First Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 12
Having concluded his extensive teaching on the Lord’s Supper Paul continues on to address the subject of spiritual gifts. “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 12:1). Paul doesn’t want the church at Corinth to remain in ignorance in regards to spiritual gifts for he sees a possibility that they might be quickly led astray thru false teachings in this area. A misunderstanding of spiritual gifts can slowly destroy and undermine the truth of God’s law and gospel and Paul wants to avoid this at all costs.
“You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:2-3). In the past the Corinthians were known to be influenced by false and empty teachings, and therefore Paul wants to state once and for all the work of the One Spirit of God: proclaiming and confessing Jesus Christ. That is it. The Holy Spirit was sent by God in order to testify about Jesus Christ: “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26). Therefore it is only thru the Spirit’s work that any man can say, “Jesus is Lord,” and no one in the Spirit can proclaim anything other than this truth. We also need to realize that “cursing” Jesus and proclaiming Him as Lord is not simply done with these particular words of Paul; to curse Jesus means far more than just saying “Jesus be cursed,” and to proclaim Jesus as Lord means far more than just saying “Jesus is Lord.” We must remember what Christ Himself said: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). We can say “Lord, Lord” to Jesus and even say “Jesus is Lord” and still be truly cursing Christ. Therefore we must look deeper than the window-dressing of a few clever words; it is a confession of faith that is lived out in discipleship that Paul is speaking of here. Luther spoke in regards to this “cursing” of Jesus and how it is far more than just one simple expression: “this [cursing] is done also when any one among the Christians praises the Holy Ghost, and yet does not preach Christ correctly as the Foundation of our salvation, but neglects this and rejects it in favor of something else, with the pretext that it is derived from the Holy Ghost and is much better and more necessary than the common doctrine of the gospel.” To curse Jesus means that we preach false doctrines and a confession of faith that is against the truth of the Scriptures. The people of Israel cursed God even despite their honoring of Him with their lips: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Therefore saying “Jesus is Lord” means that we proclaim the full council of God’s Law and Gospel while faithfully adhering to the Scripture’s testimony, making a sound and pure confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This confession of faith extends into our hearts, lives, deeds, and actions. We can give all the lip service in the world to “Jesus” but that means nothing if we are destroying the truth of God’s Word in the depths of our hearts and in our everyday lives. In the same way that the greatest mischief in the world is always done in God’s name, so also the greatest cursing of Jesus is always done in His own name. The greatest heresies and the greatest destructions of the gospel have always been carried out in the name of “Jesus,” and the very nature of the antichrist is to proclaim “Lord, Lord” while stabbing Christ in the back. We must not naively think Judas is the only one who has betrayed Christ with a kiss of “friendship” and “loyalty.” “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).
After showing us the central purpose of the Spirit (to testify about Jesus Christ) and His primary gift of a confession of faith, Paul continues on to address how the Spirit bestows different gifts to different individuals. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). Though we have different gifts they are all from the same Spirit with the same goal: to proclaim Christ. Just because we have different gifts does not mean we have a “better” or “second” spirit; there is One Spirit and He is the same in all believers, bestowing upon them different gifts for the purposes of proclaiming Christ. It is also imperative to note that every gift of the Spirit is given for the common good of the people of God, not for individual pleasure, glory, or honor: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). So often in the church there are pockets of groups that seek out “manifestations of the spirit” for their own pleasure and entertainment and to supposedly validate and enhance their spiritual experiences, thinking there are multiple levels or manifestations that we must experience. This is a very false perversion of spiritual gifts and in fact has nothing to do with the true Spirit whose purpose is always to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
