Flashback Friday: Proudly Discerning - by DEBBIELYNNE KESPERT

Excerpted from here. Our comments in bold.

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Ms. Kespert completely misunderstands the Bible's teaching on spiritual gifts. She wants to reduce the gift of discernment to an intellectual pursuit of the Bible so as to acquire knowledge that refutes false teaching. This is not the gift of discernment.

All spiritual gifts are supernatural endowments, given by the Holy Spirit.

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Originally published January 5. 2017

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In the article, What is Christian Gnosticism, GotQuestions.org writes:

Gnostics claim to possess an elevated knowledge, a “higher truth” known only to a certain few. Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis which means “to know.” Gnostics claim to possess a higher knowledge, not from the Bible, but acquired on some mystical higher plane of existence. Gnostics see themselves as a privileged class elevated above everybody else by their higher, deeper knowledge of God. (Not a single part of this is true. It's based on supposition about what other Christians think. It's not a Bible explanation.

Now, we don't want to evaluate two articles at once, but suffice to say, we are fortunate that gotquestions wasn't around when the apostles were alive. None of the NT would have been accepted.)

Admittedly, “discernment bloggers” in Reformed circles have struggles with spiritual pride too, often supposing that we understand Scripture more than “average” Christians. In one respect, we may be partially right. Biblical illiteracy among evangelicals has reached epidemic proportions, resulting in decidedly undiscerning behavior and beliefs. But, like our Charismatic counterparts, we fall into the assumption that we have superior knowledge of God’s Word. (A charitable admission.)

Yet Charismatics err because their “discernment” comes as an addition to Scripture, rather than an understanding of Scripture. (This is an odd claim. Discernment is a spiritual gift, and all spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit: 

1Co. 12:7,10 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good... 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues... 

The gift of discernment is a "manifestation of the Spirit."

He. 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

The spiritual gifts can be refined and matured.

In both verses the Greek word diakrisis is used. It means, a distinguishing, discerning, judging... not for the purpose of passing judgment on opinions...

Discernment isn't an intellectual process, it's a spiritual one. "Distinguishing between spirits" requires spiritual insight.)

While those of us in the Reformed camp must have the humility to remember that any discernment we may have is readily available to all believers, (The Holy Spirit apportions the spiritual gifts according to His will. Not every Christian has every gift.)

Charismatics must repent of regarding discernment as an extrabiblical gift (??? There's no such thing as an extrabiblical gift.)

that manifests itself in similar ways to psychic powers. (Ms. Kespert has it backwards. Psychic powers counterfeits the gift of discernment.)

The Lord most assuredly wants His people to exercise discernment. Hebrews 5:14 equates discernment with Christian maturity. But such maturity comes through knowing God’s Word and handling it properly, not by Christian gnosticism. (False choice. Discernment can be matured, and maturation comes through things like Bible study, but discernment isn't Bible study, and discernment isn't maturity. Discernment, again, is a spiritual gift. 

"Gift" is 

xárisma ("grace-gift") divinely empowers a believer to share God's work with others, i.e. Spirit-empowered service to the Church to carry out His plan for His people.

Since Ms. Kespert values Bible knowledge, perhaps she might spend some time on the study of the spiritual gifts.)

All of us hold a responsibility to study God’s Word and apply it humbly, praising Him for giving us all the wisdom we need in its pages.