1 Corinthians 12:8-11

The Miraculous Gifts

Paul next went on to list the various ways in which the Spirit miraculously empowered those first century Christians. Wisdom was the gospel, which was given completely to the apostles and partially to the prophets. Knowledge was the inspiration necessary to teach that revealed gospel. Both gifts were from the Holy Spirit. Next, Paul mentions faith, which was one of the special gifts given through the laying on of the apostles' hands. It was a faith that enabled one to work miracles. The healings which Paul listed after faith involved curing the sick miraculously (1 Corinthians 12:8-9).

The miracles some were enabled to work would include healing and punishing (Acts 13:9-11). Prophecy was the ability to speak, by inspiration, with God's words. One could discern spirits if he could tell the difference between inspired and uninspired messages. Tongues was the gift that allowed one to speak in a foreign language he had never studied or learned, as the apostles did in Acts 2:1-47. Interpretation was the ability to tell what had been said in that foreign language. It seems significant that Paul mentioned tongues and the interpretation of them last. All of the gifts were given by the same Spirit. No one had a right to be boastful. The Spirit bestowed these gifts upon people by the laying on of the apostles' hands (1 Corinthians 12:10-11; Acts 8:18; Acts 19:6).