1cor12

With this chapter we begin a new discussion. The discussion here is about the workings of the Holy Spirit in relation to the body of Believers. The discussion given here in chapter 12 is not an exhaustive list of Spiritual gifts. More on Spiritual gifts can be found in Romans 12; Ephesians 4; and 1 Peter 4:10-11. As we get into this chapter we will find that the baptism of the Holy Spirit forms or unites the believers to Christ. Each believer is given a gift or gifts and given free will to use these gifts. You do not choose the gift you want it is given to you, as the Spirit desires. All gifts are equal--no one gift is better than the other. They are all different and can all be manifested in one person or only one or two can be manifested, but all come from the Holy Spirit directed by Christ and given power by God. With this introduction let us now begin with verses one and two.

Spiritual gifts should build up and edify the body of believers but in the situation with the church at Corinth we find that it is causing a split or division amongst the people. The Corinthian Believers were using the gifts as symbols of power. Some were saying that they were better than another and more powerful in Christ. The Corinthian Believers were abusing the gifts. The gifts are to lift up and edify the body of Believers causing it to grow. Instead the gifts were causing great division and strife. We must always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and be sure we use our gift to build up not tear down. Verse three has Paul presenting a test for us to determine if a person is a false teacher or if they truly confess Christ as Lord. Any one can say they speak for God but not every one is truly of God. Paul says we should ask them if Jesus is their Lord! It is only by the Holy Spirit that a person will confess that Jesus is Lord.

Paul says there are many gifts but all the gifts come from the same Spirit. There are also many different ministers or churches but only one Christ. There are many different operations within a ministry but only one God! These four verses, 4 to 7, tell us that God works all things through us and even though there is diversity there is only one source. The Spirit through Believers filled with the gift or gifts manifests these gifts. The manifestation of the gifts is for the glorification of the church, the entire body of Christ not just individuals. The gifts are not for personal enrichment or for boasting! They are for the enrichment of all believers! I do not believe we are to make attempts to separate these three verses into distinct classes but join them together as one. Paul is giving us a description of God's church, which should be in union with one another. The church should not be plagued with schisms for all things within should operate as a whole with one common bond. There is only one Father, one Jesus, and one Holy Spirit and it is upon these three that we center our life and depend upon for all things.

The next verses, eight to 10 again tell us that all the gifts come from the same Spirit. Paul gives a list of nine gifts: The word of wisdom is the power of communicating Spiritual things to others through revelation. The word of knowledge is the communicating of general knowledge or truth and comes from our understanding through teaching. Neither is greater than the other and both build up the body of Christ. Faith is the next gift spoken of and this faith is different than ordinary faith in God or Christ. This is the ability to have a total trust or dependence in God for all things. It is an extraordinary type of faith. The gifts of healings are the marvelous authority to bring on healing for sickness, disease, etc., through the working of the Holy Spirit. The use of a plural, gifts, suggests that there are different gifts for different types of diseases. The workings of miracles are different than healings. These are the workings of greater miraculous things, such as the raising of the dead, restoration of eyesight, and causing the lame to walk. Prophecy is not just the telling of future events or things. It is also the deliverance of God's Word with power and understanding. It is the telling of the Gospel of Christ with authority and anointing. The discernment of spirits is the ability to distinguish or determine if a person or persons are truly speaking of God or if they speak from another spirit. It is the ability to determine evil from good. Various kinds of tongues is the ability to speak in a language unknown to the speaker and others. It is a spiritual language unknown to man, uttered in praise, worship, and prayer to God. The interpretation of tongues is the gift of making known those words, which are unknown.

