Saturday, October 22, 2016

1 Corinthians 12- Spiritual Gifts

Corinthians
Above image from:
https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/first-corinthians

Key verse is verse 25: This makes for HARMONY among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

In chapters 12 & 14, you might think that Paul has changed the subject from the divisions within the Corinthian church, but he has not. He's showing that they are using "spiritual gifts" to create differences - with some boasting their gift is better and more important than someone else's and some boasting they have more than one or even all of them - trying to outdo each other and many probably "faking it"! Notice that in between the two chapters on "spiritual gifts" is chapter 13 - the love chapter!

Chapter 12 is about "miraculous spiritual gifts". If you do an internet search on this chapter and this subject, you'll find two primary schools of thought - those that practice these "gifts" today (Charismatics) and those who say these gifts gradually died out over time because they are no longer needed. My question to the second group is simple - what is your Biblical evidence that these gifts aren't in operation today? In my opinion, the answer lies in "rightly dividing Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). If you study the Book of Acts and compare Paul's letters written before the end of Acts 28:28 - a total of 7 including Corinthians and Hebrews and his letters written after (Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon - also a total of 7), you find a startling difference. Where do you find miraculous healing, speaking in tongues, etc. in Paul's letters written after Acts 28:28 - you don't! In fact, Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus  (2 Timothy 4:20) and Paul told Timothy to take a little wine instead of just water because he was sick so often (1 Timothy 5:23). Yet, even in Acts 28:1-9 on Malta, Paul is not harmed by a poisonous snake and he heals every sick person brought to him.

  • Acts 28:1-9: Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. As it happened, Publius’ father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.
  • Acts 28:20-29 (KJV):  For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
  • 1 Timothy 5:23 (NLT): Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.
  • 2 Timothy 4:20 (KJV): Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV): Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Corinthians 13:8-11: Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish thing

Sign Gifts: Valid Today?: http://doctrine.org/sign-gifts-valid-today/: "Paul taught sign gifts would cease when the “perfect” came. The “perfect” came with Paul’s completion of the Word of God. Sign gifts were helpful and valid during the early days of the church to provide guidance as to God’s will, to authenticate the message and ministry of God’s servants, and as a sign to the Jewish people:
  • Colossians 1:25 NET Bible: I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God--given to me for you--in order to complete the word of God."
  • God has given the Church, the Body of Christ, the completed Word of God. Our practical, Christian-life challenge is either to become mature by living a life of faith based upon the Word of God or remain immature and unstable, living a life of seeking God’s will through signs and experiences (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)."
Robertson and Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians: "The Church is neither a dead mass of similar particles, like a heap of sand, nor a living swarm of antagonistic individuals, like a cage of wild beasts: it has the unity of a living organism, in which no two parts are exactly alike, but all discharge different functions for the good of the whole. All men are not equal, and no individual can be independent of the rest: everywhere there is subordination and dependence. Some have special gifts, some have none; some have several gifts, some only one; some have higher gifts, some have lower: but every individual has some function to discharge, and all must work together for the common good. This is the all-important point - unity in loving service."

(1) NOW, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.

  • NOW:
    • Goes back to chapter 11 verse 2 praising them for following the teachings Paul had passed on to them: I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you.
  • Your question:
    • Apparently, they were confused by some of the "miraculous" things going on in their "church" and the divisions and even arguments they were causing. When this question is picked up again by Paul, I sense that the meetings had frequently degenerated into total chaos, with many speaking at once and often in "unknown tongues".
  • Special abilities ... Spirit ("spiritual gifts" in the KJV) - pneumatikos - Strong's Greek #4152,  from pneuma, breath, wind or spirit):
    • There is nothing in the word pneumatikos that necessarily implies "spiritual gifts" - the word "gifts" in the KJV is not in the original here nor in verse 7. Verse 7 refers to the "manifestation of the Spirit..." (phanerosis tou Pneumatos). Paul does not want the Corinthians to be misusing or misunderstanding these phenomena.
    • 1 Corinthians 1:7: Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    • Hebrews 2:4: And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

