole received the Spirit into this age at Pentecost (see Acts 2).
At salvation, the Holy Spirit is the agent, the new believer is the subject, and the body of Christ is the element, 1 Corinthians 12:13 teaches. But at the baptism in the Spirit, Christ is the agent, the believer is the subject, but the Holy Spirit becomes the element, so Matthew 3:11 teaches.
At salvation, the believer is privileged to "drink into one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). At the baptism in the Spirit, Jesus fills and saturates the believer with the same Spirit.
So then, the greater the dimension of the Holy Spirit's presence within us, the greater will be His ministry in and to us. What we as Christians experience in part before being baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are privileged to enjoy in fullness afterward.
Not always is the difference quantitative, or one of degree. Sometimes it is qualitative, or one of kind. That is, some things the Holy Spirit does in and through Spirit-baptized believers only. The gifts of the Spirit are an example.
Let us explore the work of the Spirit in the life of the Christian. Some Pentecostals seem to have the notion that all the Holy Spirit wants to do is give us boldness and keep us happy and "talking in tongues." I hope our exploration brings some pleasant surprises, and brings us to a better understanding of what the Spirit is trying to accomplish in us so we can give Him our full cooperation.
Christ is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22), and the Holy Spirit is His true Vicar (Representative) on earth (John 14:16,26; 16:13,14). As Christ's personal Representative, the Holy Spirit manages the Church, leading it and revealing Christ to it.
Take your Bible and read Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:17-23. Notice carefully what he prays the "Spirit of wisdom and revelation" will make clear and real to us.
"For. . we. . . worship by the Spirit of God,...glory in Christ Jesus, and...put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3).
If your Christian experience is dull, open up your life to the fullness of the Spirit! "The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Power in Word and Witness
Earlier we watched the Holy Spirit at work in the New Testament Church. Such power they had! Such boldness and spiritual authority! And the Holy Spirit does not change. His leadership and ministry in the Church are still the same.
When the early disciples were filled with the Spirit, they "spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31). So today His continuing authority in the Church is able to make effective our word and witness. The anointing of the Holy Spirit also gives authority to our witness for Christ.
"We, having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, 'I believed, and therefore have I spoken;' we also believe, and therefore speak" (2 Corinthians 4:13 KJV).
"To us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven" (1 Peter 1:12, NKJV; see also Acts 1:8).
He speaks in us. Jesus said, "When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:19,20; see also Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:12).
We see this in operation in the witness of Stephen: "They could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke" (Acts 6:10).
Witnessing is one of the basic ministries of the Holy Spirit:
"We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit" (Acts 5:32).
"It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6).
"No one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed,' and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3).
"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" (1 John 4:2).
"[Jesus Christ was] declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4 NKJV).
The Spirit's Teaching Ministry
More personal and intimate is the Holy Spirit's teaching ministry to the Church and to the individual believer. "The anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him" (1 John 2:27).
Now, this does not mean that because we have the Holy Spirit, we do not need teaching in the Scriptures. Indeed, if that were the case, John's readers wouldn't need to listen to John! It means that because the Holy Spirit has revealed Christ to us, and Christ is the truth (John 14:6), contrary religious doctrines and philosophical speculations are empty and vain. Hold fast to Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit has revealed Him to you in faith and according to the Scriptures. Do not let anyone teach you "another gospel," or cause you to follow "another Jesus."
The Holy Spirit teaches us through the written Word. The anointing teaches us all things by revealing to us the all-sufficient instruction of the Scriptures. Read again 1 Corinthians 2:10-13. The Church's responsibility in this process is to conform its teaching ministry to the written Word of God as the Holy Spirit has given it and as He illuminates it. Jesus said:
"The Counselor, the Holy Spirit,...will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26).
"The Spirit of truth...shall testify of Me" (John 15:26 KJV).
"The Spirit of truth...will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of himself, but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you" (John 16:13,14 KJV).
Conforming Us to the Image of Christ
So the Holy Spirit teaches us by showing us the things of Jesus Christ. He glorifies Christ to us. He seeks to fix our hearts upon Jesus so that He can conform our character to the image of Christ. This is how God perfects and sanctifies us. As we walk in the Spirit (Romans 8), the fruit of the Spirit is brought to maturity within us.
Oh, how beautiflil is the fruit of the Spirit! It is the reflection of the image of Christ in the believer. Just as the character of the wicked is displayed in the "works of the flesh," so the character of the true Christian is expressed in the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:19-26). It is the outward evidence of genuine repentance (Matthew 3:8), the natural and necessary expression of the love of God in a pure heart.
