The One Holy Spirit and his many gifts

Text 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Time 16/03/14 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

Around this time last year we began a series of studies in 1 Corinthians. By the end of November I'd preached 30 sermons covering the first 11 chapters. We've had a break since then and what I want to do today is to pick up where we left off.

In the first 6 chapters Paul talks about what he wants to raise – their unacceptable divisions, their toleration of the man guilty of incest, their taking each other to court and their misunderstanding of Christian freedom. Then at the start of Chapter 7 he says Now for the matters you wrote about and begins to deal with those things. Chapter 7 is on marriage and divorce, etc. In Chapter 8 he begins to deal with the matter of food sacrificed to idols and the need for brotherly love and not standing on your rights, which goes on into Chapter 9 and then Chapter 10 which is full of warnings from Israel's history. Chapter 11 is famous as the first part is about maintaining differences between men and women – the hats passage some call it – and the second part is about the Lord's Supper.

When we come to Chapter 12 Paul starts on a new subject. He says Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. Back in 1:7 he has told them you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed but this is the first place where he really takes up the subject, which was clearly causing tensions in Corinth.

One of the Corinthians problems was their spiritual pride. All the way through this letter Paul is seeking to slowly let the air out of their puffed up balloon. At the beginning of Chapter 8 he says Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. Before that he has been digging away with his Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? (3:16) Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? (5:6) Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? (6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19)

We get it again in 9:13 and 24 Don't you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?

Ringing the changes in 10:1 it is For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea and here again (12:1) it is Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.

In each case Paul is really covering Christian basics, things that the Corinthians should surely know by this stage. So what we want to say this morning is quite basic. If you are a Christian you should know these things. These are basic.

1. Understand that pagans do not have the Spirit but Christians do

Paul begins by reminding them of their past (2) You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. This applies to the Gentiles in Corinth but even the Jews were like Gentiles influenced and led astray to mute idols. The influence that guided their lives was a pagan one, demons led the way. Outside of Christ, that is all there is. If you are not a Christian, you will be led astray and worship created things rather than the Creator.

But, of course, a great change had come in the lives of these Corinthians. This change was something that the Holy Spirit brought about. Verse 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. Paul perhaps when he was a persecutor of Christians would try to get them to say "Jesus be cursed," but he now knew that those with the Spirit would not say it. Conversely, without the Holy Spirit we cannot honestly say that Jesus is Lord that he is God. It is only as the Spirit works in us that we come to know the truth.

Here is something vital to begin with. The only way any of us can honestly say that Jesus is Lord is if the Holy Spirit enables us. We need him at work in our lives. Is the Holy Spirit at work within you? Can you honestly say Jesus is Lord? If not, pray that God will give you the Holy Spirit. Once he enters into your life then you will be a Christian indeed.

2. Realise that the one God gives his people different roles

That's the first thing to get then. But then the next thing Paul wants us to see is that although it is the one Holy Spirit who works in all believers yet he does it in different ways. In a very Trinitarian series of phrases Paul says in verses 4-6

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

It is the same Spirit who works in all Christians then but the gifts he gives them differ. Every Christian acknowledges that Jesus is Lord but they do not all serve him in exactly the same way. God works in all of his people, though in different ways.

Think of a rugby team. They all wear the same colour shirts and play for the same club. They have the same manager, the same captain, the same fans. However, some are tall slim men, some are huge wide men. All shapes and sizes play. Some are forwards, some are backs; some are gifted kickers, most are not. Now among God's people, something similar goes on. As the Spirit works in each one he gives them different gifts and so they are enabled to serve the Lord in different ways.

Or think of a workman with his toolbox. When he is doing a job he selects the right tool for the right job. He uses a saw to cut wood, a plane to plane it. He uses a hammer to put in nails, a chisel to create a recess in the wood. There is one toolbox and one craftsman but many different tools.

So, if you have the Holy Spirit do you realise that he has gifted you to serve Jesus Christ as he intends? Do you realise that God is at work among us all, although in different ways in different people?

3. Recognise that these different gifts are all for the common good

Verse 7 takes the argument on a little further Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. Every Christian has at least one gift. This comes with conversion and does not require some second blessing to gain it. Of course, a person may have more than one gift and it may take a little while before that is apparent. The gifts of the Spirit are not given to make us feel good about ourselves or to increase our assurance or in fact anything to do with ourselves, as such. No all these gifts are given for the common good. These gifts are all intended to all of us good.

Think of the rugby team. They play in different positions but they all want to win against the opposition. Every point scored is for the whole team not just for the individual. It is the same with the workman and his toolbox. If he is making a cabinet, say, he uses whatever tool he needs to get the job done. It is all bent to the one end. Or think of an advancing army. There are different roles. Some are leaders, some are foot soldiers. They may have different pieces of equipment. They all work together though to overcome the enemy.

Is this how you think? Whatever gift you have or that anyone else has in the church, do you see that it is intended for the common good? Are you using whatever gifts you have for the common good? That is God's intention.