(2) You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

  • Pagans ... led astray:
    • Paul is speaking primarily here to the Corinthian Gentiles and reminds them that they had once been deceived into worshiping idols; so, they could not just trust their own judgment. They had been led astray before.
  • Swept along:
    • The idea of being "swept along" was the "ecstasy" experienced by them when worshiping idols as they worked themselves up emotionally. One of Satan's greatest tools is to deceive people with their own emotions.
    • www.divineviewpoint.com/sane/dbm/setup/1Corinth/1Cor087.htm: "There has been since ancient times the practice of religious utterance, ecstatic utterance, as the key to spirituality. Going back to at least 1000 BC we have evidence that in pagan religion there has been the attempt for the worshiper to become so identified with the god or goddess that he is worshiping that it has taken control of his vocal cords and speaks to him, and this was the sign of super spirituality. But that is not what happens biblically. Yet, because of a certain similarity on the surface many people in the ancient world confused the biblical gift of languages with this religious ecstatic utterance that they grew up with. The most ancient evidence that we have is from the report of Winamon, a young man who was the worshiper of the Egyptian God Amon. The report which is dated approximately 1100 BC says that as he was worshiping Amon in the temple he was overwhelmed in a state of frenzy which continued throughout the night and he spoke in some ecstatic language. We don’t know if it was a legitimate language or just religious frenzy, gibberish, but it is clear that the tongues was the direct result of this kind of possession and control by a god, although it just could have been brought on by emotion which is true in a lot of cases.
      Plato also reports religious ecstatics in roughly the 5th century BC. In the accounts we can observe that in each instance reported by Plato the speaker had no control over his mental faculties, he did not know what he was saying, there was the need for some sort of interpreter or diviner who would tell what was said, and the person was allegedly under the control of a god.
      Virgil, writing about 17-19 BC, mentions a Sibyline priestess who would go into an ecstatic state where she was unified with the spirit of Apollo, and she would begin to speak in tongues, in ecstatic utterance. They claimed that it was known language. This is in pagan Greek worship of Apollo that she was probably possessed by a demon and spoke in a legitimate or a known language as well as in incoherent gibberish."

(3) SO I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

  • Curse Jesus:
    • The first test to apply to any "manifestation of the Spirit" is to ask, “Does it glorify Jesus?” The Holy Spirit will never lead anyone to defame Jesus in any way. Jesus made it very clear that the Holy Spirit would only glorify Him (John 15:26). Any utterance or act that denies Jesus as the son of God is not from the Holy Spirit.
      • John 15:26: “But I will send you the Advocate - the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
      • 1 John 2:23: Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
      • 1 John 4:2: This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.
    • Evidently, some of the tongue speaking Corinthians had blasphemed Christ. This proved that some of those claiming to speak by the Spirit of God were not being led by the Spirit of God at all, but by demons.
    • Anyone, such as the Methodist Church leaders who attacked my wife, who says that Jesus Christ was just a great man is saying "Jesus be cursed" because the Bible tells us that the whole human race is cursed because of Adam. Because of the Virgin Birth, Jesus was preserved from the curse of sin of Adam. Therefore, all teaching that demeans Jesus, that denies his Deity, that says he is not our Redeemer but only a great teacher, is cursing Jesus.
      • 1 John 4:15: All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
  • Jesus is Lord (Greek: Kurios Iesous):
    • There is more to saying “Jesus is Lord” than just the repeating of these words. In Mark 1:24, demons cried out that Jesus was the Holy One of God - but, demons aren’t inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul was saying that any utterance that glorifies Jesus as Lord is directed by the Holy Spirit. It is only through the Holy Spirit that anyone can recognize and glorify Jesus as Lord.
      • Mark 1:24: “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”
    • After the resurrection, saying “Jesus is Lord” meant “Jesus is God.” “Jesus is Lord” was the basic creed of the early church. The Romans called Caesar "lord", and in the early persecutions they forced Christians to choose between saying, “Caesar is lord,” for which they could be set free, or, “Jesus is Lord,” for which they would meet the lions or be burned at the stake.
    • Charles Stanley “Lord of the Living and the Dead”:
      "In the New Testament, Lord is the most frequently used title for Jesus Christ. Although we rarely use this term in our daily lives, we are all quite familiar with another word: boss. That is basically what Lord means - one possessing authority, power, and control. The Word of God describes Jesus as the head of the church, the ruler over all creation, and the Lord of lords and King of kings (Colossians 1:15-18; Revelation 3:14, 17:14).
      The realm of Christ’s reign covers everything that happens in heaven and on the earth. No one - not even those who deny His existence - can be free of His rule or outside His sphere of authority. Although Satan tries to convince us that liberty is found in doing what we want, true freedom is acquired only through submission to Christ’s loving lordship.
      Even death cannot release anyone from the authority of God’s Son. He is Lord of both the living and the dead. All people must decide to either yield or rebel against Him, but they have the opportunity to make this choice only while they are still living. After death, they will acknowledge Christ’s lordship through accountability to Him. If we have not bowed the knee to Jesus in life, we will be forced to bend it in the judgment."
    • Luke 2:11: The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
    • John 20:28: “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
    • Acts 2:36: “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
    • Romans 1:3-4: The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
    • Romans 10:9: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
    • 1 Corinthians 8:6: But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.
    • 2 Corinthians 4:5: You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.
    • Philippians 2:9-11: Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth  and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
    • Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
    • 1 Peter 3:15: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
    • Revelation 17:14: Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

