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XVI.     THE DISCERNING OF SPIRITS

 

A.        Definition

 

The seeing of spirits, so as to test, to prove, scrutinize, so as to decide. The discerning of spirits gives insight into the spirit world. The discerning of spirits is the ability to see into the realm of the spirit world. Discerning of spirits is a supernatural insight into the spirit world, both good and bad spirits. To say that discerning of spirits has to do with evil spirits is misleading.  However, it is true that the discerning of evil spirits is included here. Read Ezekiel 10:1-10 & 10:19-20, which is Ezekiel's vision of cherubim. This is a discerning or seeing of the supernatural.

 

B.        Testing False Prophets

 

1.         You will know them by their fruit, Matt. 7:15-20.

 

                        2.         They will confess Jesus, I John 4:23.

 

3.         They will have a Godly relationship with the world, not a sensual one, I John 2:15-16.

 

4.         They will receive Christianity well, I John 4:6.

 

5.         They will have good attitudes toward the commands of God, I John 3:19-24; John 14:15.

 

6.         They will love the brethren, John 13:34-35.

 

7.         They will love the word of God, I John 5:10-13; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Cor. 4:4.

 

8.         Read also I Cor. 2:11; Job 14:22; James 2:26.

 

 

 

 

C.        "Seeing Christ"

 

After the ascension of Christ, no one has seen Him physically, but through the supernatural gift of the discerning of spirits, men of God have been able to see into the spirit world and some have seen Him.

 

1.         In Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up.

 

2.         In Ex. 33:18-23, God let Moses look into the realm of the spirit and Moses was able to discern (see) the similitude of God.  God allowed Moses to see His back parts, but not His face.

 

3.         In Gen. 28:10-13, Jacob saw the Lord standing at the top of a ladder that reached from the earth to heaven.

 

4.         Elisha prayed and asked God to show the servant that God had more horses and chariots than the King of Syria who had compassed the city, II Kings 6:8-17.

 

5.         All such visions would be a manifestation of the gift of discerning of spirits.  It might bring with it a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge, but the vision itself would be a discerning of spirits. At that time, that person would be seeing into the spirit world.

 

D.        Revealing Kinds of Spirits

 

The discerning of spirits also reveals the kind of spirit behind a supernatural manifestation.

 

1.         In Matt. 9:32-33, Jesus cast out a dumb spirit from a man and he spoke.

 

2.         In Matt.  12:22, Jesus healed a man who was blind, dumb and possessed with the devil.

 

a.         A demon is an evil spirit, an undesirable emotion, an undesirable trait, state, and behavior, habit (with unusual drive, torment, or enslavement).

 

3.         In Luke 13:10-13, Jesus loosed a woman from a spirit of infirmity who was bowed together for 18 years.

 

4.         In Acts 7:55-60, Stephen saw into heaven and actually saw Jesus.

  

E.        What is of God?

 

Not all miraculous and supernatural things that people experience come from God. Satan is a supernatural being also.  Many times people are ready and willing to follow anything that seems supernatural whether it is proven by the word of God or not.

 

1.         In Lev. 20:27, we see that a familiar spirit is a demon masquerading as the spirit of a dead person invoked by a medium to advise or prophesy.

 

2.         In Deut.  18:10-20, God talks about familiar spirits and forbids the people of God to have anything to do with them.

 

3.         Read Deut. 18:21-22. How do you know if it is God speaking?

 

4.         Familiar spirits are familiar with people and they do pass on information to the people about them, Acts 16:16-18.

 

5.         From Luke 4:41, it is plain that the demons knew that He was Christ.

 

6.         In I Sam. 28:7-18, we read of King Saul consulting the medium (witch) of Endor. Then in I Chr. 10:13-14, we see the results of Saul's sin.

 

F.         Led By His Spirit

 

Christians don't have to have the discerning of spirits to know when something is wrong. Christians should know the word of God well enough to be led by the Spirit of God and by the inward witness, Romans 8:14.

 

G.        Functions of the Discerning of Spirits

 

1.         It gives the believer the capacity to know how the enemy is operating and his strategy of warfare. With this gift we can know his mind, capability, and ingenuity, and how we can confront him.

