1 COR. 12:1-11: “Gifts And
Manifestations Of The Holy Spirit”
By
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our last study we looked
at the admonitions that Paul gave to
the church concerning the Lord’s Supper
1.1.1. Paul told the Corinthians
that they were to correct some of their behavior when they came together for
the celebration of the Lord’s Supper
1.1.2. Paul also told them some of
the consequences that had occurred among them because of not regarding the
Lord’s Supper in the proper way
1.1.3. Paul gave the Corinthians
some exhortations concerning the preparation of heart that Christians need to
make before partaking of the Lord’s Supper
1.2.
In our study today we are going to look at the beginning of Paul’s
exhortations to the church in
1.2.1. We know that there were so
many problems with the church in
1.2.2. In our study today we are
going to concentrate primarily on the manifestation gifts which Paul defines
for the church
1.2.3. In the church today, there
tend to be two extremes amongst churches.
There are those who believe that the gifts of the Spirit are not for
today, and they don’t want to have anything to do with them, then there are
those who believe that the gifts are for today however in those groups any
so-called spiritual gift that someone might display is accepted as being
legitimate by the church, and there is no attempt to regulate or discriminate
what is legitimate and profitable in the church. In fact, in those groups there is often a
condescending look cast upon anyone who would try to legitimately examine the
legitimacy of any spiritual gift or experience because those in that camp
believe that you might be quenching the Spirit to do so, or that you are not
supposed to question a man of God, one of “God’s anointed”. However, we in the
1.2.4. I am always amazed that
those Bible expositors and church leaders who believe that the gifts of the
Spirit are not for today base their belief on their perception that the gifts
are not operating among God’s people today (in disregard of a huge mountain of
several hundreds of years of credible evidence by credible believers and church
leaders) and their interpretation of 1 Cor. 13:12, “12 For now we see in a
mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know
fully just as I also have been fully known.”
1.2.4.1.Those in this camp believe
that the “perfect” that this verse says is to come is the printing of Bibles,
so then the Bible is supposed to supplant the need for gifts of the
Spirit. However, the perfect that is to
come has to be a reference to ‘heaven’.
In heaven only there will be no need for spiritual gifts, and in heaven
only will we ‘fully’ know the things of God (as Paul mentions in this verse).
1.2.4.2.There are some that believe
that today the Holy Spirit sort of works through our lives similarly as in
Paul’s day, and many or all of the gifts of the Spirit are gone. However, there is no place in scripture that
mentions that the gifts of the Spirit are eventually going to ‘sort of’ work
the same way as they did in the early church.
It’s too bad that weak and defeated Christians, Bible expositors, and
church leaders judge the truth of God’s word concerning gifts of the Spirit
based upon their own personal experience of them.
1.2.5. We in our lives as
Christians desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit as well as the
giftings of the Holy Spirit in order for us to be mightily and effectively used
by God to win this world for Christ and make disciples of all nations. To believe otherwise is to place expectations
upon the capabilities of our flesh that are unrealistic, for Jesus said, “Apart
from Me you can do nothing!” (John 15:5)
2.
VS 12:1 - “1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be
unaware.” - Paul tells the Corinthians that he desires to
impart some discernment to them concerning spiritual gifts
2.1.
It appears that the Corinthians had asked Paul in their letter to him
many questions concerning spiritual gifts.
They probably asked him questions like:
2.1.1. What is a spiritual gift?
2.1.2. Who has spiritual gifts?
2.1.3. How are spiritual gifts to
be used?
2.2.
Paul had heard stories concerning the Corinthians from Chloe’s people
and others. The Corinthians had perverted
so much of what the church was to be about, including God’s plan concerning how
spiritual gifts were to be used within the church. In chapters 12-14 of this book, Paul attempts
to teach the Corinthians much concerning spiritual gifts, including important
guidelines and principles regarding how they should be exercized.
2.3.