Paul continues on to address and list some individual gifts of the Spirit (let us keep in mind that the purpose of each one of these gifts is to testify about and proclaim Jesus Christ): “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom” (1 Corinthians 12:8). The message of wisdom is the gift of seeing the “foolishness” of the cross; it is the true wisdom of God that makes the wisdom of this world null and void. This wisdom of God clearly proclaims and confesses the message of the cross, not with eloquent words and human wisdom, but with the power of God. This gift includes the ability to apply this “theology of the cross” in a practical manner to individual cases and real life situations, making the right judgments on the basis of God’s wisdom in Jesus Christ crucified. “To another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:8). The message of knowledge is the gift of a thorough knowledge of the truths of the Scriptures, the balance between law and gospel, and all the mysteries associated with God’s Word, being able to clearly expound their connection in a clear and convincing way. This gift of knowledge knows not what we have done, but what God has done and commanded. Therefore this knowledge is not an accumulation of trivia, but an active reliance on being known by God that leads to obedience and discipleship to Jesus Christ. “To another faith by the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:9). The spiritual gift of faith is not the justifying faith with which every believer clings to Jesus Christ for all forgiveness, life, and salvation, but it is an additional strong and unwavering confidence in God’s purposes, plans, and will, and His ability to work thru extraordinary deeds and accomplishments that seem unworkable and unattainable to men. It is the faith that has no doubt in God’s ability to move mountains in this life and thru God’s grace of Jesus Christ sees the impossible become possible. “To another gifts of healing by that one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:9). The gifts of healing includes the miraculous ability to cure sickness without medicine (thru the power of God) and the ability to diagnose and aide others thru the natural means of medicine and physical therapy and touch. These gifts of healing also include the ability to give spiritual aide and healing, empathizing and sympathizing with those who are emotionally and spiritually hurting, being able to apply God’s Word as a healing salve in the time of need. In short, the gifts of healing are given to help those who are hurting, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, pointing them to great physician Jesus Christ. “To another miraculous powers” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The gift of miraculous powers includes all the abilities to perform supernatural events such as raising the dead, punishing the wicked by some extraordinary manifestations of God’s wrath (as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas, etc.), casting out demons, or anything else that is not an “everyday” natural event. “To another prophecy” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The spiritual gift of prophecy is the ability to declare God’s will and to apply His Word in teaching and admonishing. This gift of prophecy allows one to correctly interpret and explain the Scriptures, to overthrow the false doctrines and lies of men, and to warn and assure men thru the declarations of God’s Word. It is prophesying that allows believers to carry out Peter’s command: “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11). Thru prophecy God turns a powerless sinner into a vessel and instrument of proclaiming His Word and truth to the world. “To another distinguishing between spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The spiritual gift of distinguishing between spirits is the ability to identify those who are true teachers and prophets and those who are false teachers and prophets. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). The ability to distinguish between those who speak in the One Spirit and those who speak from other spirits is very important for identifying heresy and ensuring the survival of the Church’s doctrine. This gift also includes the ability to distinguish between the true manifestations of the Spirit and the false demon-made and man-made manifestations of other spirits (i.e. distinguishing between the gifts and abilities of the Spirit that point to Jesus Christ and the false ones that point to anything else). “To another speaking in different kinds of tongues and to still another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The gift of speaking in “tongues” is simply the gift of speaking in languages; a tongue is nothing more than a language. Therefore the gift of speaking in tongues is the spiritual ability to speak in a language one has never studied, the ability to quickly learn to speak a language, or even the ability to be eloquent and find the right words when in a pressing and spontaneous situation. “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:11-12). Because speaking a language or tongue always has the goal of communication there is also the complementary gift of interpreting tongues; that is, the ability to understand a language one has never learned, the ability to pick up a language very quickly and with little learning, or even the uncanny ability to understand what people are really saying, interpreting their intent thru otherwise muddled words.
Having given us a long list of gifts Paul continues on to remind us the source of these special abilities: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11). Because all these gifts are from the Spirit of God and are given at His choosing their one goal and focus must always be this: testifying about Jesus Christ. Therefore if any gift is used apart from the testimony of Jesus Christ then we know it is a false spirit and not the one true Spirit of God. Let us therefore pray that we look to use the gifts, abilities, and talents the Spirit has given us for their one purpose of making Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of our sins known to the world. Our confession and acknowledgement of God coming to us as a man in Jesus Christ is always the primary goal and work of the Spirit. “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:2-3).
