Gifts
of the Spirit
Gifts from the
Godhead
Concerning what subject
ought we to be informed?
Now about spiritual
gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be
ignorant.
1 Corinthians 12:1.
When Christ ascended,
what did He give to men?
This is why it says:
When he ascended on high, he led captives
in his train and gave gifts to men.
Ephesians 4:8.
What were these gifts
that Christ gave to men?
It was he who gave
some to be apostles, some to be prophets,
some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors
and teachers. Verse 11.
How are these gifts
elsewhere spoken of?
And in the church God
has appointed first of all apostles,
second prophets, third teachers,
then workers of miracles, also those
having gifts of healing, those able to
help others, those with gifts of administration,
and those speaking in different kinds of
tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:28.
Purpose of the Gifts
For what purpose were these
gifts bestowed upon the church?
To prepare Gods
people for the works of service, so that the body
of Christ may be built up until we
all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge
of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then
we will no longer be infants, tossed back and
forth by the waves, and blown here and there by
every wind of teaching and by the cunning and
craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Instead speaking the truth in love, we will in
all things grow up into him who is the Head, that
is, Christ. Ephesians 4:12-15.
What result is to be obtained
by the exercise of the gifts of the church?
Until we reach
unity in the faith and in the knowledge of
the Son of God and become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ. Verse 13.
How is unity preserved in the
diversities of gifts?
There are different
kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:4.
For what purpose is the
manifestation of this one Spirit given?
Now to each one of the
manifestation of the Spirit is given for the
common good. To one there is given through
the Spirit the message of wisdom, to
another faith by the same Spirit, to
another miraculous powers, to another prophecy,
to another distinguishing between spirits,
to another speaking in different kinds of
tongues, and still another the interpretation
of tongues. Verses 7-10.
Who controls the distribution
of the gifts of the Spirit?
All these are the work
of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to
each one, just as he determines. Verse 11.
Was it Gods design that
all should possess the same gifts?
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? But eagerly
desire the greater gifts. Verses 29-31.
Period of the Gifts
Were the gifts of the Spirit
to continue forever?
Love never fails. But
where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled;
where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
1 Corinthians 13:8.
When will the gifts of the
Spirit not be needed?
But when perfection
comes, the imperfect will disappear.
Verse 10.
Avenues of Communication
How did God communicate
with man in Eden?
But the Lord God called
to the man, Where are you?
Genesis 3:9.
Since the Fall, by what
means has God generally made known His will to
man?
I spoke to the
prophets, gave them many visions and told
parables through them.
Hosea 12:10.
What things belong to God, and
what to us?
The secret
things belong to the Lord our God, but the
things revealed belong to us and to our
children forever, that they may follow all the
words of this law. Deut. 29:29.
How fully and to whom does God
reveal His purposes?
Surely the Sovereign
Lord does nothing without revealing his
plan to his servants the prophets. Amos
3:7.
The Gift of Prophecy
How does the Lord reveal
Himself to His prophets?
He said, Listen
to my words: When a prophet of the Lord is
among you, I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams. Numbers
12:6.
Under what influence did the
prophets of old speak?
For prophecy never had
its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from
God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21. (See also 2 Samuel
23:2.)
How are both the origin of
prophecy and the means of communicating it still
further shown in Gods plan?
The revelation of
Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show
his servants what must soon take place. He made
it known by sending his angel to his servant
John.
Revelation 1:1.
What angel revealed to Daniel
his visions and dreams?
While still in prayer,
Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier
vision, came to me in swift flight about the time
of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me
and said to me, Daniel, I have come to give
you insight and understanding. Daniel 9:
21,22. (See also chapter 10, and Revelation 22:
9, 10.)
What Spirit was in the
prophets dictating their utterances?
Concerning this
salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace
that was to come to you, searched intently and
with the greatest care, trying to find out the
time and circumstances to which the Spirit of
Christ in them was pointing when he predicted
the sufferings of Christ and the glories that
would follow. 1 Peter 1:10,
11.
How were the Lords words
to the prophets preserved?
In the first year of
Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream,
and visions passed through his mind as he was
lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance
of his dream.
Daniel 7:1. (See also
Jeremiah 51:60; Revelation 1:10, 11.)
By whom has God spoken to us
in these last days?
In the past God spoke
to our forefathers through the prophets at many
times and in various ways, but in these last days
he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, and through whom he
made the universe. Hebrews 1:1,2.
What was one of the offices to
be filled by the Messiah?
The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from
among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
Deuteronomy 18:15.
Foretelling the Future
Can the wise men of the
world foretell the future?
Daniel replied, No
wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can
explain to the king the mystery he as asked
about. Daniel 2:27.
Who did Daniel say that could
reveal secrets?
