This is an old video with John Wimber in it, doing some kind of church retreat or seminar on words of knowledge and healing. It’s interesting the detail the two men get. I’ve gotten ‘medical’ words of knowledge a few times. That seems to be a common type people get, though. These are a lot more detailed than someone on TV saying someone out there has a sore knee.I’ve never gotten a word of knowledge that appeared to me as written words like he’s talking about. I’ve just gotten impressions and maybe pictures a little. I tend to think of the pictures as a kind of vision, but I can only think of a few times I’ve experienced that________________
How have you seen the word of knowledge used in actual church services in the COG? Is it pretty much limited to altar call prayer time? Have you seen a pastor or speaker share a word of knowledge from the pulpit.Have you ever seen someone stand up and shared a word of knowledge like an interpretation of tongue or a prophecy? Have you seen someone who wasn’t the pastor or guest speaker share one with the church________________
I don’t know when the term ‘Word of Knowledge’ became part and parcel of our Christian experience. I know I never heard it used until I was in my forties.Most of the times my ‘feelings’ (at the time) was ‘odd or weird’. The last time I remember it was in our local 4SQuare church as Y2K was approaching. The messages were ‘wild’, and the things NEVER occurred. I believe the people were honest, they lived good lives, but were influenced by some radio or TV ministry spreading fear and they joined in. Anyone else remember the Words of Planes falling from the sky, Banks failing etc…________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
WE once had a pastor and his wife who did tag-team preaching. It kept things interesting but it was more entertainment.If a minister is anointed by God and delivering a message from GOD, why would he be interrupted, by some one in an audience of hundreds (where most folk have no idea what is being said) Why not give the minister the message at the time? Not saying it is wrong, just questioning the Logic.I have known folks who gave ‘messages’ at a camp meeting among 10,000 people and the only ones who heard was the ones in the immediate area. If the message was for his next door neighbor why would he not lean over and tell him/her?Yeah I know I am a little odd. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Tag team words a knowledge, huh?Reminds the ole timer of Copeland and Howard-Browne in at video where they jokin in tongues.www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWgMSqFH1X0
MANY of the men and women of God who had healing ministries were used by God in the Gift of a Word of Knowledge. From Steven Jeffreys in England all the way to Kathryn Kuhlman, GOd gave these vessels supernatural information about what He was doing in their midst. In fact, Kuhlman was so used in this way, she rarely even prayed for a person. She just said what God was doing or wanted to do in a person and called them out specifically. I know many people including myself that are still being used in this Gift today. To answer a previous question, yes I have given it out from the puplit or during the worship (singing) portion of the service. It is sometimes a general word but more often it is quite specific and accurate. I always make ti a point to ask who the word applies to and I have taught about the need for an individual acknowledging the healing word once it is spoken. I have gotten tired of people coming up to me AFTER a service saying that the word was for them and that their condition has changed for the better. IT needs to be acknowledged shortly after the word is given so that it will encourage the Body and build their faith.I have written extensively on this Gift (Charism) and others. If you are interested the Word of Knowledge is simply to paraphrase; A supernatural download from heaven of a piece of information that the speaker did not know. It might be a revelation about the Word of God but it generally more about what God is doing or about to do in an individual and often seems to be in regards to healing but it doesn’t have to be.2. A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE…A SUPERNATURAL word or proclamation giving divine insight into a specific problem. It also operates as an understanding or revelation of the divine will or the Word of God. It may also be how to apply a specific truth of the Gospel. It often manifests itself in public services as a revelation of God’s intervention in the area of healing or in answer to a specific need in the body or an individual. Often it gives divine revelation of scripture to edify or exhort the Body. (Ephesians 1:17-23; Col.1:9,10; 1 Tim.2:4; 1 Cor. 2:12-14; Jn.14:26) It can bring SUPERNATURAL illumination of the gospel. It can come in many ways, through visions, dreams, from angels, through prophecy, tongues and their interpretation, an audible voice and through the still small voice of God. Acts 27:21-25; 1 Sam. 3:7-15, Acts 5:3,4; 21:11; Eph.3:3-5; John 2:22-25, 4:16-19. Peter through a Word of Knowledge acknowledged God’s seal upon the Gentiles. Acts 10:47
There is this passage,I Corinthians 1429 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.I don’t think the word of knowledge and prophecy are exactly the same thing, but there seems to be a fuzzy line between the two. I’d say a difference is that you don’t have to speak out a word of knowledge. It could be something to pray about. I think prophecy is definitely meant to be communicated to others. The ‘Thus saith the Lord’ first person prophecy is clearly supposed to be prophecy.Be that as it may, when a prophet is speaking, if someone else gets a revelation, the prophet speaking is supposed to be silent and let the other one speak. And words of knowledge are revelations. I’m going to a little Chinese bi-lingual church that hosts a kind of open meeting for people from different churches where a small number of different preachers and other believers attend one night a month. When multiple people prophesy, sometimes one person will get something that kind of overlaps with what someone else prophesies. I think what I do is more share words of knowledge, but it’s kind of similar to prophesying recently________________
I’ve thought about that before, people just giving feedback right then and there. That doesn’t fit in our traditional Pentecostal liturgy, though. People can’t give testimonies unless they are asked for them. And unless it’s a tongue or interpretation or prophecy, or whoever is assigned to preach or lead worship, it kind of goes against the unwritten rules to share a testimony. Sharing a word of knowledge goes against the unwritten rules in a lot of churches, the way things are done, too, unless the one doing so has the microphone, and is the one assigned to speak. ‘Thus saith the Lord’ messages may be expected in Pentecostal churches. But if someone gave a more ‘charismatic’ style word of knowledge like, The Lord is showing me that someone here named George has a problem with his L3 vertebrae, that just isn’t the sort of thing you hear in a lot of traditional Pentecostal churches.IMO, leadership needs to ’empower’ people by telling them they have freedom to use these gifts. The things is, we want genuine gifts, not people just trying.