Having covered some specific gifts of the Spirit, Paul continues on to teach us how all these gifts work together for the common good thru the use of a powerful and important analogy: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). The Church of God is the Body of Christ; we who are many are joined together in Jesus Christ to be one body with one function and goal. Paul goes on to remind us how we were joined into this Body: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Thru our baptism we are joined into the Body of Christ. This is the one (one!) baptism (the washing of water thru the Word) of the Christian faith, the one which Christ instituted in the Great Commission and the one Paul spoke of to the church at Ephesus: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). There is one Spirit, one baptism, one Lord, one Body, and one faith, and all believers share in these for the sake of Jesus Christ. It is very false and dangerous to think there is more than one baptism. All those who have been baptized according to Christ’s command and institution share in the one Spirit and all the benefits and gifts thereof, no believer is lacking any “baptism” apart from this one baptism. Our baptism does not depend on who we are/were (Jew, Greek, slave, free, young, old, wise, foolish, etc.) or what we do or bring to it, it depends on God’s Word and promise. Christ’s words (as always!) are the source of baptism’s grace and thru them we can see how baptism enters us into the one Body. In His command to baptize Christ tells us how we baptize: “baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). It is important to note the word “in” or “into” (the translation of the word eis in Greek) and how thru our baptism we are joined into the whole Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore we enter into the Body of Christ in, by, and thru the Holy Spirit’s work in baptism. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6). This washing of rebirth, renewal, and regeneration is our assurance that we are a member of the Body of Christ and share in the one Spirit which He has given to us all.
Having established how we enter into the Body of Christ, Paul continues on to discuss the logistics and inner workings of this Body: “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:14-20). As members of the Body of Christ we are all very unique parts that have specific talents, abilities, and gifts to contribute to the overall good of the Body. Even though we may be different than the rest of the Body we must not think we do not belong, it is in fact the uniqueness of the individual parts that allows for the Body to be a versatile and adaptable unit capable of carrying out the Lord’s work. If we were all the same and had identical talents and gifts the Body would be very limited Therefore each one of our fellow believers is a critical member and ligament of the Body of Christ who needs our constant support and love, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16). It is our duty for each of us to carry out our work in our specific sphere of influence that we have been given from the Lord. When we do this the Body of Christ is able to uphold and support one another.
A real danger presents itself to the Body of Christ when the ugly head of pride rears up. Thru this pride people in the Body of Christ will begin to think they are above, better, more important, or more useful than their fellow man. This occurs when one esteems and thinks one role, job, or part is more important than another. Paul addresses this: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (1 Corinthians 12:21-25). Here Paul uses some strong words such as “need” and “indispensable” in reference to the parts of the Body of Christ. Does he really mean that we need every other part of the Body of Christ? Is every part truly essential? Looking at our own body we can see this truth displayed very clearly. Can the thumb do anything for itself? Can the thumb scratch itself? Try it; you will see the thumb is helpless to help itself, while it is very capable of scratching and helping every other part of the body when it works together with wrist, arm, elbow, shoulder, etc. Every member of the body is incapable of helping itself, but each member is very capable of helping every other part of the body when they work together. So it is with us in the Body of Christ. We cannot help ourselves, we need the other members to do that for us, but at the same time the other members require and need our help because they also cannot help themselves. Therefore by being members of the Body of Christ we cannot become “self-reliant” or “independent”; it is imperative to see that in fact we need our fellow man. Individualism, in the sense of trying to “make it on my own,” is very dangerous for the Christian and the Body as a whole; we must learn to uphold those around us (because they need us) and also to rely on what Christ does thru them on our behalf. We cannot bestow the love and Word of Christ upon ourselves, we need our fellow man to bring it to us in Christ’s stead. Therefore, as Paul says, those parts which seem weaker are in fact indispensable for they afford us the opportunity for service and bearing as we support them thru the love of Christ. The true health of the Body is always illustrated most plainly thru how it treats and takes care of those which seem the weakest and lowliest. We are a body and we need each other; whatever happens to one of us happens to all of us. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Because of our unity in Christ we cannot ignore certain parts of the body. We must uphold the “weaker” parts so that thru their suffering, falling, or erring they will not bring us all down. If we neglect a part of our own body that has been wounded then it will become diseased, a real danger to the entire body. If a cut occurs on our arm and we ignore it then it may become infected and eventually get gangrene, spreading its germs and disease to the rest of the body. So it is with the Body of Christ. Therefore we must pay special attention to every part of our body with gentle watchfulness, care, and concern, being strong enough to administer tough love when a certain part needs a good scrubbing or the painful cleansing of hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes it is only thru pain and suffering that the overall health of the body can be upheld.