The fruit of the Spirit grows and matures as the Spirit is allowed to control the nature of the believer. And the greater the measure of the Spirit in us, the greater is the development of His fruit in our behavior. The baptism in the Holy Spirit should result in a rapid acceleration of character development. The Spirit-filled Christian should be a more Christ-like Christian.
Characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit are mentioned in Ephesians 5:9, "The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
Goodness. Righteousness. Truth. This is the direction the Holy Spirit is working in sanctifying our temperament and personality. He seeks to eliminate from our nature everything incompatible with goodness, righteousness, and truth. And He can do a much smoother job of it if we cooperate intelligently. So let's stay in goodness, righteousness, and truth. There is where the Spirit seeks to establish and perfect us.
And where are these qualities found? In Christ. Take your Bible again and read what Jesus said in John 15:1-16. Notice especially verse 5: "If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Fruit doesn't have to strain and struggle to grow. It just "abides" (remains, stays put) in the vine or tree. Just so, we do not have to strain and struggle in legalism to perfect the fruit of the Spirit. Just abide in Christ by faith. Paul cried, "After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3).
One of the most important verses of Scripture on this subject is 2 Corinthians 3:18: "We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
Keep looking at Jesus with an open, receptive heart. Love Him. Spend time in His presence in sweet communion. Look at Him often as He is portrayed in His Word. See Him as He is exemplified in the lives of those who walk close to Him. The more you are exposed to Him, the easier it is for the Holy Spirit to mold you into His image. Keep looking at Him in the Spirit and in the Word, and you will become like Him--"ever-increasing glory."
Sometimes the process involves discipline. Hebrews 12:9-11 tells us so. Verse 11 says: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
"This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9-11).
"The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (James 3:17,18).
Second Corinthians 3:3 says that we are "a letter from Christ. . .written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God."
In other words, God is working by His Spirit to make us so much like Jesus that the world can see Christ in us. The Christian should be so conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ that his or her very life shows the world what He is like. That is no guarantee, of course, that the world will accept Him.
Those who reject Jesus Christ will also reject Him in you. Because your life exhibits the fruit of the Spirit instead of the works of the flesh, it is a rebuke to the unconverted. Your Christian character makes them feel uncomfortable in their sins. This they resent. They might show hostility toward you as part of their defense mechanism. But be happy.
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (1 Peter 4:14).
"But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now" (Galatians 4:29 KJV).
The Spirit Unifies
Another very important work of the Holy Spirit is to unify the Church in a close communion, or fellowship, of love.
Love has top priority. It stands first in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). All the rest are expressions and results of love. Love is the hub. The others are spokes radiating from it.
The Holy Spirit is working full-time producing as much love as possible. He fills our hearts with the love of God (Romans 5:5). Epaphras reported the Colossian believers' "love in the Spirit" to Paul (Colossians 1:8). And the "love of the Spirit" was the basis of Paul's appeal to the church at Rome (Romans 15:30).
The unity of the Church is a very important goal of the Holy Spirit. He is working diligently to make the prayer of Jesus a reality (John 17:21). Without such unity, the world will not truly believe that the Father sent the Son (v. 23). Ephesians 4:3 commands us to "keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
The unity of the Spirit is very high on God's list of priorities for the Church. Only the fundamentals of the gospel and the purity of the Church are more essential. Nothing of lesser importance has any right to disturb it.
If we love God and one another, we will love peace and the unity of Christ's body. We will defend and preserve that unity, no matter how much we have to sacrifice our own pride and opinions. And the Church will have peace and unity if we allow the Holy Spirit to discipline our own human spirits.
The Spirit Gives Strength and Joy
The Holy Spirit is set to protect the Church, for "when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19).
He upholds and sustains us, giving us power to overcome sin. David knew this; he prayed, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your generous Spirit" (Psalm 51:12).
The Holy Spirit gives us inner strength. Ephesians 3:16 says we are "strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (KJV).
As the Comforter, the Spirit builds up our faith. Acts 9:31 says, "Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied" (NKJV).
Also, "the fruit of the Spirit is...joy" (Galatians 5:22). Acts 13:52 informs us that "the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit." And the Thessalonian converts "received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thes-salonians 1:6).
I doubt very much that a truly Spirit-filled Christian can be a sorehead or a sourpuss. The Bible says that "the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
The Spirit Gives Hope
The Holy Spirit points to a future of total victory for the believer. To all who die in Christ, He has affirmed the promise of a blessed life after death. Revelation 14:13 says, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.... 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.'"
Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and death does not terminate the purpose of the Holy Spirit for these bodies. Romans 8:11 promises that "if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
The resurrection is the blessed hope of the believer. The Holy Spirit nurtures and strengthens that hope. He affirms our confidence that when we appear before Christ, we shall stand righteous by faith.
