LESSON 18
(12:1-11)

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be uninformed.  2 You know that when you were heathen, you were led astray to dumb idols, however you may have been moved.  3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.  7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  11 All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each individually as he wills.

The Corinthians had a question about gifts of a spiritual nature.  Paul now begins to answer the matter and develops it through ch. 14.  Hence, you should read all of 12:1-14:40 as a unit, ignoring the man-made chapter divisions.  As you read, you will notice the partisan spirit again in some of the brethren.  It is difficult to be sectarian in spirit and not have it influence much of life, whether considering and individual or a congregation.
Paul’s answer imparts both information about gifts and meaning of the gifts.  Chapter twelve lays out the basic source of the gifts, using the body as an illustration of God’s plan for how He intended for the gifts to be used.  Chapter thirteen develops the proper mental and emotional attitude that must prevail if the body is to function to please God.  Chapter fourteen then “zeros in” on two of the gifts which helped to put each one in its proper place.  The chapter also teaches a decorum for corporate worship that would reflect God and glorify Him.
12:1 – spiritual gifts – The Greek term was seen in 1:7 and discussed there.  Actually the text could be translated something like “Now concerning spiritual things” or “things of the spirit” perhaps.  There is no word in the Greek text for “gift” but the whole context shows that gifts were the subject of discussion.
uninformed – Knowledge is helpful and needed if the Church is to function correctly.  While it may be used wrongly, 8:1, it can also enlighten so that correct understanding and right actions are the result.  See v. 2.
V. 2 – heathen – Here is an illustration akin to ch. 8 that shows how lack of proper knowledge brings bad results.  The Greek term is commonly translated “Gentile” or nation.
dumb idols – Satan had deceived them as he did many others.  He is still doing so.  Most of the world today bows down before some sort of an idol of wood or stone, actually giving homage to the demon behind the idol, as 10:14ff. shows.  Check Psalms 115; 135; Habbakuk 2:14-20.
V. 3 – Paul spelled out the result of one’s life when a God who can speak is leading rather than a dumb idol (or Satan).  The Holy Spirit and God work the same and produce the same result, so it made no difference which of the two terms (or personalities) is meant or is in action.
God chose to speak to mankind in words that man can understand.  With God’s revelation man can be led to a saving knowledge of Jesus.  As long as God’s revelation is followed, no person will ever express anything except what harmonizes with “Jesus is Lord.”  Anything contrary to that assertion or that for which it stands indicates a foreign influence.  One result of God’s revelation is the unity that results insofar as God’s will is allowed to permeate one’s thinking.  Notice then in the following verses the “commonness” even in diversity.
cursed – The Greek term is anathema, seen in Acts 23:14; Rom. 9:3; I Cor. 16:22; Gal. 1:8.  It would represent the opposite sense from Jesus is lord.
V. 4 – varieties – This term translates a word that brings to mind diversity or difference.  The root term was discussed in 11:19.  For this particular form, see Mt. 12:18; Acts 5:17; 26:5; 18:22; Gal. 5:20; Tit. 3:10; II Pet. 2:!.  While it sometimes referred to a bad state of things, in our text God was the source of the differences within the body, yet so planned the difference that they were to work together as a unified whole, noting v. 12, v. 27.
gifts – Same terms as in v. 1, translated spiritual gifts.
same Spirit – This theme of a common source of the gifts and/or differences will be reflected in this whole discussion.
One of the problems with the gifts lay in the fact that heathen religions of the day (and in our day) had similar manifestations.  Obviously Satan could deceive in this way as in other ways.  Another problem that was present was the relative worth of the gifts.  This brought about undue jealousy or pride, and gave rise to the statement in v. 7 and the text in 12:12-30.  The Roman Christians had to be informed of the same things, 12:3-8.  Part of the problem was brought about because of a worldly frame of reference, where attention was focused upon the gift rather than the giver, and/or upon the gift rather than the person possessing the gift.  Instead of loving the giver and the person, love for and needless concern about the gift was in evidence.
Considering v. 5 and v. 6, three distinct personalities are mentioned in respect to the issue.  Each was separate from the other: one Spirit, on Lord, one God; yet each worked in perfect harmony with the other.  Thus it should have been in the Church: many members; same purpose.
V. 5 – service – From the common word that meant service of all kind.  The Greek term diakone_ was mentioned in 3:5.  For other texts where this word appears in the N.T. (Some 90 times overall), reference Mt. 4:11; 20:28; Mk. 1:31; 10:45; Lk. 8:3; 10:40; Jn. 2:5; 12:26; Acts 1:17, 25; 6:2; Rom. 11:13; 12:7; 13:4; 15:25; 16:1; I Cor. 16:15; II Cor. 3:3, 6, 7, 8, 9; 4:1; 11:15; Gal. 2:17; Eph. 3:7; 4:12; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:7, 23, 25; I Thess. 3:2; I Tim. 1:12; 3:8, 10, 12, 13; Phile. v. 13; Heb. 1:14; 6:10; I Pet. 1:12; 4:10, 11.
V. 6 – workings . . . inspires – Both these words translate the Greek word energe_, from which we get our word energy.  It had the general thrust of ‘to work’ or ‘to produce’ or permit something to be done.  See Mk. 6:14; Rom. 7:5; Gal. 2:8; 5:6; Eph. 1:19; 3:7; 4:16; Phil. 3:21; Col. 1:29; 2:12; I Thess. 2:13; II Thess. 2:7; Heb. 4:12; Jam. 5:16.  Now check Phil. 2:13 where the Greek term is found in connection with God and the Christian. (Note it in 16:9 regarding Paul’s work.)