Paul continues on to reiterate once again that we are the Body of Christ and each of us is a member: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). He hammers this home because it is very important for us to realize. We must not think we are isolated or on an island by ourselves; we are part of the fellowship and community of the saints thru our baptism and the continued partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Having firmly established this fact Paul returns to his point about diversity of talents, gifts, abilities, and calling: “And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:28-30). Paul wants us to be sure that we realize that there are many gifts and callings so that thru this diversity the Body of Christ may effectively minister and perform outreach to the world. Each calling has a specific purpose that is needed by the rest of the Body of Christ and therefore we need to embrace this, not trying to do or have it all, but allowing others to perform the roles God has called them to thru His Word.
In conclusion and in order to keep us from obsessing about these gifts and callings Paul continues on to peek our curiosity about what is truly and deeply important: “But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). What does Paul mean here by “greater gifts”? Is he referring to any of the specific spiritual gifts he has already addressed? No. All the gifts of the Spirit that Paul has talked about are great blessings, but they are not the epitome and zenith of our discipleship, they are merely tools to aide in the spread of the gospel. The greater gifts Paul refers to are those which all believers have in Jesus Christ, those which should be our complete focus and goal as disciples and followers of Him. With this Paul whets our appetite for what he has to teach us next, the truly greatest gifts that the Spirit bestows upon us. Therefore let us pray that we do not make idols of spiritual gifts, becoming obsessed with having “power” and “ability.” As Lord Acton said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”; if we think of spiritual gifts as “powers” or “abilities” to be used for our own interests, desires, or pleasure then we will have completely missed the true gifts of the Spirit and will be wallowing in self-endowed false spirits. It is only thru service and humility, following the example of Jesus Christ, that the true Spirit exists and works in our lives. “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men” (Ephesians 6:7).
“You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:2-3). In the past the Corinthians were known to be influenced by false and empty teachings, and therefore Paul wants to state once and for all the work of the One Spirit of God: proclaiming and confessing Jesus Christ. That is it. The Holy Spirit was sent by God in order to testify about Jesus Christ: “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26). Therefore it is only thru the Spirit’s work that any man can say, “Jesus is Lord,” and no one in the Spirit can proclaim anything other than this truth. We also need to realize that “cursing” Jesus and proclaiming Him as Lord is not simply done with these particular words of Paul; to curse Jesus means far more than just saying “Jesus be cursed,” and to proclaim Jesus as Lord means far more than just saying “Jesus is Lord.” We must remember what Christ Himself said: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). We can say “Lord, Lord” to Jesus and even say “Jesus is Lord” and still be truly cursing Christ. Therefore we must look deeper than the window-dressing of a few clever words; it is a confession of faith that is lived out in discipleship that Paul is speaking of here. Luther spoke in regards to this “cursing” of Jesus and how it is far more than just one simple expression: “this [cursing] is done also when any one among the Christians praises the Holy Ghost, and yet does not preach Christ correctly as the Foundation of our salvation, but neglects this and rejects it in favor of something else, with the pretext that it is derived from the Holy Ghost and is much better and more necessary than the common doctrine of the gospel.” To curse Jesus means that we preach false doctrines and a confession of faith that is against the truth of the Scriptures. The people of Israel cursed God even despite their honoring of Him with their lips: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Therefore saying “Jesus is Lord” means that we proclaim the full council of God’s Law and Gospel while faithfully adhering to the Scripture’s testimony, making a sound and pure confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This confession of faith extends into our hearts, lives, deeds, and actions. We can give all the lip service in the world to “Jesus” but that means nothing if we are destroying the truth of God’s Word in the depths of our hearts and in our everyday lives. In the same way that the greatest mischief in the world is always done in God’s name, so also the greatest cursing of Jesus is always done in His own name. The greatest heresies and the greatest destructions of the gospel have always been carried out in the name of “Jesus,” and the very nature of the antichrist is to proclaim “Lord, Lord” while stabbing Christ in the back. We must not naively think Judas is the only one who has betrayed Christ with a kiss of “friendship” and “loyalty.” “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).
