Note 25 at 1 Cor. 12:10: All believers can experience miracles as a result of their own faith (see note 30 at v. 11, p. 931), but some individuals have been given the gift of miracles. Miracles characterize their ministry.

A miracle is a supernatural intervention of God's power over natural law. Healings occur within the boundaries of natural law while miracles are not limited to natural law. A person with a high fever who receives prayer and then begins to recover is experiencing a healing. The Lord intervened but in natural ways. The virus, infection, or whatever was rebuked (Lk. 4:39) and then the natural healing process that the Lord built into all of us takes over. But when something totally supernatural happens, that's a miracle. When Jesus reattached the servant's ear so that it was instantly whole after Peter had cut it off (Lk. 22:51), that was a miracle. It was a healing too, but it was a miraculous healing. Feeding the five thousand (Mt. 14:19-20), walking on the water (Mt. 14:25), translating a ship and all aboard to the other side of the sea (Jn. 6:21)--all those are miracles. Miracles are usually instantaneous whereas healings are sometimes gradual.

Note 26 at 1 Cor. 12:10: This gift of prophecy is different from the ministry gift of a prophet (Eph. 4:11). According to 1 Cor. 14:3, this gift of prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and comfort (see note at 1 Cor. 14:3). There have certainly been many prophets whose prophecies didn't meet those standards (2 Sam. 12:1-14; 1 Ki. 13:1-5; 21:17-24; etc.).

This simple gift of prophecy that operates in the church assembly is limited to general edification, exhortation, and comfort of the body (1 Cor. 14:3). If a person begins to give an individual prophecy of personal direction to someone, that falls into the ministry of a prophet and is different from this simple gift of prophecy.

For example, believers wouldn't allow a person called to the office of a teacher to interrupt a service and just start teaching. That would be out of order. The teacher should make himself known to the pastor and if given the authority, then he could teach. Likewise, for someone to minister direction or future events to an individual or the whole body and claim that it is a prophecy is out of order. That would be the ministry of a prophet and the prophet should be recognized by the pastor just as a teacher would have to be.

This simple gift of prophecy that Paul is describing here will never be a lengthy teaching or a rebuke or a warning. That's the ministry of a prophet. This will just be words of encouragement from the Lord along the lines of "Children I love you. I've received your praise. I'm present to minister to you," etc.

A lack of understanding the difference between this simple gift of prophecy and the ministry of a prophet has led to some strange things being called a word of prophecy in many churches. Some people actually prepare teachings during the week and deliver them as prophecies in church. Others vent their own prejudices or use "prophecy" as an opportunity to rebuke someone or put in their "two bits" about what the church should be doing. None of those things are the gift of prophecy that Paul is describing here.

Note 27 at 1 Cor. 12:10: Some people believe this gift is the supernatural ability to distinguish different kinds of spiritual beings (i.e. angels, demons) while others interpret "spirits" as being attitudes or emotions. Indeed the word "spirit" can be used to refer to things in the spiritual realm or attitudes, such as "school spirit."

Note 28 at 1 Cor. 12:10: There are different kinds of speaking in tongues (see note 13 at Mk. 16:17, p. 566). This gift of speaking in tongues is a ministry gift that operates in church and differs from the personal speaking in tongues that every believer who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit can do (Mk. 16:17). Only some believers are given this gift of tongues that operates in public (see note at v. 30) and equals prophecy when interpreted (see note at 1 Cor. 14:5). See reference b on this word for list of footnotes on speaking in tongues.

Note 29 at 1 Cor. 12:10: The gift of interpreting the gift of tongues is not a translation but an interpretation. That is, it just conveys the thought of what was said into the known language. Therefore, the interpretation may be longer or shorter than the message in tongues and differ in style and yet be the proper interpretation. When the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation of tongues operate together, that is equal to prophecy (see note at 1 Cor. 14:5).