(Part One)
© 1998 by Gary W. Crisp
Before we begin this series of teachings on His Gifts, allow me to make a very sincere plea, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Please be patient and understanding as you read what follows. If you will, I would ask that you be prayerful, for I do not have all of the knowledge or wisdom (and certainly not all of the answers) to the myriad of questions out there. These being the questions about the Most Wonderful Gifts He has so graciously given to us. I only know that the Lord has absolutely put it in my heart to share some of the limited knowledge (I might have) with His Body, His People and His Sheep, so that they may walk more confidently in His Words, His Work and His Will. Now...may we all grow more wise in His Counsel, in His Peace and in His Grace, concerning His Gifts to the church.
“Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant”. (NIV)
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed”. (NRSV)
“Now about spiritual gifts (the special endowments of supernatural energy), brethren, I do not want you to be misinformed”. (The Amplified Bible)
1st Corinthians 12:1
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant”. (KJV)
One thing Paul did not want in his ministry was confusion. Over and over he spent careful time and energy in teaching, re-teaching and in making certain that he was not misunderstood or being in any way confusing. It is not always easy to know that what one is saying is being “heard” the way it was intended. In regards to the Gifts of the Spirit of God, Paul wanted to be especially careful in his communicating what the Lord had taught him. In that respect, I, too, want to be careful, which is why I included the four main translations for 1st Corinthians 12:1. In these four translations, we see that Paul did not want us ignorant, uninformed or misinformed when it came to understanding the nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Now let’s look at 1st Corinthians 12, verses 4 through 7 ~
“(4) Now there are diversities (or differences) of gifts, but it is the same Spirit. (5) And there are differences of administrations (or: ways to minister), but it’s still the same Lord. (6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God Who works all in all. (7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal (or: to benefit, bless or give an advantage to the Body).”
Basically what Paul is saying here is that even though we may see the same gifts used in different manners... don’t worry. It’s still the same Spirit flowing in that life, and God is still at work, as long as the gifting is blessing the Body and being a benefit to the church. That is the prerequisite. That is how we can know if a person with a “gift” has a true gift or is just some sham or deceiver. Paul’s Corinthian letters are very revealing concerning matters of use, misuse and abuse of spiritual gifts. For that reason, we will stay in Corinthians as much as possible.
In other teachings, I make mention that the two letters to the Corinthians are uniquely filled with a wealth of information about living a successful Christian life. If we had no other writings, we’d still be able to know “how” to live and “what kind” of life God would desire for us to have. That is why we need to take a very serious and close look at these most wonderful Gifts He has so graciously bestowed upon us. We must neither neglect them, deny them, nor try to control them. They are His Gifts, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, meant to bless, enrich and strengthen our lives. Sadly, though, they have become an area of real struggle and abuse in our churches and in our lives.
May we consider this, though: God, Our Heavenly Father, would never give us any gift that would cause us grief or distress; man has been the one to enter this area of the Gifts and, because of his inability to understand or control them, he has refused them or confused them. As for these Gifts, as with many things of God, the first thing mentioned should be noted as having at least a hint of importance. So it is with the Gifts... Wisdom is listed first, probably because the Lord knew our hearts, and that we’d need His Wisdom in order to accept, understand and honor His Gifts to us. And so we begin with Wisdom.
God’s Wisdom
1st Corinthians 12:8a
“For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom...”
Wisdom, sophia (sof-ee-ah) in the Greek, means quite simply: “wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual)”. As we study the Greek word sophia out further, we can see that wisdom also means “thoughtful, i.e. sagacious or discreet (implying a cautious character; also, practical skill or acumen; and intelligence or mental acquirement). I’m repeating myself, but I feel it necessary -- reading the four variations of 1st Corinthians 12:1, we can readily see that one of Paul’s main concerns was that he leave no “lack” when it came to the area of Spiritual Gifts to the church.
