Library Home>All Subjects>D Subjects>Discerning of Spirits

Discerning of Spirits

Concise Bible Dictionary:

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 (1 Cor. 12:10¹⁰To 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: (1 Corinthians 12:10); 1 John 4:1-3¹Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. ²Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: ³And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:1‑3)). This gift was especially necessary at the time when the word of God was not fully written.