After showing us the central purpose of the Spirit (to testify about Jesus Christ) and His primary gift of a confession of faith, Paul continues on to address how the Spirit bestows different gifts to different individuals. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). Though we have different gifts they are all from the same Spirit with the same goal: to proclaim Christ. Just because we have different gifts does not mean we have a “better” or “second” spirit; there is One Spirit and He is the same in all believers, bestowing upon them different gifts for the purposes of proclaiming Christ. It is also imperative to note that every gift of the Spirit is given for the common good of the people of God, not for individual pleasure, glory, or honor: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). So often in the church there are pockets of groups that seek out “manifestations of the spirit” for their own pleasure and entertainment and to supposedly validate and enhance their spiritual experiences, thinking there are multiple levels or manifestations that we must experience. This is a very false perversion of spiritual gifts and in fact has nothing to do with the true Spirit whose purpose is always to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
Paul continues on to address and list some individual gifts of the Spirit (let us keep in mind that the purpose of each one of these gifts is to testify about and proclaim Jesus Christ): “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom” (1 Corinthians 12:8). The message of wisdom is the gift of seeing the “foolishness” of the cross; it is the true wisdom of God that makes the wisdom of this world null and void. This wisdom of God clearly proclaims and confesses the message of the cross, not with eloquent words and human wisdom, but with the power of God. This gift includes the ability to apply this “theology of the cross” in a practical manner to individual cases and real life situations, making the right judgments on the basis of God’s wisdom in Jesus Christ crucified. “To another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:8). The message of knowledge is the gift of a thorough knowledge of the truths of the Scriptures, the balance between law and gospel, and all the mysteries associated with God’s Word, being able to clearly expound their connection in a clear and convincing way. This gift of knowledge knows not what we have done, but what God has done and commanded. Therefore this knowledge is not an accumulation of trivia, but an active reliance on being known by God that leads to obedience and discipleship to Jesus Christ. “To another faith by the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:9). The spiritual gift of faith is not the justifying faith with which every believer clings to Jesus Christ for all forgiveness, life, and salvation, but it is an additional strong and unwavering confidence in God’s purposes, plans, and will, and His ability to work thru extraordinary deeds and accomplishments that seem unworkable and unattainable to men. It is the faith that has no doubt in God’s ability to move mountains in this life and thru God’s grace of Jesus Christ sees the impossible become possible. “To another gifts of healing by that one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:9). The gifts of healing includes the miraculous ability to cure sickness without medicine (thru the power of God) and the ability to diagnose and aide others thru the natural means of medicine and physical therapy and touch. These gifts of healing also include the ability to give spiritual aide and healing, empathizing and sympathizing with those who are emotionally and spiritually hurting, being able to apply God’s Word as a healing salve in the time of need. In short, the gifts of healing are given to help those who are hurting, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, pointing them to great physician Jesus Christ. “To another miraculous powers” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The gift of miraculous powers includes all the abilities to perform supernatural events such as raising the dead, punishing the wicked by some extraordinary manifestations of God’s wrath (as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas, etc.), casting out demons, or anything else that is not an “everyday” natural event. “To another prophecy” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The spiritual gift of prophecy is the ability to declare God’s will and to apply His Word in teaching and admonishing. This gift of prophecy allows one to correctly interpret and explain the Scriptures, to overthrow the false doctrines and lies of men, and to warn and assure men thru the declarations of God’s Word. It is prophesying that allows believers to carry out Peter’s command: “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:11). Thru prophecy God turns a powerless sinner into a vessel and instrument of proclaiming His Word and truth to the world. “To another distinguishing between spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The spiritual gift of distinguishing between spirits is the ability to identify those who are true teachers and prophets and those who are false teachers and prophets. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). The ability to distinguish between those who speak in the One Spirit and those who speak from other spirits is very important for identifying heresy and ensuring the survival of the Church’s doctrine. This gift also includes the ability to distinguish between the true manifestations of the Spirit and the false demon-made and man-made manifestations of other spirits (i.e. distinguishing between the gifts and abilities of the Spirit that point to Jesus Christ and the false ones that point to anything else). “To another speaking in different kinds of tongues and to still another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:10). The gift of speaking in “tongues” is simply the gift of speaking in languages; a tongue is nothing more than a language. Therefore the gift of speaking in tongues is the spiritual ability to speak in a language one has never studied, the ability to quickly learn to speak a language, or even the ability to be eloquent and find the right words when in a pressing and spontaneous situation. “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:11-12). Because speaking a language or tongue always has the goal of communication there is also the complementary gift of interpreting tongues; that is, the ability to understand a language one has never learned, the ability to pick up a language very quickly and with little learning, or even the uncanny ability to understand what people are really saying, interpreting their intent thru otherwise muddled words.
