It was a great night tonight in THP Students as we returned to our series on Gifts of the Holy Spirit!

We started by reminding everyone that all gifts are given for the purpose of pointing people back to Jesus and the motivation of their use is always rooted in LOVE. Moving forward I explained that we are combing the two into one conversation because Wisdom and Knowledge are often paired together.

Word of Wisdom

Word of wisdom is when the Holy Spirit gives us divine insight or direction, showing us what to do or how to respond when we face things we aren’t sure about.

Wisdom for Understanding People

In 1 Kings 3:9, Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead His people well. God answered that prayer, and Solomon used that supernatural wisdom to discern the motives of the two women who came before him in 1 Kings 3:16-28. This wasn’t an ordinary intellectual exercise; it was a God given insight into the human heart.

Wisdom for understanding Scriptures

In Acts 6:10, Stephen spoke with such supernatural wisdom that no one could refute him. As he shared, he connected the story of the Old Testament all the way to Jesus in a way that was both logical and inspired by the Holy Spirit. That’s a word of wisdom at work, insight into God’s word, and how to communicate it effectively. 

Wisdom for leading others

In Acts 15, the early church faced a major debate: were gentile christians really Christians if they didn’t follow Jewish Customs? After listening to everyone and reflecting on scripture, James operated in the gift of Wisdom. His spirit-led judgment brought unity and clarity, helping the whole church better understand God’s heart.

Word of Knowledge

Word of Knowledge is when the Holy Spirit gives someone insight or understanding about a situation, person, or truth that they could not have known naturally

Knowledge that reveals hidden truths about a person

In John 4:16-19, Jesus is at the well with the Samaritan woman, and he reveals specific details about her life, how she had five husbands, and the one she was with now was not her husband.  He never met her before, yet the Spirit revealed what was hidden in her heart. This moment of divine knowledge wasn’t meant to shame her but to bring her to the truth. Through that revelation, she recognized how Jesus truly was and became a witness to her whole community.

Knowledge that protects the Church

In Acts 5:1-10, Peter knows by the Holy Spirit that Ananias and Sapphira are lying about their offering. He calls them out, not to embarrass them, but to protect the purity of the church. Without that word of knowledge, deception would have spread unchecked.

Knowledge that confirms God’s Work in Someone’s Life

In Acts 9:10-12, God spoke to a disciple named Ananias about what was happening to Saul (Paul) and told him to go pray for him. Ananias had no natural way of knowing those details, but the Holy Spirit revealed them so that he could obey confidently and help confirm Saul’s calling.