Paul says in this verse, ‘Now concerning spiritualities’. The word, ‘gifts’ is in parenthesis in the
verse because it was added in order to give the sense in which the word ‘spiritualities’
was being used. The context of this
chapter, as well as the next couple of chapters, do show however that Paul is
now intending to teach them concerning spiritual ‘gifts’.
2.4.
Paul tells the Corinthians in this verse that he does not want them to
be ‘unaware’, however the word can also be translated ‘agnostic’. The word means to be ignorant and without
knowledge.
2.5.
We in the church must always strive to have ‘discernment’ from the Holy
Spirit to determine whether or not a supposed manifestation of the Holy Spirit
is really from God or not. We cannot
accept all things that are done in the name of Christ as being truly inspired
by Him, and yet on the other hand we must not disallow the use of spiritual
gifts when they are being exercised within the confines defined by the
scriptures.
2.5.1. In 1 Thess. 5:19-22, Paul
gave a sound exhortation concerning how the church must walk that fine line of
not quenching the Holy Spirit nor disallowing spiritual gifts, such as
prophetic utterances, however at the same time judging and examining all
supposed expressions of the Holy Spirit for their validity,“19 Do not
quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is
good; 22 abstain
from every form of evil”.
2.6.
We Christians must realize that if we are to be effective in our
witness to the lost and ministry to Christians, we must learn to walk in the
power of the Holy Spirit and develop the spiritual gift(s) that God has given
us. In the flesh, we cannot have much
influence for Him in this world.
2.6.1. To try to be used
effectively in people’s lives in ministry without the filling and giftings of
the Holy Spirit would be like trying to take a ride in a hot air balloon that
didn’t have a heater for the air!
2.6.1.1.You’ll go somewhere all
right, but it won’t be very exciting and it won’t be as advertised…
2.7.
Some elevate spiritual gifts too high in
importance. Spiritual gifts can be
compared to the scaffolding that is used when building a beautiful building. In order to build a building workers must
place scaffolding all around the building, and this scaffolding allows the
workers to safely get to where the work is to be done and to be able to
effective do the work. However, the end
product that has value is not the scaffolding but the building. People do not drive by a building and admire
it’s scaffolding, they admire the end result which is the building itself. The scaffolding will go away one day when the
building is finished being built, and that building will last and last. Spiritual gifts are necessary for all aspects
of the effective work of ministry for Christians, however when we get to heaven
we will admire the lives of people transformed and built up by God, not the
gifts used in the process.
3.
VS 12:2 - “2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols,
however you were led.” - Paul reminds the Corinthians about their
former ignorance in spiritual matters when they were idolaters
3.1.
The pagan religions had deeply affected the church in
3.1.1. Thus, we see the need for
Paul writing to the church in
3.2.
Paul tells the church that before being saved, when they were pagans,
‘they were led astray’. They were led
astray to ‘dumb idols’. Idols do not
have the ability to talk, therefore they are dumb.
3.2.1. Many of the Corinthians were
still led astray in many areas of their life.
The ones being led astray thought that they were leading their own life
and doing just what they wanted to do, however the evil spirits of this world
were influencing their lives in ways they didn’t realize.
3.2.2. Evil spirits control the
minds and hearts of those who do not know Christ, and therefore they are
actually enslaved by them and led by them into various sins.
3.2.3. Non-Christians must realize
that they are not free apart from Christ.
They are dead in their tresspasses and sins and they are being led as
captives by wicked spirits. They could
not stop sinning if they desired it, for they are enslaved to their lusts. They need the freedom which only Christ
brings.
4.
VS 12:3 - “3 Therefore I make known to you, that
no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and
no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.” - Paul
creates for the Corinthians a point of discernment: one who is speaking by the Holy Spirit cannot
say that Jesus is condemned in hell, nor can one say that Jesus is Lord except
by the Holy Spirit
4.1.
Evidently, some in the church were being caught up in a trance like
state, similar to that which they participated in when they were in their pagan
religions, and in that state they would speak in unknown and broken tongues,
and some had even blasphemed Jesus in those times.
