Introduction

The Holy Spirit gives a subset of the nine charismatic gifts to a believer at the time of receiving the "baptism with the Holy Spirit", evidenced by speaking in a new personal prayer language of "tongues".  That is, charis is the greek word for grace, and charisma is a grace gift.  Therefore, these are grace gifts of the Holy Spirit.  They are an divine impartation of the capability and power of God into your live. 

1 Cor 12:8-11
For to one is given by the Spirit the
word of wisdom; to another the
word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another
faith by the same Spirit; to another the
gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the
working of miracles; to another
prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another
divers kinds of tongues; to another the
interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

These gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, to equip us to be able to perform the work of the Body of Christ (the body of the anointed one, anointed with the Holy Spirit and power) in a supernatural way. These gifts are "tools" for us to us in proclaiming the Word of God to the unsaved world, confirming the truth with signs and wonders, thru the working of the Holy Spirit.


Purpose

The purpose of the charismatic gifts is to:

• Attracting attention to the truth.
• To proclaim Jesus as Lord (verses 2-3), which is also confirming the truth.
• To proclaim God's power and majesty to the world (demonstration).
• Ministering to the needs of the Body of Christ, that is God meeting needs in a supernatural way.

Manifestation

The gifts are manifested as we move with the Holy Spirit, acting in faith, which works by love.  The gifts may also manifest at times we are not expecting them to because they function as the Holy Spirit wills.  The balance is in that the Holy Spirit is moved by faith.

All these gifts operated in and under the old testament, except tongues and interpretation.  Tongues and interpretation are signs of and specific to the new testament.  This is why you don't see tongues and interpretation until the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon believers.  All gifts, except tongues and interpretation, can be manifested to a lesser degree before the baptism of the Holy Spirit; however, the baptism brings the anointing of the Holy Spirit without measure or limit, and allows the potential for the full manifestation of the gifts, as we grow and yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit.


Division of Gifts

We divide and isolate the individual gifts to define them only.  Normally, two or more gifts will operate at the same time. They may function at the same time (e.g., prophecy and word of wisdom), or they may flow from one to another without an obvious breaking point (e.g., interpretation and prophecy). 

The gifts are divided into three groups, defining their general type of operation:

        A.    the revelation gifts (reveal something): 

        word of wisdom
        word of knowledge
        discerning of spirits

        B.    the power gifts (do something by supernatural power):

        (special) faith
        working of miracles
        gifts of healing

        C.    the spoken gifts (speak something):

        prophecy
        divers kinds of tongues
        interpretation of tongues.

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