Welcome to Word of Life Study Series- Our glorious inheritance! So what is the purpose of the nine manifestations of the Spirit? 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” They are given by God to bless the entire Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and serves as confirmation to the lost when they hear the Gospel. We are told to ask God to manifest Himself along these lines for His glory and bless humanity- 1 Corinthians 14:1.
1. The Word of Knowledge
The Word of Knowledge is the supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. This has nothing to do with academics, someone’s IQ, experience or studying the Bible a lot. This is divine revelation of things not known to the individual concerning past and present things.
2. The Word of Wisdom
The Word of Wisdom is a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God concerning the divine purpose in the mind and will of God; not be confused with natural wisdom that an individual acquires by experience. The Word of Wisdom always deals with future events that have not occurred yet.
3. Discerning of Spirits
The Discerning of Spirits gives us insight into the spirit world; limited to a single class of objects- spirits. It is important to realize that the manifestation of Discerning of Spirits is not just the, “discerning of devils or evil spirits” only. It is supernatural insight into the realm of spirits both good and bad.
4. The Gift of Faith
When the Holy Spirit manifests the Gift of Faith, the recipient is enabled to believe God in such a way that He honors their word as His own, and miraculously brings it to pass. The Gift of Faith is a supernatural endowment by the Spirit whereby that which is uttered or desired by God’s people, or spoken by God, shall eventually come to pass.
5. The Gift of Working of Miracles
A miracle from a Biblical perspective is a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature; a temporary suspension of the accustomed order through the Spirit of God.
6. The Gifts of Healings
The manifestation of the Gifts of Healings are given by God for the supernatural healing of disease without natural means from any source. When a person is afflicted with a disease or suffered damaged tissue from an accident, and the natural healing process is sped up or instantly attained, that person received a healing from God.
7. The Gift of Prophecy
Prophecy is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit upon a believer in the form of supernatural utterance in a known tongue. The Hebrew word that is translated “to prophesy” means “to flow forth; to bubble forth like a fountain.”
8. The Gift of Tongues
The manifestation of the Spirit of God which gives the Spirit filled believer the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues in 1 Corinthians 12:10. Not to be confused with the devotional gift of speaking in other tongues for personal edification; which is the initial sign of being Baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire according to Acts chapter 2 and verse four.
9. The Interpretation of Tongues
The Interpretation of Tongues is the supernatural showing forth by the Spirit the meaning of an utterance in other tongues. It is not translation of the tongues (word for word); it is the interpretation of tongues. It does not operate unless the Gift of Tongues has been in operation.