First Corinthians

First Corinthians was taught by Dr. James Modlish
Outline provided by Randy Rogers

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

Intro: Chapter 12 has to do with Spiritual Gifts, and their proper use in the church. Paul breaks them down into three lists, with some of the gifts being what we call “Sign” gifts, since they are for Israel and Israel requires a sign (1 Cor. 1:22). Chapter 14 on the other hand deals more specifically with the misuse of the gift of Speaking in Tongues, which we will deal with in that chapter.

People of the Charismatic persuasion love to spend time in the next three chapters of Corinthians since they deal with gifts. Charisma is the Greek word for gifted. Generally if you are gifted you don’t go around boasting of that gift, but the Corinthian church did, and so do some of the people today who are following that persuasion.

The next 3 chapters, Paul tries to straighten them out on these issues so they might grow into a more useful church for the Lord’s work.

12:1 “I would not have you ignorant.” - Apparently the Corinthian church was ignorant about these gifts and their proper use and place in the local church.

The Corinthian church was the most carnal church that Paul dealt with in his travels, and they had these gifts and abused them. They were power hunger, and gave no thought to the Fruit of The Spirit mentioned in (Gal. 5).

12:2 “were Gentiles” - The Corinthians were Gentiles before Salvation. Once they were saved they were Christians and not Gentiles.

“dumb idols” - This is not a reference to them being stupid, but rather the idols could not speak, kinda like the old expression “dumb animals.”

12:3 A man that is speaking by the Spirit of God can not call Jesus accursed. This surely brings up a problem when dealing with the Catholic church. They are the only group of people that have officially cursed Jesus Christ. Check out the Council of Trent 1546 where “on paper” they curse anybody that does not believe that the Apocrypha is inspired scripture, and the wine & wafer don’t turn into the physical body and blood of Jesus Christ at the mass.

You often hear the Charismatic people say the “Jesus is Lord,” and so he is, but that is the confession of the devil and the lost man at the Great White Throne, (Phil. 2:11). The verse here says, “Jesus is the Lord,” and that confession is prompted by the Holy Ghost.

Notice the interchangeable use of The Holy Spirit and The Holy Ghost. Both are the same.

One thing that needs to be made clear is that the Holy Spirit of (vs. 3) is the same as the Holy Ghost. This becomes clear in (v. 13) where you have the baptism of the Spirit, which the Charismatics try to say is different than the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

12:4 Different gifts as listed in (vs. 8-10), but it is the same Holy Spirit that gives the gifts and shows us how to use them.

12:5 Administrations - ministries! These gifts are given out to accomplish the purpose that God has planned.

The term Lord is not always a reference to Jesus Christ, as some would have you believe, but is also a reference to God the Father, as well as the Holy Spirit, (as in this case).

12:6 Diversities of operation - are different ways in which the gifts are used (vs. 4-6). It is still the same God (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) that works in the individual.

12:7 Manifestation of the Spirit - This has been misused by the Charismatic movement to mean, Speaking in Tongues, being Slain in the Spirit, falling down and rolling around on the floor in a convulsive like state, and other assorted things that are used to try and make someone think that the Holy Spirit has got a hold of them and they are so blessed and Godly, that it is evident by all the afore mentioned gyrations.

“Withal” - old English which means “together”, or at the same time.

12:8 “By the Spirit” - Only the Holy Spirit gives the gifts, and true Spiritual gifts come from him. This has nothing to do with fortune tellers, palm readers, witches, etc.

Now we list the gifts. Some are “Sign Gifts” given to Israel, and some are not and are still in use in the church today.

“Word of Wisdom” - Special Wisdom from God. This is not a sign gift and is in use today.
“Word of Knowledge” - Knowing the facts about a specific subject. This is not a sign gift, but the Charismatics like to use this gift on TV; but they never manage to give the person’s name to whom the word of knowledge is about, or for.

12:9 “Faith” - Some Christians just seem to have more faith than do others. Some are given a larger measure of faith than others (Rom. 12:3). Remember also (Rom. 10:17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

This gift is not a sign gift, but is in use today!

“Gifts of Healing” - notice it does not say “Gift” (singular), but “GIFTS!” This is very much a Sign gift for Israel. The nation of Israel started with a sign, and that sign was Healing (Ex. 4:8); 1 Cor. 1:22; Mk. 16:17-18).

Notice how Paul keeps using the term “by the same Spirit” (vs. 8, 9, 11)! He is trying to get it through the Corinthian’s heads that it is the Spirit from which the gifts come, and not their own selves.

12:10 “Working of Miracles” - This is a Sign gift for Israel. The greatest miracle every perform by God is the salvation of the soul. This took some doing. How to justify a lost hell bound sinner and still remain Holy. This took the Blood of one sinless man, Jesus Christ, to accomplish this great miracle. No other miracle comes close, healing, creation, birth, don’t win, place, or show when it comes to this miracle.

12:10 Prophecy - This gift is not given as a Sign gift, and is in use today. Rev. 19:10 says, “…for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

A Christian is really a Prophet - he can tell a person that if they don’t get saved they will spend eternity in hell. This prophecy will come true 100% if that person does not get saved.

“Discerning of Spirits” - This is not a Sign gift. This is the ability to know whether a thing is from the Lord or not. Christians are told to “Try the Spirits,” but that is different from this special gift. Trying the Spirits is using the Word of God to see if what is being stated is so or not.

