The Assembly was the place where spiritual gifts would be developed and manifested. These chapters are taken up largely with this subject, the apostle taking occasion thereby to bring in the whole principles of the Assembly of God, to regulate their working. The Lord’s Table was the Assembly Meeting, but gifts might be developed there, and it was important they should be regulated. (1 Cor. 12:2, 32Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3Wherefore 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. (1 Corinthians 12:2‑3).) The first great thing was to discern what was the true working of the Spirit of God, for they had been Gentiles, carried away by dumb idols, and the power of the enemy was manifested there. How were they to discern the workings of the true Spirit? By two tests: first, no one speaking by the Spirit of God would call Jesus, Anathema; and, 2ndly, no one would call Jesus, Lord, but by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Ver. 4-6.) But though there were diversities of gifts, there was but one Spirit; whilst there were diversities of ministries there was but one Lord; and whilst there were diversities of operations, yet it was the same God that worked all in all. Thus, whilst the apostle guards the Corinthians from what was false, he brings them into holy separation to one Spirit, one Lord, and one God; not exactly the Trinity, yet if each Person were traced back to His source, it might come to it. If, then, the Christian is separated from Satan and all the powers of darkness, as exhibited in false religion, he is separated to God, the Source of all unity and ministry, to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Head and Center of it, giving the persons to minister, and to the Holy Ghost, as the Power of unity, the Giver of the gifts to the persons whom Christ gives. This Spirit of God manifests His Presence in the gifts for every man’s profit; not for show, as the Corinthians used it (see ch. 14).
(Ver. 8-11.) To one is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, to another gifts of healing, &c.; abut all these worked that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will. The unity of the Spirit is here insisted on, as likewise His presence in the Assembly, for the regulation of the gifts. He is the Sovereign Power within the Assembly, manifesting His presence by acting as He pleases, and distributing to every man severally as He wills. What ignorance, then, and unbelief, for Assemblies to be crying out for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. It is as great ignorance and folly for Christians to pray for the Holy Ghost to come, as it would have been if the disciples had asked God to send Jesus on earth, after He was there amongst them. The Holy Ghost came down as really on the day of Pentecost, as Jesus came down when he was born in the virgin’s womb. Let us rejoice, then, and own His presence, for this is really what Christendom has lost, even the realization of the Presence and Power of the Holy Ghost in the Assembly of God. If this is denied, I ask, why have you your printed prayer- books, themselves a substitute for and a denial of the worship of the Spirit? Why Your one-man ministry, itself a denial of the ministry of the Spirit? I ask, how can the Spirit act, as manifested in this chapter, in the churches and chapels of this day? Man has substituted his order for God’s order. The Spirit cannot Himself act in the gifts as He will.
(Ver. 12, 13) But to return to this chapter, if the Spirit acts and manifests his Presence, it is upon and in a Body which He has formed. This is the Church, which is here likened to a human Body and Head. And as there is only one Spirit (ver. 11), so there is only one Body (ver. 12). (Cp. Eph. 4:44There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4).) 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 the Christ. Marvelous and holy truth! Christ and the Church are so one that they are likened to one human body, and called the Christ. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost introduces us into and constitutes us members of that Body, for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, or bond, or free, and have been all made to drink of that one Spirit. Before Pentecost, the Holy Ghost had not yet come (see John 7:3939(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39); Acts 1:5-85For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:5‑8)). The Assembly was not yet formed (see Matt. 16:1818And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)): but on that day 3,000 were gathered out of all nations, and, together with the 120 disciples (who had already received life in Christ) already gathered, formed the Body of Christ, united to the Head in heaven by the Holy Ghost sent down. This was entirely a new creation, a new man formed outside the Jewish and Gentile world. Every sect formed is an addition to this truth, and a denial of the truth of one Body and one Spirit. If the Church is in disorder (and who will deny it?) the saints’ only resource is to drop every thing which shows division and worldliness, and come together simply as members of Christ, acknowledging that membership as the only bond of union throughout the world; not making a fresh body, but acknowledging that which the Holy Ghost has already formed. To put the Lord’s Table into a place, then, where I become a member of a body, is wrong; but to own it as the place where the Membership of Christ, already formed by the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, is expressed, is to put it in its right place. So are the saints preserved from sectarianism and worldliness. What follows in our chapter brings out the
Working of the Assembly
There are two chief principles: first (ver. 14), the body is not one member but many; secondly (ver. 20), they are many members yet but one body. (Ver. 15) Now, if the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? (Ver. 16) And if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? Such a principle would be independency, and schism, a principle most common all around. (Ver. 17) But if the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? (Ver. 18) But now hath God set the members every one of them in the Body as it hath pleased Him. To own this, is the corrective power to all willfulness. (Ver. 19) If, however, they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. A sharp rebuke against the principle of one-man ministry. (Ver. 20) The true principle is, many members working in the one great unity, the body. (Ver. 21) Therefore 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. Man may try to do it, but glory be to God, the Blessed Head will not say, of the smallest member, I can do without you. Oh, that all dear Christians would follow His example. (Ver. 21-25) Nay, much more, those members of the Body which seem to be more feeble, are necessary; and those we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor. God Himself hath joined the body so together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there might be no schism in the Body, but that the members should have the same care one of another. (Ver. 26) And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it, or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
(Ver. 27) The apostle now directly applies this working of a human body to the local Assembly at Corinth. Now ye are the Body of Christ, and members in particular. This is a complete answer to those who deny the present responsibility of the saints to manifest the Body of Christ on earth. For though no local Assembly can claim, now-a-days, to be the Assembly of God on earth, the saints being all divided, and therefore the Assembly being not all together; still the saints who see the evil are responsible to own the truth, and come together on the basis of that truth; and if they do, God will most surely own them as far as they are faithful as representing His Assembly. That all this part of the chapter applies to the manifestation of the Body on earth is certain, for members do not suffer in heaven. Miracles and tongues are not for heaven, but are the fruits of the Spirit working on and in the Body, as the manifestation of its unity on earth. If Christendom has failed, yet the responsibility of the saints most surely remains, as long as the truth of God remains. (Ver. 28-30) As for the need of the Assembly, God has set in it, first apostles (they are the foundations); 2ndly, prophets; 3rdly, teachers; then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, governments; different tongues. All are not apostles, all are not prophets, all are not teachers, &c. There was thus lots to covet for every one, and yet there was something better at the bottom. Better than all gifts! Better than all theories of truth! And that was Love. That was the character of the Spirit and of Christ, and what bound all together, and that was what the Corinthians were lacking in.
We have, then, in this chapter, the doctrine of the Church of God, the Body of Christ. In the beginning, the Spirit of God is put in contrast with the spirits of dumb idols, and known by two tests, ver. 3. His presence and unity, working by several gifts, is then insisted on to ver. 11; vers. 12, 13 take us on to the truth, that if there was one Spirit, there was one Body, of which Christ was the Head, and altogether named the Christ, the entrance into which was by the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, who formed it at Pentecost, and constitutes those thus baptized members of it. Vers. 14-27 show us the working of it, by the figure of a human body; the two chief principles being, first, the Body was not one member but many; secondly, that the members were several, yet but one body. (Vers. 27-31) He applies this truth to the local Assembly at Corinth, and shows the different members God had set in the Church to meet their need.