(4) There are DIFFERENT kinds of spiritual gifts, but the SAME Spirit is the source of them all.

  • DIFFERENT ... SAME:
    • Notice the pairing of these two words as an emphasis in verses 4, 5 and 6. These "gifts" were meant to unify the "church", not divide it - they came from the same Holy Spirit.
  • Spiritual gifts - Greek charismaton pneuma:
    • The root word of charismaton is charis which is the Greek word for grace. When the word charismaton is used in this chapter in parallel with pneuma, you come up with the idea of a grace gift that has to do with the spiritual life. So, Paul is saying in verse 1: "Now we are going to address the spiritual things that are gift-given to the church."
    • Romans 1:11: For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.
    • Romans 12:6-8: In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
    • 1 Corinthians 12:28: Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.
    • 1 Timothy 4:14: Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.

(5) There are DIFFERENT kinds of service, but we serve the SAME Lord.

  • DIFFERENT ... SAME: Repeated from verse 4 for emphasis.
  • Service:
    • The Greek word translated “service” here is “diakonia,” and it means “attendance...aid...service” (Strong’s Concordance). It comes from the root word “diakonos.” Diakonos was translated in the KJV “deacons”, “minister” and “servant”. From these different ways that these Greek words were translated, we can see that Paul was speaking of different ways of ministering, or using, these gifts. There are different ways of ministering the same gift, but it is the same Lord controlling them all. Therefore, they must conform to these guidelines that Paul was giving.

(6) God works in DIFFERENT ways, but it is the SAME God who does the work in all of us.

  • DIFFERENT ... SAME: Repeated from verses 4 and 5 for emphasis.
  • God:
    • The Trinity is clearly referred to in these verses: Verse 4 says these are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Verse 5 says Jesus administers the gifts. Verse 6 says God the Father is the one who is at work through the gifts.
  • Does the work:
    • The words “does the work” was translated from the Greek word “energema”. Fritz Rienecker’s “Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament” says this Greek word means “performance.... These are the results or effects of the working through energy”.

(7) A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

  • A spiritual gift:
    • phanerosis tou Pneumatos - manifestation of the Spirit. As in verse 1, the word "gift" is not in the original. Notice that it's singular, not plural!
  • To each of us:
    • Each believer in the Corinthian church had been given a spiritual gift - without exception. He or she was to learn what it was and use it to help others.
  • Help each other:
    • Paul was saying that these manifestations of the Holy Spirit are given to help others, not for themselves and to bring unity to the church. But, the Corinthians were using them for self-advancement and pride.
    • 1 Peter 4:10-11: God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

(8) To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the SAME Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

  • Wise advice:
    • Ephesians 1:17: asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

(9) The SAME Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the ONE Spirit gives the gift of healing.