 

2.         This gift is a spiritual antenna that detects the spiritual realm. It is also a spiritual diagnostic agent. It will help the believer to know when something is wrong spiritually.

 

3.         We can use this to test whether a prophecy is coming from God's Spirit or a human spirit, I Thes. 5:21; I John 4:1-6;  I Cor. 14:29.

 

4.         We can use it to discern the spiritual condition of a church or individual or to expose a spirit of falsehood in a person, I Tim. 4:1; I John 4:1-3.

 

5.         It is used in deliverance ministry to discern the afflicting, tormenting or oppressing spirits. It was through this gift that Paul discerned and confronted Elymas the magician, Acts 13:8-12.

 

H.        How the Gift Operates

 

1.         You must be in the Spirit to be able to discern in the spirit; otherwise you will be operating in the flesh.

 

2.         Sometimes you can sense in your spirit an oppressing spirit or see a shadow or a dark cloud over someone. There are some extreme cases such as in Mark 5 when you do not need a supernatural gift to tell that something is wrong.

 

3.         You can discern the fruits of the Spirit, Matt. 7:15-20.

 

4.         Through the anointing of the Holy Spirit you can judge a manifestation of the spirit, I cor. 2:15.

 

5.         You can discern through the word of God. If one is under the influence of demonic powers, they cannot say, "the blood of Jesus" or that "Jesus came in the flesh", I John 4:1-3.

 

6.         In some cases you can see an aura or light over a person who is under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

 

7.         The best way to operate and increase in this gift is to get familiar with the word of God, because it is the best criteria for judging spiritual things.

 

I.          The Need for the Gift

 

We need the gift of discerning of spirits.

 

1.         In order to discern spiritual things, I Cor. 2:14.

 

2.         So that we can discern and confront the ever-increasing works of darkness, I Tim. 4:1. Many seducing and deceiving spirits are operating in the body of Christ because this gift is lacking in many ministries.

 

3.         To help expose false ministries, II Cor. 11:13-15.

 

4.         To discern demons and their names in order to cast them out in Jesus' name.

 

5.         To discern the angel of light, II Cor 11:13-15.

 

6.         To minister more effectively to a congregation and to know when God is operating or moving in a particular direction (especially for pastors).

 

J.         A Word of Caution

 

1.         Discerning of spirits is not a psychological knowledge used to test people's emotions or minds, I Tim. 4:1; II Cor. 11:13-15.

 

2.         This gift should not be used to find faults in people's lives, but rather to help and build them.

 

3.         It is not extrasensory perception, but a gift of discerning of spirits.

 

4.         Some people think they are operating in the gift of discernment when actually they are imagining things with their natural minds. They are motivated by the spirit of suspicion. This can be very dangerous.

 

5.         Some people go about casting out demons from people. They think that anything different or unusual is demonic. This is a spirit of suspicion, not discernment. One can discern a demon, but wisdom is needed on how to deal with it.

 

XVII.    TONGUES A SUPERNATURAL SIGN

 

Speaking in tongues (or glossolalia) is a supernatural utterance that is given by the power of the Holy Spirit through the human voice and without the help of the conscious mind. The Holy Spirit takes the human mind and organs of speech and utilizes it to worship God or pray in a language that cannot be created, understood or perpetuated by the natural man. The human intellect therefore is not the originator but a yielded instrument under the control of the Holy Spirit. No human or other power would know the meaning of such a supernatural utterance unless it was revealed by the same Spirit by the gift of interpretation.

 

Speaking in tongues is a controversial subject which divides many believers. Some feel it is for all Christians; others think it is for just a chosen few; others think it was done away with long ago; while others think it is of the devil, and so on.

 

Some people oppose speaking in tongues by claiming that those who practice it are emotional, immature, and carnal. This may be true in some few cases, but usually the spirit filled and tongue talking believers are the most productive soul-winners and effective prayer warriors in the body of Christ. Others say that tongues are not important tools because they will cease. This is true, but so will other gifts such as healing, word of knowledge, prophecies, and the rest.