"For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Galatians 5:5, KJV).
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).
Grieve Not the Holy Spirit
So let the Holy Spirit have His way. Stay true to Christ. Ananias and Sapphira "agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord" (Acts 5:9, KJV). The result was death. The Scriptures clearly warn us of the peril of apostasy, of grieving the Holy Spirit:
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30).
"Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19, KJV).
"How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29).
If we allow anything in our lives that is contrary to the Word of God, incompatible with the image of Christ, or inconsistent with the fruit of the Spirit, that thing will grieve the Holy Spirit and hinder the development of the masterpiece of grace that He so carefully and patiently is creating within us.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 2:7).
8
The Gifts of the Spirit
We have been considering the work of the Holy Spirit in and for the believer. It is now time to give specific attention to the supernatural work of the Spirit through the believer.
I refer to what are commonly called the gifts of the Spirit (literally, in the Greek they are called "spirituals"). I use the term supernatural because these gifts of the Spirit involve activities that go beyond natural processes, sometimes even going against those processes.
We must be careful to distinguish between Spirit-anointed human ability and the supernatural operations of the Spirit. In both cases the Holy Spirit is present and active. But in the gifts, the activity of the Holy Spirit transcends natural processes.
This does not mean the human agent is set aside. The person through whom the gift is operating does not become a robot. He or she does not necessarily go into a trance. Human personality, vocabulary, emotional makeup, and so on are all retained. Except in the case of writing the Bible, this includes the susceptibility to error in the human response to the Holy Spirit. But the activity of the Spirit in the operation of the gifts goes beyond human limits. In this sense the gifts are supernatural.
First Corinthians 12 lists the nine gifts of the Spirit. They are not nine separate forces working independently of each other. Rather, they are the nine distinct ways the Spirit can work supernaturally through Spirit-filled believers. They are all activities of the one Holy Spirit, and are listed separately only for our understanding.
Paul begins the chapter by telling the Corinthian church (and us) that he does not want them to be ignorant about "spirituals."
Many Christians at Corinth were confused. Some of the pagan idol-worshipers in the city were giving what they claimed were inspired utterances. In these they called Jesus accursed. The Christians did not understand what was happening. Like many people today, they might have thought that everything that gave the appearance of being supernatural was of God.
Paul reminded them that they, too, used to be swept away by the occult. The idols they once served were only inanimate objects, incapable of communicating. So the idols could not be inspiring these pagan utterances. And the Holy Spirit was not giving them, because He will not demean Jesus.
Only two possibilities remained: either the pagan oracles were fabricating these prophecies out of their own minds while in a state of emotional ecstasy or the utterances were the work of evil spirits. In either case, they were counterfeits. The personality generating the utterance (whether human or demonic, or both) refused to confess the lordship of Jesus. This in itself demonstrated that the Spirit of God had nothing to do with it.
But enough of the occult. Let's learn more about the genuine work of the Holy Spirit.
Manifestations of the Holy Spirit
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, these supernatural expressions of the Holy Spirit are called "gifts," "administrations," and "operations." These terms emphasize the total divine authority involved. The gifts are all manifestations of the one and the same Holy Spirit. These manifestations of the Spirit are all part of the administration of the one and the same Lord over His church. This administration of Christ over His church, in turn, is part of the total operation of the one and the same God of the whole universe.
This means, then, that the genuine gifts of the Spirit are not ecstatic off-the-cuff remarks generated by the fertile imaginations of deeply emotional mystics. They are not mystifying feats of ESP performed by clairvoyants. They are not mind-over-matter treatments given by "healers." They are not little games and toys to be played with for amusement or to build our ego.
The genuine gifts of the Spirit are God in action through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church.
The Holy Spirit desires to work regularly in at least one of His supernatural ways in every Spirit-filled believer, and He desires to work regularly in all His supernatural ways in every congregation.
"The manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good, ... All these [gifts] are the work of the one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each man, just as he determines" (vv. 7,11).
I say "Spirit-filled" believer, because the Holy Spirit must fill a person before He can carry on regular, continuing supernatural ministry through that person. God wants everyone to be a Christian, and He wants every Christian to be filled with the Spirit.
It is important here to sound a note of warning. Possession of these gifts is no basis for spiritual pride or personal egotism. Remember, they are gifts. We do not earn them. They are all of grace, not of works. Continued humility in love is a necessary condition for their proper operation. Otherwise we (not the gifts) become "a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1).
The nine manifestations of the Spirit are listed for us in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10:
"To one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues" (NKJV).
