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Is There Such a Thing As a Gift of Discernment?

By February 1, 1990November 9th, 2022No Comments

Q.

I heard a man in full-time Christian work say that he felt he had the gift of discernment. Is there such a thing?

A.
I do not believe so. The list in 1 Corinthians mentions a gift called “discerning of spirits,” but this would be one of the so-called sign gifts, which was going to cease. Before the completion of the canon of Scripture, God specifically equipped various individuals to recognize what was truly revelation from God and what was not. Thus when the completion of the Scriptures took place, the need for a special gift such as this disappeared. We now have the Word of God which, with the working of the Holy Spirit, shows us all things we need for life and godliness. We do not need a special revelation over and beyond that.

However, aside from this temporary gift mentioned in this passage, we know such a thing as spiritual discernment exists. All believers should desire and have it. It comes from a growth in grace through the knowledge of God’s Word. Much of the ineffectiveness among Christians today is due to a lack of discernment, and this lack comes from not searching the Scriptures. May God help each one of us to be discerning people as we know the Word more and more and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us. One of the most disgraceful words I can think of to describe a child of God is the word “gullible.” I am especially concerned about our young people in this regard, but it is also true of believers of all ages.

This article appeared in the “Q & A” column of the Baptist Bulletin (February 1990) by Norman A. Olson. 

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