Reference: DISCERNING OF SPIRITS
American
1Co 12:10, a miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost to certain of the early church, empowering them to judge of the real character of those who professed to love Christ, and to be inspired to teach in his name, 1Jo 4:1; 2Jo 1:7. Compare Ac 5:1-10; 13:6-12.
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Only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest keep and do according to all the law, which Moses my slave commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou may be prospered in all the things that thou doest.
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and defrauded of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. read more. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to defraud of the price of the land? Retaining it, was it not thy own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the spirit; and great fear came on all those that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. Then Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out. Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the spirit; and the young men came in and found her dead and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain wise man, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man, who called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God. read more. But Elymas the wise man (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul (who also is Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him and said, O full of all deception and all licentiousness, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is against thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
to another, the operation of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discerning of spirits; to another, different kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Fausets
1Co 12:10. Discerning between the operation of God's Spirit and that of the evil spirit, or unaided human spirit claiming to utter the dictates of God's Spirit. Ac 5:1-11; 8:28; 1Co 14:23,37: "if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." It is this which assures us of the inspiration of the New Testament The books were accepted as inspired, by churches having men possessing" the discerning of spirits" (1Jo 4:1; 1Ti 4:1).
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But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and defrauded of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. read more. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to defraud of the price of the land? Retaining it, was it not thy own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the spirit; and great fear came on all those that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. Then Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out. Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the spirit; and the young men came in and found her dead and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the congregation and upon as many as heard these things.
was returning and sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.
to another, the operation of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discerning of spirits; to another, different kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Morish
This was one of the gifts in the early church, needful for 'testing the spirits,' because even then many false prophets had gone forth into the world. 1Co 12:10; 1Jo 4:1-3. This gift was especially necessary at the time when the word of God was not fully written.
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And it came to pass when all the people were finished passing the Jordan, that the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying, Take twelve men out of the people, out of each tribe a man, read more. and command them, saying, Take from here of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
to another, the operation of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discerning of spirits; to another, different kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues: