The Word of Wisdom
And The Word of Knowledge

 
 1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 

   Two of the three "revelation "gifts of the Spirit are the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom. They are revelation gifts for the simple fact that they reveal something in the heart and mind of God to the body of Christ or to individuals. 

Word of Wisdom: Supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God, concerning the Divine purpose in the mind and will of God. Always speaks of future. Gives wisdom regarding a matter in the mind of God. Word of Wisdom is profitable for direction. Often used in conjunction with other gifts. Not a worldly wisdom:  This kind of wisdom is not a wisdom that comes through experience or study. It is a supernatural wisdom that comes only from the mind and heart of God.

Word of Knowledge: Supernatural revelation, by the Spirit of God, of facts in the mind of God concerning people, places, or things. Always present or past tense. This gift will always speak of a current condition or situation or of an event that has already occurred in the past.

Many gifts work together

 The word of wisdom and the word of knowledge often work together or with other gifts.

Acts 9: 10 -16 is a very good example of the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom working together.

   In this passage of scripture Jesus appears to Ananias in a vision and tells him to go to a certain street and find Saul of Tarsus and tells him that Saul is praying, and that he has received a vision in which he saw a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him. This part of the passage is a word of knowledge. Jesus is speaking to him of something that is current and past.

   After this Ananias expresses his concerns regarding Saul. In response Jesus tells Ananias Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. This part of the passage is a word of wisdom. Jesus reveals to him a word of wisdom concerning His divine purpose for Saul, and so we see the two gifts working together. 

The Word of The Lord:
   Both of these gifts can come to a person through various means. It could come through a dream or a vision or it could come by an audible voice or it could just be dropped into your spirit or it could come through the simple vocal gift of prophecy or it could come through tongues and interpretation or through angelic visitation. It could come to a person in more than one way at the same time. For instance a person may see a vision and hear an audible voice. Many times in scripture we see where the word of the Lord came to a person by one means or another and often it is through a vision or a dream.

    In the book of  Matthew we see an account were Peter and Jesus were in Capernaum and in Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? And Peter answered them saying yes and then went into he house and Jesus spoke to Peter about the taxes and instructed Peter saying “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.”  

  This is a prophetic word of wisdom. It foretells of an event that has not yet come to pass at the time of its telling. This particular word of wisdom is conditional. It requires action on the part of the one to whom the word is given. If Peter had not followed the instructions the Lord had given him he would not have found the coin or seen the word come to pass. 

   In John 4 we read an account where Jesus had entered into a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, and there at Jacob’s well he met a woman and spoke to her of living water saying “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

This is a word of knowledge that came directly from the Lord himself. This is a prime example of a word of knowledge in the heart and the mind of God.