4.1.1. This kind of thing still
happens today. A pastor friend of mine
in
4.1.2. The church in
4.2.
In this verse, Paul gives the Corinthians two most basic guidelines for
using their spiritual gifts:
4.2.1. Paul tells the Corinthians that
when the Holy Spirit comes upon someone, they cannot say that, ‘Jesus is
accursed’ (anathema), meaning sent to hell.
4.2.1.1.If a person should blasphemy
Jesus, it is not the Holy Spirit who is doing this. God would not blasphemy Himself, and God
exists in three persons: Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
4.2.2. Paul tells them that a
person also cannot make a sincere confession that Jesus is the sovereign
‘Lord’, or ‘sovereign master’ over the universe and their own life, except that
the Holy Spirit has come upon them.
5.
VS 12:4-6 - “4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but
the same Spirit. 5
And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 And there
are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.”
- In these verses Paul differentiates
three different functions in the use of gifts:
the gifts themselves, ministries using those gifts, effects (or
manifestations) the Spirit produces
5.1.
Gifts:
5.1.1. There are varieties of ‘gifts’. Gifts that are often demonstrated in our life
have been called ‘motivational gifts’ since they tend to mesh with a
Christian’s personality, affecting to a degree all areas of his life.
5.1.2. The Greek word used for
‘gift’ here is ‘charisma’, and it has as a root ‘charis’ which is translated
‘grace’. These spiritual gifts come from
the Lord to us undeserving sinners in the body of Christ. We don’t deserve them nor earn them, they are
given to us by the Holy Spirit as He desires.
5.1.3. Peter wrote in 1 Peter
4:10 that each Christian has received at least one spiritual gift of some
type, and we are to be good stewards in our use of our gift(s), “10 As
each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
5.1.4. Paul will differentiate
later between the different gifts and manifestations of the spirit, however he
says that all of these gifts have come to believers from the same Spirit, the
Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.
5.2.
Ministries:
5.2.1. There are varieties of ‘ministries’ that can be performed by
Christians using the particular gift(s) they have received from the Holy
Spirit.
5.2.2. Paul says that there may be
varieties of ministries, but the ministries are all to be performed to the same
Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
5.2.3. Paul will differentiate
later between different ministries thatat might be undertaken in the church.
5.3.
Effects (or ‘manifestations’):
5.3.1. There are varieties of ‘effects’ (or ‘manifestations’) that are
produced by the Holy Spirit.
5.3.2. These ‘manifestations’ of
the Holy Spirit can be totally unrelated to our motivational gift that we have
received, and in some cases their use might be diametrically opposed to the way
in which the Lord most often uses our lives.
5.3.3. Any and all of these
‘manifestations’ of the Holy Spirit can and do occur in the lives of believers
as they just simply allow the Lord to work through their lives.
5.3.3.1.In other words these gifts
often come about in the most natural of ways, and sometimes we aren’t even
conscious that the Lord is using us in this way.
5.3.4. It is He, the third person
of the Trinity, who ‘works all things in all persons’.
5.3.5. Paul will differentiate
later between the different ‘manifestations’ that the Spirit might produce in
the life of a Christian.
5.4.
We Christians all have a gift, or gifts, we all should in time have a
ministry, and, from time to time we will all experience various
‘manifestations’ which the Holy Spirit works through our life.
5.5.
We Christians should be careful not to over-define the spiritual
gifts. This should be evident in that
each of the three listings of spiritual gifts found in the New Testament (1
Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4; Romans12) differ in the gifts that are
listed.
5.6.
I also do not believe that we necessarily need to take spiritual gift
tests to determine which gift(s) we have, though I don’t think that this is
necessarily wrong either. However, we
ought to ask the Lord to reveal to us what our gifts are, and also to show us
in what ways He wants to use us.
5.7.
Also, you may have one predominate spiritual gift active in your life
for a period of time, and then the Lord may change how He uses you at a later
date. Many also have a conglomeration of
gifts working within their lives.
