The Gifts Part 2
Words of Wisdom and Words of Knowledge
There are few things in this world that complement each other as readily or as beautifully as do the gift of word of wisdom and that of word of knowledge. Some have even said that the gift of the word of wisdom and the gift of word of knowledge are like twin siblings who grow side by side, work hand in hand, encouraging each other in righteousness and virtue.
No, neither the gift of word of wisdom or that of word of knowledge for that matter are as bombastic as the working of miracles, prophecy, or the gift of healing, but just as every gift of the Holy Spirit has its place within the Body of Christ, just as every gift of the Holy Spirit has a time and place where its use is mandatory and necessary within the church, words of knowledge and wisdom likewise have their place.
Perhaps it’s the need to be wowed, perhaps it’s the need to see the bombastic and extraordinary that makes many dismiss the beauty of the gift of the word of wisdom, and the beauty of the gift of words of knowledge. Life isn’t always about fireworks, life isn’t always about pyrotechnics, life isn’t always about excitement and adrenaline coursing through our veins, in fact most often, the most sublime and memorable moments of our lives are those moments of quiet introspection, those moments when the sun hits a sunflower at dusk just the right way, or when you inhale clean mountain air for the first time after many days of being in a smoggy city, or when you wake up next to the one you love and just watch them sleep for a breath.
Both the gift of the word of wisdom and that of word of knowledge are subtle gifts, the fly under the radar as the saying goes, but they are extraordinary gifts in their own right, and deserve our knowledge of them, as well as desire for them. When speaking of these two gifts in particular, we are not speaking of their natural counterparts, human wisdom, or human knowledge, but the supernatural gifts of words of wisdom and words of knowledge that come from the Holy Spirit. There is a distinct difference between the wisdom of this world, and the wisdom of God, as there is a difference between the knowledge of the things of this world and the knowledge of the mysteries of God. The first can come from diligent study, reading of books, higher education, courses and workshops, but the wisdom of God and the knowledge of the mysteries of God can only come from the source of sovereign wisdom and knowledge, God Himself.
Throughout our discussion of both the gift of word of wisdom and word of knowledge, we will be focusing on their supernatural aspects, and not on the natural ones, perceiving them as what they rightly are, gifts of the Holy Spirit for the edification and wellbeing of the Body of Christ.
Throughout this introduction I have emphasized the fact that the gifts which we will be discussing today are those of the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge, because neither of these gifts entails the fullness of the knowledge of God, or the fullness of the wisdom of God. When one possess the gift of the word of wisdom, or the gift of the word of knowledge, they are given a glimpse into the wisdom and knowledge of God, a certain truth is breathed into them via the Holy Spirit, it is not as some say the fullness of God’s wisdom and knowledge residing in one individual.
The human mind is too frail and fragile a thing to contain all the wisdom of God, it is too frail and fragile a thing to contain all the knowledge of God, and as such we are given words of wisdom, and words of knowledge, glimpses and fragments that aid us in our understanding of the mysteries of the heavenly Father, and help us draw closer to Him in righteousness and true holiness.
Since most everyone has a pre-established notion of what they believe the gift of the word of wisdom and the gift of the word of knowledge are I want to begin by dispelling some long held misconceptions, and discuss what these gifts are not.
Why would it be important to know what these gifts are not?
Simply put, knowing the truth will keep us from being deceived, and knowing what the gifts of the Holy Spirit are and are not, will allow us to walk boldly in the calling to which we have been called.
When we are uncertain concerning spiritual matters, there is always a certain timidity, a certain reluctance concerning stepping out in faith, and allowing God to use us to the fullest. When we are certain however of what the gifts of the Holy Spirit entail, what it is that we have access to in God, then there is no timidity, there is no reluctance, there is no fear, because we know the truth of the matter and nothing will be able to shake us from the truth.
We have one truth to stand on, and that is the word of God. It is not men’s suppositions, it is not men’s opinions, it is not men’s conclusions that ought to be the foundation of our faith, it is the Word of God, and nothing else. Opinions fail, suppositions turn out to be wrong, but the word of God will remain true in perpetuity. We cannot place our trust in temporal things, because temporal things are fleeting, and often times they abandon us when we need them most. When we place our trust in God however, when we place our trust in His word, there is permanence there, there is continuity there, and there is no shadow of turning as there is in men.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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