But there is a God
in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown
King Nebuchadazzar what will happen in days to
come. Your dream and the visions that passed
through your mind as you lay on your bed are
these. Verse 28.
How did prophet Daniel
acknowledge the insufficiency of human wisdom?
As for me, this
mystery has been revealed to me, not because I
have greater wisdom than other living men,
but so that you, O king, may know the
interpretation and that you may understand what
went through your mind. Verse 30.
After revealing and
interpreting the dream, what did Daniel say?
This is the meaning of
the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but
not by human hands a rock that broke the
iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the
gold to pieces. The great God has shown the
king what will take place in the future.
The dream is true and the interpretation is
trustworthy. Daniel 2:45.
How does God show His
foreknowledge?
See the former things
have taken place, and new things I declare; before
they spring into being I announce them to you.
Isaiah 42:9.
What was foretold through the
prophet Joel?
And afterward, I will
pour out my Spirit on all people, your sons
and daughters will prophesy, your old men will
dream dreams, your young men will se visions.
Joel 2:28.
When did this prediction begin
to be fulfilled?
No, this what was
spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, I
will pour out my Spirit on all people, Your sons
and daughters will prophesy, your young me will
see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Acts 2: 16,17.
Prophetic Leadership
What were some of the gifts
Christ gave to the church?
This is why it says:
When he ascended on high, he led captives
in his train and gave gifts to men. What
doers he ascended mean except that he also
descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who
descended is the very one who ascended higher
than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole
universe. It was he who gave some to be
apostles, some to be prophets, some to
be evangelists, and some to be pastors
and teachers.
Ephesians 4: 8-11.
By what means did God deliver
and preserve Israel?
The Lord used a prophet
to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet
he cared for him.
Hosea 12:13.
When Moses complained of
his slowness of speech, what did God say to Aaron
should be to him?
He will speak to
the people for you, and it will be as if you
were your mouth and as if you were God to
him. Exodus 4:16.
What did God afterward call
Aaron?
Then the Lord said to
Moses, See, I have made you like a god to
Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your
prophet. Exodus 7:1.
Tests of True and False
Prophets
If what a prophet
proclaims in the name of the Lord does not
take place or come true, that is a message
the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has
spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of
him. Deuteronomy 18:22.
What other test should be
applied in determining the validity of the claims
of a prophet?
If a prophet, or one
who foretells by dreams, appears among you and
announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and
if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken
takes place, and he says, Let us follow
other gods (gods you have not known) And
let us worship them, you must not listen to
the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord
your God is testing you to find out whether you
love him with all your heart and with all your
soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow,
and him you must revere. Keep his commands
and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4.
Note From these
Scriptures it will be seen that, in the first
place, if a prophets words do not prove to
be true, it is evidence that God has not sent
that prophet. On the other hand, even though the
thing predicted comes to pass, if the intended
prophet seeks to lead others to break Gods
commandments, this, regardless of all the signs,
should be positive evidence that he is not a true
prophet.
What rule did Christ give for
determining between true and false prophets?
Thus by
their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 7:20.
Attitude Toward Gods
Prophets
How did Gods
prophets anciently use the words of former
prophets in exhorting the people into obedience?
Are these not the
words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier
prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding
towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev
and the western foothills were settled?
Zechariah 7:7.
What was the promised result
of believing Gods prophets?
Early in the
morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As
they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Listen
to me, Judah and the people of Jerusalem! Have
faith in the Lord your God and you will be
upheld; have faith in the prophets and you
will be successful.
2 Chronicles 20:20.
What admonition is given
regarding the gift of prophecy?
Do not put out the
Spirits fire, do not treat prophecies
with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to
the good. 1 Thessalonians 5: 20,21.
What will characterize the
last, or remnant church?
Then the dragon was
enraged at the woman and went off to make war
against the rest of her offspring those
who obey Gods commandments and hold
to the testimony of Jesus. Revelation
12:17.
What is the testimony of
Jesus?
Worship God! For the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 19:10.
(See Revelation 1:9.)
What results when this gift is
absent?
Where there is no
revelation, the people cast of restraint;
but blessed is he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18. (See also Psalm 74:9.)
Come, Holy Spirit, come,
Let Thy bright beams arise,
Dispel the sorrow from our
minds,
The darkness from our eyes.
Convince us all of sin,
Then lead to Jesus
blood,
And to our wondering view
reveal
The mercies of our God.
Revive our drooping faith,
Our doubts and fears remove,
And kindle in our breasts
the flame
Of never-dying love.
Come, Holy Spirit, come,
Our minds from bondage free;
Then shall we know, and
praise, and love,
The Father, Son, and Thee.
- Joseph Hart.
[top]