this is the scripture in which word of knowledge is mentioned:1 Corinthians 12:7-97 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the
I listened to a Derrick Prince sermon or two online in recent years. He was a Pentecostal who became very involved in the Charismatic movement. I believe he said that Pentecostals experienced a bit of a revival of spiritual gifts during the Charismatic movement, too. Vineyard had been labeled ‘Third Wave’– empowered evangelicals a little later in history than the Charismatic movement. In the early 1990’s, I got a bit involved with that movement and it did seem like I saw certain gifts, especially the word of knowledge or prophetic prayer thing where someone ‘reads your mail’ while praying for you, a lot more than I did with Pentecostals. You might see this stuff while a pastor is praying at an altar in a Pentecostal church. In the Vineyard at the time, during ‘ministry time’ they were all acting kind of like the pastor at the altar call, and it seemed like a lot of people in the congregation had these gifts, not just one or two. When a movement or denomination has been around for a while, it can kind of get set in its ways. And if there isn’t much opportunity for folks to exercise spiritual gifts to minister to one another, they may never really get much chance to discover them or grow in them________________
You are right. I musta read over it a ‘few’ and never thought of it as a gift. Of course I agree it is Biblical. I was raised in the COG, I had been in about as many services (Like most PK’s) than most members, and NEVER heard the term used in reference to something given out in church. WE were big on Tongues and Interpretations. There wan’t room for much else.On a lighter note,The acronym PK, was also never heard by me, until I was in my 40’s.It still reads to me as something given TO AN INDIVIDUAL FOR HIS/HER EDIFICATION not as an announcement.(Matching it with the thought of Wisdom) JM________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
I’ve seen and heard Words Of Knowledge given on several different occasions. Most of them were kind words of encouragement or exhortation.I’m certainly ok with people sharing a word of encouragement. Does that mean the Word is from God? Not necessarily. Neither does it mean it is not a Word from God. It seems that decision is left to those who are hearing it.Possibly that has something to do with the New Testament admonition,Try the spirits to see of they are from God. So, if someone is speaking, whether that is the preacher or someone in the congregation, those who are hearing it have the right to decide if they think it is from God.That is my opinion. What’s yours?Doyl________________
Please read my previous response. The GIFT of a Word of Knowledge is a SUPERNATURALLY given piece of information that the individual who gives it did NOT receive or could have known on his/her ownIf someone gives an ecouraging word the way you describe, the individual might have gotten it out of their own mind or it might qualify as the Gift of Prophecy if it came supernaturally. New Testament prophecy has 3 main functions: to encourage, edify or comfort see 1 Cor. 14:1-3. The Gift of a Word of Knowledge is different it is a piece of information about a person, or insight into the word or any information gotten from a divine source (dream, vision, angels, supernatural insight etc). Your description is typical of people who have not fully understood the differences in the 9 supernatural gifts listed in 1 corinthians 12. I mean no disrespect in that statement as many pentecostals and most Charismatics haven’t spent the time to learn and distinguish the nuances of these gifts. However, that said, trying to define and put God into a box is a little like trying to capture the wind in a container. But, we need to realize and try to see what these gifts mean and how they operate. I have written much on the subject and others have as well. One of the best little books on the subject was written by Howard Carter many years ago but it can be found on Amazon even today.
I don’t see any reason why speaking in tongues in Acts 2, wouldn’t be a ‘gift.’ It’s all by grace isn’t it? (gift–Charisma and grace–charis.) I don’t see a case for tongues in prayer not being a ‘gift’ in I Corinthians either. In 14:28, the same type of tongues that would be interpreted if there were an interpreter can be spoken ‘to himself and to God.________________
The manifestation of tongues look the same whether it is the 1 Cor 12Gift or the tongues given as initial evidence. Yes, they are both gifts of grace but Paul ( by the Holy Spirit ) makes the distinction between the two. The Holy Spirit prays for us in unutterable (unkown) speech in Romans 8:28. Paul says in 1 Cor 12:30
Speaking in tongues can be uttered, or we couldn’t hear it. The groanings of Romans 8:28can’t be uttered. Have you ever experienced something that was like an internal groaning when you prayed? I don’t know how to describe it either.
OT, I’m afraid to even view a video of someone jokin in tongues. I’m afraid the computer will short circuit and kill me Seriously, do these people have no fear? I really didn’t look at the video so maybe I misinterpreted your post.
No wonder some people think Pentecostals are from Mars or some other form of alien.