A little observation reveals that these nine gifts fit naturally into three groups, with three in each group.
Information Gifts:
word of knowledge
word of wisdom
discerning of spirits
Action Gifts:
gifts of healings
working of miracles
gift of faith
Vocal Gifts:
prophecy
varieties of tongues
interpretation of tongues
These nine gifts work together in perfect accord. The Holy Spirit is well coordinated in His actions.
Information Gifts
Often two or more of these gifts work together at the same time. For example, a word of knowledge might proceed on the flow of a prophecy. But each gift never loses its individuality. They never compound to form new gifts.
Word of Knowledge
The word of knowledge is the supernatural impartation of a fact that is in the mind of God to the mind of the believer. It is not Spirit-anointed human knowledge. It is God's knowledge, but not all of God's knowledge. It is a word of knowledge, a fragment. It is some item of information that the believer did not learn by natural means.
God has all facts before Him. The Holy Spirit, who "searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10), takes a fact (past, present, or future) that is in the omniscient mind of God and puts that fact into the mind of the believer.
Let's watch the word of knowledge in operation in the Bible. For this, and for the other gifts as well, we will view a few prominent examples, rather than attempt an exhaustive study of all occurrences.
"Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 'About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel' "(1 Samuel 9:15,16).
God tells Samuel a simple fact. He also tells him what to do, so we have here a word of wisdom also.
"Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18).
God informed the discouraged prophet Elijah how many in Israel were still true to Jehovah. Elijah needed that encouraging bit of information right about then.
When Elisha's servant Gehazi went after Naaman to get a reward under false pretense, God showed Elisha exactly what Gehazi was up to. The Holy Spirit's communications are far superior to any modern electronic surveillance system. When Gehazi returned, he got an instant replay. Read about it in 2 Kings 5:20-27.
While you are reading in 2 Kings, read 6:8-12. By the Holy Spirit, the prophet Elisha told the king of Israel what the king of Syria whispered in his bedroom!
Move on now to John 4:18,19. Jesus, whom God had given the Spirit "without limit" (see John 3:34), told the poor, sinful woman of her transgressions. No wonder she became so excited she forgot her waterpot and went into the city to tell the men about Jesus. Jesus had revealed her sins to her not to condemn her, but to save her.
Remember Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)? The Holy Spirit is the divine Auditor of every set of books.
Acts 9:11,12 mentions another Ananias. Imagine his surprise at this news. There's never a dull moment when the gifts of the Spirit are in operation!
Our last example is in Acts 27:9,10. If the soldiers and sailors had listened, the word of knowledge operating in Paul would have saved them from shipwreck.
This gift of the Spirit has a definite purpose. In its operation, the Holy Spirit imparts pertinent and timely information needed to meet a situation, information usually unobtainable by ordinary means. Take it seriously. It is not a plaything.
Word of Wisdom
This gift can be defined as the supernatural impartation of the wise course of action. Again, it is not Spirit-anointed human wisdom. It is God's wisdom, but not all of God's wisdom. It is a word of wisdom, a fragment.
It does not result in any increase in the regular wisdom of the person in whom the gift may operate.
God has all contingencies before Him. He always knows what is best. So the Holy Spirit takes the wisest course of action in the mind of God and reveals it to the believer exercising this gift. It is more than an inner inclination, or leading. It is definite, something the person had no way of figuiring out for himself.
Let's look at it in the Bible. Read 2 Chronicles 20:15-17. The divinely prescribed military strategy was extraordinary indeed, but it brought the victory.
In Acts 8:29 the Holy Spirit directed Philip to hitch a ride with a passing Ethiopian. Philip had no way of knowing the man's mind was receptive to the gospel. But the Holy Spirit knew, and the evangelist was in communication with the Spirit.
"While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them'" (Acts 10:19,20).
First we observe a word of knowledge ("three men are looking for you"). But that did not tell Peter what to do. So a word of wisdom was needed ("go with them"). (Read Acts 11:12, also.)
"The Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them"' (Acts 13:2).
Long before, God had called Paul, informing him that he was a chosen messenger to the Gentiles. But the timing of God's will was not clear to Paul. A genuine word of wisdom (probably through prophecy) gave Paul his "marching orders." Please notice it was not a private, personal message. It was a function of the Holy Spirit in the Church, exercised before Spirit-filled witnesses.
Discerning of Spirits
The discerning of spirits completes the information gifts.
Notice, it is not the gift of discernment. It is discerning of spirits. It is not a means of judging another person's human spirit, but supernatural insight into the spirit-world.