Verse 11 concludes for now this description of gifts by again saying that no matter what gift or gifts a person has each one comes from only one source--the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is the giver and the creator of the gifts. And only the Holy Spirit can distribute the gifts. The Holy Spirit delivers the gifts not on demand from us but as He sees fit to distribute. Paul uses an analogy in verse 12 using the human body and Christ's body. He explains that in the human body each part has a specific use necessary to the total functioning of the whole body. Christ is the head of the spiritual body, which is the church. All believers, just like the individual parts of the human body, are united to one head! And since they are all united to one head should be united to one another. They must all work together as one although there are individually many. Continuing in 13 Paul says the church is made up of many types of people coming from many different backgrounds--cultural-social-religious--and they bring with them a variety of gifts and talents. Because of this great diversity in the church it is easy for division to sneak in. Division is what was taking place at Corinth and division is also taking place across this land today. It doesn't matter though what happens with diversity as long as division does not come from it. We should instead grow from the diversity and let each one enhance the other because we should all have one common goal, which is Jesus Christ! This common bond is what the body of believers needs to build upon. Paul says all believers are baptized into one Spirit and into one body. This uniting by baptism does not remove our individuality it simply gives us a common bond that should remove differences caused by culture, etc. When we become a believer the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. “We are all given to drink one spirit,” is the Holy Spirit that we all receive and it fills our inner being directing us towards our common bond--Christ! Father, keep me always in line with Your Word and help me to always strive to remove barriers so as to not allow division and strife to prosper in the Body!

Now, as verse 14 illustrates, when we think of a body we just normally think of flesh and bones, the whole physical body: hands, feet, arms, legs, head, eyes, ears, muscles, organs, etc. All these various and many parts of the body normally form a whole in our eyes and mind. One needs the other to function properly and efficiently. And this is exactly how the body of Christ is with its many gifts and diversities: many parts--one WHOLE! Paul in verses 15 and 16 compares a foot with a hand and with an eye and ear--the foot carries the weight of the body--while the hand is often free from any labor--the eye sees but cannot hear--while the ear hears but cannot see. In this analogy one might feel less important or envious even of the other--one does all the work and feels envious of the one that doesn't do as much etc. yet both are equally important to the body as a whole. And it is the same with the body of Christ--one prophesies, one preaches, one teaches, etc. all are needed to make the body of Christ a whole! Verses 17 to 20 tell us that God knew exactly what He was doing. He created a perfect fit with every integral part of our bodies and He also created a perfect fit for every integral part of the Church. If every part were alike we wouldn't be individuals and there would be no diversity or flavor. All the parts must work together as one body--a whole--not one thinking the other is better or stronger or weaker--all must come together as ONE!

Can you imagine what it would be like if one part of your body said to another part, “I'm not as important as you so I quit!” What if one part of your body said it was better than the rest of the body? Paul says in verses 21 to 23 that no one part of the body can say to the other, I do not need you or boast in its self for all parts are necessary and work together to make the whole! Even the weakest part of the body is as important as the strongest! If we give more honors to those we find to be less important then they will become more honorable. If we treat the littlest of the body with the same importance and respect as the most important of the body the lesser will soon feel as important as any other part of the body. Verses 24 to 26 say that all the members have been specially blended together by God to form one body that functions together as a whole without conflict giving all members honor and bestowing honor more so on those that lack so they will become useful and feel a part of the whole! Each individual part of your physical body is made to feel important by the other parts working together and this is the way God designed it and it should be the same within the church--each individual gift, talent, and ministry working together as a whole!

Now, in verse 27, we are the body of Christ each one of us as believers individually make up the whole body of Christ as one! Each doing our part to enhance and prosper the kingdom of God! We find next in verse 28 that Paul references verses 4 to 6 of this chapter. He gives a definition to the offices of the church.

·       Apostles--the chief ministers of the Word, which are appointed by God to found churches, ministries, etc.
·       Prophets--those that reveal God's inspiration or direction for others.
·       Teachers--those who labor in the Gospel as pastors, ministers, evangelists, instructors, those who taught the truths already known.
·       Workers of miracles--these are those with gifts of healing, the power through Christ to heal disease.
·       Helps--gifts of assistance in all aspects of the body.
·       Governments or guiding--those who help to direct and keep order in the church and take care of finances and legal matters. This has been and could be also tied to the above office of helps!
·       Tongues--one that could speak many types of tongues.

Verses 29 to 31 reiterates that God has distributed His Spiritual gifts among many different people. Each person is necessary to the whole of the body. The edification of the Body of Christ is complete only when all parts work together. Paul deems it more important to desire after something greater, Love, which he will deal with more extensively in the next chapter.

Father, keep me humble and pure before You! Father never let me become boastful or haughty about the gifts You have so freely and lovingly given to me and the rest of the body in Jesus name Amen!

Where Jesus is Lord!
Living Vine Ministries
Pastor Thomas Miles

For instructions on being Born Again click on banner at top of page.
Thank you for reading.

Tom's Menu
Home Page