  • Great faith:
    • Most commentators agree that this was a special "miracle-working" or "wonder-working" faith. The spiritual gift of faith is not to be confused with saving faith. All Christians have been given saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but not all receive this special gift of faith. The word for faith in the New Testament is pistis. In the Bible, the gift of faith is often accompanied by great works of faith. In Acts 3:1-10, we see this gift in action when Peter sees a lame man at the Beautiful Gate and calls on him to stand up and walk in the Name of Jesus - did you ever notice that Peter did not ask him if he believed! Another mighty example of the gift of faith was the Christian leader and philanthropist George Mueller, who in nineteenth century England provided for thousands of orphans completely by prayer, without ever asking for donations. Jesus said even a small amount of this faith could move mountains (Matthew 17:20; 21:21). Those with the gift of faith take Him at His Word and put the full weight of their lives in His hands. They expect God to move and are not surprised when He answers a prayer or performs a miracle.
    • Hebrews 11:1: Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
  • Gift of healing:
    • John MacArthur, Jr., The Charismatics, page 134: "But strangely enough, the people who claim to have the gift of healing never seem to get out of their tents, their tabernacles, or their TV studios. They always seem to have to exercise their gift in a controlled environment, staged their way, run according to their schedule. Why don't we hear more of the gift of healing being used right in the hospital hallways? Why aren't healers using their gift in places like India and Bangladesh? Why aren't they right out in the street where masses of people are racked by disease?"
    • The New Testament instances of miraculous healing were usually in public, instantaneous, complete and obvious to all - with preliminaries, healing meetings or incantations. The man crippled from birth had never walked, but he was instantly able to walk and jump. The instances of miraculous healing in the apostolic age never failed regardless of the faith of the recipient. The Book of Acts is full of concrete examples of this. When modern healing campaigns are compared to this, their pitiful inadequacy is only too obvious. And yet they claim to be fulfilling the same ministry as performed in the Book of Acts!
    • The gift of healing operated in Paul’s ministry until about 60 A.D. The last account we have of Paul’s ability to heal is in Acts 28:8-9 when he was on Malta, where he healed Publius’ father as well as many others. After he reached Rome, Paul could no longer heal. Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus  (2 Timothy 4:20) and Paul told Timothy to take a little wine instead of just water because he was sick so often (1 Timothy 5:23).
    • Matthew 4:23-24: Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed - he HEALED THEM ALL.
    • Matthew 10:1: The Lord Jesus Christ healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."
    • Matthew 10:5-8: Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel - God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
    • Mark 16:18: They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
    • Acts 3:1-16: Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.
      • Did you notice that Peter didn't ask the lame if he believed? It wasn't faith that healed him - It was the free gift from Peter to him in the power of the name of Jesus Christ alone!
    • Acts 5:15-16: As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were ALL healed.
    • Acts 19:11-12: God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
    • Acts 28:8-9: As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then ALL the other sick people on the island came and were healed.
    • Philippians 2:25-27: Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him - and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
    • 1 Timothy 5:23: Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.
    • 2 Timothy 4:20: Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.
    • James 5:14-15: Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