 

Speaking in tongues is one of the most wonderful tools that God ever gave to His church. It is a breakthrough into the spiritual world. It is the only tool that can most effectively tame and bridle the tongue of man, the most unruly member of the body.

 

People who are against tongues are also usually against other spiritual gifts. They object to and doubt the supernatural manifestations of the living God. To them the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge is nothing but human intellectualism that can be acquired through much study. They reduce discerning of spirits to the psychiatrist and speaking in tongues to linguistic abilities. How sad.

 

Read Mark 16:15-18. No true believer would doubt that if four of these signs are supernatural, surely the fifth would be also. Therefore, one reason we speak in tongues is that Jesus said this is one sign which should follow believers.

 

A.        Tongues, a Devotional Gift

 

In I Cor. 14:18 Paul was saying to the believers in Corinth, "I thank God I speak in tongues more than ye all."  Paul was telling them the purpose of tongues and what it would do for them; that it was primarily a devotional gift to be used in their prayer life in the praise and worship of God.

 

B.        The Public Ministry of Tongues

 

In I Cor. 12:28-31, Paul asked a question, "Do all speak with tongues?"  The answer is no. Paul was saying that only a few will be used in the public ministry of tongues.  This gift is not intended for everyday. This is the mistake that the people of Corinth were making.  You can be filled with the spirit and speak in your devotional tongue, but not having the gift of tongues. The tongue that Paul is referring to is to be used in the public ministry. Paul started by saying in I Cor. 12:28-31 and I Cor. 14:27-28, speaking about public ministry in tongues, "If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two or at the most by three and that by course (each one taking his turn) and let one interpret".

 

In the Greek, the words two or three are personal pronouns and refer to people. Paul was simply saying that not more than two or three people should speak in a service.

 

C.        Diverse Tongues, I Cor. 12:10

 

There is a difference between speaking in tongues and the gift of tongues. In the ministry of Jesus we see all the gifts of the Spirit in operation, except for tongues and interpretation.

 

1.         The gift of speaking in tongues and interpretation are distinctive to this dispensation in which we live.

 

2.         Divers kinds of tongues is supernatural utterance by the Holy Spirit in languages never learned by the speaker, not understood by the mind of the speaker, or necessarily always understood by the hearer.

 

3.         Speaking in tongues has nothing to do with linguistic ability. It has nothing to do with the mind or the intellect of man. It is quite simply a supernatural vocal miracle.

 

4.         There are two kinds of tongues, and there is a difference between speaking in tongues and the gift of tongues.

 

5.         In Mark 16:17, Jesus is referring to the believer and He is saying that all believers have the ability to speak with new tongues after they are baptized in the Holy Ghost.

 

6.         Read also Acts 2:4; I Cor. 2:7; I Cor. 14:2, 13-19; Ephesians 1:17-19.

 

7.         In I Cor. 12:28-30, Paul writing to the Church of Corinth, makes a clear distinction between speaking in tongues which will follow after the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues.

 

D.        Believers Receive Holy Spirit

 

There are five recorded instances where believers received the Holy Ghost:

 

1.         In Acts 2:4, on the day of Pentecost when 120 were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 

2.         In Acts 8:14-19, when the apostles laid hands on the believers in Samaria.

 

a.         What did Simon see that impressed him so much that he was willing to offer money in order to obtain this power? The Holy Spirit cannot be seen because He is a Spirit.  Yet, the scripture said that Simon "saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands, the Holy Ghost was given."

 

3.         In Acts 9:17-18, Ananias laid hands on Paul and prayed for him to be baptized in the Holy Ghost.

 

4.         In I Cor. 14:18, Paul said that he thanked God he spoke with tongues more than them all.  This tells us Paul believed and received tongues as his private devotional gift.

 

5.         In Acts 10:44-46, Peter, while speaking in the house of Cornelius, saw the "Holy Ghost fall on the Gentiles and they spoke with new tongues, (10 years after Pentecost),

 

6.         Read Acts 19:1-6. When Paul came to Ephesus, he laid his hands on the believers to receive the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. This was 20 years after Pentecost.

 

E.        Tongues Purpose

 

Tongues are for private devotion and public ministry.

