Word of Knowledge

A Word of Knowledge is a spiritual gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8 but not in any other New Testament list of Spiritual Gifts. Among apostolic and prophetic Christians it is often taught to be a gift of knowledge given by the Holy Spirit to one individual for the benefit of another, as opposed to a prophecy which is usually for a congregation or individual, or a nation.

The message is given to the Christian via specific verses in the Bible, or through dreams and visions, or through an immediate realization and understanding.

Practical Application

The term "Word of Knowledge" is used in some Christian groups to describe events that are distinguished from other forms of immanence. For example, a Christian knowing detailed information about a stranger is considered a "Word of Knowledge" and allows the Christian to minister to strangers more effectively. At times, a "Word of Knowledge" can come to an individual for his or her personal edification directed by the Holy Spirit of God. Often, a personal "Word of Knowledge" is God's way of prompting an individual in his or her spiritual growth and eventual conformity to the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

You may also find more references in 1 Samuel Chapters 9 & 10, Acts 9:11-16, and Acts 10:9-17

Theological Rationale

Christians, particularly those who hold to mystical beliefs (at present, commonly associated with Pentecostal revivalism), believe strongly in the idea of an immanent God - that God is present and deals intimately with the individual as they live their life. The experience of this immanence is varied, but is usually subjective. Thus, an individual Christian has access to God's guidance whenever they come into His presence and pray. Naturally, some times are more immediate and clearer than others - having an experience during a Church Worship service is more likely than having an experience while cutting one's toenails. What this shows is that the context for the experience is important - that when a Christian is focused upon God and serving Him, then God will be close to the Christian and act to guide.

But what separates words of knowledge from other times of immanence is that such words rarely occur during times of worship and extreme emotional arousal. In fact, most words of knowledge are delivered in times where a person is going about their everyday life.

A common example might be: a man is walking down the street, and walks up to a woman he has never met and names a problem in her life, such as psychological problems, secret addictions, recent deaths, or illness. Unlike information delivered by a contemporary prophet or historical fortune tellers such as Nostradamus or Ms. Cleo, most words of knowledge contain precise detail, such as a name, the part of the body that is sick, or a problem few people know about. Thus, the opportunity for coincidence is virtually eliminated. The person who is approached is often left scared and frightened, because a person he has never met has just approached her, told intimate details about her life, and left as quickly as he came. However, the purpose of the Holy Spirit passing on a word of knowledge is never to make a person afraid (other than Godly fear leading to salvation) but to help them deal with an issue in their life, such as unforgiveness for example. For this reason words of knowledge are often followed by prayer or talking through the issue or action relevant to the word of knowledge, eg the receiver of the word of knowledge forgiving someone.

At the time of the incident, neither of the recipients of the message was aroused or engaged in an act that would make them more likely to think illogically, such as intense worship or prayer. This argument is often used to criticize glossolalia since it most often occurs in such settings.

The belief that God can reveal His will directly through a subjective experience is validated by selected stories in the Bible. The Bible record of figures such as King David, Samuel, the Prophet Isaiah, the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul, all show that God is both willing and able to speak to people clearly and unambiguously.

The receipt of a "Word of Knowledge" therefore, is no different than what has occurred before both throughout the stories in the Bible, and during the experience of the Church since Pentecost.