The ruse is up for popular so-called prophets who use data mining to conjure up what charismatics commonly call “word of knowledge.”
Such fakery shows blasphemous disregard for the work of the Holy Spirit. It also does real harm to real people—and it has for generations.
Part of the problem is that we charismatics can be so captivated by the sensational and spectacular we neglect God’s command to test prophetic words (1 Thess. 5:19-22).
We are too easily deceived.
To help fix that, let’s take a fresh look at what word of knowledge is and what it’s for.
What does Paul mean?
1 Cor. 12:8 is the only verse where Paul mentions a spiritual gift he calls “word of knowledge,” a term which he doesn’t define, and which he may have coined spontaneously.[i]
Modern charismatics take this term to mean the verbalization of revelatory information about a person’s life.[ii] However, despite how confidently and consistently we use the term “word of knowledge” in this way, no one knows for sure exactly what Paul meant by it.[iii]
That said, several Pentecostal and charismatic Bible scholars build a case based on cultural context for defining this gift differently.
Ancient Corinthians emphasized speaking ability, knowledge, and wisdom in the form of intellectual speeches by the sophists and relentless examining of ideas by the philosophers.[iv] They regularly made spontaneous, public speeches on various subjects, mainly for the purpose of showing off.[v]
Paul, however, insists on the message of the cross as true wisdom, a simple message not considered eloquent or philosophically deep.[vi] Under inspiration, he uses one of the Corinthians’ own terms, but gives it a makeover in a significantly different context.[vii]
Paul rebukes the Corinthian Christians who take pride in the special doctrinal knowledge they claim to have, but he encourages the gift of “word of knowledge,” or logos of gnosis (I Cor. 14:6).[viii]
This spiritual gift can be defined as the supernatural ability to publicly impart knowledge about God in words taught by the Holy Spirit.[ix] The message comes through the receiver in the form of teaching (1 Cor. 2:13).[x]
Rather than a revelation of certain details of a person’s life, then,
A word of knowledge is a divinely inspired instruction (word of teaching) occurring among gathered believers and featuring an aspect of the wondrous mystery of the gospel.[xi]
What we’ve referred to as “word of knowledge” fits best under the broader heading of prophecy—and that matters, because all prophecy must be tested.
How should this subcategory of prophecy operate?
One beautiful way the supernatural spiritual gifts work in tandem is when prophecy precedes physical healing.
At the conclusion of a prophetic ministry workshop, I challenged participants to ask the Holy Spirit if someone near them needed physical healing. Immediately the word “esophagus” came to my mind, so I mentioned it.
A woman spoke up and said her husband had esophageal cancer years earlier, and his symptoms had returned. We prayed. She later reported his symptoms ceased (and haven’t returned in 18 months).
At another workshop, one man sensed a woman at his table needed healing in her feet. He prayed for her feet, and she was healed. He had no idea she’d just prayed,
“Lord, if you intend to heal me, please tell someone specifically I need healing for my feet.”
What a beautiful, faith-building moment for both!
Such instances of what we typically call “word of knowledge” demonstrate the unmistakable power and love of God.
But what about getting details and data like street addresses, phone numbers, and birthdates? Doesn’t that show people God sees them?
I’d be very careful about that.
While we are instructed to pursue the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy (I Cor. 14:1-3), there’s no Scriptural exhortation to chase supernaturally perceived data about the lives of others.
Prophecy is not magic.
The widespread use of “word of knowledge,” especially in big gatherings, gives off a fortune telling or parlor trick vibe. Allow me to gaze into the crystal ball and see what numbers or names pop up for me to impress you.
Keep in mind what prophecy is for—strength, encouragement, and comfort from the Lord coming through a human vessel.
Real prophecy is transformative. Consider the story of the woman at the well (John 4:1-42).
Writer Beth Cavete comments beautifully,
“(This story) is a perfect Biblical example of what real prophecy does: it split her heart right open, displaying its secrets. Her religious pretending, deep shame, and profound isolation were in a moment laid bare, without any mockery or abuse, so as to bring the gospel not as information to her mind (as is our cultural norm) but directly to her desperate need. … it is the exact opposite of house number magic tricks.”
The exact opposite.
Genuine prophecy brings the gospel to the furthest reaches of the human heart—and no cheap, psychic-style illusion can ever compare.
[i] Craig Keener, Gift and Giver: The Holy Spirit for Today (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2020), 89.
[ii] Sam Storms, Understanding Spiritual Gifts, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 155.
[iii] Jack Deere, Why I am Still Surprised by the Voice of God, (Zondervan Reflective: Grand Rapids, 2022), 25.
[iv] Keener, Gift and Giver, 89.
[v] Keener, Gift and Giver, 90. See also Timothy Savage’s Power Through Weakness: Paul’s Understanding of the Christian Ministry in 2 Corinthians, 35-52 for a fuller sociological picture of ancient Corinthian values, which centered on self-promotion and boasting.
[vi] Keener, Gift and Giver, 89.
[vii] Gordon Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Revised edition. (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 656.
[viii] Fee, 657. See also 2 Cor. 8:7; 11:6.
[ix] Keener, Gift and Giver, 90.
[x] J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology, Vol. 2, Salvation, The Holy Spirit, and Christian Living (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1990), 355.
[xi] Williams, Vol. 2, 356. See also Storms, 154.