V. 7 – Common good – Here was the purpose of God’s gifts to the church; this should have been their consuming passion in all that they did.  Contrary to this, however, they were making distinctions and disrupting the purpose of God’s work among them.  Each one (notice how often this idea appears) was to promote the “general welfare” or all.  (For the Greek term, see 10:33.)
V. 8 – There are nine gifts listed in vv. 8-10.  Comparing this with 12:27-30; Rom. 12:6-8 and Eph. 4:11 will show some differences, perhaps in nature or in name only.  All these listed here were temporary in nature, with the special purpose of helping the church to get started in the various localities.  The normal abilities that people possess (such as teaching, administering, etc.) can be used by God when said people become Christian to help the local assembly function as it ought.  We would normally use the word “talent” or “ability” to describe what we see in people today, whether they are Christian or not.  It is evident that God bestows various abilities today.  What we need to do is use them to His glory.
V. 9 – faith – This gift is a good illustration of the point made above: all these gifts listed here were temporary in nature and special in purpose.  If faith be taken to mean faith that saves, then quite clearly some were not saved since the gift was not given to all, just to some.  It evidently meant a special measure of faith for some specific purpose, but all for he “common good” of the body.  (See on 13:2 for this special gift.)
V. 10 – tongues . . . interpretation – As ch. 14 will show, the ability to speak in a language unknown by the speaker did not automatically bring the ability to understand what was spoken.
For the word tongue, the Greek word is gl_ssa.  While there is considerable difference in understanding of this term today, the text in 14:21 clearly shows how it was meant to be understood in Paul’s letter: as a language spoken by some group of people.  (See the verse for discussion.)  It is true to state that people both then and now, in heathen religions of that day and all kind of religions today think that some “ecstatic” language is meant.  It cannot be shown to be so from the Bible.  Check ch. 14 for discussion there.  For all the references in the N.T.; see these verses: Mk. 7:33, 35; 16:17 (in K.J.V.); Lk. 1:64; 16:24; Acts 2:3, 4, 11 (where it is equal to dialect in v. 6, while v. 3 is used in a symbolic way), 26; 10:46; 19:6; Rom. 3:13; 14:11; I Cor. 12:10, 28, 30; 13:1, 8; 14:2, 4, 5, 9, 6, 13, 14, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 39; Phil. 2:11; Jam. 1:26; 3:5, 6, 8; I Pet. 3:10; I Jn. 3:18; Rev. 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 16:10; 17:15.  Sometimes the Greek text will have a specific language in mind, and though not having the Greek word gl_ssa in it, translators will sometimes put it in the text.  See Lk. 23:38; Jn. 5:2; 19:13, 17, 20; 20:16; Acts 21:37; Rev. 9:11; 16:16; 19:11 for such texts.  In the Old Testament, the word refers either to the physical tongue or a spoken language.  The Greek term dialektos is sometimes translated with the word “tongue” as in Acts 1:19; 2:6, 8; 21:40, 22:2; 26:14.  All the other books in the N.T. (Matthew, Luke, John, Romans, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, I and II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I and II Peter, I, II, III, John and Jude) do not mention the subject at all.  One might conclude that it was a problem only in Corinth.
V. 11 – inspired – See v. 6 for this term.  Consider carefully that each gift was given for some specific end and from the same source.  A good text to reread here would be 4:1-7.  See also I Pet. 4:10-11.
This section outlined the source and purpose of the various gifts of a spiritual nature.  All were divine in origin; all intended to unify and edify the body.
same Spirit – Note that the Spirit both “wills” and “chooses” which indicates personality.  While the N.T. does not devote any chapter specifically to discussion of the Holy Spirit, much can be learned by checking the many references to Him.  John 16:7-15 will outline why this fact is so: His primary task upon earth was in respect to Jesus, to help the apostles recall and reveal the truths pertaining to Jesus (as we see in v. 3 of our text).  The Holy Spirit was to help the world know Christ, and to provide all the necessary information to produce faith in Christ.  Jesus is the one who saves us, who died and rose again for our sins and justification, Rom. 4:25.  It is through the direction supplied by the Holy Spirit that we have these truths in our day in written form, and that the apostles spoke in the beginning.  In addition to this primary task, when we accept Jesus as savior and obey His command to be immersed in the name (i.e., by the authority of) the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Mt. 28:18ff., we are promised the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as our guarantee from God Himself of our salvation, Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:9-11; II Cor. 1:22; 5:5; etc.  We are not taught to pray to the Holy Spirit but rather to God; we need not expect anything from the Holy Spirit out of keeping with what God Himself would do in our lives.  In fact, the N.T. presents some seemingly confusing ideas along this line (compare Jn. 14:23; Rom. 8:9-11; Phil. 2:13; Col. 1:27; etc.) but the reason is this: all three divine personalities have the same purpose in respect to the Christian.  Our own text spells this out plainly enough.

	LESSON 18 QUESTIONS

1. 	See if you can state why the Corinthians might have needed to ask Paul about spiritual gifts.

2. 	How were you enabled to say “Jesus is Lord” if you have?

3. 	How can diversity represent unity?

4. 	Give the specific purpose of the various gifts.

5. 	Would the sectarian nature of some in Corinth be a problem to accomplishing the point in v. 7?

6. 	Who provided the “energy” to use the various gifts?

7. 	By what criterion were the gifts given to each person?