The Application of the Body of Christ #7
God’s Glorious “Measuring Cup”! I Corinthians 12
Remember: The purpose of the spiritual gifts for edification is “otherly”. They are not given for our sense of usefulness, the advancement of our esteem in the body of Christ, nor the increase of a sense of God’s favor upon us. In other words, they are not about us, they are about others! This is why Paul told the Philippians that, “nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in LOWLINESS OF MIND LET EACH (AND EVERY ONE OF US!!!) ESTEEM OTHERS BETTER THAN HIMSELF. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4) This is the “like mindedness” that is to define the thinking of the body of Christ in this world. Never mind that it doesn’t appear to be so in what we call the visible church, we don’t fudge on the Biblically mandated ideal to make it suit our fleshly weaknesses! We turn then to a strikingly similar passage to that of Ephesians 4:
Introductory observations: I Corinthians 12 is between chapter 11 and 13!!! Notice that Paul sandwiches his dealing with the Corinthian misunderstanding of gifts between the remembrance ordinance of the body and blood on Christ (remembering God’s answer to all human and earthly issues!) and the supremacy of God’s Eternal Love in the hearts of His People as the real solution to their “gift issues”. 12:31–The more excellent way. #5236 huperbolay–A throwing beyond others, super-eminence, pre-eminently above. Nothing even approaches this WAY. Remember the “worthy walk” of Eph. 4:1? This is it! This is no mere hyperbole!
But notice, that Paul starts with the Corinthian’s where they were!!! He didn’t immediately start with, “you people, you just don’t get it” and then launch into chapter 13! Remember the “longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” of the “worthy walk”? Paul is modeling that here for us! No, in showing the error of their thinking, he is graciously preparing them for the “more excellent way!
I Corinthians 12 We are familiar with the aberrant nature and behavior of the Corinthian church. Instead of leaving those things that were behind, they brought them along with them into the church and sought to make place for them in the fellowship with the saints. I’m sad to say, this mirrors so called “evangelical christianity today.
Please note: I am using the metaphor of a “measuring cup” to illustrate the Holy Spirit’s gifting ministry out of the utmost respect for, understanding of, and humble worship for His absolute equality with the Father and the Son. We will see as we proceed that even the text speaks clearly to His Deity, Unique in His Role, Absolutely equal in Essence with Father and Son.
I. Vs 1-11 The Primacy of the Holy Spirit in any expression of or definition of “ministry”.
A. Vs 1-3 The Corinthian clamor was about ”spiritual gifts”. Their discussion, as most today, focus oh the gift and which is greatest, do I have one, and how can I get one. This is flesh, beloved! The flesh starts with US! Paul is headed to the crucial answer to this fleshiness in chapter 13. We call it the love chapter, which is correct in the shell of it, but it is actually a description of the “like mindedness” of Philippians 2:2-4. Most discussions of chapter 13 deal with our individual need for this love. The context, however, is the “body need”.
1. Vs 1-2 But Paul’s wise practice is to start where his hearers are, but with no intention of leaving them there! First of all, notice that “gifts” does not actually occur in the original text! It is in italics. “Gifts” (#5486-charisma-literally a divine gratuity/gift) does not occur until Vs 4. This is in keeping with his “argument”. The text is actually, “now concerning spirituals”. Paul reminds them of who they were. They were followers of deaf and dumb sticks and stones, led around by the nose by the father of idolatry.
2. Vs 3 But here is the Glorious contrast!! The dumb idols of Vs 2 are laid in contrast with the Holy Spirit Who speaks. He not only speaks, but in a real sense, He only speaks one word! Jesus, Jesus is Lord!!! He is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17, 15:26) and He will guide us into all Truth (John 16:13) and that Truth is Jesus!! (John 14:6)
I believe the meaning here is far more than the mere “mouthing” of the literal word Jesus, but all that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ does in His Operation in the people of Christ speaks of JESUS as their Lord and King, loud and clear. Any one who curses Jesus does not speak by the Holy Spirit and worse still, He is showing that He does not have the Spirit of Christ, and according to Romans 8:9, he is not one of God’s. On the other hand, no one can acknowledge Christ Jesus as Lord, by word and behavior, apart from the working of the Holy Spirit in them. This is not “lip service” to the Lord, this is heart devotion to Him as Lord. (Recall Isaiah 29:13!!)