The spirit-world is very real. The Bible refers to angels and demons as matters of fact. Jesus cast out evil spirits. So did His disciples. So do many Spirit-filled people today. The whole subject might sound somewhat spooky to some people, but that is only because so much mystery and superstition has been added to the Biblical facts.
This is not the place to go into a detailed study of what the Bible says about the spirit-world. We shall proceed on the basis that it exists and that Jesus Christ is victorious over the kingdom of Satan (Colossians 2:15).
Satan is a deceiver. He loves to counterfeit the genuine work of God. He has fooled many people that way, even in modern society. Even the Corinthian Christians could not understand the difference between the utterances of the pagan oracles and the prophecies given in the church.
Much of the occult today exists on the assumption that everything that is supernatural is divine and therefore part of valid religion. But this assumption is erroneous.
The Bible contains tests for distinguishing what comes from God and what comes from Satan (for example, 1 John 4:1-3). But sometimes the discerning of spirits is necessary to ascertain the source of a supernatural phenomenon. A classic example is found in Acts 16:16-18:
"Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.' She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, 'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her."
The girl's statement was true, but it was associated with the wrong crowd. Satan wanted to give the public impression that the miracles done by the apostles were just part of the general occult practices already going on in the city. But the discerning of spirits operating in Paul exposed the devil's masquerade.
We still need this gift today, perhaps even more than ever before.
The mechanism, or mode of operation, of the information gifts is different from that of the other groups of gifts. In fact, each group has its own particular mode.
In the information gifts, the facts originate with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the person through whom the gift is operating suddenly becomes aware of a fact that he or she did not learn.
For example, a Spirit-filled minister sitting on the platform or standing behind the pulpit might suddenly become aware that someone in the congregation is suffering. No one conveyed this information to the minister by natural, sensory means. But remember, the Holy Spirit does not need to use the five senses to convey information. The information might come as a vision, an inner voice, or even as a vivid mental picture. This does not mean the person is a psychic.
These gifts are not the expression of a fertile imagination, or of emotional impulsiveness. Nevertheless, the human element does enter into the picture. This is true of all the gifts of the Spirit.
No, the Holy Spirit needs no practice. He is perfect. But we need to learn how to respond to the Holy Spirit. The gift is divine. The response is human. For the person just beginning to exercise a gift, this can mean butterflies in the stomach, mistakes, even an occasional flop. This requires humility and understanding.
But the Holy Spirit is a patient Teacher. As we become better acquainted with the ways the Spirit works, we learn to relax and respond correctly. Then the gift flows smoothly.
Sometimes these gifts are represented as being ecstatic in nature. But often the very opposite is true. A high degree of emotion or tension can hinder rather than help us in yielding to the Spirit.
(Please remember these things as we consider the other gifts, because they apply to all.)
Action Gifts
Gifts of Healings
We begin our examination of the action gifts with a close look at the gifts of healing. Notice the plurals: "gifts of healings" (see 1 Corinthians 12:28, KJV). Sometimes one individual will have greater success in praying for people afflicted with a particular kind of sickness or disease, while someone else has greater results praying for people with another kind.
Divine healing is not "faith healing" or mind over matter. Faith is always a condition for healing, and the mind does play a role in human health and healing, but in divine healing the act is the work of the power of God, not the power of the human mind.
The gift of healing is supernatural and often involves such miraculous events as the creation of new tissue and organs, and the arrest and reversal of otherwise terminal processes.
Why God gave this gift (and the others) is obvious: God loves people. And His love is just the same today as it was in the first century. He is vitally interested in relieving human suffering and restoring health to sick people.
Also, He desires to confirm His Word, to glorify His name,; and to encourage Christians. The fact that the written Word is now complete is all the more reason to expect God to confirm it by the miraculous.
The Bible contains numerous examples of operation of this gift. In the Acts of the Apostles we read of the healing of the lame man at the temple gate (3:1-8), mass healings in Jerusalem (5:12-16), miracles of healing in Samaria under the ministry of Philip (8:5-7), the healing of a lame man at Lystra (14:8-10), plus many more.
And the gift has not ceased. By faith people are still receiving healing for their bodies by the power of God, the God of love. And God wants to do even more, and will do even more, as people believe His Word and obey His Holy Spirit. The gift of healing is not just for a handful of evangelists. God wants it operating in every church!
Working of Miracles
Closely related to the gift of healing is the working of miracles. A miracle is an occurrence contrary to established physical laws.
We human beings interfere with the operation of physical laws every day. When we pick up our shoes in the morning, we interfere with the operation of the law of gravity. And so we go through the day, imposing our will on our physical environment (often thoughtlessly). We do not call these interventions miracles, because we can see and explain their human cause. The human agency involved is so obvious, we think nothing of it.