(10) He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

  • Power to perform miracles (Greek energēmata dynameōn):
    • Miraculous powers were exhibited by Paul (Acts 19:11-12), Peter (Acts 3:6), Stephen (Acts 6:8) and Phillip (Acts 8:6-7), among others.
    • During the Tribulation period, there is no indication that believers, other than the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-12, will perform miracles. Those performed by the two witnesses are comparable to those of Old Testament prophets rather than to those of the apostles. The two witnesses are not part of the church, and if they were, they could hardly be considered typical of the church.
    • The Cessation of the Sign Gifts by Prof. Thomas R. Edgar: "There is ample biblical evidence that the miraculous gifts ceased with the apostolic age. To assume that such gifts are permanent is contrary to the Scriptures in general and to the biblical precedent that some gifts such as full apostles of the Lord definitely ceased. History is against the charismatic claims. The dissimilarity between the New Testament gifts and the alleged gifts of the charismatics also contradicts their claims. The assumption that because these gifts existed in the apostolic age they should also exist today is a gratuitous assumption contrary to objective evidence. It is also an assumption contrary to scriptural principles and specific biblical evidence. There is no teaching in Scripture that the church should look for such miraculous gifts, nor are they referred to in the passages discussing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18), the life of faith (Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:12-17), and requirements for church leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) as necessary for the believer to lead a spiritual life."
    • Mark 16:20: And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
    • Acts 5:12: The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.
    • Acts 6:8: Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.
    • Acts 8:6-7: Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.
      • Did you notice in Acts 6 & 8 that these miracles were "signs": For whom were the signs? - Israel: 1 Corinthians 1:21-22: Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.
    • Acts 19:11: God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.
    • Galatians 3:5: I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
    • Hebrews 2:4: And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
    • Performance of a miracle is not solid proof of divine source:
      • 2 Thessalonians 2:9: This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.
      • Revelation 13:11-13: Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching.
      • Revelation 16:13-14: And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
  • Prophecy: Strong's Greek Concordance # 4394 - prophéteia, which is derived from pró (before) and phēmí (to make clear, assert as a priority):
    • Prophéteia means to declare the will of Christ, to make known God's truth or to interpret God's purposes. When people think of prophecy, they generally think of telling the future. While that is a part of prophecy, it is actually only a small part of prophecy. The essential idea is to make God's word shine forth.
    • Acts 11:28: One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)
    • Acts 21:11: He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’”
    • Romans 12:6: In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
    • 1 Corinthians 13:2: If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
    • 1 Corinthians 14:3-5: But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.
    • 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21: Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
    • Ephesians 4:11: Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
    • 2 Peter 1:20-21: Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
    • Revelation 1:3: God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
    • Revelation 11:6: They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
    • Revelation 19:10: Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”
    • Revelation 22:7, 10, 18: “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.” ... Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. ... And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book.
  • Discern:
    • Jesus said many would come in His name and would deceive many. Satan appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He deceives with a false, tempting message (Genesis 2:16-3:5). There can be lying spirits in the mouths of prophets (1 Kings 22:21-23 and 2 Chronicles 18:20-22). Sometimes people who seem to say the right things are really from the devil (Acts 13:6-12 and 16:16-18). It is important to test the word of anyone who claims to speak from God (1 John 4:1-3). Satan can work deceiving miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 and Revelation 13:11-14). The devil will try to infiltrate the church with false teachers (Jude 4 and 2 Peter 2:1-2).
    • There are false spirits as well as the Holy Spirit. We must be certain of the source:
      • Isaiah 8:19-20: Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.
      • Matthew 24:4-5: Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.
      • Acts 13:6, 8: Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. ... Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?
      • Acts 16:16-18: One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
      • 2 Corinthians 11:13-15: These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.
      • 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21: Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
      • 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10: This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.
      • 1 John 4:1-3: Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
      • Revelation 13:11-14: Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.
  • Unknown languages:
    • Chapter 14 goes into greater depth on the subject of tongues; so, I'll hold off my notes till then!

(11-12) It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He ALONE decides which gift each person should have.  The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

  • This starts a new paragraph that uses the parts of the human body as a metaphor for the church. It emphasizes unity amidst diversity. The focus is not on any part, but on the functioning whole; not the individual, but the family.
  • One and only Spirit:
    • Unlike the many spirits (actually demons) in pagan religions, there is only Holy Spirit and it is He alone who distributes the gifts.
  • Body of Christ: See verse 27 more details about the body of Christ or Christ's body.

(13) SOME of us are Jews, SOME are Gentiles, SOME are slaves, and SOME are free. But we have ALL been baptized into ONE body by ONE Spirit, and we ALL share the SAME Spirit.

