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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But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also having knowledge of it; and brought a certain part, and laid it at the feet of the apostles. read more. But Peter said, Ananias, why did Satan fill thy heart that thou shouldst lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why didst thou conceive this thing in thy heart? Thou didst not lie to men, but to God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down, and expired. And great fear came on all that heard of it. And the young men arose, and wrapt 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 had happened, came in. Peter said to her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yes, for so much. And Peter said to her, Why is it that ye agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? Lo! the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door, and they will carry thee out. And she fell down immediately at his feet, and expired; and the young men, when they came in, found her dead, and carried her out, and buried her by her husband.
And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magian, a Jewish false prophet, whose name was Barjesus, who was with the proconsul of the country, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. He, having called for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God. read more. But Elymas the magian (for so is his name interpreted) withstood them, seeking so turn away the proconsul from the faith. But Saul (who is also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on him and said, O full of all deceit, and of all mischief, son of the Devil, 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 upon thee, and thou wilt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness; and going about he sought to find some who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, when he saw what had taken place, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
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.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth 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 kept back part of the price, his wife also having knowledge of it; and brought a certain part, and laid it at the feet of the apostles. read more. But Peter said, Ananias, why did Satan fill thy heart that thou shouldst lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why didst thou conceive this thing in thy heart? Thou didst not lie to men, but to God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down, and expired. And great fear came on all that heard of it. And the young men arose, and wrapt 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 had happened, came in. Peter said to her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yes, for so much. And Peter said to her, Why is it that ye agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? Lo! the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door, and they will carry thee out. And she fell down immediately at his feet, and expired; and the young men, when they came in, found her dead, and carried her out, and buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon all that heard of these things.
was returning and sitting in his chariot; and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
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.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth 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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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.