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:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally AS HE
WILL.
— 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
The Epistle of First Corinthians is not a letter written to just one person; it is a letter written to
the entire Church at Corinth, as well as to the Church — the Body of Christ — in our day.
Some folks have thought these verses applied to an individual person, but Paul was telling the
entire Church to covet or desire spiritual gifts, because as an entire body of believers covets
them, the Holy Spirit will divide the gifts of the Spirit to every man severally as He wills (1 Cor.
12:11).
As the Spirit Wills
Paul infers here that not every man is going to have all these gifts operating through him
because he said, "For to ONE [not to everyone] is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to
ANOTHER the word of knowledge . . ." (1 Cor. 12:8). Some people have taken this verse out
of its setting and have thought the Bible was just telling individual people to desire all of these
gifts, when actually Paul was telling the church as a group or body to covet them.
Lacking understanding, many people try to operate a gift of the Spirit themselves — without
the unction of the Spirit of God. Perhaps a gift of the Spirit has manifested in their lives on
occasion and they think, Now I possess that gift and I can operate it at will.
However, if people try to do that, they will invariably get into trouble, because they will be
opening themselves up to satanic deception and to a wrong spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit
operate as the Holy Spirit wills, not as we will (1 Cor. 12:11).
When you get away from the Word, then Satan can accommodate you, even with supernatural
manifestations. Remember, the Holy Spirit operates in line with the Word of God, and the
Word says His gifts operate as He wills.
If an entire local body of believers will covet the gifts of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will divide to
every man severally as He wills — not as I will, not as you will, but as the Spirit wills.
The Word of Knowledge Manifested In Different Ways
The gifts of the Spirit aren't just manifested in a public assembly, however. As I mentioned
previously, the word of knowledge will sometimes manifest through a vision, through a dream,
through a message from an angel, or through the gift of prophecy.
The word of knowledge can also be manifested through interpretation of tongues. However,
interpretation of tongues is usually not the vehicle through which the word of knowledge
manifests in public assemblies, except perhaps through the ministry gift of diversities of
tongues (1 Cor. 12:28).
The reason for that is the ministry gift of diversities of tongues is more closely related to the
office of the prophet. The prophet's ministry will more consistently manifest the revelation gifts.