But when the agency is superhuman (whether of God or angels on the one hand, or of Satan and demons on the other), we call the intervention in the physical process a miracle. Why? Because we do not see the personality at work.
God has established the physical laws, and He runs the universe by them. He intends these laws to operate dependably and uniformly. So for a miracle to occur, sufficient reason for it must exist. When such a reason exists, God certainly has the right to intervene in the operation of His own laws.
For example, Jesus said that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). But God does not want Christians to go tossing mountains around. If a mountain should be moved, there must be a sufficient reason for it (and it would have to be a very good one).
Faith, then, is not blind. Rather, it is exercised in accordance with the wisest and most intelligent principles. It is responsible, not capricious.
Some situations, however, do warrant divine intervention in the operation of the laws of nature. That is where the working of miracles comes in. Here are a few Biblical examples of this gift in action:
In 2 Kings 6:1-7 we read the record of a borrowed ax head that fell into deep water, then rose to the surface for Elisha. The specific gravity of iron is such that the laws of physics prohibit it from floating in water. So a miracle took place as God honored the faith of the prophet and brought the iron to the surface.
Read Matthew 8:23-27. To demonstrate His divinity, comforting the disciples and strengthening their faith at the same time--these things were more important at the moment than the weather--Jesus exercised control over nature!
Then we have Philip's experience in Acts 8:39,40. Talk about jet air travel! Philip went first class! No doubt he had accompanied the Ethiopian quite a distance on his chariot journey toward Africa, and it was a long way back to Caesarea. Why not travel part of the way by "Charismatic Air Lines"?
There was Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:9-12. This was divine healing in reverse! But don't forget, God did this in love. It was for the sake of the gospel and the salvation of souls that He brought temporary judgment on Elymas. God always knows what secures the most good in the long run.
Gift of Faith
The third of the action gifts is faith. There is more than one kind of faith. For example, there is saving faith (Ephesians 2:8,9). There is faith that is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). But that is not the gift of faith. Gifts are given; fruit is grown. Faith as a fruit of the Spirit is an abiding quality. It remains and grows. Its development produces steadfast faithfulness and unwavering trust.
What then is the gift of faith? It is a supernaturally given ability to grasp hold of the promises of God in faith in a particular situation, beyond one's ordinary development of faith.
Usually it involves the receiving of a miracle, rather than the performing of a miracle.
A classic example, sufficient for our present study, is found in Acts 28:3-5:
"Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, 'This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.' But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects."
Ordinarily, a person would get very excited, perhaps even panic, in such a situation. But an unusual calm, something beyond human nature, came over the apostle. His faith rose up suddenly and laid hold of Christ's promise (see Mark 16:18). Calmly he shook off the poisonous snake and went on with his business, unharmed.
The mechanism, or mode of operation, of the action gifts is obviously different from the mode of the information gifts and the vocal gifts. Sometimes they involve the laying on of hands, sometimes just a spoken command in Jesus' name. In all cases, positive faith is very prominent.
Vocal Gifts
These raise the most questions, for some reason. Perhaps because they seem to be the most common. Perhaps they are very susceptible to misuse (as they were in Corinth).
Their abuse has caused even some charismatic churches to ban them from the main services. This seems to be an overreaction, or an easy way out of the situation. It is easier to push the gifts aside than to help people into a fuller experience in the Spirit. But in the long run, everybody loses.
Anything worthwhile takes a little effort and attention. So do the understanding and cultivation of the gifts. They are too important to be neglected. Paul admonished Timothy, "Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Timothy 1:6, NKJV).
No one need be embarrassed by the scriptural operation of the gifts of the Spirit. They are beautiful. The Holy Spirit knows what He is doing. And if the Spirit-filled minister knows what he is doing, he will let Him have His way. He should know enough about the operation of spiritual gifts to teach his people how to respond to the Holy Spirit scripturally, and also to guide the service in the Spirit so that everything is scriptural, Christ-honoring, and edifying to the Church.
For our instruction, Paul devotes the entire fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians to the rules for the operation of the vocal gifts. Paul is not suppressing the gifts. He is laying down the inspired procedures to be followed to experience their full, free, and proper exercise.
When I was a freshman at what is now Bethany Bible College in California, I had the privilege of listening to a series of. special lectures on the gifts of the Spirit given by an Englishman named Harold Horton.
I shall never forget hearing him say one morning, "Paul did not go down to Corinth with a bucket of water to put the fire out. He went down with a pair of tongs to put the stray coals back on the fire, and a pair of bellows to pump the blaze up higher!"
