Friday: Further Thought – Spiritual Gifts
Daily Lesson for Friday 7th of August 2026
Fuerther Thought;
Read Roswell F. Cottrell, “Spiritual Gifts,” Pages 5–16, in Ellen G.White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“Let men go forth to labor, trusting in the Lord, and He will go with them, convicting and converting souls. One worker may be a ready speaker, another a ready writer, another may have the gift of sincere, earnest, fervent prayer, another the gift of singing. Another may have special power to explain the word of God with clearness. And each gift is to become a power for God because He co-operates with the worker. To one God gives the word of wisdom, to another knowledge, to another faith. But all are to work under the same head. The diversity of gifts leads to a diversity of operations, ‘but it is the same God which worketh all in all’ (1 Corinthians 12:6).
“Let no man despise the supposed lesser gifts. Let all go to work. Let no one fold his hands in unbelief because he thinks that he can do no mighty work. Cease looking at self. Look to your Leader. In meekness, sincerity, and love do what you can.”—Ellen G. White, in The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 12, 1906.
“We each need the help we can receive from other minds. God will work in other minds than ours. The various gifts given to different ones are to blend for the ‘perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:12). . . .
“There will always be obstacles before us, but we are to follow our Leader, and meet our difficulties unitedly, hand in hand.”—Ellen G. White, The Upward Look, p. 141.
Discussion Questions
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“Let no man despise the supposed lesser gifts”. Ellen White got it right. Mostly, the Holy Spirit wants us to be faithful in little things – a cup of cold water, a smile and a word of encouragement, an offering freely given.
Paul offers this encouragement to a young Timothy:
When I think back to my youth, I think of the many people who encouraged me in my spiritual journey. They were not “big shot” Christians with their names and spiritual gifts up in lights. They simply showed the fruit of the spirit.
Just want to share with the SSNET family the sad news that our dear brother and frequent fellow blogger, Ed Goodman, suffered a medical event this Wednesday evening while riding his motorcycle in Freeport, Maine, USA, crashed (no one else was injured), and he is no longer with us. Ed was my science teacher in high school, he was a dedicated Sabbath School discussion facilitator, and he was a powerful testimony for the faithfulness of Jesus. He shared the gospel story everywhere he went – passing out tracts and speaking of his faith- he used his spiritual gifts of teaching and encouraging and bold faith and intercessory prayer. Looking forward to seeing Ed and my dear Mom and all of our loved ones on that great resurrection morning when we finally will be home with Jesus, face-to-face. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Esther, I am saddened to hear about Ed. He brought useful insights into our discussion and will be missed. Please pass on our condolences to his loved ones.
The good LORD comfort you all and also teach us to number our days. Our condolences.
Sad news indeed. My condolences. Revelation 14:13
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Indeed the resurrection morning 🌅 is about to dawn 🙌🏾
I am saddened to learn of your loss Esther. Please accept my deepest condolences.
I was just scrolling through this week’s comments and noticed Ed had just commented on Wednesday’s lesson.
Lord, we don’t understand when these things happen but we trust you and claim the promise of 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
Condolences to the family and friends of Ed.
Thank you for pointing this out, Steev. Ed had gone into the hospital to have a heart stent inserted on July 7. He related that the nurses told him that he was their 7th patient that day, on the date 7/7, and this was his 7th heart stent procedure (cumulatively over his lifetime). He then told them – with his usual twinkling chuckle – that he also was a 7th-Day Adventist , and throughout his weeklong stay in the hospital took several opportunities to talk about Jesus and hand out Steps to Christ books. Ed was also the bus driver for our local K-12 Adventist school. We are all feeling his loss very keenly. Thank you everyone for your condolences and your prayers – he leaves behind his dear wife Anne and their 4 grown children and grandchildren.
So sorry to hear this! May God comfort all who loved him, and may the memories of his life bring even more people to Jesus!
