McGarvey and Pendleton (120) summarize the need for miraculous gifts in the first century church: they helped evangelize; assured weak Christians of the foundation of this “new” religion; built up the church in the one faith. Paul begins a detailed discussion of miraculous (spiritual) gifts in 1 Corinthians 12. Chapters 12, 13, and 14 are a trilogy. We will spend the next month discussing miraculous gifts in our Friday devotionals.
The word “gifts” (12:1) is not in the original Greek. The word “spiritual” is an adjective which compels us to add a noun: “gifts” or “things.” Clearly the discussion is on miraculous gifts, which Paul first introduced in 1:7. The Greek word for “gifts” (charismata) has “grace” (charis) as its root word, which means they are something freely given. Based on that understanding alone, we recognize that there is no grounds for boasting in one having one gift and another having another.
The word “Spirit / spirit” is found 40 times in 1 Corinthians. Paul has referred to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord, eleven times before chapter 12. In the first thirteen verses, he’ll mention the Spirit ten times. Other key words in this paragraph are: “same / one / another” – a whopping 25 times! “Members,” three times. “Body,” seven times.
First, in verses 1-3, Paul points out that pagans go to “mute” idols which cannot speak. But, the Holy Spirit speaks. How do we know He speaks? Because gifts were given to manifest His guidance / speech (verse 7). Keep this thought in mind. The context of the discussion of miraculous gifs is the sharing of the message about Christ from God (cf. 2:13-14).
In verses 4-11, we observe that God is the One who provides the diversity of gifts: 12:6-7, 11, 18, 24, 28. There are three synonyms used for miraculous gifts here: gifts (charismata), ministries (diakonos), and effects. Paul also refers to all three members of the Godhead: Spirit, Lord, and God. They all work together and, in the same way, we all ought to work together for the common good. Verse 7 is the theme verse for the whole trilogy.
Paul then gives one list, of several lists, of miraculous gifts which the Spirit gave “according to His will” for the good of the church. Most of them have to do, in some way, with the presentation of God’s revealed Will, the Bible.
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In verses 12-14, Paul emphasizes the point, as he will through the end of the chapter, that the church is the body of Christ. This was first seen in 10:17 and 11:29. As such, each of us is a member of a single body and we need to work to build up that single body. There must be unity in the church if not uniformity.
This unity is brought about because we were all baptized by one Spirit and made to drink of one Spirit. This latter phrase reminds us of the Israelites drinking of the one rock, who was Christ (10:4). In the same way, we all drink of Christ, made possible by the Spirit. We are also baptized by the Spirit. That preposition (“by”) could be translated “in”, which Pentecostals (see Gordon Fee’s commentary) wish to use to teach we are all baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Yet, that same preposition with “the Holy Spirit” is used in many passages, including this context, to mean the Holy Spirit is the agent of divine action: 2 Thess. 2:13; Matt. 3:11; 12:28; 22:43; Rom. 2:29; 15:16; 1 Cor. 6:11 and in this context: 12:3, 9, 13. Baptism in the Holy Spirit only occurred twice: on Pentecost with the (Jewish) apostles and in Caesarea with the (Gentile) family of Cornelius. Here, Paul is saying the Holy Spirit teaches us about Christ and baptism and, thereby, He baptizes us into Christ (cf. John 3:3-5). So, it is the Holy Spirit who unites us into one body.
To live cross-culturally, then, we acknowledge the diversity in our unity and respect each other as members of one body.
Paul Holland