3. And this is rightly so, for the Holy Spirit Himself is the Greatest Gift given to His people.(See John 14:15-18+24+26-28+15:26+16:5-15+Acts 1:4-8, The Promise of the Father–Ezek. 36:24-27) Romans 8 makes it plain that everything that characterizes the people of God is because of the Presence of the Holy Spirit of God in and through them–the Spirituals! Only the Presence of the “speaking Spirit” sets His people apart from dumb/mute idol worshipers! He is the One and Only Truth we can speak and manifest.
B. Vs 4-11 The Holy Spirit’s gratuities!!
1. Vs 4-6 Focus on Paul’s true emphasis. It’s not the “gifts”!!!
Vs 4 “the same Spirit”. Vs 5 “the same Lord”, Vs 6 “the same God”. The only sensible conclusion is that the Holy Spirit is God!!!
Notice Vs 6b, “but it is the same God Who works all in all.” Now look down at Vs 11a. “But One and the Same Spirit works all these things.” I rest my case!!!
2. Vs 7 is crucial to our discussion of the “spirituals”. Each and every gift is the “manifestation of the Spirit”. The gift never leaves the Person and Presence of the Holy Spirit. It is actually the Display of His Glorious Person as THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST!!!
Now note that this Manifestation is given to each one FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL!!!!!!!!!! The Gifting of the Spirit, the Manifestation of the Spirit is never given to any member of His people to magnify them!! His Gifts in His people magnify our Lord Jesus Christ for the building up of all the body of Christ into His Image!
3. Vs 8-11 Notice: “Through the Spirit”, “through the same Spirit”, “by the same Spirit”, “by the same Spirit, “but one and the same Spirit”. Paul’s point is that it is the Holy Spirit Who works all these things, and most importantly, “to each one individually AS HE WILLS!! The Will of the Spirit of Christ is sovereign in the giving and exercising of His Gifts in the body of Christ!!!
If the “gifting” is really of the Holy Spirit, Christ the Truth will be manifested through our mortal bodies and our “cracked pots”, our earthen vessels will be seen only in lowly, humble worship of our Redeemer. If it is the “gift” that draws a crowd and remains the "draw", it is flesh, it is counterfeit, it is anti-Christ!!!
Next time: I Corinthians 12:12-31 “So also is Christ”.
God’s Glorious “Measuring Cup”! I Corinthians 12
Remember: The purpose of the spiritual gifts for edification is “otherly”. They are not given for our sense of usefulness, the advancement of our esteem in the body of Christ, nor the increase of a sense of God’s favor upon us. In other words, they are not about us, they are about others! This is why Paul told the Philippians that, “nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in LOWLINESS OF MIND LET EACH (AND EVERY ONE OF US!!!) ESTEEM OTHERS BETTER THAN HIMSELF. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4) This is the “like mindedness” that is to define the thinking of the body of Christ in this world. Never mind that it doesn’t appear to be so in what we call the visible church, we don’t fudge on the Biblically mandated ideal to make it suit our fleshly weaknesses! We turn then to a strikingly similar passage to that of Ephesians 4:
Introductory observations: I Corinthians 12 is between chapter 11 and 13!!! Notice that Paul sandwiches his dealing with the Corinthian misunderstanding of gifts between the remembrance ordinance of the body and blood on Christ (remembering God’s answer to all human and earthly issues!) and the supremacy of God’s Eternal Love in the hearts of His People as the real solution to their “gift issues”. 12:31–The more excellent way. #5236 huperbolay–A throwing beyond others, super-eminence, pre-eminently above. Nothing even approaches this WAY. Remember the “worthy walk” of Eph. 4:1? This is it! This is no mere hyperbole!
But notice, that Paul starts with the Corinthian’s where they were!!! He didn’t immediately start with, “you people, you just don’t get it” and then launch into chapter 13! Remember the “longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” of the “worthy walk”? Paul is modeling that here for us! No, in showing the error of their thinking, he is graciously preparing them for the “more excellent way!
I Corinthians 12 We are familiar with the aberrant nature and behavior of the Corinthian church. Instead of leaving those things that were behind, they brought them along with them into the church and sought to make place for them in the fellowship with the saints. I’m sad to say, this mirrors so called “evangelical christianity today.
Please note: I am using the metaphor of a “measuring cup” to illustrate the Holy Spirit’s gifting ministry out of the utmost respect for, understanding of, and humble worship for His absolute equality with the Father and the Son. We will see as we proceed that even the text speaks clearly to His Deity, Unique in His Role, Absolutely equal in Essence with Father and Son.