Having given us a long list of gifts Paul continues on to remind us the source of these special abilities: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11). Because all these gifts are from the Spirit of God and are given at His choosing their one goal and focus must always be this: testifying about Jesus Christ. Therefore if any gift is used apart from the testimony of Jesus Christ then we know it is a false spirit and not the one true Spirit of God. Let us therefore pray that we look to use the gifts, abilities, and talents the Spirit has given us for their one purpose of making Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of our sins known to the world. Our confession and acknowledgement of God coming to us as a man in Jesus Christ is always the primary goal and work of the Spirit. “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:2-3).
Having covered some specific gifts of the Spirit, Paul continues on to teach us how all these gifts work together for the common good thru the use of a powerful and important analogy: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). The Church of God is the Body of Christ; we who are many are joined together in Jesus Christ to be one body with one function and goal. Paul goes on to remind us how we were joined into this Body: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Thru our baptism we are joined into the Body of Christ. This is the one (one!) baptism (the washing of water thru the Word) of the Christian faith, the one which Christ instituted in the Great Commission and the one Paul spoke of to the church at Ephesus: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). There is one Spirit, one baptism, one Lord, one Body, and one faith, and all believers share in these for the sake of Jesus Christ. It is very false and dangerous to think there is more than one baptism. All those who have been baptized according to Christ’s command and institution share in the one Spirit and all the benefits and gifts thereof, no believer is lacking any “baptism” apart from this one baptism. Our baptism does not depend on who we are/were (Jew, Greek, slave, free, young, old, wise, foolish, etc.) or what we do or bring to it, it depends on God’s Word and promise. Christ’s words (as always!) are the source of baptism’s grace and thru them we can see how baptism enters us into the one Body. In His command to baptize Christ tells us how we baptize: “baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). It is important to note the word “in” or “into” (the translation of the word eis in Greek) and how thru our baptism we are joined into the whole Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore we enter into the Body of Christ in, by, and thru the Holy Spirit’s work in baptism. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6). This washing of rebirth, renewal, and regeneration is our assurance that we are a member of the Body of Christ and share in the one Spirit which He has given to us all.
Having established how we enter into the Body of Christ, Paul continues on to discuss the logistics and inner workings of this Body: “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:14-20). As members of the Body of Christ we are all very unique parts that have specific talents, abilities, and gifts to contribute to the overall good of the Body. Even though we may be different than the rest of the Body we must not think we do not belong, it is in fact the uniqueness of the individual parts that allows for the Body to be a versatile and adaptable unit capable of carrying out the Lord’s work. If we were all the same and had identical talents and gifts the Body would be very limited Therefore each one of our fellow believers is a critical member and ligament of the Body of Christ who needs our constant support and love, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16). It is our duty for each of us to carry out our work in our specific sphere of influence that we have been given from the Lord. When we do this the Body of Christ is able to uphold and support one another.