Whenever God is in our midst, we should expect to hear Him speak to us powerfully, and this is at the heart of what prophecy means. Prophecy is given to “strengthen, encourage and comfort” God’s people (1 Cor. 14:3). It may challenge, rebuke, console, correct, or direct us back to God’s truth. Prophecy remains an important gift of the Spirit through which the church is built up and strengthened. Peter describes the prophetic word as “a lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Pet. 1:19). Without this light continually shining within the church, God’s people can gradually lose their spiritual direction and drift into darkness. Scripture repeatedly shows that when people reject God’s prophetic voice, spiritual decline follows (1 Sam. 3:1; Amos 8:11).
Paul writes to the Corinthian church about spiritual gifts because the believers were misusing them, particularly the gift of speaking in tongues. The Corinthians had begun to regard tongues as a superior evidence of spirituality, and this created disorder and competition during their gatherings. Paul reminds them that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33). His purpose was not to dismiss spiritual gifts but to restore their proper use. Every gift of the Spirit must serve the purpose of building up the body of Christ rather than promoting individual status or spiritual superiority. As Paul explains, “Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church” (1 Cor. 14:12). The prophetic gift helps bring God’s truth into the circumstances of His people, exposing what needs correction while also offering hope, encouragement, and direction.
Because prophecy involves speaking into the lives of God’s people, it must always be exercised with humility, love, and discernment. Prophetic messages should not simply be accepted without examination; Scripture instructs the church, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:20–21). Even those who genuinely possess the gift of prophecy can make mistakes in how they understand, communicate, or apply what they believe God is revealing. Therefore, prophecy must be given and received in love, evaluated according to Scripture, and discerned by the community of believers. The goal is never to exalt the prophet but to glorify Christ, strengthen His church, and lead His people into greater faithfulness to God’s Word (1 Cor. 13:2; Rev. 19:10).
Hi people. My thoughts with you all for sabbath. Read 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 yesterday. Connected this to my reading of Keats poem .. intro…after dark vapours have oppressed our plains..for a long dreary season..comes a day born of the gentle south and clears away from the sick heavens… all unseemly stains. Looking forward to the great day of the lord that cleanses this world from the dark vapour of sin. Reneanne Amelia Anderson.
I have a question please.
All Prophets prophesy, but do all who receives prophecy are called prophets?
That’s a good question. If your phrase “all who receives prophecy” refers to those who hear and accept the prophetic word, I don’t believe that necessarily makes them a prophet, although that’s just my personal opinion. The students who hear and receive teaching are not considered teachers, for example. And those who hear and receive a sermon are not considered preachers by hearing. The gift must be applied to consider it yours.
I believe the short answer is No. To “prophesy” in the biblical sense is to “speak for God,” and God uses many people as channels for His messages. If a local pastor is truly committed to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, He can speak through Him. Then the pastor “prophesies” in his sermon. But that doesn’t make the pastor a “prophet” in the biblical sense.
I find it interesting that God can even use unconsecrated people as channels when the need is great. Remember that He used the rebellious prophet Balaam to bless Israel when Balaam, in his heart, intended to curse Israel so he could collect the money.
In my mind the bottom line on spiritual gifts is to use them for God’s glory and to build His Kingdom, and not our own. All gifts are needed, even the “lesser ones.” It would benefit the church to from time to time educate on the subject, and to help the members to discover, develop and use them in the church.
I find it somewhat disturbing when I hear university professors tearing down the churches prophetic gift. My question is; Should or even how should the Church deal with those that teach our young people that the Great Controversy was only for the 19th century and that Ellen White’s comments on the subject are not relevant today. When I was baptized I agreed to our fundamental beliefs that are now being dismantled. Should we be OK with that?
I guess my question would be to ask what you mean by tearing down the prophetic gift. There certainly are people in the church that do that, but sometimes anyone who looks at Ellen White in a different manner is accused of tearning her down. I think we do have to realize that there are different perspectives. I have shared some of mine, and perhaps some here may disagree with me, but hopefully there is room for different perspectives.
Also, believing in Ellen White is NOT a test of fellowship and it wasn’t in Ellen White’s time either. If you read the baptismal vows, it includes believing in the gift of prophecy, but it never names Ellen White. People need to be convinced in their own mind that she is inspired. I think the best thing you can do is gently share how she has blessed you and encourage others to investigate.