Other gifts of the Spirit might be more important than these. That, however, does not make these unimportant. Every manifestation of the Spirit has its place and purpose. None is to be despised (1 Thessalonians 5:20).
Prophecy
Among the vocal gifts, prophecy is the most useful. As public utterances (and remember, we are not talking about private, devotional tongues here), tongues must be followed by interpretation of tongues. It takes these two gifts together to equal the value of prophecy (see 1 Corinthians 14:5).
First Corinthians 14:3 gives us the purpose of prophecy:
"Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort."
Prophecy is primarily for the Church (v. 22), not for personal guidance (although we must not rule this out; see 1 Timothy 1:18; 4:14). Above all, it is not a substitute for the guidance of Scripture. Its content is to be judged by the written Word of God (1 Corinthians 14:29). This is true of all charismatic utterances.
The possession of the gifts of the Spirit does not make anyone so spiritual that he is above the Scriptures. Through spiritual pride some have taken this attitude and have become unteachable. Usually they make shipwreck of their lives and of their faith. So watch out for the "Pentecostal ego-trip." Stay humble, but not ignorant. Paul said, "if anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored" (vv. 37,38).
Prophecy edifies the church (v. 4). Yet, the unconverted can be reached by prophecy. By a word of knowledge carried on the flow of a prophecy, some have been convicted and converted.
"If an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is really among you'" (vv. 24,25).
"You can all prophesy in turn, so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged" (v. 31).
"Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues" (v. 39).
Varieties of Tongues
Earlier I mentioned the three uses of speaking in other tongues. Let's look a little closer now at the public gift of tongues. It is this use of tongues that 1 Corinthians 14 deals with. We will discuss tongues and the interpretation of tongues together, because that is the way they operate.
In private devotions, and even in the prayer time following the public service, praying out loud in other tongues in the Spirit is scriptural, proper, and personally edifying.
"Anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit" (v. 2).
"He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church" (v. 4).
But in the public service, no one should speak out loud in tongues unless it is a message, to be followed by an interpretation.
"If you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say 'Amen' at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified" (vv. 16,17 NKJV).
"If the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?" (v. 23).
These verses are very clear on this point. Therefore, it is improper for Pentecostals to pray out loud in tongues during the public service. It is improper for anyone to stand behind the pulpit during the public service and pray out loud in tongues. Pentecostals who persist in doing so have no one but themselves to blame if people say they are crazy. Such a practice is unscriptural and drives many to miss out on the fullness of the Spirit in their lives.
"And the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace" (vv. 32,33, KJV).
"Let all things be done decently and in order" (v. 40, KJV).
Interpretation of Tongues
Why then have public tongues at all? Why not have just prohecy?
Because public tongues followed by interpretation serve a purpose. First Corinthians 14:22 says, "Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers."
Tongues and interpretation confront the unbeliever with the supernatural. Someone might hear a prophecy and miss the fact that something supernatural is happening. But it is hard to miss the supernatural in tongues and interpretation, even if the person listening rejects the message (v. 21). Thus it becomes a "sign" to the unbeliever that God is present and active. This is all the more reason to give it place in the public service.
A "two or three" rule applies both to prophecy and to tongues and interpretation.
"If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge" (vv. 27-29, KJV).
Each message in tongues should be followed by an interpretation. More than three prophecies and more than three messages in tongues with interpretation in one service are unscriptural. The Holy Spirit is very gracious, however, and rather than discourage an honest person, He will repeat himself. But that is not the way He has instructed us to yield to Him. It is interesting to note that after a third prophecy and/or interpretation, nothing new is added to the substance of the message. The Holy Spirit has said what He intended to say in that service.
Responding to the Holy Spirit
Remember verse 32. We do not control the Holy Spirit, but we do control our own human spirit and how it responds to the Holy Spirit.
The vocal gifts, too, have their own mechanism, or mode of operation.
The thoughts expressed in genuine charismatic utterances originate in the mind of the Holy Spirit, not in the mind of the one speaking. This does not mean that the speaker is passive. The speaker's vocal mechanism does not become merely an instrument for the voice of the Holy Spirit to speak through. The human personality is very much involved in the total process. It is not obliterated by the personality of the Holy Spirit. The voice, vocabulary (except in glossolalia), and the personality are very human.
The Holy Spirit works with the human spirit (and vice versa), not independent of it.
In glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, the vocabulary and grammar are totally that of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God works directly upon the spirit of man, prompting the utterance and directing the process of verbalization. Acts 2:4 says,
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (KJV).
The disciples did the speaking, but the Holy Spirit gave the "utterance," that is, the verbal impetus (momentum) and the grammatical substance.
