By the way, there is a passage that talks about determining whether a "spirit" is from God or not. I don't think it is referring literally and exclusively to devils that are, perhaps, occupying a person. 1 John 4 starts with that warning, then says the reason you should try spirits is that there are many false prophets. Not all false prophets are demon-possessed, are they?
Now, in the context of pranks, I seriously doubt that a prankster fake prophet would be struck dumb would be unable to pass the test given in 1 John 4. Ask him if he "confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God". If he says "yes", do you have to accept him as a genuine prophet? I wouldn't, if I were you!
P.S. I am not saying that this passage refers to the gift of discerning of spirits. I'm just sayin'.
Context, Timmy..
1Jn 1 is not about discerning of spirits but TESTING the words of prophets
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
1Jn 1 is not about discerning of spirits but TESTING the words of prophets
It is trying spirits, as stated in the scripture, and as I pointed out. I even went on to say, in my PS, that I was not talking about the gift of discerning of spirits.
Sigh.
P.S. The scripture does not mention testing words, BTW. I guess you mean 1 John 4 (not 1)?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
It's discerning OF SPIRITS. So IF you have that gift, you'll be able to discern spirits.
It's not "discernment" as if you can know everything and not everyone at a church has it and not every church has someone that has it.
So in other words, it's not "The gift of knowing if someone is faking tongues"
If a church dosnt have someone operating in all the gifts then I suggest they lock the doors, shut off the power and sell the property because they are not a church with proper Biblical leadership!
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Apostolic is an understanding that God has finally and completely revealed Himself to all mankind through His incarnation as Jesus Christ. He has revealed to all a way of life, love and forgiveness that leads to a right relationship with Him and with each other.
~Repairing the Apostolic Church, Apostle W. Carey & Bishop N. Morales
If a church dosnt have someone operating in all the gifts then I suggest they lock the doors, shut off the power and sell the property because they are not a church with proper Biblical leadership!
Right on!
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
It is trying spirits, as stated in the scripture, and as I pointed out. I even went on to say, in my PS, that I was not talking about the gift of discerning of spirits.
Sigh.
P.S. The scripture does not mention testing words, BTW. I guess you mean 1 John 4 (not 1)?
Read the context..it's about trying the words of those claiming to be prophets and those that say they are from God
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1Jn 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 1Jn 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1Jn 4:5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 1Jn 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
If a church dosnt have someone operating in all the gifts then I suggest they lock the doors, shut off the power and sell the property because they are not a church with proper Biblical leadership!
Wow...how tolerant of you.
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
Christ's words were spirit or pneuma (John 6:63). All words, in this sense, are "spirit". Not in the sense of being an actual literal spirit, but according to their nature as intangible, life-producing agents of the mind, they function similarly.
Therefore, in 1 John 4, we see a relationship between trying the spirits and false prophets, because prophets, false or otherwise, make themselves known through speaking.
So when one tries the spirits, they are putting the words of the "prophet" to the test. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, so when the words are weighed and if found wanting, one can know the heart of their speaker to be false; thus showing that as a false prophet, their spirit/pneuma is out of line with God's.
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For anyone devoted to His fear:
Read the context..it's about trying the words of those claiming to be prophets and those that say they are from God
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1Jn 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 1Jn 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1Jn 4:5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 1Jn 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Okie dokie.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
God discerns and through His Spirit, causes people to understand what HE (no one else) discerned about any particular situation, person, or etc.
It is according to His will, but His will can be frustrated by inattentive, carnal people not interested in cultivating a sensitivity to His guidance and direction.
God may try to warn and help His people out but they may be too lazy, spiritually fat, and un-disciplined to care. If so, God just may not will His Spirit to grant any discernment to anyone in the local assembly as an act of punishment for being in such a state to begin with.
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For anyone devoted to His fear:
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