 

1.         Read I Cor. 14:2-4.  Your mind cannot get in the way of your prayer when you pray in tongues.

 

2.         While praying in tongues, you build yourself up spiritually.

 

F.         Facts about Tongues

 

1.         Speaking in tongues is a special gift only given to the believers. It is the outward sign for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues can also be referred to as prayer language. It is the language that the Holy Spirit uses when praying through a believer.

 

2.         Speaking in tongues is a sign that Christ, who was once dead, is now risen from the dead and glorified, Acts 2:33.

 

3.         It is the initial and the outward sign of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:4; 10:46-47; 19:6. Throughout the book of Acts, speaking in tongues is presented as the initial sign accompanying the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are so closely related that the manifestation of speaking in tongues should be regarded as the norm when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit.

 

4.         It is a credential for believers, Mark 16:17.

 

XVIII.   INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES

 

Our study of the gifts of the Spirit has now brought us to the end of the list, the gift of interpretation of tongues.  All these gifts operate by faith, but it takes more faith to operate prophecy than tongues or interpretation of tongues, because the persons who have these gifts have another to lean on.  The person with the gift of tongues can lean on a person with the gift of interpretation of tongues and visa versa.

 

However, the one who has the gift of prophecy has to have enough faith just to start giving what he has received. Very often the one who interprets tongues and is also used in the gift of prophecy may finish the interpretation and go on into prophecy which is recognizable by higher authority and greater anointing.

 

The gift of interpretation of tongues is the ability to know and give meaning to what has been spoken through the gift of tongues. It has to be noted that it is an interpretation and not a translation of tongues. This ability is not acquired by natural knowledge, but it is supernaturally imparted. The meaning of the message is revealed to the interpreter supernaturally. The only tongues that Paul said should be interpreted are the ones spoken in the church with an intention to communicate a message to the people, I Cor. 14:27, 28; I Cor. 14:5, 13.

 

A.        The Interpretation of Tongues

 

It is the supernatural giving forth of the meaning of what was said in tongues.

 

1.         Interpretation of tongues is not translation of tongues.

 

2.         The interpretation of tongues does not operate unless tongues have been in operation.

 

3.         The purpose of the gift is to render the gift of tongues to be understood by the hearers so that the church as well as the possessor of the gift may know what has been said, and may be edified thereby. Read I Cor. 14:5, 13-15.

 

B.        Function of Interpretation of Tongues

 

1.         The purpose of interpretation of tongues is to present the message in a language that can be understood by all. This way, the congregation can be edified. The message could be a prophecy, a prayer or an exhortation.

 

2.         It is for guiding and edifying the church.

 

3.         Tongues and interpretation go hand in hand, especially if a message is being given to the body or to an individual. In such case, without interpretation, speaking inn tongues will result in confusion and not edification.

 

4.         Interpretation of tongues can take the role of prophecy in a particular situation where God is speaking to His people in tongues. In other words, tongues plus interpretation is equal to prophecy.

 

5.         It is a sign to the unbeliever, especially where the tongue was given in the unbeliever's language, such as I Cor. 14:21-22. The unbeliever gets convinced of the supernatural power of God when he hears his own native language spoken by a person who has never learned it. The Holy Spirit may also unveil the heart of the unbeliever.

 

6.         An interpreter can get under an anointing of the Holy spirit so that he moves beyond the scope of the message into prophecy. Caution should be taken not to go beyond the intentions of God's word.

 

C.        How the Gift of Interpretation Works

 

1.         Except where the tongue is in the known language of the interpreter, the mind plays no part. It is totally operated by faith.

 

2.         The interpretation may come out differently depending on the interpreter. Some interpreters have polished language, while others have limited vocabulary. Some interpreters are more open to the move of the Spirit, while others may tend to inhibit the anointing. God always uses us according to the development of our talents. We need t o be more open to stir up this gift.

 

3.         The interpreter has no knowledge of the message until he moves by faith to declare it.

 

4.         If no one is able to interpret the message, the one who gave it should pray for interpretation so that he may interpret, I Cor. 14:30.

 

5.         Sometimes two people can be given part of the interpretation of one message, which means one has to interpret, and then let the other complete the interpretation, I Cor. 14:30.