These words are echoing in my head- “The Comforter has come ! The Comforter has come !” God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is literally on planet Earth. In fact some theologians have coined this phase of the Universal drama between good and evil as the “Dispensation of the Spirit.”
I think as a people and a church we need to take a fresh look at the work of the Holy Spirit and His gifts to the church. Inclusive of the gifts of speaking in tongues, speaking in an unknown tongue and prophesying.
A significant part of any growing movement and that includes the Church of Jesus Christ, is the refinement and enrichment of its philosophy. In terms of our Christian theological heritage we must seek increased clarity and accuracy. ” But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18 kjv.
As a church we must not cower at frank and sincere discussions. It is only “in the eyes of the wicked is the truth like a monster.” Where would our church have been today if certain then held teachings were not examined by Scripture and then refuted.
How wish I could be transported back in time and sit unobserved as the “twelve year old boy” sat with the Biblical Scholars of that era and amazed them.
However important love is, why must that not be the only criterion in judging whether or not someone is speaking truth and is worthy of being listened to?
If they speak to the law and to the testimony(the Bible) there is light in them. Isaiah 8:20.
Do they abide in His word, listen to His word, and keep His word? John 8:31, 43, 52.
Each of us were given special gifts. However, sometimes our special endowments are not appreciated because we compare ours with other’s. However, as we see our uniqueness and understand the purpose of our gifts we will be willing to appreciate our gifts and use them for God’s service.
(1) Paul’s statement in 1Cor.14:34 about women in the church is concerning though it is found in the Word of God.
(2) There could be times that our actions to people who love us are unloving, yet their love for us would be patient, persistent, and persevering- that is the unconditional love of Jesus working through them.
I actually wish the lesson didn’t skip over the “hard” verses in I Corinthians. We have skipped over much of I Corinthians 7, almost all of I Corinthians 11 and the tough parts of I Corinthians 14. I realize it can be tough to cover everything, but then the case could be made that maybe we should just study I Corinthians in a quarter and not both I and II Corinthians.
Now in regards to the verses about women not being allowed to speak in church, it is hard to know for sure what Paul was talking about. I have heard it suggested that some women were disrupting the worship service and Paul was calling out that. I believe that despite what some churches say, it cannot be an absolute rule for all time and place. If it was, Paul would be contradicting himself in I Corinthians 11:5 when he says a woman disgraces herself if she prays or prophesies without her head covered. Prophesying is certainly speaking in church as is praying. We know women in the early church had the gift of prophecy – Phillip’s daughters had it.
I think it important to restate my comment about Maurice’s observation mentioned in Thursday’s comment. I do not think that we should consider ‘prophecy’ in isolation of the whole and complete Word of God. All spiritual ‘gifts’ are but the outworkings of the Holy Spirit to benefit the Ecclesia when used approbriately.
I think Maurice touched on a very important point regarding the topic ‘prophecy’ present in the church. I want to encourage you to consider God’s Truth the angel shared with John the revelator recorded in Rev.19:10 – “… I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus, Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus IS the spirit of prophecy.”
The angel tells John that ‘he is a fellow servant of John’s brethren’ who have the testimony of Jesus. This leads me to believe that all [John’s brethren in the spirit] who believe Jesus, take part in the testimony of Jesus – the spirit of prophecy – when sharing the Word of God! Jesus received God’s Word by the Spirit of God which, when He parted from us, asked the Father to give to us also.
Considering this, I see Jesus’ ministry to be all about the ‘testimony of the Spirit of Prophecy – God’s Truth – shared with those called by the Father to follow His teachings. Following Jesus’ teachings then means that we are engaged in the ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ by faith when sharing God’s Word.
Looking all the way back to ancient times, who were the prophets? Were they not the man and women God called to reveal His Word of Truth to peoples at all times – past, present, and future? If we believe that the testimony of Jesus IS [actually] the Spirit of prophecy, then all who engage in sharing His testimony share the Spirit of Prophecy – the Word of God given to the world for the salvation of mankind – Rev.1:1-3.
Love for God is shown by trying to live according to His will, with study of His Word and prayer. Besides being a mystery, to love another human being means to have God in the heart, requiring the work of unselfishness that seems effortless.