The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Teachings by Jesus Christ, Peter and Paul.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - KCSE CRE NOTES

INTRODUCTION

• The Holy Spirit is the third person in blessed trinity that is made up of God the father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
•  During his farewell, Jesus assured his disciples that when he this world god would send them the Holy Spirit. 

List of Contents

• Teaching of Jesus on the roles of the Holy Spirit

• Peter message on the day of Pentecost

• ​Relate the message of Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-40)

• Background to the day of Pentecost

• Peters message on the day of Pentecost

• The gifts of the Holy Spirit

• Paul’s teachings on the gifts of the holy spirits

• Give Paul's teaching on the importance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• Paul’s teaching about love

• Paul’s teachings on comparison between prophecy and tongues

• Criteria for discerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit

• The fruits of Holy Spirit

• Manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Christ today

• The message of Peter on the day of the Pentecost

• Discussion questions on Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Teaching of Jesus on the roles of the Holy Spirit

• The Holy Spirit would act as a counselor.
• Holy Spirit would reveal to the disciples all the truth about God.  
• He would remind the disciples everything that Jesus taught them.
• He would pronounce judgment to all sinners.
• He would strengthen their faith during persecution.
• Holy Spirit would be a companionship to the disciples.
• Holy Spirit would help the disciples to understand Jesus as the son of God.
• He would help the disciples to predict the future events.
• Holy Spirit would forgive sins through the disciples of Jesus.
•  Holy Spirit would empower the disciples to become Jesus witness all over the world.

Peter message on the day of Pentecost

• Pentecost was Jewish festival celebrated after every 50 days after the Passover, it commemorated the giving of the mosaic law on mount Sinai 

​Relate the message of Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-40)

1. Jesus was made the Lord and Christ and this was seen in his great works and ministry.
2. What they were doing was a fulfillment of Prophet Joel's message of what would take place in the last days
3. The death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus was real and that they were living witnesses to it.
4. God had raised Jesus from the dead and He's seated at the right hand side of God.
5. The great King prophesied by Prophet Nathan to David who would rule with justice was Jesus Christ.
6. That Jesus brought life and salvation and so they needed to turn from their evil ways in order to receive it.
7. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus happened according to the plans of God
8. They were not drunk as the crowds thought but they were filled with the Holy Spirit of God which is His gift to them.

Background to the day of Pentecost

• During the day of the Pentecost the disciples had gathered together when the holy spirit filled
• The holy spirit came to them in form of a strong wind and tongues of fires which rested on the head of each disciple
• The disciples spoke in different tongues on about the mighty works of God
• The foreigners who were gathered were able to understand what the disciples were saying in their own languages
• Some were amused but other accused the disciples of being drunk 

Peters message on the day of Pentecost

Peter stood up to defend accusation of being drunk and started explaining what was happening

• It was very early in the morning so the disciples could not be drunk
• Coming of the holy spirit was fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy
• Jesus was the son of God
• Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fulfill his promises
• The apostles were living witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
• God has  made Jesus both judge and lord
•  God raised Jesus from death to fulfill his David prophecy
• Jesus was delivered into the hands of evil men suffered and was crucified
• Jesus performed mighty deeds through Gods power
• The disciples and all Jews were the witnesses  

The people were moved by peters message and asked what to do to escape God’s punishment but peter invited them to repent and about 3000 people accepted peter’s message and baptized on this day.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit

Gifts of the Holy Spirit are special powers or abilities to carry out special tasks

1. Gift of wisdom:
   having deep understanding of issues- ‘seeing far’, being perceptive.
2. Gift of knowledge:
   ability to understand the basic facts about Jesus, His mission and knowledge about spiritual issues.
3. The gift of faith:
   refers to the confidence in God’s help. It is deep trust in God.
4. The Gift of healing:
   ability, and power to heal all forms of sickness by calling upon the name of Jesus Christ.
5. The gift of performing miracles:
   gift of healing miracles, creative miracles for example, dead legs becoming alive.
6. The gift of preaching
7. The gift of prophecy:
   the ability to interpret God’s word. The ability to foresee what will happen in the future as revealed by God.
8. The gift of distinguishing spirits or discernment:
   the ability to know whether a spiritual gift is from God, the Holy Spirit or from the evil spirit
9. The gift of speaking in tongues.
   The ability to utter, speak in a tongue, language unknown to the believer. Tongues are used when addressing God for self-edification. It is personal growth.
10. The gift of interpretation of tongues:
    the ability to understand and interpret the messages of those speaking in tongues.
    
11. The gift of love. (1 Corinthians 13) 
    13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
    4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
    8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
    13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.​
    

Paul’s teachings on the gifts of the holy spirits

• The gift of tongues is meaningless without love
• The gift of prophecy or knowledge in preaching too is useless without love
• Having a gift of faith so strong as to move a mountain or giving oneself as a martyr is useless without love  

Give Paul's teaching on the importance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1. An gifts come from the same spirit and the same God.
2. All gifts are used for the benefit community
3. Their respective values ore to be judged
4. Love is the greatest of all gifts,
5. To help Christians discern good from evil and live righteous lives.
6. They are used to glorify God.
7. They are used for instructing and encouraging the church.

