Lessons From 1 Corinthians – Lesson 14
The carnal Christians in Corinth really had things messed up. At the end of dealing with the Lord’s Supper Paul says this.
1 Cor 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
2 things I want to mention. And the rest will I set in order. That tells us that they had more wrong than what Paul covered in this letter. And after just going thru how messed up they had the Lord’s Supper, it almost makes your shake your head. I mean O’ My.
It is actually worse that what we read. Paul did not cover it all in this letter.
2nd It was in Paul’s heart to travel to Corinth again and spend some more time teaching them. And remember Paul is writing this letter inspired by the Holy Spirit. All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
And when you read 2 Corinthians you learn that Paul wrote this letter with tears out of love. Neither God nor Paul gave up on them or stopped loving them. Even as messed up as they were. This should prompt you to do some deep thinking on the love of God.
Now Paul switches topics to start to deal with their problems on Spiritual Gifts.
1 Cor 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
1 Cor 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
I have said many times already thru this that the Corinthian church was mostly gentiles. Not all but mostly and not like some of the other churches we saw early in Acts. Most of the gentiles that got saved in those churches early in Acts were gentiles who were attending synagogue.
They were gentiles who had some fundamental knowledge about there being only one God and that He is holy and just and that He is the creator and that He does have some expectations on how you live. They would have been familiar with the 10 commandments for example.
Paul makes it very clear in verse 2 that the new Gentile believers in Corinth were carried away and led by dumb idols before they got saved.
Their foundation was in pagan false god religions. And as you know the character of those false man made gods is just as bad as fallen sinful man. The false gods they worshiped were wicked, unpredictable, spiteful, vengeful, lustful, ect…
Their foundation before they got saved was of the flesh instead of a Biblical foundation.
And when you study 1st Corinthians you get the idea that they brought a lot of their fleshly baggage with them. And so it really is not surprising that they got worldly preachers that did not teach Paul’s ways.
And they did not keep the ordinances pure as Paul delivered them.
And now we are going to see that they also were messed up on the Spiritual gifts.
At the beginning of this topic Paul is going to give a mark of a believer. And notice this evidence of being a believer is not, and I repeat not, that you have some special gift.
1 Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
No saved person speaking by the Spirit will call Jesus accursed. Can’t do it. Millions thru the ages had the choice of denying Jesus and live or be killed, and many of them chose burning at the stake.
A saved person will not deny Jesus. And that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
This is an evidence of salvation given by Paul. I think it is very fitting to have that right at the beginning of this topic. There are people, even today, that put the sign, the token, the evidence of having the Holy Spirit on gifts.
And they use some crazy things, like being slain in the Spirit, or flopping on the floor like a fish, and all kinds of un-biblical things.
Paul gives us a sure biblical sign of salvation in verse 3. You can’t call Jesus accursed. You cannot deny Him. Instead you say Jesus is the Lord.
This is a good place to remind ourselves of the reason for sign gifts.
We have seen it serval times, first the miracle and then they preach. The miracle was to validate that the message they were about to hear was God’s Word.
Like when John said silver and gold have I none
Act 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Act 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Act 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
And they all knew who he was and a crowd gathered and then Peter preaches to them.
Act 3:11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
And Peter preached to them Jesus, and 5,000 got saved.
And we have seen other examples going thru the book of Acts. The miracles were followed by the giving of God’s Word.
So we see it over and over. But what about a verse that clearly says that is God’s plan to attach signs with confirming the Word. That is in the end of Mark.
Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Jesus gave the great commission, and ascended back to Heaven. And the Christians preached everywhere and the Lord who is sitting on the throne is working with them.
And notice it is Jesus who is confirming the word with signs. All of those miracles like John and the lame man. John said the words, but it was actually Jesus who did the healing.
And the purpose was to confirm the Word that the men were preaching.
Once the Bible was finished. The Word of God itself is all the confirmation that is needed. God has given us all His Word. To confirm a man’s preaching after the Bible was finished all you need to do is compare what he says to God’s Bible.
So at the time that Paul wrote 1st Corinthians, how much Bible did they have?
Matthew was written very early on. Then later came Galatians and 1st and 2nd Thess. And a few years before this the book of James.
So when 1st Corinthians is being written, most churches only have 1 gospel and 3 letters and some of them also have James. That is it. Percentage wise, not very much.
So the need for signs confirming the word is still active. The need has started to diminish and the sign gifts will continue to diminish more and more as more of the Word of God is given.
It is critical to understand this. Not only for our study and our understanding
But to have an answer for all those who say sign gifts did not go away.
