Discernments of spirits

Summary:

It is written in the Bible that someone can have a spiritual gift of "DISCERNMENTS (OF) SPIRITS" (1 Corinthians 12:10). Both Greek terms are plural, pointing to a plurality of discernments and a plurality of spirits. 

The Bible presents a variety of spirits: 

- The Holy Spirit of God.

- Angels as ministering spirits.

- Spirits of demons.

- The human spirit.

These spirits can be DISTINCT from one another. 

The gift of "DISCERNMENTS (OF) SPIRITS" (1 Corinthians 12:10) enables someone to have a plurality of ways to recognize one spirit from another. 

For example, someone may SEE and HEAR a spirit in the midst of other spirits being present, and as a result distinguishing it from the others, correctly identifying it. 

You can find more details below:

Discernments of spirits:

It is written in the Bible that someone can have a spiritual gift of "DISCERNMENTS (OF) SPIRITS" (1 Corinthians 12:10). 

This is a spiritual gift among the list of other spiritual gifts available.

For more information:

List of spiritual gifts:
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The Greek words for "DISCERNMENTS" and "SPIRITS" are both in the plural, meaning that this is referring to a plurality of discernments and a plurality of spirits.  

There are different spirits:

There are different "SPIRITS" (1 Corinthians 12:10), for example:

- "the Holy SPIRIT (of) God" (Ephesians 4:30).

- "the angels" (Hebrews 1:13) who are "ministering SPIRITS" (Hebrews 1:14).

- "SPIRITS (of) demons" (Revelation 16:14).

- "the SPIRIT (of the) person within him" (1 Corinthians 2:11), that is, as a human, "your [...] SPIRIT" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Just as a human you have "your [...] body" (1 Thessalonians 5:23), you also have "your [...] SPIRIT" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Spirits can be distinct from one another:

Spirits can be distinct from one another, for example:

- The HOLY SPIRIT of God can be set in distinction with an UNCLEAN SPIRIT, as Jesus said: "whoever blasphemes against the HOLY SPIRIT does not have forgiveness to the age, but is subject (to an) eternal sin”, because they-were-saying “He-has (an) UNCLEAN SPIRIT”" (Mark 3:29-30).

- The SPIRIT of God can be set in distinction with OUR SPIRIT, as Paul wrote that "THE SPIRIT [of God] itself bears-witness-WITH OUR SPIRIT that we-are children (of) God" (Romans 8:16).

"Discernments":

Paul wrote about "DISCERNMENTS [diakrisis 1253 in Greek] (of) spirits" (1 Corinthians 12:10). 

The same Greek word for "DISCERNMENTS" is also used in "DISCERNMENT [diakrisis 1253 in Greek] (of) both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14). This would be contrasted with people who "do not KNOW good from evil" (Numbers 14:23). 

So someone having "DISCERNMENT [diakrisis 1253 in Greek] (of) both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14) could be someone who "KNOW good from evil" (Numbers 14:23). 

In a similar way, someone having "DISCERNMENTS" (in the plural) "(of) spirits" (1 Corinthians 12:10) would be someone who KNOWS (in a plurality of ways) one spirit from another.

Examples of discernments of spirits:

Here may be some example of "DISCERNMENTS (of) SPIRITS" (1 Corinthians 12:10). 

It is written in 1 Kings that "Micaiah" (1 Kings 22:16) said "I SAW the LORD God of Israel sitting upon His throne [...] And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab [...]? Then there came out a SPIRIT [...] And SAID, ‘I will go forth, and will be A SPIRIT OF FALSEHOOD in the mouth of all his prophets. [...] And now, behold, the LORD put A SPIRIT OF FALSEHOOD in the mouth of all these your prophets" (1 Kings 22:19-23). Here Micaiah said that he "SAW" (1 Kings 22:19) ultimately a SPIRIT and also reported what this specific SPIRIT "SAID" (1 Kings 22:22) which may have been HEARD. 

It is written that "John testified, saying that “I-have-SEEN the SPIRIT descending like (a) dove out-of heaven" (John 1:32). Here John the Baptist was described as having "SEEN the SPIRIT" (John 1:32) when the SPIRIT was descending out of heaven.

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