He wanted to be certain that each and every Christian had knowledge and understanding on what God had given to them; to each of them. He left nothing to chance and nothing to conjecture. He clearly, calmly and plainly explained that God had given the church Gifts, and that the church needed to know what to do with them and how to use them. In these letters to the Corinthian Christians, Paul spends more time teaching about the gifts (both the uses and misuses) than he does any other subject.
Now, why do we need wisdom? What is it for; what purpose does it serve? We all know the famous story about Solomon and the two women who were brought before him, both claiming to be the mother of a living child, while insisting the other had smothered her own child during the night...
Matthew 12:42 “The queen of the south (referring to the Queen of Sheba) shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”
1st Kings 3:25-28 “And the king said, ‘Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other’. Then the woman (whose the living child was) spoke to the king, for her compassion went out to her son, and she said, ‘O my lord, give her the living child, and in no way slay it’. But the other woman said, ‘Let it be neither yours nor mine, but go ahead -- divide it’. Then the king answered and said, ‘Give her (the real mother) the living child, and in no way slay it, for she is the rightful mother’. All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, for they saw that the Wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.”
These stories concerning Solomon are very well known, having been told, re-told and even included in many variations of TV shows and movies. There is no doubt that Solomon was a very wise man, but he did not stay a “very wise man.” His later life was miserable; he was an oppressive king and he fell into idol worship, leading all of Israel down an awful, sinful path. Why do I mention this? Just to make a point. While God’s Gifts and Callings are without repentance (meaning they are irreversible, unrevokable), there is no guarantee that the men and women using them will be faithful and honorable to these Gifts.
As great as he was, Solomon was not faithful, and I am sure that he will weep before the Lord one Day as he gives account of how he used his Gift of Wisdom -- or rather failed to use it to his best advantage. As wise and noble as he was at his beginning, his end was shameful (see 1st Kings 11:6-11). Wisdom is a Gift; how we use it determines how effective that Wisdom will be. This is true of all the Gifts, but especially true of Wisdom, because it (Wisdom) can influence so strongly so very many souls. With Wisdom we need to be so very, very careful and honorable, honoring Him in all we say or do.
Or, to be more precise, what is the
Word of Wisdom, mentioned in 1st Corinthians 12:8a?
“For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom...”
Let me say right here, that the Word of Wisdom and the Word of Knowledge (which we’ll look at next, very briefly) are so very similar that it is often difficult to differentiate between the two, but I will try. In the ministry of Jesus, words of Wisdom and Knowledge were used daily, many times in a day. Here, in the Gospel of John, we have a very good example of both Wisdom and Knowledge.
John 8 - “(3) The scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery, and when they had set her before Him they said, (4)‘Master, this woman was taken in the very act of adultery. (5) Now Moses in the law commanded us, that she should be stoned; but what do You say?’ (6) This they said, tempting Him, that they might have cause to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though he did not hear them. (7) But when they continued asking Him, He lifted Himself up saying to them, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.’ (8) Again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. (9) When they heard His Words, being convicted by their own conscience, they went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the youngest, and Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing before Him. (10) Now when Jesus lifted Himself up, and saw none but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?’ (11) She replied, ‘No man, Lord’. And Jesus told her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more’.”
Here, in these few verses, we see both Wisdom and Knowledge at work. Wisdom directed the Lord not to argue theology or morality with these men. Sometimes, Wisdom is knowing when to keep silent; when to hold your peace. Wisdom directed Him to act passively and peacefully. Where do we get the idea that all of our actions, words and deeds must be aggressive or assertive? Here, we see the Prince of Peace being very quiet and peaceful in dealing with these men whose hearts He knew all too well. He had probably dealt with them before, but the point is, He knew what they were up to. Wisdom led Him to do what He did; a Word of Knowledge helped Him in speaking to them the way He did. He stooped down and wrote...but what?
