~ The Spiritual Gift of Teaching – Word of Knowledge ~
Opening Comment ~ “Do
not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shadow of turning. Of His
own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18).
Category ~ Sub-categories of the gift of Teaching are
the gift of Words of Wisdom and the gift of Words of Knowledge.
Definition ~ “Knowledge”
implies having investigated, or to dig
into, truth. J. Vernon McGee once remarked,
“Many people simply do not have the time to dig into the Word of God, to dig
out the nuggets.” Loren Fischer
describes the gift of the Word of Knowledge as, “The God-given ability to
arrange the facts of Scripture, to categorize these into principles
and to communicate them to repeated or familiar situations.”
Scripture ~
“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. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given
to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom
through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit”
(1 Corinthians 12:4-8).
“Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become
sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And
though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing. And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Comment ~
Although the Holy Spirit is sovereign in bestowing gifts, we have the
right to ask God for the gift we want.
He says we are to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31).
Quote ~ J.
Vernon McGee was well-known as a simple straightforward teacher who had
down-home folksy manner. Here is a small
part of his testimony: “Not having been brought up in a Christian home, I had
no Christian training at all. When I
went away to seminary, I didn’t even know the books of the Bible. I had graduated from a college where the
emphasis was placed on the intellectual and the philosophical, and I was trying
to be that kind of preacher. Then I
heard Dr. Harry Ironside speak. He
explained Scripture in a simple manner. And
I heard him make the statement, ‘Put the cookies on the bottom shelf so the
kiddies can get them.’ And I remembered
that my Lord had said, ‘Feed my sheep’ (see John 21:16). He hadn’t said, "’Feed my giraffes.’ So I went to God and prayed, ‘Lord, I want to
be that kind of preacher.’
“Later, I substituted
for Dr. Ironside at Dallas Theological Seminary, and when he passed on, the
seminary's president, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chaefer, called me on the phone. He asked, ‘Would you take Dr. Ironside’s
lectures here at the seminary?"’ I
could hardly answer him clearly, and I almost rudely hung up the phone. I dropped to my knees, and I confess that I
wept as I thanked God. I said, ‘Lord I
prayed that You would let me teach like Dr. Ironside, and You have answered my
prayer!" [I coveted earnestly the
best gift, and He answered my prayer.] Although
I am no Dr. Ironside, how I thrill today at the experience and the privilege of
teaching the Word of God!”
Traits ~ Here
are some examples often typified by one with the gift of the Word of
Knowledge. 1) Often studies questions
thoroughly so as to provide information on the topic others have not
considered. 2) Has the required
persistence to stay with a project once it is started until it is completed in
all its details. 3) Searches for new
information which sheds additional light before concluding a study. 4) Analyzes data with precision (sometimes
fails to see the practical benefits). 5)
Employs a logical, scientific method when approaching a problem.
Closing Comments ~ “Let
no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in
conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to
exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you,
which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the
eldership. Meditate on these things;
give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the
doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing
this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
“Therefore
I remind you to stir up the gift of God
which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
“As each one has received a gift, minister it
to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter
4:10).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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