6.
VS 12:7 - “7 But to each one is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
- Paul tells us that each manifestation
of the Spirit is given for the ‘common good’
6.1.
Paul tells the Corinthians in this verse that the Holy Spirit and His
gifts and manifestations were given to each Christian for the ‘common good’ of
the local body of Christ, as well as the church universal.
6.1.1. By in large, from Paul’s
exhortations in chapters 12-14 of this book it appears that the Corinthians
were using their spiritual gifts for personal and selfish reasons, putting
their own personal benefits and desires above those of the body of Christ as a
whole.
6.1.2. We saw already that with the
party spirit of the people of the church in Corinth that they were very
self-centered, as unbelievers tend to be, and they were very much taken up with
a ‘me me me’ mind set. However, the
gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to believers not to promote their own
selfishness or self-centeredness but rather so that they can build up and edify
their brothers and sisters in Christ.
With the exception of the gift of tongues, every other spiritual gift is
given to a person so that they can minister to someone else.
6.2.
If our spiritual gift is not being used for the ‘common good’ of the
body of Christ, then we need to evaluate whether or not it really is God that
is working through our life. The Holy
Spirit produces gifts for the building up and edification of the body of
Christ, as well as for reaching non-believers, however we should always live in
unity with the body of Christ, and allow God to use us for the ‘common good’ of
the body.
6.3.
Paul is now going to begin to differentiate between the various
‘manifestation’ gifts of the Holy Spirit.
I have done exhaustive studies on most of these ‘manifestation’ gifts of
the Holy Spirit, and so in this study I am going to gloss over each one of
them. My in depth studies on the Gifts
of The Holy Spirit can be read online at:
http://www.calvarychapel.com/greenbay/gifts/gifts.htm. Before the events of Sept. 11th
(the bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon), at our Tuesday night
midweek study every other week we were doing the in depth study on spiritual
gifts, however after that day several unchurched people began attending our
group and so as a result I temporarily suspended the Gifts study to teach
through the book of Isaiah. However, at
some point we will pick up where we left off with that study series.
7.
VS 12:8 - “8 For to one is given the word of
wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to
the same Spirit;” - Paul tells us that one person might through
the same Spirit receive a gift of ‘wisdom’ and another a ‘word of wisdom’
7.1.
The ‘word of knowledge’ and the ‘word of wisdom’ are two gifts of the
Spirit that are very similar in nature (along with the gift of prophesy), and
in many situations it is difficult for us as Christians to know which spiritual
gift has been exercised in our’s or someone else’s life. Both of these gifts involve supernaturally
receiving insight into truth regarding God’s word that we could not have
attained through natural means.
7.2.
Word of Wisdom
7.2.1. The ‘word of wisdom’ is a
sudden supernatural understanding of “how to properly apply knowledge”,
not just the mere apprehension of knowledge itself. Wisdom is the “proper application of
knowledge”.
7.2.2. Knowledge in and of itself
can be very dangerous, and therefore we Christians desperately need wisdom from
God in order to know how to best understand and handle various situations that
come up in our lives.
7.2.3. Many times a Christian will
give someone bad counsel, however that counsel would be good in another
situation, it just does not meet the situation that the person presently find
themselves in. The gift of wisdom gives
the proper counsel for the situation at hand.
7.2.4. Solomon in the Old Testament
was a man who often had the gift of wisdom exhibited in his life.
7.2.4.1.He wrote the book of
Proverbs which is full of wisdom, and he was a man who just always seemed to
overflow with wisdom.
7.2.4.2.In 1 Kings chapter 3 there
is an incident that occurred between two women.
