August
2nd 1
Corinthians 12
(Spiritual and Immature Persons) Christian Maturity
1:
Now concerning spiritual (gifts), brethren, I would not have you
ignorant. 2: Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these
dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3: Wherefore I give you to
understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus
accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the
Holy Ghost. 4: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same
Spirit. 5: And there are differences of administrations, but the same
Lord. 6: And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same
God which worketh all in all. 7: But the manifestation of the Spirit
is given to every man to profit withal. 8: For to one is given by the
Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the
same Spirit; 9: To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the
gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10: To another the working of
miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to
another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of
tongues: 11: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as he will.
Paul
goes on in his letter to the Corinthians to talk about spirituality.
He says concerning spiritual – brethren – l don’t want you to
be lacking in knowledge. (The word gift is not in the original text)
in the past you were Gentiles sold out to dumb idols, you were taught
to worship them. But now that you are saved l want you to know that
no man can call Jesus accursed if he is speaking by the Spirit of God
and no man can say Jesus is Lord unless God the Holy Spirit is in
him. There are different gifts given to believers but it is the same
Spirit of God that rules over all. And there are different ministries
but we all have the same Lord. There are different operations of God
working in our lives but we all worship the same God who is doing all
the work in every believer. However all though it is the same God the
Spirit of God manifests himself in every believer so that he might be
profitable to everyone else. To one believer is given by the Spirit a
word from God of wisdom. To another is given by the Spirit of God
supernatural knowledge. To another believer the Spirit gives
supernatural faith. And yet another has various forms of healing from
God. Another might have the ability to do miracles in the
supernatural power of God. Yet again there is Prophesy, Discernment
of spirits. To another different kinds of languages and to yet
another the supernatural ability to interpret those languages. Each
of these gifts come from the same Spirit to every believer and he
distributes them as he sees fit. It is not for us to seek these gifts
but to be thankful with what he gives. (Paul was speaking during the
apostolic age when the apostolic gifts were still in operation. There
are no NT books written after the apostolic age. However after the
apostolic age, when the apostles were still alive, these apostolic
gifts ceased to be manifested to Israel as signs from their God. The
Apostolic age closed with the detruction of Jerusalem and the murder
of 1,100,000 Jews and the scattering of the rest.)
- What does it mean to be spiritual?
- What are the Spiritual gifts that Paul describes here?
- What is the context of these Spritual gifts?
No comments:
Post a Comment