1Co 12Let it be well understood by us all, that every one who has believed the gospel of his salvation, is sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). The Spirit of God dwells in him (1 Cor. 6:19), and the Spirit is the seal, the anointing, and the earnest in our hearts (2 Cor. 1:21, 22). He also dwells in the assembly as a whole (1 Cor. 3:16).
There are anxious souls who are seeking to walk in the right way, and show marks of life, but have not seen Christ as the one in whom they are perfected (Heb. 10:14). They have not settled peace (Rom. 5:1); we do not speak of these as Christians. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," and these are yet in bondage. Safe as trusting in Christ, but not yet knowing salvation where no condemnation can ever come.
The Holy Spirit dwells in those who are redeemed; they do not pray for the Holy Ghost to be given to them then.
This chapter speaks of spiritual manifestations. The apostle wishes them to know the distinctive marks of the Holy Spirit's presence and actings.
Verses 2, 3, refer to how the evil spirits spoke and acted with the heathen, and the Corinthians were such before conversion, and had allowed themselves to be led just as the evil spirits desired. One speaking in the power of the Spirit of God, would never say, "Curse on Jesus." No demon would own the Lordship of Christ. Christians, speaking in the power of the Spirit of God, gladly own Jesus as Lord. This is the contrast, not between a true Christian and one who is only a professor, but between heathenism and Christianity.
In the present-day we find Christians yielding to the influence of evil spirits, and are led by them into extravagancies of behavior; and what they call "speaking with tongues" is entirely contrary to Scripture, and they think that they are led by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit would ever lead us into obedience to the Word of God. The enemy is active now as ever, to lead astray the children of God. Some, not having Christ as the satisfying portion of the heart, and seeking for higher spiritual life, as it is sometimes called, have fallen victims to these influences which exercise power over their minds,-it is the deluding power of the enemy in these last days.
Verses 4-7. Here we get instructions, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." But to each, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for profit. There is no thought in verse 7 of every man in the world having the Spirit. He is speaking only to the Church of God. It is given to each member to fill his place according to the gift he has received from God in the power of the Spirit. It is by the Spirit that communion is maintained and enjoyed. We could not realize the character, and discern the will of God without this communion, or be able to witness for God on earth. Our strength, our joy, and our spiritual intelligence would fail. The Lord saw the condition of the Church at Ephesus, and said, "Thou hast left thy first love," while others might think her a bright witness for the Lord, and if we are walking in the power of the Spirit, we are occupied with the Lord; not with ourselves, our blessings, or our attainments, or progress, nor with the Holy Spirit. He occupies us with Christ who reveals the Father to us. All three work together as one in mind and purpose, so that the Spirit is in power, carrying out the will of God to glorify the Father and the Son, and for profit of the assembly, and using the members of the body to minister to each other.
Verse S. "For to one by the Spirit is given the word of wisdom." "Wisdom is the application of divine light to right and wrong, and to all the circumstances through which we pass-a perception of the true nature of things, and of their relationship to each other, and of conduct with regard to both, which, coming from God, guides us through the difficulties of the way, and enables us to avoid that which would place us in a false position towards God and man." "To another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit." Knowledge is intelligence in the mind of God as it is revealed to us.
Verse 9. "To another faith by the same spirit." "Faith is not here, simple faith in the gospel (that is, not a distinctive gift which one believer may possess and another not), This is evident. It is the faith, the energy, given by God which overcomes difficulties, which rises above dangers, which confronts them without being alarmed by them.”
Verse 10. "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy" (that is, receiving the revelation from God in some special way about His mind, before the Scriptures were completed. Acts 21:9).
“To another discerning of spirits." "The discerning of spirits is not that of a man's condition of soul-it has nothing to do with it. It is the knowledge how to discern, by the mighty energy of the Spirit of God, the actings of evil spirits, and to bring them to light if necessary, in contrast with the action of the Spirit of God.”
“To another divers kind of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues." These two last with working of miracles, and gifts of healing, are today shamefully used by Satan's imitation to deceive godly people. And many calling themselves Christians are carrying on the delusion, and many dear children of God have their happiness ruined by going with them.
