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 strong and be greatly active, to watch to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee: thou shalt not turn aside from it to the right and to the left, so that thou shalt be wise in all things where thou shalt go.
And a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And separated from the price, his wife also knowing; and having brought a certain part, laid at the feet of the sent. read more. And Peter said, Ananias, wherefore filled Satan thy heart, for thee to belie the Holy Spirit, and separate from the price of the farm Remaining, did it not remain to thee? and sold, it was in thy power: for what hast thou put this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied to men, but to God. And Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, he expired: and great fear was upon all them hearing these things. And the younger having risen up, drew him together, and having carried out, interred. And there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife not knowing that done, came in. And Peter answered to her, Tell me, if for so much ye sold the farm? And she said, Yes, for so much. And Peter said to her, For what was it agreed by you to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them having interred thy husband at the door, and they shall carry thee out. And she fell immediately at his feet, and expired: and the young men having come in, found her dead, and having carried out, interred near her husband.
And having passed through the island to Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew, the name to him Barjesus: Who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paul, an intelligent man; he having called Barnabas and Saul, sought anxiously to hear the word of God. read more. And Elymas the magician withstood them, (for so was his name interpreted,) seeking to turn the proconsul from the faith. And Saul, (also Paul,) filled with the Holy Spirit, and looking intently upon him, said, O, full of deceit, and all dexterity, son of the devil, enemy of all justice, Wilt thou cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun till the time. And immediately fell upon him mist and darkness; and going about he sought leading by hand. Then the proconsul having seen that done, he believed, being struck with amazement at the teaching of the Lord.
And to another performances of powers; and to another discriminations of spirits; and to another kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues:
Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they are of God: for many false prophets have come 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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And a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And separated from the price, his wife also knowing; and having brought a certain part, laid at the feet of the sent. read more. And Peter said, Ananias, wherefore filled Satan thy heart, for thee to belie the Holy Spirit, and separate from the price of the farm Remaining, did it not remain to thee? and sold, it was in thy power: for what hast thou put this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied to men, but to God. And Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, he expired: and great fear was upon all them hearing these things. And the younger having risen up, drew him together, and having carried out, interred. And there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife not knowing that done, came in. And Peter answered to her, Tell me, if for so much ye sold the farm? And she said, Yes, for so much. And Peter said to her, For what was it agreed by you to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them having interred thy husband at the door, and they shall carry thee out. And she fell immediately at his feet, and expired: and the young men having come in, found her dead, and having carried out, interred near her husband. And great fear was upon the whole church, and upon all having heard these things.
And he was returning, and sitting in his chariot he read the prophet Esaias.
And to another performances of powers; and to another discriminations of spirits; and to another kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues:
Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they are of God: for many false prophets have come 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 shall be as all the people finished passing over Jordan, and Jehovah will say to Joshua, Take to you from the people twelve men, one man, one man from a tribe; read more. And command ye them, saying, Take up to you from hence out of the midst of Jordan from the firm standing of the feet of the priests, twelve stones, and pass them over with you, and deposit them in the lodging place where ye shall remain in it the night.
And to another performances of powers; and to another discriminations of spirits; and to another kinds of tongues; and to another interpretation of tongues: