JANUARY 17, 2021
SPIRITUAL GIFTS (PART I)
INTRODUCTION:
1. Paul has been responding to a number of questions addressed to him in a letter for the Corinthians. (Ch. 7:1) Some of these inquiries raised concerns about conduct in the public worship. He dealt with two such matters in Chapter 11. The first being that women were participating in public worship unveiled; and the second was improper observance of the Lord’s Supper.
2. We come now in this chapter to a third disorder which involved their spiritual gifts.
3. In the early church, prior to the completion of the New Testament Scriptures, there was a diversity of spiritual gifts, i.e. supernatural endowments which continued until the New Testament was completed, after which time they were no longer necessary. (Ch. 13:10)
4. Under circumstances so extraordinary, it was virtually unavoidable that many disorders should arise. Some would become proud of their gifts. Others would pretend to be organs of the Holy Spirit who were only imposters. Some were envious of those whose gifts seemed more glamorous than their own. Others would be inclined to ostentatious displays of extraordinary powers.
5. To the correction of these and other abusers of the gifts, Paul devotes this and the next two chapters. It is impossible to read them without being deeply impressed with his great wisdom in handling these things.
I. FIRST, THE APOSTLE ESTABLISHES THE FACT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE AUTHOR AND BESTOWER OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS, AND THEIR PROPER USE IS OF HIS WILL AND DIRECTION. (VERSES 1-3) After contrasting the condition of the Corinthians, as members of that body which was alive with the Spirit of the Living God, with their former condition as the senseless worshippers of dumb idols, he then lays down the criterion by which they might determine whether those who pretended to be organs of the Holy Spirit were really under His influence. How do they speak of Christ? Do they blaspheme, or do they worship Him? If they sincerely recognize Jesus as the supreme Lord, then they are under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
A. OF THIS, THE APOSTLE WOULD NOT HAVE THEM TO BE IGNORANT. (VERSE 1)
1. That their spiritual gifts came from God, and were to be used for Him, were two essential facts of which ignorance would lead them far astray.
2. It was no secret that the Holy Spirit’s highest purpose was to bear witness to and magnify Jesus Christ. The exercise of any of His gifts for any other purpose is done ignorantly.
B. HE WOULD REMIND THEM OF THE SAD STATE OUT OF WHICH THEY HAD BEEN RECOVERED. (VERSE 2)
1. When they were in heathenism, and not God’s peculiar people, they could not have been influenced by the Spirit of Christ. (Eph. 2:11, 12)
2. Formerly, they were addicted to the worship of dumb idols. (Compare Hab. 2:18, 19) They were carried away, …even as they were led. They were controlled by a force which they could neither understand nor resist. This is often spoken of those being led away to judgment or execution. (Mark 14:13; John 18:13)
3. Paul means to contrast this being carried away by force, as it were, with the being led by the Spirit. The one was an irrational influence controlling the will. The other is of God, congruous with our nature, and leading to good.
C. HE SHOWS THEM HOW THEY MIGHT DISCERN THOSE GIFTS THAT WERE FROM THE SPIRIT OF GOD. (VERSE 3)
1. None could speak by the Spirit of God who disowned Christ. Christ was blasphemed by both Jews and Gentiles as an imposter. John declares that all such Christ-deniers and blasphemers are antichrists. (I John 4:2, 3; see also 2:22, 23)
2. On the other hand, none could call Jesus Lord except it be given him by the Holy Ghost.
a) No man can call Jesus Lord with a believing subjection to Him, and dependence on Him, unless such faith be wrought by the Spirit of God. (I John 4:15; Matt. 16:16, 17; see also John 6:44, 45)
b) No man can confess this truth in the day of trial but by the Holy Spirit. None will persevere in the faith of Jesus Christ but by the Divine Spirit.
c) No man could exercise the gifts of the Spirit to the exaltation of Jesus Christ except by the Spirit Himself.
II. SECOND, THE APOSTLE DECLARES THAT THESE GIFTS, WHETHER VIEWED IN RELATION TO THE SPIRIT, TO THE SON, OR TO THE FATHER, ARE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELLING IN HIS PEOPLE, AND INTENDED FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. (VRS. 4-7) The second thing which he teaches concerning these gifts is their diversity of character in connection with the unity of their source and design. He is not, however, to be understood as here dividing these gifts into three classes, such as gifts, ministrations, and operations. He is, rather, presenting them each and all under three different aspects.
A. VIEWED IN RELATION TO THE SPIRIT, THEY ARE GIFTS. (VERSE 4)
1. The same Spirit is the Giver. He is the immediate and proximate Author of all of the various endowments.
2. It is the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God Who are concerned in them all.
3. Some understand this passage as describing three distinct classes of gifts; one as derived from the Spirit, the other from the Son, and the other from the Father. But this view is inconsistent with the repeated reference of these gifts to the Holy Spirit.
B. VIEWED IN RELATION TO THE LORD, THEY ARE MINISTRATIONS. (VERSE 5)
1. It is the same Lord in Whose service and by Whose authority these various gifts are exercised.
2. They are all different forms in which He is served or ministered to.
3. All spiritual gifts are modes for serving the Son, and are given for that reason alone.
C. VIEWED IN RELATION TO THE FATHER, THEY ARE OPERATIONS, I.E. EFFECTS WROUGHT BY HIS POWER. (VERSE 6)
1. It is the same God and father, Who having exalted the Lord Jesus Christ to the supreme headship of the church, and having sent the Holy Spirit, works all these effects in the minds of men.
2. There is no inconsistency between this statement and Verse 11, where the Spirit is said to work all these gifts; because God works by His Spirit.
D. HOWEVER, AND IN WHOMEVER THE SPIRIT MANIFESTS HIS GIFTS, IT IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE WHOLE CHURCH. (VERSE 7)
1. To every believer, or every recipient of the Holy Spirit is given a manifestation of the Spirit.
2. The Holy Spirit, Who dwells in all believers, manifests Himself in one way in one person, and in another way in another person.
3. The illustration of this, which the Apostle will subsequently introduce, is derived from the human body. The life contributions of various organs differ, yet all are needful for the function of the whole.
III. THIRDLY, THE APOSTLE ARRANGES THESE SPIRITUAL GIFTS UNDER THREE HEADS. (VRS. 8-10) Those who understand this passage in the way before mentioned; as describing three classes of gifts (from the Spirit, Son, and Father) suppose that to the first class belongs Verse 8, to the second class belongs Verse 9, and to the third class belongs Verse 10. But, as noted, the Holy Spirit is the Giver of all gifts, and the Apostle is here illustrating the diversity of forms in which the same Spirit manifests Himself in different individuals.
A. THE FIRST CATEGORY INCLUDES THE WORD OF WISDOM AND THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE. (VERSE 8)
1. It is not easy to determine the difference between the gift of wisdom and the gift of knowledge. The one is communication of wisdom, while the other is the communication of knowledge, but what is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?
2. Some are of the opinion that wisdom is practical and knowledge is speculative. Others say just the reverse. Another view is that wisdom refers to what is perceived in intuition, i.e. what is apprehended by reason; and knowledge refers to what is perceived by the understanding. So, wisdom would be spiritual discernment, while knowledge would be scientific knowledge.
3. Still another view is that by wisdom is meant The Gospel, or the ability to expound and reveal the mystery. In favor of this view is that Paul often spoke of his primary gift as an Apostle as “the wisdom of God given to me.” Also favoring this view is that in this section about spiritual gifts, this gift stands first in importance. (Verse 28; Ch. 14:3, 4)
B. THE SECOND CATEGORY INCLUDES THE GIFTS OF FAITH, HEALING, MIRACLES, PROPHESYING, AND DISCERNING SPIRITS. (VERSES 9, 10a)
1. Faith is here mentioned as a gift peculiar to some Christians, but not all, and therefore cannot mean saving faith.
a) Many believe it is referring to the faith of miracles. (Ch. 13:2; Matt. 17:19, 20)
b) It may simply mean a higher measure of the ordinary grace of faith. (See Heb. 11:33-40)
2. The gift of healing. (See Acts 4:30)
3. Working of miracles. This is more comprehensive than the preceding gifts. This was exemplified in the death of Ananias (Acts 5:5); in raising Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42); in the smiting of Elymas with blindness (Acts 13:8-11).
4. Prophecy. The nature of this gift is seen in Chapter 14. It consisted in inspiration and revelations respecting faith and duty. After the Scriptures were completed this gift was no longer needful, and thus ceased.
5. Discerning of spirits. Since there were many pretenders to inspiration, Christians were exhorted to “try the spirits.” (I John 4:1) This ability is still needful, and every believer ought to be able to try what is spoken by the Word of God. (Isa. 8:20)
C. THE THIRD CATEGORY INCLUDES THE GIFT OF TONGUES, AND THE INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES. (VERSE 10b)
1. Tongues. This is the ability to speak in languages previously unknown to the speaker. (Acts 2:4-11; Mark16:17; Acts 10:46; 19:6) That the meaning of new tongues, other tongues, and tongues in those passages is carried over to these chapters can hardly be denied. What was uttered were articulate sounds; the vehicles of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. (Ch. 14:14-17) Though perhaps unintelligible to the speaker, they were intelligible to those acquainted with the language which was spoken.
2. The interpretation of tongues. This is simply the ability to understand and convey the message spoken in another tongue to the church for its profit and edification.
IV. FOURTHLY, THE APOSTLE DECLARES THAT THESE ARE NOT ONLY GIFTS OF WHICH THE SPIRIT IS THE AUTHOR, BUT THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO HIS SOVEREIGN WILL.(VERSE 11)
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