Growth · lessons 5
The spiritual gifts: revelation and utterance
Word of wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation
The word nobody expected
In the middle of the service, Mrs. Martha stood up. She was not one to speak in public. But she said firmly: 'Thus says the Lord: I am taking care of what you have entrusted to Me. Do not give up now.' Just like that. She sat down. In the front row, a family on the verge of giving up on their faith began to weep. Nobody knew about their situation -- except God. That word, at the right time, through a faithful servant, saved a story. It was not magic. It was a spiritual gift in operation.
Spiritual gifts are supernatural empowerments given by the Holy Spirit to edify the Body of Christ. They are not natural talents (though they may use talents). They are not personal merit. They are manifestations of the Spirit through willing people.
Paul classifies the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. In this lesson, we study the revelation gifts (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, distinguishing between spirits) and the utterance gifts (prophecy, speaking in different kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues).
Revelation Gifts -- God reveals something that could not be known naturally:
- Word of wisdom -- a supernatural revelation of divine direction for a specific situation. It is not general wisdom, but divine insight for the moment.
- Word of knowledge -- a supernatural revelation of a fact that the person could not know naturally. Jesus operated in this gift with the Samaritan woman (John 4:18).
- Distinguishing between spirits -- a supernatural ability to discern the source of a manifestation: whether it is from the Spirit of God, from the human spirit, or from evil spirits.
Utterance Gifts -- God speaks through people:
- Prophecy -- speaking on behalf of God for the strengthening, encouraging, and comfort of the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). It is not fortune-telling -- it is God's message for the present. It must be weighed by the church (1 Corinthians 14:29).
- Speaking in different kinds of tongues -- speaking in an unknown language for use in the gathering (different from the private devotional tongue). It requires interpretation to edify the church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
- Interpretation of tongues -- the supernatural ability to convey the meaning of a message given in tongues during the gathering. It is not a literal translation -- it is a transmission of the meaning.
Prophecy in the New Testament: how does it work? Show
New Testament prophecy has important characteristics:
Purpose: strengthening, encouraging, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3) -- never to condemn, manipulate, or exalt the prophet.
Weighing: all prophecy must be weighed (1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). Not everything that appears to be prophecy is from God. The community evaluates.
Evaluation criteria: Does it align with the Bible? Does it exalt Christ? Does it edify the church? Does the prophet live with integrity? Do the fruits confirm it?
Cautions: prophecy does not replace the Bible, does not direct other people's lives in an authoritarian way, and does not contradict the written Word. 'Thus says the Lord' carries weight -- use it with reverence.
Common errors: using prophecy to control people, prophesying under emotional pressure, refusing to accept evaluation, or exalting the gift above the fruit.
Paul commands: eagerly desire the gifts. It is not passivity ('if God wants to give them to me, He will'). It is active pursuit, with desire and prayer. And the path that sustains the gifts is love (1 Corinthians 13). Gifts without love are noise. Love without gifts is incomplete. The biblical ideal is: love as the foundation, gifts as the tools.
You can and should desire spiritual gifts. Not for status, but to serve. The Spirit distributes as He wills -- but He distributes to those who seek with a pure heart.
“The foundation and the greatest strategy of discipleship is learning to love our neighbor as Christ loves us.”
Stop and think
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1
Have you ever experienced a revelation or utterance gift in your life? What was it like?
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2
Is there a gift you desire but have never intentionally pursued?
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3
How do you evaluate prophecies you hear -- do you accept everything without questioning or examine them in light of the Word?
For this week
Read 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 in their entirety this week. Pray asking God to awaken in you the desire for spiritual gifts. If you already operate in a gift, pray for greater sensitivity. If you have never experienced one, tell the Spirit: 'I am available. Use me to edify Your church.' Share with your Small Group which gift you feel drawn to pursue.
To close
“Holy Spirit, thank You for Your gifts -- given by grace, for service. I eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, not for my glory, but to edify the Body of Christ. Speak through me. Reveal what I cannot see. Use my mouth for Your words. And above all, may love be the foundation of everything I do. In the name of Jesus, amen.”
For the discipler
Objective
Teach the revelation and utterance gifts with biblical clarity and Pentecostal balance -- awakening desire without creating pressure, and teaching healthy evaluation without quenching the Spirit.
Difficult questions
- What if I prophesy incorrectly? It is possible to err -- that is why the Bible commands that prophecies be weighed. Making a mistake is not sin if there is humility and willingness to accept correction. The solution is not to never prophesy, but to grow in maturity and accept evaluation from the community.
- Are the gifts for today or have they ceased? We believe the gifts are in full operation until the return of Christ (1 Corinthians 13:10 -- 'when completeness comes' refers to the return of Christ, not to the biblical canon). The experience of millions confirms: the Spirit continues to operate.
- Should everyone prophesy? Paul desires that all prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:5), but recognizes that the Spirit distributes varied gifts (1 Corinthians 12:29-30). Seek, be available, but do not force it.
- How do I avoid mysticism and manipulation? Keep the Bible as the standard, be under pastoral authority, accept evaluation, and never use gifts to control people or exalt yourself.
Practical tips
- Be practical: ask if anyone has experienced any of these gifts. Group testimonies make the teaching concrete.
- Clearly differentiate: devotional tongues (private, 1 Corinthians 14:4) vs. the gift of tongues in the gathering (public, requires interpretation, 1 Corinthians 14:27).
- Teach that NT prophecy is not infallible like OT prophecy -- that is why it must be weighed. This removes pressure and gives freedom to grow.
- If possible, practice in the group: pray together and encourage the Spirit to manifest. Create an atmosphere of faith and order (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Extra material
- Leitura: The Gifts of the Spirit -- Harold Horton (summary)
- Video: Spiritual Gifts: a practical guide -- Pr. Luciano Subira