Gifts Of The Holy Spirit: The Spiritual Gift Of The Word Of Knowledge

This is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. Note that this gift is called the "word of knowledge," not the "gift of knowledge."

There is no such thing as the "gift of knowledge." The gift of the word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes certains facts in the mind of God and reveals it to us.

God has all the knowledge the universe can possible have. The Holy Spirit is all knowing. He has infinite knowledge. But He doesn't reveal everything He knows to us. The Holy Spirit only reveals a word, part of what He knows to us.

A word is part of a sentence. Just like a word of knowledge is part of God's knowledge. The Holy Spirit, though He has all knowledge, He does not impart all that knowledge to us. He only reveals just the part of the knowledge we need to know, through a word of knowledge.

The Gift Of The Word Of Knowledge Is Supernatural

Like all the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gift of the word of wisdom is a supernatural manifestation. None of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are natural, you are not born with them.

If one of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit are natural, then all of them are natural. If one of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit are supernatural, then all of them will be supernatural.

There are some misled christians who say that the gift of the word of wisdom mentioned by Paul in the book of Corinthians is a natural knowledge.

If that was true, then the gifts of healings would not be supernatural healing, but simply medical healing through advancement in science and technology.

Praise God for medical science, I believe that God supports them, but the scripture is not talking about natural healing, but supernatural healings, just like how Jesus did when He walked on Earth.

If the gifts of the Holy Spirit were just some other natural gifts, then the gift of different kinds of tongues would just be talking about the languages people learn naturally, like english, mandarin or french. Then even people who do not know Jesus can have these gifts

But you know that the "different kinds of tongues" are supernatural, for you are able to speak in languages which you have never learnt before in your life. All the different kinds of tongues are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills.

Just like the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual gifts of healings is not natural healing. It is not our ability to use medical science to assist the laws of nature. Rather, it is a supernatural healing, where the Creator of the universe, the Holy Spirit, manifests Himself and heals the sick.

Since both the gifts of tongues and the gifts of healings are supernatural, there other seven gifts of the Holy Spirit must be supernatural as well.

There are christians, confused between the gift of the word of knowledge and the natural knowledge, said, "I don't need the lesser gifts, I already have the gift of knowledge."

The knowledge these people are talking about is intellectual knowledge, sometime they know and kepy in their memory. It is different from the knowledge revealed by the Holy Spirit and the word of God. The knowledge that Paul was talking about was one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.

"to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit.."
-1 Corinthians 12:8 (NKJV)

The Gift Of The Word Of Knowledge Manifested Through Visions

From the bible, we can see an example of the gift of the word of knowledge in action when John the apostle was on the Isle of Patmos.

John said that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. In a vision, Jesus appeared to John and revealed to him about the state of the seven churches in Asia Minor, as it was recorded in the Book Of Revelation.

To christians now, this is a prophetic message for us. In fact, these seven churches did exist in Asia Minor when the apostle John wrote these scriptures.

At that time, John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. so he could not have known what was happening in the cities and churches. However, Jesus, being all knowing, revealed the conditions of these seven churches to John. That was the word of knowledge.

There is another example of this gift, which I showed you earlier. Found in the book of acts, it says..

"Now there was a certain discleple..to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias.. Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man name Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight."
-Acts 9:10-12 (NKJV)

Here, through a vision, the word of knowledge is manifested. Ananias was not an apostle or evangelist or prophet or teacher. The Bible calls him a disciple. Ananias was a member of the church at Damascus. People like you and me, member of a church, when we are obedient to the Holy Spirit, we can also receive a word of knowledge.

In the vision, Jesus told Ananias to go to a house and to pray for Saul, who would become the great apostle Paul. Jesus also showed Saul that Ananias was coming to lay hands on him so that he may receive his sight.

Ananias would never know that there would be a man named Saul praying in a particular street and house. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit and the word of knowledge could have allowed Ananias to know these things. In the next chapter, Peter also received a word of knowledge through a vision.
"he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened.."
-Acts 10:10-11 (NKJV)

While Peter the apostle was thinking about what he vision meant, the Holy Spirit spoke to him:

"While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.""
-Acts 19-20 (NKJV)

Peter would never have known that the three men were there, unless the Holy Spirit reveals to him. That was a supernatural revelation, a word of knowledge.

The Gift Of The Word Of Knowledge Manifested Through Inward Revelation

Occasionally, the word of knowledge comes by an inward revelation. Have you ever had the experience that you suddenly know some facts, without anyone telling you?

In the book of John, Jesus was reaching out to a Samaritan woman, who was hated by the Jews. Jesus wanted to convince her need for a savior. You can read it at John chapter 4.