Understanding this issue is important so we can make a distinction between sign gifts that were for the purpose of confirming the Word, and the other gifts that were and are given for a different reason.
You can put all gifts into one of two categories. Sign gifts for confirming the Word and those stopped when the Bible was completed.
And the gifts that have the purpose of being a blessing and a help to others. Those gifts are still in effect today.
Pentecostals, tongue jabber’s, snake handlers, do not understand this distinction. I have also seen many who attended Independent Baptist churches who did not understand this.
I got one lady completely thru a discipleship course and she seemed to be learning and agreeing to everything, then at the end the subject comes up and I found that she believed in tongues and the power to cast out demons and that some have power to do miracles.
I am still an independent Baptist. Truly independent. I am just saying getting this issue wrong is not limited to Pentecostals. This is a serious issue that has a way to creep into any outfit regardless of the name.
And one of the reasons why I think is the power, the sensationalism, the dramatic, it all appeals to the sinful flesh of man.
Jesus said at the well that God is looking for people to worship Him in sincerity and truth. Unfortunately to some worshiping based on and according to God’s Word and worshipping that is concentrated on God’s Word is to them boring. Sincerity and truth do not appeal to the flesh. They totally miss what God wants.
1 Cor 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1 Cor 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1 Cor 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
Ok. This is a huge proof text on the principal that God in His wisdom and in His sovereignty choses to use different men in different ways.
God does not use the cookie cutter approach. But while God uses different men different ways, we see that God wants to use all His children. He gives everyone what they need to be used for Him.
1 Cor 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Is given to every man. Is given in different ways for different purposes, but is given to every Christian. God wants to use everyone.
And notice then end of verse 7. This is huge. This is addressing one of the main issues the Corinthians had wrong with this. And people that are wrong on this today have the same problem.
Is given to every man to profit withal. That is without. The purpose of the spiritual gift is not you. It is primary not for you. It is for others. They are not for the purpose of putting focus upon yourself or puffing yourself up in pride.
They are not for show, or drama, or so you can say look at me. Look at what I can do.
And we see that purpose goes for both categories. When the purpose was to confirm the Word the purpose was for others, to see people believe and to change their eternal destination from hell.
Paul will now give a list of gifts and there will be both categories mixed together in this list. And that is not surprising for at the time Paul wrote this both categories were active.
1 Cor 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
Both of those gifts are still in effect today.
1 Cor 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
God gives some Christians the gift of greater faith. All Christians have the same faith to get saved. But some have a greater faith for the trials of life or a greater faith for prayer.
Gifts of healing is a sign gift and was for confirming the Word.
1 Cor 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
The only one active today in verse 10 is the gift to discern.
1 Cor 12:11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
And at the close of that list is a reinforcement that it is God who gives to every man according to His will. So the implication of that is, do not covet what someone else gets.
Be content and thankful for what God has given you and use what God has given you for the benefit of others. And don’t try to do the job that God gave to someone else. That is what Paul goes into next.
1 Cor 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1 Cor 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1 Cor 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1 Cor 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1 Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1 Cor 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
The body needs a foot and it needs an eye and it needs a nose. If you are a foot, then don’t be foolish enough to try to be an eye.
Understand that every member with their own gift is important to the whole. And trust God who puts the people and the gifts together. And stay with your gift and use it for the benefit of the whole.
1 Cor 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
How terrible if all you had were noses. It would not really be a functioning body.
1 Cor 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1 Cor 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1 Cor 12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
O’ I have always loved that verse. Those which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.
Many times I have seen feeble Christians and they need a lot of help and in a lot of areas. So much so that at times they can weary you. And when I have seen that, I remember this verse and it becomes clear.
The other members who have the gifts of helps and the gift of encouragement and the gift of wisdom, they need an outlet for their gifts.
The more feeble members are there for two reasons. So they can get help, and the second reason is so the Christians with the gifts can be used of God, so they can use their gift to help and in doing so they are loving their neighbor as themselves.
And thus fulfilling the will of God. Feeble Christians are necessary.
1 Cor 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
1 Cor 12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
1 Cor 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
1 Cor 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1 Cor 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And now Paul is going to hit this truth again. He has already brought it up several times. Not everyone gets the same gift. And the choice of what gift you get is not yours. And you should not covet what you think is the best gift.
1 Cor 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1 Cor 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1 Cor 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1 Cor 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Do all do all these things? No. But they are earnestly coveting the best gifts.
They have the focus with gifts all wrong. They have it on themselves.
The desire for the power, the trill, the excitement of the gift is wrong. So Paul says he is next going to show them a more excellent way.
A more excellent focus, a more excellent purpose. Something that is greatly better and we will see that next week.