  • Notice the repeated words for emphasis of unity: SOME ... SOME ... SOME ... SOME ... ALL ... ONE ... ONE ... ALL ... SAME.
  • Baptized ... by one Spirit:
    • Matthew 3:11 (John the Baptist speaking): “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
    • Acts 1:5: John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
  • One body:
    • See verse 27 for more in-depth study.
  • ALL share the same Spirit:
    • This equality would have been shocking to Roman society in Corinth, where the man was the supreme authority over his wife, his children and his slaves. There was a rigid social hierarchy. Paul's radical theology, based on Jesus' teachings and actions, was a drastic paradigm shift and shocking new worldview which had to be lived out in the fellowship of the church.

(14) Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

  • Different parts:
    • Paul now gets back to the problem of "division" in the Corinthian church. The Corinthians understood about spiritual gifts and the Corinthians understood they had them. The problem had to do with jealousy, that some wanted gifts they didn't have and some of the members of the church were "lording it over" those who didn't speak in tongues, etc. The analogy used is body parts. The idea is that each of them was different, but at the same time, each of them was an equal part of the church. For their church to be healthy, there had to be unity.

(15-16) If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?

  • Ear ... Eye:
    • These parts are in the head of the body -- this is a very different metaphor than that used in Ephesians and Colossians of the body - since Christ is the head of the Church which is His body.
      • Ephesians 5:23: For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.
      • Colossians 1:18: Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

(17-18) If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

  • Each part where he want it:
    • Knowing this, how can we complain if someone else gets the recognition or applause or has a "more important" job with more recognition and applause in the church?

(19-20) How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

  • One part:
    • If all the members of the human body were the same ("only one part"), it would be unable to function as a body. It would be incapable of getting anything accomplished. For example, if all had the gift of tongues, the gift that the Corinthians valued above the others, the church would not function.
  • One body:
    • Uniformity (all one member or function) is not the case in the human body, however. It has "many parts" and many functions, but it is one unified organism.

(21) The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

  • I don't need you:
    • God needs even the most insignificant of us!

(22) In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

  • Weakest ... least important:
    • The idea is there are parts of our physical body that have skeletal protection. If we lose a hand or an eye, we will still be able to live. If we lose internal organs like a heart, we would no longer live. Those internal organs are protected by a surrounding skeletal system. Paul is saying that while we give greater "thought" to our eyes and hands, God thinks of the "whole body" including the parts of the body we don't think about, unless we need quadruple heart bypass surgery!

(23-24) And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

  • Less honorable:
    • Paul may have been referring to the sexual organs. A. Coffman wrote, “Eisenhower reprimanded a general in the army for speaking of a soldier as ‘just a private,’ adding that, ‘The private is the man who wins the war.

(25) This makes for HARMONY among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

  • The key verse for this chapter and HARMONY is the key word for the section.
  • Care for each other:
    • Spurgeon: "I want every member of this church to be a worker. We do not want any drones. If there are any of you who want to eat and drink, and do nothing, there are plenty of places elsewhere, where you can do it; there are empty pews about in abundance; go and fill them, for we do not want you. Every Christian who is not a bee is a wasp. The most quarrelsome persons are the most useless, and they who are the most happy are peaceable, are generally those who are doing most for Christ."

(26-27) If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.  ALL of you TOGETHER are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

Chist's body
Above image from https://rightdivision.com/sites/default/files/pictures/Slide12.JPG

  • You ... together:
    • "You" is emphatic in the Greek text and is plural.
  • Christ's body (Body of Christ):
    • Charles Welch, "The Body and the Bride": Most who share an understanding of Acts 28 Right-Division believe that the “Church which is His Body” (Ephesians 1:22-23) is unique. Did the Church which is His Body exist during the Acts Period? Are the Church which is His Body (Ephesians 1:22-23) and Christ's body or the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) the same entity?
    • The local Corinthian body was likened metaphorically to the human body in "total" - eyes, ears, etc. whereas the joint body of Ephesians and Colossians has Christ the head. The Corinthian body is very different from that which is taught in Ephesians. The body in Paul's prison books had not been revealed in Acts.
    • Romans 12:4-5: Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
    • Ephesians 1:22-23: God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
    • Ephesians 3:6: And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
    • Ephesians 4:4,16: For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ... He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

(28) Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages.

