At Woodland Hills, we understand a “word of knowledge” (see 1 Corinthians 12:8) to be some sort of knowledge that God supernaturally impresses upon someone’s mind. The purpose for words of knowledge is to share them with the intended recipient for their blessing and growth, and/or to lift that person or situation up in prayer.
In his most extensive discussion on spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), the apostle Paul is clear that the gifts are intended to be used primarily in the context of a community of Christians for the purpose of blessing and building up each other as a single body. And so, a simple, biblically-based definition of spiritual gifts would be: an ability graciously given to a believer by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to be used in humility and self-sacrificial love, for the primary purpose of blessing, building up, and maturing other believers in a community context, as, together, we all seek to grow in agape-love and be shaped into the cruciformity of Jesus.
Another important principle regarding these things is that when someone shares what they believe is a word of knowledge from God for someone else, they are to do so by simply delivering it with gentleness and humility, and then to invite that person to go to God in prayer to discern whether it comes from God or not.