 

6.         The length of the message does no necessarily correspond with the interpretation. It may be longer or shorter.

 

7.         One should not let nervousness stop him from giving an interpretation. Many believers miss God's blessings by giving in to the spirit of nervousness. The only way this can be overcome is by stepping out in faith.

 

8.         The tongue is usually unto the Lord, and a sign to the unbeliever, I Cor. 14:16-17.

 

9.         The greatest requirement in functioning in this gift is sensitivity to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, learning to hear with our spiritual ears. It takes time to develop your inner ears, which mean you may make a few mistakes, but do not let that stop you in any way.

 

 D.        Point to Stress

 

The final point to be stressed about tongues and interpretation is that Paul said in I Cor. 14:26-27, “Let all things be done unto edifying." In I Cor. 14:39-40, he said to let all things be done in order.

 

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RESOURCE MATERIALS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS CITED

 

Achtemeier, Paul J., General Editor, Harpers Bible Dictionary,San Francisco,

          California: Harper and Row Publisher, 1985.

 

Holy Bible, Amplified Expanded Edition, KJV, Zondervan Corporation and Lockman

          Foundation, 1987.

 

Holy Bible, Full Life Study Bible, NIV, Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Corporation, 1992.

 

Holy Bible, KJV,Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publisher, 1989.

 

Holy Bible, Open Bible, NKJV, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1979.

 

Holy Bible, The Message Bible, Eugene H. Peterson, Colorado Springs, Colorado: Nave

          Press, 1995.

 

Holy Bible, Thompson Chain Reference, Frank Charles Thompson D.D., Ph.D.,

          Indianapolis, Indiana, B.B. Kirkbride Bible Company.

 

Strong's Concordance, James Strong, L.L.D., S.T.D. Nelson Publishers, 1995.

 

Teaching Series, Banasky, Bill, Ph.D., 1987, Ft. Myers, FL.

 

Teaching Series, Dittmar, Steve, 1985, Camarillo, CA.

 

The Biblical Illustrator,Joseph S. Exell, M.A., Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book

          House, 1973

 

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vines,

          Merrill F. Unger, William White, 1985.

 

Webster's Dictionary of the American Language, College Edition,Cleveland and New York: World Publishing Company, 1960.

 

 

COURSE WORK RECOGNITION

 

 

COURSE RESEARCHED AND DEVELOPED:        Dittmar, Steve, Pastor, 1985

                                                                                          Basansky, Bill, Ph.D. 1988

EXPANDED/REVISED BY:                                           Thompson, Verda L., Th.D., 1994

REVISED/EDITED BY:                                                   Price, Roger, Th.D. 1997

EDITED BY:                                                                     Oakley, Elizabeth, Th. D., D.D. 2005

TECHNICAL REVISION BY:                                          Reiman, Edie, M.Min.

                                                                                           Oakley, Elizabeth, Th.D., D.D., 2007

  

 ICBT PASTORAL ADVISORS:                             Braswell, Dick, Th.D.

                                                                                   Burden, Wendell, D.Div.

                                                                                   Chapman, Del, Th.D.

                                                                                   Hall, Leo, D. Div., D. Min.

 

 

AMT-ICBT BOARD MEMBERS & STAFF:

 

Baldock, Michael, Th. D.                     Price, Roger, Ph.D., D.R.E., Th.D., D.Div.

Brown, Eddy, D.Div.                             Sansfacon, Mario, A.Min.

Burden, Wendell, Th.D.                      Sansfacon, Teresa, B.Min., D.Div.

Carr, Mary, D. Min., D. Div.                  Shepard, Sally D.Min., D.Div.

Craig, David, D.Div.                             Thompson, Verda, Ph.D., D.R.E., D.C.C., Th.D., D.Div.

Cunningham, Kay, D.Div.                   Vance, David R., A.C.S.

Goneau, Dean, M.A.                            Wootten, Charles A., Th.D., D.Div.

Hall, Leo, D.Div., D.Min.                      Wootten, Margaret S. D.Div.

Kisner, Brian, D.Div.

 

THANK YOU

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