  • Notice that the list is much shorter in Ephesians, written by Paul from prison after the close of the Book of Acts:
    • Ephesians 4:11-16: Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
  • Church:
    • Ray Stedman: "If you were a visitor from another planet and visited churches across this country today, you would probably draw the conclusion that the church operates to run meetings on Sunday morning. Everything is aimed toward that; all the work of leadership is directed toward that, and when it is over, it starts all over again. But that is a far cry from God's concept of the church. The church consists of all those who have truly been born of the Spirit and are thereby a living body, growing and developing within the world (not apart from it), to touch the hurt and death of the world with the life and love of God."
  • Apostles:
    • The term literally means, "sent one" as one person sent by another. Originally this referred to the Twelve and Paul, but was used of others too:
      • Barnabas (Acts 14:4,14),
      • Andronicus and Junia (Romans 16:7),
      • Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:9),
      • James the half brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19),
      • Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25,
      • Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:6).
    • Ephesians 2:20: Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.
    • 2 Timothy 1:11: And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
  • Prophets - Greek - prophetes, which means "one who speaks forth":
    • There are no God-gifted prophets in the church today, although there are many false prophets. Most Charismatics believe that the gift of prophecy is still for today.
    • God's definition of a prophet:
      • Exodus 4:15-16: "Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say."
      • Exodus 7:1-2: "Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country."
      • A prophet had to be 100% accurate:
        • Deuteronomy 18:21-22: “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.
    • What is a prophet? A prophet is God's mouthpiece through whom God spoke and gave His perfect, infallible revelation.
  • Teachers:
    • Ephesians 4:11: Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
  • Those who do miracles:
    • Miracles =  Power. (dunameis).
    • Galatians 3:5: I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
  • Those who can help others:
    • The Greek word here is antilepsis. This term was originally used of a ship's pilot. It comes from a preposition meaning “in exchange for” and a verb which mean “to take hold of.” It has the idea of taking hold of another person’s burden. To “help” someone in this sense is to lift a load off that person’s shoulders.
  • Those who have the gift of leadership - Greek kubernēseis:
    • This word is derived from kuberiaō “to govern;” and is usually applied to the government or “steering” of a ship. Lightfoot contends that the word which is used here does not refer to the power of ruling, but to a person endued with a deep and comprehensive mind, one who is wise and prudent. Calvin refers it to the elders to whom the exercise of discipline was entrusted.
  • Those who speak in unknown tongues:
    • Since Paul listed these in order of importance, he considered this gift actually to be the least important.

(29) Are we ALL apostles? Are we ALL prophets? Are we ALL teachers? Do we ALL have the power to do miracles?

  • Are:
    • This series of questions all begin with a Greek negative particle (mē), which denotes that the questions expect a "no" answer.
  • ALL: Repeated four times for emphasis.

(30) Do we ALL have the gift of healing? Do we ALL have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we ALL have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!

  • ALL ... unknown languages ... Of course not!:
    • Why is it then that in Charismatic circles everyone is encouraged and persuaded to speak with tongues? Why is it recommended to all if it was only given to some in the transitional Acts period?

(31) So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

  • Best of all:
    • Look at Galatians 5:22-23 where Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit, where the first is agape (love). Evidently, agape was lacking at Corinth.
      • Galatians 5:22-23: But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
    • Gordon Fee: "What Paul is about to embark on is a description of what he calls 'a way that is beyond comparison.' The way they are going is basically destructive to the church as a community; the way they are being called to is one that seeks the good of others before oneself. It is not 'love versus gifts' that Paul has in mind, but 'love as the only context for gifts'; for without the former, the latter have no usefulness at all-but then neither does much of anything else in the Christian life."

This subject of "spirituals" (pneumatikos) continues in chapter 13 and then on to chapter 14:

  • 1 Corinthians 13: If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of PROPHECY, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all KNOWLEDGE, and if I had such FAITH that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. PROPHECY and speaking in UNKNOWN LANGUAGES and SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of PROPHECY reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is LOVE.

NOTES:

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