The discipline of spiritual discernment by Tim Challies Crossway Books, 2007 206 pages £13
ISBN 978 1 581 349 092
In 1 Corinthians 12 verses 1-11, Paul talks of ‘spiritual gifts’. He lists them as ‘wisdom, knowledge,
faith, healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits and tongues or languages and their interpretations’ – eight gifts in all.
The gift of ‘distinguishing between spirits’ is the subject and concern of Tim Challies’s work.
He defines it so – “Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God’s word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong.” (p 61)
The reference to ‘distinguishing between spirits’ in 1 Corinthians 12 is not explained or expanded in any greater detail by Paul so it is left open to exegetes and commentators to define it as they see fit.
While Challies’s definition is in keeping with the general tenor of Scripture, his definition does not mention ‘spirits’.
In 10 chapters and a conclusion, the author exhaustively ploughs the field of spiritual discernment, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
One notable feature is that Challies only quotes other writers who agree with his own conclusions.
It would have been more helpful or balanced to hear other voices with differing understanding or interpretation.
Like the curate’s egg, the book is good in parts.