One woman woke up and her child who had been sleeping in her arms was
dead, however she claimed that after she looked at the child that it was
actually another women’s child, and then she saw the other woman’s child and
realized it was her own. The other woman
disputed her claim. With incredible
wisdom Solomon ordered that the child be cut in two and half of the child given
to the one woman and the other to the other woman. One of the women then asked to not hurt the
child but to give him to the other woman, but the other woman said that it was
a good idea to split the child so that neither of them would have the
child. Then, because of his wisdom
Solomon ordered that the child be given to the woman who was going to give up
the child to the other woman, for she was the child’s mother.
7.2.5. We see this gift working
often in the life of Jesus in the New Testament.
7.2.5.1.Jesus was always escaping
the traps that the Pharisees and Scribes tried to lay for Him and in the
process He would reveal the incredible supernatural wisdom which He
possessed. For instance, Luke
20:22-25 tells us of one such incident, “22 “Is it lawful for us to
pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 23 But He detected their trickery and said to
them, 24 “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” And
they said, “Caesar’s.” 25 And He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.””
7.3.
Word of Knowledge
7.3.1. The way this ‘manifestation’
gift works is that the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives you understanding of
the true nature of a situation that you could not have attained by any other
means. ‘Knowledge’ is the ‘accumulation
of facts’, and at times as the Holy Spirit is using us He will give us an insight
into something so that He can use us in a powerful way in someone’s life with
this knowledge.
7.3.2. We see this gift often
working in the life of Elisha the prophet in the Old Testament.
7.3.2.1.For instance, in 2 Kings
5:25-27, we read about how Elisha had this word of knowledge come to him
and he knew exactly what his servant Gehazi had been doing and the very
thoughts that had been going through his mind, “25 But he went in and
stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”
And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26 Then he said to him, “Did not my
heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a
time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and
sheep and oxen and male and female servants? 27 “Therefore, the leprosy of
Naaman shall cleave to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out
from his presence a leper as white as snow.”
7.3.3. We see this gift working
often in the life of Jesus in the New Testament.
7.3.3.1.For instance, in John
1:47-49, we read of Jesus seeing Nathanael coming to him and of the word of
knowledge that He had about Nathanael and how God used that to bring Nathanael
to come and to follow Jesus, “47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and
*said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” 48 Nathanael
*said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before
Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael
answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of
7.4.
Paul writes that these gifts are not the result of latent personality
traits, but they are given by the one and the same Holy Spirit.
8.
VS 12:9 - “9 to another faith by the same Spirit,
and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,”
- Paul tells us that one person might
through the same Spirit receive a gift of ‘faith’ and another a gift of
‘healing’
8.1.
Faith
8.1.1. Occasionally Christians will
receive a supernatural over abundance of ‘faith’ in order to meet a special
situation that the Lord wants to use them in.
In these times they might for instance receive a supernatural ability to
pray for a ‘healing’ for someone and because of their faith believing that God
will heal the person, their prayers are answered in a dramatic way.
8.1.2. Jesus often required a
person to have faith before He would heal them, and He also taught in Matt. 11:24 that if we ask for anything in prayer believing we will
receive it, our request will be granted, “24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask,
believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.”””
8.1.2.1.We cannot of course expect
God to answer a prayer that we pray which is contrary to His will (1 John
5:14), and it is really most important that when we pray as well as minister to
people that we are allowing the Lord to lead us and work through us.
8.1.3. As
I look throughout church history there is no one whom I could say must have
more demonstrated this gift of faith working through his life than George
Muller. George Muller was born in 1805
in
8.2.
Healing
8.2.1. Supernatural gifts of
healing have occurred with God’s people since the days of the patriarchs.
8.2.1.1.In Gen. 20:17, we read that Abraham prayed for Abimilech’s
wives and the Lord healed their wombs.
8.2.1.2.Even in the Law of Moses
provision was made for what to do if the Lord healed a leper.
8.2.1.3.Elisha was used by God in
the raising from the dead the son of
the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4, and in the healing of Naaman the Syrian
Captain of his leprosy in 2 Kings 5.
8.2.2. Jesus
performed healing continually throughout His ministry, He sent out His
disciples upon their internship missions and gave them power to heal any and
all people of their sicknesses and to cast demons out of them, and in the book
of Acts we see that the Lord performed many healings in the early church.