I. Vs 1-11 The Primacy of the Holy Spirit in any expression of or definition of “ministry”.
A. Vs 1-3 The Corinthian clamor was about ”spiritual gifts”. Their discussion, as most today, focus oh the gift and which is greatest, do I have one, and how can I get one. This is flesh, beloved! The flesh starts with US! Paul is headed to the crucial answer to this fleshiness in chapter 13. We call it the love chapter, which is correct in the shell of it, but it is actually a description of the “like mindedness” of Philippians 2:2-4. Most discussions of chapter 13 deal with our individual need for this love. The context, however, is the “body need”.
1. Vs 1-2 But Paul’s wise practice is to start where his hearers are, but with no intention of leaving them there! First of all, notice that “gifts” does not actually occur in the original text! It is in italics. “Gifts” (#5486-charisma-literally a divine gratuity/gift) does not occur until Vs 4. This is in keeping with his “argument”. The text is actually, “now concerning spirituals”. Paul reminds them of who they were. They were followers of deaf and dumb sticks and stones, led around by the nose by the father of idolatry.
2. Vs 3 But here is the Glorious contrast!! The dumb idols of Vs 2 are laid in contrast with the Holy Spirit Who speaks. He not only speaks, but in a real sense, He only speaks one word! Jesus, Jesus is Lord!!! He is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17, 15:26) and He will guide us into all Truth (John 16:13) and that Truth is Jesus!! (John 14:6)
I believe the meaning here is far more than the mere “mouthing” of the literal word Jesus, but all that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ does in His Operation in the people of Christ speaks of JESUS as their Lord and King, loud and clear. Any one who curses Jesus does not speak by the Holy Spirit and worse still, He is showing that He does not have the Spirit of Christ, and according to Romans 8:9, he is not one of God’s. On the other hand, no one can acknowledge Christ Jesus as Lord, by word and behavior, apart from the working of the Holy Spirit in them. This is not “lip service” to the Lord, this is heart devotion to Him as Lord. (Recall Isaiah 29:13!!)
3. And this is rightly so, for the Holy Spirit Himself is the Greatest Gift given to His people.(See John 14:15-18+24+26-28+15:26+16:5-15+Acts 1:4-8, The Promise of the Father–Ezek. 36:24-27) Romans 8 makes it plain that everything that characterizes the people of God is because of the Presence of the Holy Spirit of God in and through them–the Spirituals! Only the Presence of the “speaking Spirit” sets His people apart from dumb/mute idol worshipers! He is the One and Only Truth we can speak and manifest.
B. Vs 4-11 The Holy Spirit’s gratuities!!
1. Vs 4-6 Focus on Paul’s true emphasis. It’s not the “gifts”!!!
Vs 4 “the same Spirit”. Vs 5 “the same Lord”, Vs 6 “the same God”. The only sensible conclusion is that the Holy Spirit is God!!!
Notice Vs 6b, “but it is the same God Who works all in all.” Now look down at Vs 11a. “But One and the Same Spirit works all these things.” I rest my case!!!
2. Vs 7 is crucial to our discussion of the “spirituals”. Each and every gift is the “manifestation of the Spirit”. The gift never leaves the Person and Presence of the Holy Spirit. It is actually the Display of His Glorious Person as THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST!!!
Now note that this Manifestation is given to each one FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL!!!!!!!!!! The Gifting of the Spirit, the Manifestation of the Spirit is never given to any member of His people to magnify them!! His Gifts in His people magnify our Lord Jesus Christ for the building up of all the body of Christ into His Image!
3. Vs 8-11 Notice: “Through the Spirit”, “through the same Spirit”, “by the same Spirit”, “by the same Spirit, “but one and the same Spirit”. Paul’s point is that it is the Holy Spirit Who works all these things, and most importantly, “to each one individually AS HE WILLS!! The Will of the Spirit of Christ is sovereign in the giving and exercising of His Gifts in the body of Christ!!!
If the “gifting” is really of the Holy Spirit, Christ the Truth will be manifested through our mortal bodies and our “cracked pots”, our earthen vessels will be seen only in lowly, humble worship of our Redeemer. If it is the “gift” that draws a crowd and remains the "draw", it is flesh, it is counterfeit, it is anti-Christ!!!
Next time: I Corinthians 12:12-31 “So also is Christ”.