When Jesus told the woman to get her husband, she said she did not have one, then Jesus replied:

"You have well said, for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.."
-John 4:17-18 (NKJV)

Jesus knew this by a word of knowledge, an inward revelation, and He used this gift to invite her for salvation. In the end, the woman got saved, and many of the Samaritans who later met Jesus.

Word Of Knowledge Can Be Manifested In Many Ways

There are many ways in which the gift of the word of knowledge can be manifested. It may come through speaking in tongues, intepretation of tongues, gift of prophecy, or a word of knowledge delivered by an angel.

The Holy Spirit has many ways of doing things. The gifts of the Holy Spirit often work together, we just separate them in order to define and to make study of these spiritual gifts clearer.

Occasionally, the gift of the word of knowledge is confused with a deep knowledge of the scriptures. There are christian ministers that said that he had the word of knowledge because he has alot of knowledge of the word!

It is true that the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the scriptures, and we receive knowledge of the word of God by studying it, this is not a gift of the Holy Spirit.

The word of knowledge does work according to the Bible, but God also reveal things to us according to His word which we do not know. Knowledge of God's Word comes by hearing, reading, studying, memorising and meditation of the scriptures, but the word of knowledge comes by a supernatural revelation from the Holy Spirit.

A common misconception about the gift of the word of knowledge is that people think it is the same knowledge which comes by walking with God. Thought it is true that you will gain knowledge of God if you walk closely with the Holy Spirit, that knowledge is different from the supernatural revelation by the word of knowledge.

We can see an example of the difference between natural knowledge and the supernatural word of knowledge in the Old Testament when God was calling the boy Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4-10).

Samuel was a helper of Eli the prophet. One night Samuel heard a voice calling his name. Thinking it was Eli, Samuel got up and went to Eli. Eli said he has not called him, so boy Samuel went back to his bed. Then he heard a voice calling, "Samuel, Samuel." Again Samuel ran to the prophet, but Eli sent him back.

At the third time, Eli finally realized it was the Lord who was calling Samuel, so he told Samuel to answer the Lord the next time he hears the voice again.

The prophet Eli had been walking with God, but he should have been more faithful to God in disciplining his children. Eli knows the things of God, but that night, he did not hear God's voice.

Here we can see that the gift of the word of knowledge is not given just because you have known the Holy Spirit a long time. There is a valuable knowledge of the Holy Spirit through an intimate relationship with Him, just like a close friend whom you have known a long time.

As we are led by the Holy Spirit, our knowledge of Him increases. However, this is not the same as the supernatural manifestation of the word of knowledge.

The manifestations of the Holy Spirit was not only for bible heroes, it is available for you and me too. Once, there was a Baptist, president of the local Full Gospel chapter for Business Men's Fellowship, gave an account of a supernatural incident:

"I passed by a large Roman Catholic church, and something seemed to tell me to stop. So I pulled into the church parking lot, stopped, and sat there praying for awhile. Something seemed to tell me that the priest would be praying in his office and that I should go in, lay hands on him, and he would be filled with the Holy Spirit."

"I hesitated. I didn't want to make a fool of myself. I sat there and prayed awhile longer. Then I decided it wouldn't hurt just to go see if I could find the priest, and see if God was really leading me."

This brother went into the church and knocked on the door of the priest's study. A voice invited him to come in, and he opened the door to see a priest sitting there. As he entered the room, the priest got up and greeted him and they began to exchange introductions.

Upon hearing that this man was the president of the local Full Gospel chapter, he said, "Praise the Lord! I was just reading about what God is doing in these days in this move of the Spirit. I was reading about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, and the Lord witnessed to spirit that this is what I need."

"I am conscious of my spiritual lack. Only ten minutes ago I bowed my head and said, "Lord, I don't know anyone in this town who has this experience. Send somebody by to pray with me." And here you are!"

The business executive then said, "That priest got down on his knees, I laid hands on him, and he started speaking in tongues almost instantly, lifting both hands to heaven."

How amazing what the Holy Spirit is doing these days. God is visiting hungry hearts everywhere. The Holy SPirit does not pay attention to any of the traditional boundary lines and labels of denomination that men have set up.

People can put any kinds of labels on an empty bottle. But that would not change anything about the contents of the bottle. It is not the label that matters, it is the things that are inside that counts.

This was a supernatural manifestation of the word of knowledge, which was very similar to those mentioned in the book of Acts. It is still happening now because the Holy Spirit is still working in those who believes and hunger for them.

We need to develope that hunger and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us today just as much as the early christian apostles needed them!

Learn More About The Other Gifts Of The Holy Spirit.

Return From The Gift Of The Word Of Knowledge, To Holy Spirit Led Christian.