In prophecy and interpretation of tongues, the vocabulary and grammar are those of the speaker, but the verbal momentum and thought patterns are those of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit works with the human spirit as far as the human spirit is able to participate in the process according to the nature of the process.
Too, prophecy and interpretation require more faith and humility than speaking in tongues, because if a person stumbles while giving a message in tongues, probably no one will know the difference. But if a person misses the leading of the Spirit in prophecy or interpretation, probably everybody will know!
What about these human stumblings and falterings? Do they mean the speaker is not "in the Spirit"?
Not necessarily. They cast no reflection at all upon the reality of the Holy Spirit's activity. They indicate simply that the speaker is human and needs to learn how to respond better to the Spirit.
It is like a child learning to walk. He falters and falls a number of times in the process. But we do not condemn or discourage him. We encourage him to get right up and go again, one step at a time. Soon he walks as gracefully as most adults.
So it is in learning how to respond to the Holy Spirit. The first few times the Holy Spirit places the beginning words of a prophecy or an interpretation upon the mind of a Spirit-filled person, and generates in his or her spirit the impetus to speak, a genuine case of stage fright can develop.
Let's suppose it happens to you for the first time (we are assuming you are a Spirit-filled Christian). Is this really the Holy Spirit, or is it just me? you wonder. You feel the impetus, the prompting, within you.
"What if I make a mistake? What if I don't know how to yield to the Spirit, and say something stupid? What if I don't yield? Will God forgive me? Will He give the message to someone else?"
All kinds of thoughts race through your mind, tending to distract your attention from the Holy Spirit. It's the opportune moment in the service (and you do wait for the opportune time, never interrupting the minister, someone leading in prayer, or special music). Soon it will be gone. The service is silent.
Why doesn't Pastor give it? you wonder.
But the pastor doesn't have it. You do!
So here goes! By now the momentum of the Holy Spirit's prompting has built up inside. Your own human spirit feels the compulsion. So you open your mouth and pour it out as the Spirit pours it through your mind and onto your speech mechanism.
You hear your own voice. It sounds nervous. If you keep your attention on the Holy Spirit, the words and phrases flow freely. But if you panic, start thinking about what you are saying, and try to make it sound "right," you'll falter, and clutter up the channel with static from your own thinking and reacting processes.
Suddenly, it's over! A sense of sweet release sweeps through your spirit (total, if that is the only message; partial, if another is about to follow). It's beautiful. You begin to rejoice with the congregation.
Did you falter? Don't worry. Keep open to the Holy Spirit. As He continues to work through you, you will learn how to relax and yield to Him more smoothly.
I remember an evening service I attended in California years ago. A message in tongues was given, and a gentleman behind me started the interpretation by saying, "My people, I say unto you this morning...uh, I mean this afternoon...uh, I mean this evening."
I tried hard (really I did), but it was just too much for my sense of humor. Afterward, I said to the person next to me, "The Holy Spirit sure had a hard time getting across to that brother what time of day it is."
Maybe I wasn't as charitable as I should have been. After all, sometimes I, too, have needed the patience and understanding of the church.
The principles of 1 Corinthians 13 are very important in the operation of the gifts of the Spirit. Love is essential to eliminate pride or a harsh critical attitude. Love will keep us from sounding like the resounding of a gong or the clanging of a cymbal]. It will make us patient, gracious, and understanding toward those whose response to the Holy Spirit is not yet graceful and mature. It will prevent us from wanting to be the only ones used by the Spirit, keeping us from exercising a one-man or one-woman monopoly on the gifts in the church.
Be courteous in exercising the gifts of the Spirit. Maybe God wants to start using somebody new. Give him or her a chance, even though you might have the interpretation.
Perhaps two or three will pick up the prophecy or interpretation in the Spirit. If two or more start speaking at once, usually the more experienced (more mature) person should stop and let the less experienced continue. In any event, only one should continue: "If a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop" (1 Corinthians 14:30).
Some have wondered why two people who start to give an interpretation at the same time say different things. That is because the gift is the interpretation of tongues, not the translation of tongues. A translation is a word-for-word rendering. An interpretation is a thought-for-thought paraphrase, employing greater flexibility in the use of the words and phrases.
And, Pastor, don't panic and overreact if someone makes a mistake, or the service appears to have the potential for getting out of hand. Be wise enough yourself in the ways of the Spirit, sensitive enough yourself to His direction, to help the people toward a smooth, edifying response.
So let's all "covet earnestly the best gifts" (1 Cor. 12:31, KJV), remembering always to follow the "more excellent way"--the way of love. That's the Holy Spirit's way.