Paul’s teaching about love

• Love is patience
• Love is kindness
• Love is not jealous or boastful
• Love is not disrespectful in dealing
• Love is not arrogant
• Love is not irritable or resentful but rejoices in truth, bears all things, hopes all things and endures all things 

Paul’s teachings on comparison between prophecy and tongues

• Those who speak in tongues cannot be understood by the audience who cannot interpret the message.
• Those who speak in tongues communicate with God and so benefit themselves.
• When tongues are not interpreted they cause confusion to the hearers.
• A prophet message may touch a sinner who may repent and turn to God
• Prophecy contributes to the common good of the church 

Criteria for discerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit

The New Testament gives the guidelines on how one may distinguish both the Holy Spirit and evil one and between a true prophet and false one.

• Those with an evil spirit will curse Jesus.
• A person under the influence of the Holy Spirit will proclaim Jesus as the lord.
• A true prophet invites sinners to repent
• A false prophet will ask for payment for his prophecies
• A false prophet prophecies peace to please people
• A true prophet speaks the truth including God’s judgement to sinners irrespective of the consequences 

The fruits of Holy Spirit

Those who live by the spirit through faith in Christ produce the fruitful of the Holy Spirit which is:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Generosity
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self – control 

Manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Christ today

• Those who believe in healing may stop members from seeking medical treatments
• The gifts of the faith give Christians courage to condemn evil in the society.
• There is speaking in tongues today
• Healing and performing miracles are evident today in the church
• Some Christians have witnessed healing and surviving   miracles
• The gift of wisdom used by Christians to interpret the scriptures
• The gift of distinguishing sprits helps Christians to differentiate between the holy spirit and evil spirit 

The message of Peter on the day of the Pentecost

​Peter told the disciple that what was happening was the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy.

• He said that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God.
• He said that the suffering and death of Jesus was according to God’s plans.

Death was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.

State five works of the Holy Spirit in the early church. (5marks)

1. Prophesy
2. Exposed Annanias and Saphira
3. Inspired people to praise God/ worship
4. Gave people power to perform miracles/ heal
5. Provided guidance/ wisdom
6. Empowered people to perseverance/ provided comfort
7. Led people in prayer
8. Strengthened people to  preach/ spread the good news
9. Made people to understand their relationship with God/ the  mission of Jesus
10. Enabled Christians to live in unity
11. Brought love/  peace and joy
12. Strengthen the faith of Christians                  (5 x 1 = 5 marks)

State five leadership qualities shown by Peter the Apostle on the day of Pentecost. (5 marks)

1. Courage
2. Wisdom/ understanding
3. Principled/ decision making/ Adviser/ counselors
4.  Ability to protect  and defend his  colleagues
5. He was focused/ had a goal/ commitment
6. He knew the scriptures
7. God fearing/ had faith in God
8. Eloquent speaker                                 (5 x  1 = 5 marks) 

Discussion questions on Gifts of the Holy Spirit

1. Explain the gifts of the holy spirit  and their manifestation as expressed by St. Paul (8 mks )
2. Discus how the gifts of the holy spirit are manifested in your local church today (8 mks )
3. Identify seven reasons why Jesus sent the holy spirits to the disciples after his ascension(8mks )
4. Identify fruits of the holy spirit taught by saint Paul in Galatians 5: 22 – 23 (6 mks )
5. Explain how the use of the holy spirit brought disunity in the church at Corinth (7 mks )
6. Identify the spiritual gifts taught by saint Paul in the early church(7 mks)
7.  Outline contribution of women in church in Kenya today
8. State 5 ways in which Christians are able to identify those who processes the holy spirit (5 mks)
9. When does the practice of spiritual gifts results to works of flesh? (6mks )   
10. Explain the meaning of the Pentecost 
11. Describe the manifestations of the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-40) (or narrate the events that took place on the day of the Pentecost) 
12. Write down five teachings about Jesus from Peter’s speech on the day of the Pentecost 
13. What were the qualities of peter that made him a successful leader of the apostolic church? 
14. What lessons can Christians learn from the events of the day of the Pentecost? 
15. State the teachings of Jesus on the Holy Spirit (John 14:14-26) (acts 1:7-8) 
16. What is the role of the Holy Spirit according to Jesus? 
17. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the believers or the church or Christians? 
18. Outline the fruits of the Holy Spirit 
19. State the criteria for discerning the spiritual gifts 
20. List down the gifts of the Holy Spirit 
21. Explain why Paul taught that love is the greatest of all spiritual gifts 
22. Explain how the Holy Spirit is manifested in the church today 
23. State ways in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are being abused in the church today 

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