A real danger presents itself to the Body of Christ when the ugly head of pride rears up. Thru this pride people in the Body of Christ will begin to think they are above, better, more important, or more useful than their fellow man. This occurs when one esteems and thinks one role, job, or part is more important than another. Paul addresses this: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (1 Corinthians 12:21-25). Here Paul uses some strong words such as “need” and “indispensable” in reference to the parts of the Body of Christ. Does he really mean that we need every other part of the Body of Christ? Is every part truly essential? Looking at our own body we can see this truth displayed very clearly. Can the thumb do anything for itself? Can the thumb scratch itself? Try it; you will see the thumb is helpless to help itself, while it is very capable of scratching and helping every other part of the body when it works together with wrist, arm, elbow, shoulder, etc. Every member of the body is incapable of helping itself, but each member is very capable of helping every other part of the body when they work together. So it is with us in the Body of Christ. We cannot help ourselves, we need the other members to do that for us, but at the same time the other members require and need our help because they also cannot help themselves. Therefore by being members of the Body of Christ we cannot become “self-reliant” or “independent”; it is imperative to see that in fact we need our fellow man. Individualism, in the sense of trying to “make it on my own,” is very dangerous for the Christian and the Body as a whole; we must learn to uphold those around us (because they need us) and also to rely on what Christ does thru them on our behalf. We cannot bestow the love and Word of Christ upon ourselves, we need our fellow man to bring it to us in Christ’s stead. Therefore, as Paul says, those parts which seem weaker are in fact indispensable for they afford us the opportunity for service and bearing as we support them thru the love of Christ. The true health of the Body is always illustrated most plainly thru how it treats and takes care of those which seem the weakest and lowliest. We are a body and we need each other; whatever happens to one of us happens to all of us. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Because of our unity in Christ we cannot ignore certain parts of the body. We must uphold the “weaker” parts so that thru their suffering, falling, or erring they will not bring us all down. If we neglect a part of our own body that has been wounded then it will become diseased, a real danger to the entire body. If a cut occurs on our arm and we ignore it then it may become infected and eventually get gangrene, spreading its germs and disease to the rest of the body. So it is with the Body of Christ. Therefore we must pay special attention to every part of our body with gentle watchfulness, care, and concern, being strong enough to administer tough love when a certain part needs a good scrubbing or the painful cleansing of hydrogen peroxide. Sometimes it is only thru pain and suffering that the overall health of the body can be upheld.
Paul continues on to reiterate once again that we are the Body of Christ and each of us is a member: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). He hammers this home because it is very important for us to realize. We must not think we are isolated or on an island by ourselves; we are part of the fellowship and community of the saints thru our baptism and the continued partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Having firmly established this fact Paul returns to his point about diversity of talents, gifts, abilities, and calling: “And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Corinthians 12:28-30). Paul wants us to be sure that we realize that there are many gifts and callings so that thru this diversity the Body of Christ may effectively minister and perform outreach to the world. Each calling has a specific purpose that is needed by the rest of the Body of Christ and therefore we need to embrace this, not trying to do or have it all, but allowing others to perform the roles God has called them to thru His Word.
In conclusion and in order to keep us from obsessing about these gifts and callings Paul continues on to peek our curiosity about what is truly and deeply important: “But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). What does Paul mean here by “greater gifts”? Is he referring to any of the specific spiritual gifts he has already addressed? No. All the gifts of the Spirit that Paul has talked about are great blessings, but they are not the epitome and zenith of our discipleship, they are merely tools to aide in the spread of the gospel. The greater gifts Paul refers to are those which all believers have in Jesus Christ, those which should be our complete focus and goal as disciples and followers of Him. With this Paul whets our appetite for what he has to teach us next, the truly greatest gifts that the Spirit bestows upon us. Therefore let us pray that we do not make idols of spiritual gifts, becoming obsessed with having “power” and “ability.” As Lord Acton said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”; if we think of spiritual gifts as “powers” or “abilities” to be used for our own interests, desires, or pleasure then we will have completely missed the true gifts of the Spirit and will be wallowing in self-endowed false spirits. It is only thru service and humility, following the example of Jesus Christ, that the true Spirit exists and works in our lives. “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men” (Ephesians 6:7).
No comments:
Post a Comment