I have heard sermons on this passage, and I once heard a certain message that addressed this issue. The speaker said that perhaps Jesus stooped down and wrote the names of these men, their particular sins, or even the specific sin of adultery and the names of the women they had been with. Whatever the case, the fact is the Lord knew exactly what to do and the perfect words to say. This is how Wisdom and Knowledge work; hand in hand at times, complementing one another. As for these accusing men, they each left, the oldest down to the youngest -- again, the thought is that the oldest had more sins convicting him. There are numerous examples of the Lord Jesus using the Gifts of the Spirit, as He daily ministered to people. There are also many examples in the Old Testament, and we’ll look at a few right now.
Exo. 31:6 “And I, behold, I have given him Aholiab, of the tribe of Dan, and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put Wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded you. (7) They shall make the tabernacle of the congregation, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that rests upon it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle. (8) They shall also make the table and its furniture, the pure candlestick with all its furniture, and the altar of incense; they shall make (9) the altar of burnt offering with all its furniture, the laver, its base, and even (10) the cloths of service, and the Holy Garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office, including (11) the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place...all according to that which I have commanded you shall they do.”
Exo. 31:2 “See, I have called by name Bezaleel, of the tribe of Judah, (3) and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. He will be able (4) to create and imagine cunning works -- works in gold, silver, and brass. He will understand the (5) cutting of stones, how to set them, and in carving of timber -- he will be able to work in all manner of workmanship.”
Exodus 28:3 “And you shall speak to all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.”
There is so much we could look at here, but I will try and stay focused and “on course.” Let me just say that the names of Aholiab, of the tribe of Dan and Bezaleel, of the tribe of Judah are not an accident in being chosen by the Lord. Dan means “to judge”, and Judah is defined as “praise”, both of which are necessary in the building of the church of God. These two anointed men (Aholiab & Bezaleel) were highly skilled in workmanship, and this word means “deputyship, or appointed to a ministry; officer.” Also there is the strong meaning of “deputy; a messenger, specifically of God, i.e. a prophet, priest or teacher -- ambassador, angel, king, messenger.”
As these men, chosen and appointed by the Lord, were assigned tasks to build the Old Testament Tabernacle, so Paul was also given an assignment to build the New Testament Church. This is why Paul is known as the architect of the N. T. Church, because of the many writings and doctrines he set forth. These two men, of the O. T., who guided in the building of the Tabernacle, might also be called apostles of that era; anyone who builds and is instrumental in the structure and formation of God’s Kingdom (as these men were) are very likely to possess the apostleship anointing. I have addressed this issue of O. T. apostles in other articles, and one may be found here at the bottom of the page, after the title “Types and Shadows”.
As an apostle, Paul’s strongest desire was for those he taught and discipled to become mature and strong in the Lord. We see this in these next verses...
1st Corinthians 2:5 “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the Power of God. (6) However we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (or mature in Christ); yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought. (7) We speak the Wisdom of God in a mystery, even the Hidden Wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.”
We, today, must also have God’s Wisdom -- even as the O. T. saints, even as Paul, and even as the N. T. saints. We are no different... we need direction and purpose and instruction every bit as much as they. That, basically, is what Wisdom is -- what Wisdom does -- Wisdom from God gives us insight, instruction and understanding into that which we lacked of insight, instruction, or understanding. Wisdom helps us see and grasp what we could not have seen or grasped; it helps us to be able to do and say things we could not have done or said before. When we need it, or more correctly, when the Church or Body needs it, the Holy Spirit will “drop into our hearts” a word of wisdom. We may not even know when this happens; there have been times in my life when I had no clue that His Word had escaped my lips in the form of His Wisdom. We may not always know, nor do we always need to know; after all...it is His Wisdom, and they are His Words. Now, let us take a look at Knowledge given by the Holy Spirit.