The apostle is not giving in this chapter what is to continue to the end, as he does in Eph. 4:11-14, but what was going on at that time when the Church was all together, and God was working specially for its establishment in the truth. It is Satan's miracles that are found at the end of the Church period (2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:14; Matt. 7:21-23). There is no such thing as speaking in tongues, or interpreting of tongues today. The last is a gross deception where it is asserted that they can interpret. The speaking is an evil and uncontrolled influence that has no use or meaning to it,-no real language in it. It is the influence of evil spirits in those who have yielded themselves to it.
Verse 11. "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will." Another quotation, "The Spirit was one, he had said, working diversely in the members according to His will. The importance of His personality, and the immense import of His divinity (if we reflect that it is He who works in and by man) is very evident when we observe that He is the center and the living power of the unity of the whole body, so that the individuals, in the exercise of their gifts, are but the members of the one and the same body divinely formed by the power and the presence of the, Spirit. This point the apostle develops largely, in connection with the oneness of the body, the mutual dependence of the members, and the relationship of each one to the body as a whole.”
Verses 12, 13. These verses show that the body of Christ, with its many members, has been formed by the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and that it includes all Jews and Gentiles who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
This was not possible before Christ died and rose again, and was exalted to glory at God's right hand (John 7:39; Acts 2:33; Eph. 3:2-10). Now it is a blessed fact, and it becomes every Christian to believe it, and to behave accordingly. And not only are we One body, but the word says, "And have been all made to drink into One Spirit." "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." 1 Cor. 6:17.
"One spirit with the Lord;”
O blessed, wondrous word!
What heavenly light, what power divine,
Doth that sweet word afford!
“One spirit with the Lord,”
Jesus, the glorified,
Esteems the Church for which He bled,
His body and His bride.
It looks like an allusion to the cup we partake of in the Lord's supper; he is not speaking there of the Holy Ghost: one spirit was the state of the believers, the word being used in contrast with one body, associated in one heart and mind by the Spirit,-participating in Christ, so that we are by the Spirit formed into one body and are all made partakers, are animated individually by one and the same Spirit.
Verses 14-25. All the members are needed to form the one body, and have need of each other, is all the members of a person's body need each other. "And even those gifts which were the most shining, were comparatively of the least value, even as a man clothes and ornaments the least honorable parts of his body, and leaves the more beautiful parts uncovered.”
Verse 26. This gives common interests in all the members, either in caring for, or suffering, or honoring each other.
Verse 27. "Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular," and though that assembly was only part of the body of Christ, it was the local expression of the whole body.
There is no other membership in the New Testament, and this looks at all Christians as members joined together by the Holy Ghost, and while meeting in different towns or countries, we take them all in when the one loaf is before us on the table (1 Cor. 10:16, 17). Notice also that this One Body is not a tree with branches; it recognizes believers every where, as one.
Alas! scattering and divisions exist, and while a few gather to the Name of the Lord Jesus as members of the body of Christ, we could not say of such a meeting now, "Ye are the body of Christ and members in particular," but we might say, "We are gathered as members of His body, to Christ the Head," and that is the only ground in Scripture to gather upon with the Lord's approval, and such a gathering is in the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3, 4).
Verses 28-31. "God hath set some in the assembly." Notice that the word is changed. The assembly has no members; the body has. The apostle takes in the whole assembly everywhere as one assembly. It is God's assembly on earth, and by the One Spirit who dwells in it, He is ministering gifts necessary for its building up. This is not a complete list of the gifts, but to mark their order and importance (the evangelist is not even mentioned here), and some of these are needed no longer. Apostles and prophets laid the foundation (Eph. 2). Sign-gifts have disappeared. All were right in their place, but he says, "Covet earnestly the best gifts," those which minister edification to the assembly.
Eph. 4:11-16, gives what is to continue to the coming of the Lord. No gifts which are signs of power to others, are mentioned there. The Lord has left to us what is needed for the upbuilding of the saints.
Then we get a more excellent way shown us in the next chapter,-love the spring of it all,-the love of Christ in its activity in His members.