8.2.2.1.Peter (Acts 5, 9), Paul
(Acts 19, 28), and Philip (Acts 8) are mentioned specifically in the book of Acts
as being used by God in the healing of multitudes of people.
8.2.2.2.In
James 5:13-15 we are exhorted that when
we are sick we are to seek out the elders to pray for our healing, “13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders
of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is
sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will
be forgiven him.”
8.3.
Paul again adds that these gifts are not the result of latent
personality traits, but they are given by the one and the same Holy Spirit.
9.
VS 12:10 - “10 and to another the effecting of
miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of
spirits, to another various kinds of
tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.” - Paul tells
us that one person might through the same Spirit receive a gift of ‘effecting
of miracles’, to another ‘prophesy’, to another ‘distinguishing of spirits’, to
another ‘various kinds of tongues’, and to another ‘the interpretation of
tongues’
9.1.
Effecting of miracles
9.1.1. The gift of ‘effecting of
miracles’ is a gift that is not seen much in the church today.
9.1.2. There were Old Testament
prophets who prayed and God worked in a miraculous way to produce various
effects.
9.1.2.1.Some prayed that they would
be able to miraculously win a battle, some prayed and the sun didn’t go down so
that they might win a battle, some prayed and people were provided food and
substance supernaturally, etc.
9.1.2.2.Moses comes to mind as the
one most singly used for the effecting of miracles. The Lord used him in the effecting of each of
the plagues upon
9.1.3. Jesus turned water into wine
at the wedding of Cana for His first miracle, He told Peter to go and catch a
fish and that in the fishes’ mouth there would be a stater coin which would be
of enough value to pay their tribute tax, He calmed the wind and the waves when
the disciples were perishing in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, He fed 4,000 on
one occasion and 5,000 on another occasion, each time having only a few fish
and some bread to work with.
9.1.4. In the book of Acts we see
some gifts of miracles occurring.
9.1.4.1.Paul on the island of Paphos
in Acts 13 was sharing the gospel with the
proconsul, Sergius Paulus, and before this man believed the gospel and was
saved a man named Elymas was trying to hinder him from believing the gospel,
and Paul finally pronounced a kind of spell upon Elymas and he was blinded for
a time and had to be led away.
9.1.4.2.So many were being healed by Paul in Acts 19 that
people were always stealing his handkerchiefs and aprons and taking these with
them, and people were healed from these and evil spirits were cast out of the
possessed.
9.2.
Prophesy
9.2.1. The ‘gift of prophecy’ has
two effects.
9.2.1.1.There are some to whom the Holy
Spirit gives the ability to ‘foretell the future’, as for instance
happened constantly with the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament,
however this use of the gift is rare since the days of the early church.
9.2.1.2.The other use of this gift
is to ‘forthtell or reveal the will of God from His word’, which is a
gift that is often employed in all times and eras of the church.
9.2.2. In the book of Acts we see
the gift of prophesy being exercised.
9.2.2.1.Agabus prophesied in Acts 11
that a famine would occur in
9.2.2.2.In the church in Caesarea we read in Acts 21 that Philip the evangelist
(who had been one of the original deacons in the church in
9.2.3. In 1 Cor. 14:3, we
see how the gift of prophesy works, “3 But one who prophesies speaks to
men for edification and exhortation and consolation.”
9.2.3.1.Of paramount importance in
the church, pastors and teachers must be gifted to open up the word of God for
the edification and building up of the body of Christ.
9.3.
Distinguishing of spirits
9.3.1. This is a gift of
discernment given by the Lord to believers so that they can by supernatural
means understand what is behind the things that people are doing. This gift is given at times so that God’s
people will be able to supernaturally realize that one who is in sheep’s
clothing is actually a wolf among God’s people, waiting to devour some
sheep. Conversely, at other times this
gift enables one to recognize those who are sincere in heart.
