• by admin
• (0) Comments

Sun. 13/4/2014

Quarter’s Theme: THE HOLY SPIRIT

Unit 2 Theme: The Exploits Of The Holy Spirit (Lessons 4-8)

SOUL WINNERS CROWN COMPETITION MONTHS

13/4/2014  LESSON  7

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PART 2)

Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 257, 259

Devotional Reading: EPHESIANS 4:7-16

Topic For Adults

NO GIFT IS INFERIOR

Topic For Youths

USE YOUR GIFTS

Scripture Lesson

1 CORINTHIANS 12:10-11

 

Memory verse:    There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities but it is the same God who works all in all. (1 Cor. 12:4-6) NKJV

DAILY BIBLE READING

A Vessel In God’s Hands

2 Cor. 4:1-10

Let us know that a genuine believer, who is walking with and working faithfully for God and has received the Holy Spirit is not without one or more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, care must be taken not to puff-up because of the gifts we are carrying. Some believers with the noticeable gifts sometimes present themselves as if they were the ones doing the healing or miracle. Paul, in today’s passage says that we have this treasure (gifts) in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (v. 7). Let us know that God is the Healer and Miracle Worker, we are just a vessel in His hands.

Point of Emphasis:     Discover and use your gift to glorify God.

Prayer Point:              Oh Lord, use me and Your gift in me for Your glory.

BACKGROUND

This week’s lesson is the conclusion of the lesson on the gifts of the Holy Spirit
which we started last week. The remaining five gifts of the Holy Spirit as
discussed in 1 Corinthians 12 will be looked into this week

 

NOTES ON THE TEXT

I.     THE GIFT OF WORKING OF MIRACLES – 1 COR. 12:10

A miracle happens when God intervenes in the ordinary course of nature. The gift of the working of miracles comes when God endues a believer with power by the Holy Spirit to do something completely outside of the range of human ability. It is a temporary suspension of the normal or natural order through the power of God. The gift is given at a specific time for a special purpose to work miraculously on others such as casting out demons, creative miracle of supplying the missing parts of bodies, recovery of sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf etc.

Examples of this gift include deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, Aaron’s rod that turned to a serpent or snake (Exo. 7:10); Elisha making an axe head to swim (2 Kgs. 6:7); the miraculous multiplication of the oil of the widow (2 Kgs. 4:1-7), raising of Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:40), Jesus turned water into wine (Jn. 2:9) etc.

II.    THE GIFT OF PROPHECY – 1 COR. 12:10

Simply translated, the word prophecy means “to utter inspired words”. Prophecy is the unpremeditated, spontaneous speaking forth by the Spirit through a spirit-filled believer. According to 1 Corinthians 14:31, all believers may exercise this gift at some time, as the Spirit wills. Everyone may prophesy, one by one, and not more than three times in any one gathering where many have the gift and are waiting to exercise it (1 Cor. 14:29-33).

The purposes of this gift are to: (i) edify believers i.e. building and strengthening believers; (ii) exhort by stirring up the believers and challenge them unto holy living and dedication to God, (iii) comfort believers.

It is to be noted that this gift is speaking supernaturally to men. It conveys the mind of God to the Church. It does not require interpretation like the gift of tongue. Prophecy also convinces the unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:15,16). Also the gift of prophecy is not only for “foretelling” or prediction about the future, but “forth telling” i.e. speaking forth for God at a point in time.

III.   THE GIFT OF DISCERNING OF SPIRITS – 1 COR. 12:10

The gift of discerning of Spirits is imparted by the Holy Spirit so that we can see into the spiritual realm to distinguish between the spirit of Satan (evil spirits), the Spirit of God and the human spirit. By this gift, we can discern the origin of certain actions, teachings, circumstances etc, that have been inspired by spirit beings. This gift is needed in the Church because it is easy to confuse the works of the spirit of Satan with those of the Spirit of God, for Satan always tries to counterfeit the works of the Holy Spirit. Many times, his counterfeit looks so much like the real thing that we could be deceived. But with the use of this gift, we will be able to detect all the wiles of the devil. Apostle Paul had this gift (Acts 16:16-18).

IV.   THE GIFT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF TONGUES – 1 COR. 12:10

The gift of tongues is a special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to speak to God in a language that they never learned or heard before. Opinions differ over exactly what Paul meant by ‘unknown language’. Some believe that this refers to earthly language that a person did not learn before (such as described in Acts 2:4, 7-8). Other scholars say that this refers to an “ecstatic” language, a “heavenly” language. Most likely the second view is correct. Probably the only time that the word “tongues” refers to the other earthly language is when describing Pentecost (Acts 2:4, 7-8). The rest of the time in the New Testament, the word refers to ecstatic languages unknown to anyone – thus another is given the gift to interpret what is being said.

V.    THE GIFT OF THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES – 1 COR. 12:10

The gift of the interpretation of tongues is the supernatural enablement to interprete tongues into known language of the congregation. It is the special and supernatural ability given to believers to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues. In other words, this gift is the companion gift to that of gift of tongues and is always used in conjunction with that gift. As a matter of fact, the gift of tongues in the public worship is useless if there is no gift of interpretation in the congregation.

It must also be noted that the gift of interpretation is different from translation of the tongues because the interpreter does not understand the tongue employed in the utterance which was given. But it is interpretation which is as supernatural as the utterance. By this gift, the congregation is enabled to get the hearing of what is spoken in the unknown tongue that they may be edified.

CONCLUSION

Having gone through the list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, one thing that must be borne in mind is that none of these gifts could be learnt or operated in by one’s own imagination or manipulation, rather they are all imparted by the Holy Spirit. If we desire to be operating in any of those gifts, we need to go to the Holy Spirit in prayer who is the giver of all these gifts.

 

QUESTIONS

1.     Give 2 examples of the operation of the gift of working of miracles in the Bible.

2.     The gift of prophesy is for “forth telling” and not for “foretelling” only. Explain.

3.     Why is the gift of discerning of spirits needed in the Church today?

4.     Give the scholar’s opinion as regard what Paul refers to as “unknown tongues”.

5.     Differentiate between translation and interpretation in the gift of interpretation of tongues.

 

For Audio Version, please click the link below.

http://hu.lk/vk9h61jy5l34

 

French

 

DIMANCHE 13/04/2014

UN VASE DANS LES MAINS DE DIEU

2 Co. 4 :1-10

Sachons qu’un véritable croyant qui marche et travaille fidèlement avec Dieu et qui a reçu le Saint-Esprit n’est pas sans un ou plus de dons du Saint-Esprit. Néanmoins, l’on doit faire beaucoup attention à ne pas s’enfler à cause des dons que l’on porte. Certains croyants dont les dons sont perceptibles se comportent souvent comme si ce sont eux-mêmes qui opèrent les miracles ou les guérisons. Paul, à travers le passage d’aujourd’hui, dit que nous portons ce trésor (dons) dans des vases de terre afin que l’excellence de la puissance  soit attribuée à Dieu et non pas à nous. (verset 7). Sachons que Dieu est le guérisseur et le faiseur de miracles. Nous ne sommes que des vases dans ses mains.

Point essentiel : Découvre et utilise ton don pour glorifier Dieu.

Axe de prière : Seigneur, utilise moi et ton don en moi pour ta gloire.