Topic
Discernings of Spirits
6 passages cited, from 1 classic reference work.
These works date from 1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Acts 20:29ISBE
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
- Acts 20:30ISBE
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
- Romans 14:1ISBE
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
- 1 Corinthians 12:10ISBE
To 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:
- Hebrews 5:14ISBE
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
- 2 John 1:7ISBE
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 6 references
di-zurn'-inz, (diakriseis pneumaton, "judicial estimation," "through judgment or separation"): Occurs in 1Co 12:10 as being one of the gifts of the Spirit. The Greek word occurs in Heb 5:14; and Ro 14:1: "But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not for decision of scruples." This translation scarcely expresses the meaning, which Thayer has freely rendered, "not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions, as to which one is to be preferred as the more correct." Taking these three passages together it is evident that the Greek term which is rendered "discerning" means a distinguishing or discriminating between things that are under consideration; hence, the one who possessed the gift of "discernings of spirits" was able to make distinction between the one who spoke by the Spirit of God and the one who was moved by a false spirit. This gift seems to have been exercised chiefly upon those who assumed the role of teachers, and it was especially important in those days, because there were many false teachers abroad (see 2Joh 1:7; Ac 20:29,30). See also SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
A. W. Fortune
Texts: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.