Questions tagged [discernment]
Discernment is the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event, particularly the activity of going past the mere perception of something and making detailed judgments about that thing. As a virtue, a discerning individual is considered to possess wisdom, and be of good judgement; especially so with regard to subject matter often overlooked by others.
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Is it common for Catholic exorcists to possess the charism of discernment of spirits?
Discernment of spirits is a charism or spiritual gift mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:10. The Apostle Paul appears to have exercised this gift during the deliverance of a woman with a spirit of ...
user61679
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Scriptural support for trusting Scripture over private revelation
Several sects place a high premium on personal spiritual experience and/or personal revelation as a means for discovering Truth. For example: angelic visitations, miracles, dreams, visions, LDS's &...
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What saints were able to accurately determine what vocation God is calling someone to?
Saints sometimes exhibited mystical phenomena in the cognoscitive order such as visions, locutions, revelations, discernment of spirits, and hierognosis (ability to distinguish blessed from profane ...
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How do errantists distinguish the parts of the Bible that are trustworthy from the parts that have errors?
How do errantists, i.e. Christians who reject the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy, distinguish the parts of the Bible that are trustworthy from the parts that have errors?
How do they know which parts ...
user50422
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How do Christians discern between genuine dreams & visions from God and false dreams & visions from a different source (flesh, enemy)?
Dreams & visions - how do Christians discern between genuine dreams & visions from God and false dreams & visions from a different source (flesh, enemy)?
Are there any denominations that ...
user50422
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According to Protestant understanding, how does a believer know if they have been called to be an evangelist?
An evangelist is a specific office that is different from pastors & teachers.
Q: According to Protestantism, how does one know if they have been called to be an evangelist?
“He who descended is ...
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If someone is called by God to be an apostle, what is the proper way for them to convince others that their calling is genuine?
If person X is called by God to be an apostle, what should person X do next in order to convince others that their calling is genuine? What kind of evidence should person X provide to an audience of ...
user50422
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How do Cessationists distinguish between miracles and spiritual gifts? What is the biblical basis for such discernment?
I've heard Cessationists say many times that there is a difference between spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12) and healings & miracles from God.
I have two questions:
On Discernment. How do Cessationists ...
user50422
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How do Cessationists who believe in modern-day miracles judge the credibility of modern miracle claims?
Some "hardcore" Cessationists deny all possibility of modern godly miracles. Other Cessationists, who are a bit more open, do believe in the possibility of modern miracles -- it's just that ...
user50422
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What is an overview of criteria used by different denominations to identify authentic prophets?
Latter-day Saints have Joseph Smith. Seventh-day Adventists have Ellen G. White. And surely other denominations recognize other individuals as authentic modern prophets. But none of them would regard ...
user50422
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According to Catholicism, how should Christians "seek" and "find" God?
Many Christians encourage people to "seek" God. Similarly, many Christians claim that God can be "found". I'm also well aware of the existence of many passages in the Bible that ...
user50422
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According to Protestantism, how should Christians "seek" and "find" God?
Many Christians encourage people to "seek" God. Similarly, many Christians claim that God can be "found". I'm also well aware of the existence of many passages in the Bible that ...
user50422
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How do Christians who subscribe to the "religion vs. relationship" dichotomy make sure that their own relationship with God is genuine?
Many Christians emphasize the importance of having an actual relationship with God/Jesus as opposed to merely being religious. The previously asked question What is the origin of the "religion vs....
user50422
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What is an overview of how Christians discern genuine cases of demonic influence from mundane mental health problems?
This question is a nuanced version of my recently asked question How do Christians discern genuine spiritual experiences from hallucinations?, this time aiming to address the 'dark side'.
A very ...
user50422
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How do Christians discern genuine spiritual experiences from hallucinations or other mundane psychological phenomena?
When believers appeal to their private spiritual experiences to argue for their faith, skeptics typically respond by dismissing their stories entirely, conjecturing that these are more likely cases of ...
user50422