1st Corinthians 12:8b
“The gifts He gave were that some would have...knowledge”
The Greek word, gnosis (gno’-sis), means: “the act of knowing, i.e. (by implication) to have knowledge; to know”; also, “be aware of, feel, (have) known or have knowledge; to perceive, to resolve, be sure, understand”. Spiritual Knowledge, or that given as the Word of Knowledge by the Holy Spirit, is that special “knowing” or “awareness” of something that by natural means we would not even have had a “clue”. A Word of Knowledge goes beyond our own understanding or awareness -- it is His awareness and understanding placed within us, so that we might help and aid and benefit the Body of Christ. This, indeed, is what all the Gifts are for...to aid and bless His Body, but Words of Knowledge and Wisdom have a unique and powerful ability, when spoken and ministered at the right moment, to the right situation.
All throughout His ministry, Jesus knew things about people He met and dealt with; He spoke Words that no one could have known; His awareness of things, situations and of people’s lives was evidence of the Gifts of the Words of Wisdom and Knowledge at work in His Life. It can be so with us. How can I say this? Simply because it was so with the first century Christians, and no where does it say that it stopped with them. All that God gave them, He also has provided for us. All we need do is believe...and accept. Following is one of Paul’s prayers for the Christians at Ephesus... and for us as well.
“May you also know (19) what is the exceeding greatness of His Power toward us who believe, according to the working of His Mighty Power...the Power He (20) fervently and effectually worked to show Himself in Christ, when He (God, the Father and the Holy Spirit) raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, and set Him at His own Right Hand in Heavenly Places, (21) far above all principality, power, might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. (22) And He (God the Father) has put all things under His feet (those of Jesus), and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, (23) which is His Body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all.”
Ephesians 1:15 - “Wherefore, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and of your love to all the saints, I also do not (16) cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers (17) I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray, too, (18) that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened; that you may know what is the Hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the Glory of His Inheritance in the saints.”
“I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him...” (verse 17, above). This word “knowledge” is not the same word used in 1st Corinthians 12:8b. Corinthians uses gnosis, while Paul uses the word epignosis here in Ephesians. The latter is more powerful than the former, as epignosis has a meaning which is “to become fully acquainted with Someone or some thing; to have full recognition, i.e. to possess full discernment”.
This prayer of Paul’s was, and is, a most powerful prayer. I would love to have someone pray that prayer over me! Well, guess what? That prayer does apply to me, as well as to anyone who will receive it. What Paul, or Jesus, or any apostle may have written for the first century church applies to and is for us today. Paul’s desire, his concern, his prayer for the Ephesian Christians was that they know fully and completely the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father and the things and the Person of the Holy Spirit. That same opportunity is also available for us today.
I mentioned gnosis and epignosis (above) to note the differences between the Gift of the Holy Spirit (that being the Word of Knowledge) and the act or the ability to fully know God in all of His Glory. A Word of Knowledge is only a “portion” of the fullness of God and the things of God. As He chooses and when He chooses to “give us” understanding and knowledge, that will be our limit of knowing Him. And whether it be Paul’s prayer realized or the Gift of the Spirit imparted to us, we must always be ready and willing to draw close to Him, leaning upon His breast, learning of Him -- so that we, too, can be used by the Spirit and His wonderful Gifts. Not for our glory, but for the edification, encouragement and the blessing of the Body of Christ. I close with these thoughts:
- Let us be faithful to His Calling in our lives.
- Let us be unafraid of the Gifts He may choose to impart to us (or others).
- Let us not harshly judge that which we may not fully understand.
- Finally, let us “covet earnestly the best gifts...”
...for the Lord, through Paul (1st Cor. 12:31a), told us to do just that, but let us be certain to pursue such things by a “more excellent way” (1st Cor. 12:31b)...this Way is through and by His Love.
It is my deepest hope and most fervent prayer that each who may read this will be encouraged and inspired to Trust Him and Follow Him and Learn of Him, for He is so very willing to teach and bless us with His Gracious Gifts. May He fill you with All Fullness, creating in you that which He has called you to do and to be. Amen and amen.
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