Outline for Sunday 13th October, 2024

Topic: THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Texts: Romans 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Ephesians 4:7-13

Aim: To introduce everyone to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and help us receive and manifest them

INTRODUCTION

Central to the assignment of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to empower us to live for Jesus and bring others to Him (Acts 1:8). This is what ministry is about. The Holy Spirit empowers for ministry, and this empowerment is made possible by the gifts He gives us. Hence, consider the gifts of the Holy Spirit in this study.

  • THE VOCAL GIFTS: the vocal gifts are gifts that have to do with communication. They are the gifts that God uses to communicate His mind to the believer and the church (Acts 13:1-2). They are divided into three;
    • The gift of prophecy
    • The gift of tongues
    • The gift of interpretation of tongues

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

  1. Prophecy is both foretelling and forth-telling.
    1. While foretelling talks about speaking forth things before they happen, forth-telling is bringing forth the mind of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:67-75)
    1. Foretelling is stronger and deeper than forth-telling
    1. Most believers operating with the gift of prophecy often do so by forth-telling while a prophet (called into the five-fold offices) operates majorly via foretelling.
    1. Most of the prophecies of Isaiah and other major prophets in the Bible were foretelling (Isaiah 7:14, Micah 4:1-2).
    1. There is a difference between the gift of prophecy and the office of a prophet; one is a gift, and the other is an office. All prophets prophesy, but not everyone that prophesies is a prophet (1 Corinthians 12:28-29, Ephesians 4:11-12)
  • The gift of prophecy is supposed to bring edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3)
    • People only prophesy according to their level of faith, understanding, and maturity (Romans 12:6)
    • Every believer is expected to operate with the gift of prophecy. It is one of the offshoots of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:67, Acts 19:6)
    • Prophecies are not always perfect in that they don’t deal with or reveal details but only a portion of the will of God. Therefore, we must go beyond prophecy into pressing into a more perfect or complete will of God (1 Corinthians 13:9-10)
    • Believers are not supposed to be primarily led by prophecy but by the Holy Spirit within them (Romans 8:14). New Testament prophecies are mostly to confirm God’s will or leading to us (Acts 13:1-2)
    • Sometimes, tongues plus interpretation equals prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:5, 13)
    • Prophecy can be controlled. This is what it means that the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. The Holy Spirit does not hijack us; He uses us in partnership with Himself (1 Corinthians 14:32)
    • Prophecies must not violate an already established will of God as revealed in the word of God (2 Peter 1:19-21)

THE GIFT OF TONGUES

  1. This is the ability given by the Holy Spirit to communicate the mind or will of God via a known language (Acts 2:6-11)
  2. It is different from the believers’ exercise of praying in tongues (Jude 1:20)
  3. The gift of tongues is a language known by humans and, most times, does not need interpretation. This is what we saw in Acts 2
  4. God uses the gift of tongues to bring His communication to people in a way that causes them to acknowledge the presence and supremacy of God (Acts 2:11, 1 Corinthians 14:22)
  5. When the gift of tongues is exercised within a body of believers, it would necessarily need interpretation (1 Corinthians 14:27-28)
  6. All believers, baptised in the Holy Spirit, are expected to pray in tongues, but not all believers have the gift of tongues; one is a prayer language, the other is a gift to be used in blessing others (Mark 16:17, Jude 1:20, 1 Corinthians 12:30)

THE GIFT OF INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

  1. This is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to some individuals to interpret words spoken in tongues
  • Primarily, the gift of tongues is meant to interpret an unknown tongue (the believers’ prayer language) when such is to bring a message to the individual or the church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28)
  • The gift of interpretation of tongues can also be used to interpret a known tongue (known in the Spirit) when God wants to communicate spiritual reality to His people or church
  • All believers can and should desire this gift in order to, at least, interpret their own tongues if and when necessary
  • When tongues are interpreted, it can also be called prophecy
  • Speaking in tongues in the public meant to communicate a message to others must necessarily be interpreted, or else, such tongues are not valid or needed (1 Corinthians 14:18- 19)
  • Sometimes, the interpretation of the tongues spoken by an individual would come from the same individual, and at other times, it would come from another person (1 Corinthians 14:27- 28)
  • Note that it is called the gift of interpretation, not translation of tongues. Thus, it is purely a spiritual activity, not a mental one. Hence, the interpretation of a tongue spoken in 5 minutes or a paragraph may just be done in 30 seconds or just one line, and vice versa (Daniel 5:25- 28)
  • Most times, the gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy all work together. What is important is the message being clearly communicated to the believer or church, not about trying to differentiate which is which.

FURTHER THOUGHTS ON THE VOCAL GIFTS

  1. They are called vocal gifts because they are meant to communicate a message to the church. But they can be expressed in a non-vocal sense. For example, prophecy can be written down just as tongues can also be expressed in writing (Daniel 5:25-28, 9:2)
  2. The Holy Spirit normally takes over (or suspends) the mind of the speaker. Hence, his or her submission to the Holy Spirit will determine the purity of what is brought to the church.
  3. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit would be limited by the mental or spiritual capacity or maturity of the person exercising such gifts (Acts 21:10-14)
  4. Most times, the vocal gifts do nothing about the will of God. They only communicate it, just as the revelational gifts only reveal it. The power gifts would be needed to effect necessary changes. This means that prophecy or tongues are not final (Isaiah 38:1-5)
  5. The Bible is the highest book of prophecy. Thus, no prophecy should violate the word of God. Believers should also take the word of God as God’s prophecy to them. We all must

begin with and stick to the word of God if we would be safe (Psalms 119:89, Acts 6:4, 2 Peter 1:19-21).

CONCLUSION

God wants us to reveal Him to our world. We would do this both by character (fruit) and power (gifts). The manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to bring profits to our lives and others. We need to desire these gifts with the right motives of revealing God.

CLASS EXERCISE

  1. How have you been able to differentiate between the gift of tongues and praying in tongues (the believers’ prayer language)?
  2. What’s the difference between speaking in tongues and praying in tongues, if any?
  3. In 1 Corinthians 12:30, did Paul mean that not everybody prays or should pray in tongues, or was he talking about the gift of tongues?
  4. What does the Bible say about judging prophecies, and how do we do so?
  5. What do you do when a supposed prophecy violates the word of God or the witness of the Holy Spirit in your spirit?