The Gift (Word) of "Knowledge"
"A person who has an insatiable desire to study exhaustively every facet of a subject, leaving no stone unturned, and to bring it forward, and to organize it, and put it forth in such manageable fashion that someone else can take it and use it." -Radmacher
"It is the ability to be able to comprehend the Word of God and to see unifying principles in the Word of God. It is the ability to put the doctrines of Scripture into a meaningful whole." -Fruchtenbaum
The Gift of Knowledge-
The God-given ability to arrange the facts of Scripture, to categorize these into principles, and to communicate them to repeated or familiar situations.(1 Corinthians 12:8; 1 Corinthians 13:2, 8; 14:6)
Enjoy study, digging for facts or details
Persistent, thorough
More task-centered than people-oriented as a rule
Tend to become impatient with people who fail to learn
Very precise
Patient, stay with the project until completed in all its details
Continually looking, searching for new information or data
Enjoy talking to well-informed people
Logical, scientific, serious
Tend to avoid games or discussion on deeply personal matters
"The gift of knowledge is the ability to perceive and systematize the great facts God has hidden in His Word. A person exercising this gift is able to recognize the key and important facts of Scripture as a result of investigation. The gift of wisdom, on the other hand, is the ability to apply those insights to a specific situation. It is wisdom that puts knowledge to work."
Ray C. Stedman, Body Life: The Book That Inspired a Return to the Church’s Real Meaning and Mission, Revised Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1995), 63.
The Pitfalls of the Gift of Knowledge
1. Arrogance- Because of such great learning, superiority sets in. The point of the gift is to edify the Body. -1 Cor 12:7
2. Insensitive- Facts can be cold, but the one who ascertains them should not be.
-1 Cor 8:1
3. Misapplication- Are these truths changing the one with the gift?
4. Underappreciated- Feels that the time, sacrifice, and skill exercised was in vain. -Col 3:23-