9.3.2. In 1 John 4:1 we read
the exhortation to test the spirits to determine if someone is truly sent from
God or not, “1 Beloved, 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.” We can test the
spirits of people by:
9.3.2.1.Measuring the things that
they say and preach verses the word of God.
9.3.2.2.Examining the fruit of their
ministry, for Jesus said in Matt. 7:19 that, “by their fruits you shall know
them.”
9.3.3. The Old Testament prophets,
major and minor, had this gift operating often within them, and thus they were
able to rebuke, exhort, and warn the nations in the ways in which they did.
9.3.4. In the book of Acts we see
this gift in operation.
9.3.4.1.In Acts 5 we read that God gave
Peter supernatural discernment concerning Ananias and Sapphira that they were
lying and being hypocritical when they claimed that they had sold their
property and were bringing the total amount of the sale and dedicating it to
the church.
9.3.4.2.In Acts 16 we read that Paul
and his company were being followed by a slave girl who had been used for
divination and as they went she was calling out, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming
to you the way of salvation.” However,
God gave Paul discernment that this girl was demon-possessed and hindering
their preaching the gospel, and then Paul was used to cast the demon out of the
girl, ending her career in divination.
9.4.
Various kinds of tongues
9.4.1. This spiritual gift is that
of praising and praying to God in a language unknown to yourself, which Paul
discusses in depth in chapter 14. He
says there that the person who prays in an unknown language ‘edifies’ himself,
and this means that the primary good derived as a result of the use of this gift
is for the one who is speaking.
9.4.2. The gift of tongues is
primarily directed toward “praising” the Lord through the unknown tongue. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 14:2 that the person
who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God.
9.4.2.1.It seems to also be used
when addressing God and you don’t know what to pray for.
9.4.2.2.It has been documented that
just as happened in the second chapter of the book of Acts, sometimes these
unknown tongues are actual languages that exist on earth. Paul writes in chapter 13 of this book of his
speaking in the tongues of men and of angels, so some of the unknown languages
that people may speak in are understood only in heaven.
9.4.3. In Acts 2, on the Day of
Pentecost when a loud and mighty rushing wind came and the Holy Spirit fell on
the church, the believers began praising the Lord in unknown tongues, however
when all of the Jews who had come to Jerusalem to worship ran to see what was
happening, they each one heard the church praising and exalting the Lord for
His great deeds, in their own native tongues.
The church was not preaching to the people but praising the Lord, and
God gave them for tongues the languages of each of the nations present in
9.5.
Interpretation of tongues
9.5.1. The gift of ‘interpretation
of tongues’ is a supernatural ability to interpret the manifestation of the
Holy Spirit in an unknown tongue.
9.5.2. We will see in chapter 14 of
this book that the church can be edified at times if someone can interpret an
unknown tongue for everyone.
10.
VS 12:11 - “11 But one and the same Spirit works
all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” - Paul tells
us that the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the way in which He distributes the
gifts and works among men and women
10.1. In this verse, Paul tells
the Corinthians of the “sovereignty” of the Holy Spirit in distributing and
working through spiritual gifts. He is
in charge, not men nor their cleverness, for He is the agent dispensing the
gifts.
10.2. Spiritual gifts are not
talents given to people from birth, nor those acquired through their own
self-help or self-effort. Rather, Paul
tells the Corinthians that no one can take any credit for his gifting, for the
Holy Spirit and He alone is responsible for any gifting of a Christian for
ministry.
10.3. We Christians must realize
that the Holy Spirit is sovereign, and we must not try to manipulate God when
we pray but rather seek His perfect will for us. He will give us the gifts that He wants us to
have at any point in time, for He has a plan for our lives.
10.4. It is our
responsibility to simply be obedient to
Him, and available for Him to use us, and then He will work in us the things
that He wants to work in us! It is His
responsibility to give us gifts and to use us for His kingdom and glory. He doesn’t need ability, He’ll give us that,
He just wants availability.