4. Think of the variety of gifts given but all by the one Spirit

In verses 8-10 Paul gives a list of gifts of the Spirit. He mentions some other things at the end of the chapter too. This is one of several places where Paul lists spiritual gifts. It is clear from these lists that none of them, or even all of them together, are exhaustive. Paul is merely giving us examples of spiritual gifts. One problem we have with these list is that it is not always obvious what is being referred to. Phrases like gifts of healing or miraculous powers are fairly obvious but what is the message of wisdom or the message of knowledge? Something like prophecy or tongues is open to some interpretation too. Another issue here is whether all the gifts Paul mentions are gifts that we can expect to see in operation today. A similar question would be to what extent these gifts are what we think of as supernatural or natural. If a person is healed by prayer we would see that as a supernatural thing, whereas if it was through the work of a doctor we would think of it as a more natural thing, although, of course, all healings are God's work not ours.

Whatever we say about the nine gifts listed here then we need to be fairly tentative to some extent. The list begins with references to people being given the message of wisdom or the message of knowledge and it closes with references (10) to speaking in different kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues. These all sound like public speaking gifts as does prophecy but the other gifts in verse 9 (faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing between spirits) are not of that order.

So let's think about these gifts. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit. This sounds like something supernatural and probably something largely confined to the New Testament period when there was no New Testament as such and so the need for a word of wisdom to guide or knowledge to inform was necessary. Even today we need people with knowledge, people who can teach us more deeply from God's word and with wisdom who when as a church we are facing difficulties can advise and guide us.

In verse 9a he says to another faith by the same Spirit. By faith here he cannot mean the faith that all Christians must have in Christ. He must have in mind wonder working faith of a very high degree. In 13:2 Paul refers to having a faith that can move mountains. No doubt there is a need for such people of faith today too.

9b to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit. We know that in the New Testament there were great gifts of healing. Paul and Peter and other apostles were able to do amazing things. Not that they could heal everyone necessarily. Paul talks about leaving Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20). However, amazing miracles of healing took place that have never really been repeated since. Certainly there are cases where a person has been seriously sick and in answer to prayer they have been healed and I know there are people who claim to be healers but we are talking here about someone with the gift of healing.

Most miracles we read of in the New Testament were miracles of healing but we do read of others, miracles of judgement for example – blinding or even killing. So Paul adds (10) to another miraculous powers.

To another prophecy. Because there was no New Testament there would be direct revelations from God. There is no reason to expect these today because the Bible is complete. Preaching continues, however, and that ought to have a prophetic edge to it.

To another distinguishing between spirits. No doubt Satan was very quick to reproduce the things seen in the New Testament church, words of wisdom and knowledge, prophecies, and so on, for his own wicked purposes. Some misguided souls would simply pretend to be speaking in God's name. It was sometimes hard to know what to make of things. Some had the gift of distinguishing between spirits however and could reveal the true case. Of course, that gift too could be mimicked so it did not solve the problem but it enabled some progress to be made.

To another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. There is a psychological phenomenon called glossolalia. It enables some people in a state of ecstasy to speak in a way that sounds like a foreign language. Many people can do this I'm sure. Many Christians believe that is what Paul is talking about here. They also believe this gift continues today in one form or another. However, it seems to me more likely that Paul is saying that some people in Corinth had the ability to speak in quite uncommon tongues and were receiving messages from God in those tongues. Possibly they received messages in languages that they didn't understand but it is more likely to be something they understood. Prophecies came in Greek but there were also messages in tongues that few people understood. Now a tongue that most people can't understand is useless to most unless someone can interpret it. One thing I have learned about languages is that not everyone who speaks, say English and Welsh, has the gift of interpreting those languages. My wife as you know speaks Welsh and she sits down and translates things sometimes but it's hard work. Other people I know of can simultaneously translate as a person speaks – like in the UN. It is a gift.

In many missionary situations today people are only going to hear the gospel if someone goes to them, learns their language and translates the Bible for them and preaches to them. We need people like that.

So here are nine gifts – prophesying, speaking in an unusual language, being able to interpret such a language, a word of knowledge or wisdom, faith, healing, other miracles, distinguishing between spirits. Paul probably possessed most if not all of those gifts. It was more common to possess only some of them.

Today we should not expect to prophesy, speak words of knowledge or wisdom, have wonder working faith, heal people or do other miracles, distinguish between spirits or receive messages in other tongues or interpret such messages. However, how we need preachers, wise and knowledgeable leaders, men and women of great faith, healers of various sorts and people who do great things, discerning people and people willing to learn foreign tongues and how to interpret them. Pray for such people to be raised up.

5. Never forget that all these gifts are given by one and the same Spirit as he determines

The closing verse of this section is verse 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. Too often messages on this subject produce the wrong reaction. We either get steamed up about what is or what isn't a New Testament gift or focus on ourselves and our gifts. Rather the emphasis here is on the fact that All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, it is he who gives them to each one and just as he determines not as we think fit.

Give thanks that there is a Holy Spirit at work in this world today. If you do not have the Spirit, pray he will come to you. Pray he will come to your unconverted family and friends and to others too. Pray that he will give his gifts to the churches as he determines. Pray that these gifts will all be used to the praise and glory of God.