“Divers kinds of Tongues” - Now, here we come to the most misused gift of all. This is a Sign gift, and is not in use as it applies to Israel (1 Cor. 14:22). This gift is being faked by the Charismatic movement to make them look Spiritual.

The Gift of Tongues is the least of all the gifts, and Paul makes that clear. It is last in 3 different lists that Paul mentions.

(Vs. 8-10) - First List
(Vs. 28) - Second list
(Vs. 29-30) - Third list

“Interpretation of Tongues” - This is the ability to interpret the language that is being spoken without having known the language. Having said that, you will find that every where that tongues is mentioned it is a language (Acts 2:8-11). There are no unknown tongues in scripture. You may say, but what about the term “unknown” in (1 Cor. 14)… well, we’ll get to that in a couple of chapters so hold on.

12:11 It is the Holy Spirit that gives out the gifts.

“Severally” - Giving of the gifts out individually. Sever - means to cut into.
“As he wills” - As the Holy Spirit wills for the needs of the body. (2 Tim. 1:6; 1 Tim. 1:4)

12:12 One body - this is not the local church, but the Body of Christ, which is found throughout the world (vs. 13-20).

12:13 “One Spirit” - This is the Holy Spirit. This is what is called the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” and it is not what the Charismatics are talking about. It is the baptism of (Matt. 3:11).

Notice the term “by” here in (vs. 13) and the term “with” in (Matt. 3:11). If you study this out, you will find that they are a reference to the same operation. As a great old preach said one time, “If you are crossing the street and you get hit “by” a car, you got hit “with” one also.” The Charismatics don’t see this and so they think that they are different, which allows them to foster the doctrine that there are 2 different Spirit baptisms, and one is greater than the other.

“Are we all” - This means that all christians have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, not just some as the Charismatics teach.
“Baptized into” - Submerged into Christ.
“One Body” - (Eph. 5:30) This is Jew and Gentile in one body which is the Bride of Christ.
“Bond or Free” - Slave or Free, as in the case of Onesimus & Philemon.
“Drink into one Spirit” - It is the same fountain that “all” the believers are drinking from.

There are 7 baptisms listed in scripture, but only one saves and puts you into the body of Christ, and it is this baptism here in (vs. 13).

Seven Baptisms:

[1]. Baptism of Moses (1 Cor. 10:1-4) no one gets wet!
[2]. John's baptism (Matt. 1:11; Jn. 1:19-31) to manifest Christ to Israel.
[3]. Baptism of suffering (Matt. 20:20-23) Notice - The cup of the wrath of God.
[4]. Baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) - has a Jewish emphasis not Gentile!
[5]. Gentile Baptism (Acts 10:47; Matt. 28:19) - not limited to Jews.
[6]. Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11; 1 Cor. 12:13) - This is the only Baptism that saves, water not connected with it!
[7]. Baptism of Fire (Matt. 3:11) This is Hell - The Lake of Fire! (Mal. 4:1; Rev. 20:15)

12:15 Some believers have to do “foot work,” while other have different tasks.

12:16 Some “listen and wait”

12:17 Some “watch”

12:18 God sets them where it pleases him, and not necessarily where it pleases us, or makes us happy. We need to get used to the fact that any service for the Lord is a blessing and beats being in hell for eternity. I would rather be saved and serving Christ in the least possible capacity, than to spend my life without Christ and spend eternity in Hell with the Devil whom I served while here on earth.

12:19 If everyone was the same member - eye, hand, foot, ear, nose; then the body would be just a lump of none functional flesh. It would be useless and good for nothing.

12:22 Even the feeble members that we think have no usefulness are necessary for Gods work. Some elderly people, may not be able to get around from place to place, and be active in the church physically, but they can be prayer warriors.

12:23 “Uncomely” - Handsome or Beautiful. We have a tendency to pay more attention to those that are good looking and than those that are not. God is just the opposite, he give more attention to those that are lacking in these areas. There is no respect of persons with God. He evens up the odds as it were; and all for his purpose.

12:24 “Tempered together” - This is like a Blacksmith taking 2 pieces of metal of different qualities, and forging them together into one whole unit that is strong and powerful.

God adds what is needed to the ones that are lacking so they will be a help in the whole body, along side those that have don’t need any additional “comeliness.”

12:25 “Schism” - split among believers. Various arguments over spiritual and other matters.

Christians by all rights should have the same mind on spiritual matters, but they don’t. There are many reasons for this, but the main one I believe is the fact that they have chosen to kick out the Word of God for inferior translations, which come from corrupt manuscripts. You often hear people say, “that’s just your interpretation.” Well, the scriptures say that there is no private interpretation of the scriptures (2 Pet. 1:21), so all believers should get from the Holy Spirit pretty much the same thing from the book he wrote provided they are not using some corrupt bible.

They should have the same care one for another.

12:26 In an ideal situation this should happen for all believers. Most of the time however it does not. Most Christians as the Corinthians, seem bent on biting and devouring one another.

12:27 “The Body of Christ” - Even though this was spoken to the Corinthians, it also apply's to all believers throughout the whole world. Many churches but one body! No just the Baptist Briders. All believers in all churches throughout the world make up the One Body, which is the church.

“Members in particular” - Members apart from other believers, in other place on earth.

12:28 The order here is in the order of importance. It starts with the Apostles, then Prophets, then Teachers.

The rank however is not chronological, since miracles come before prophets. It is in order of importance.

“After that” - does not refer to a time period, but order of importance. This is apparent when you realize that miracles come before teacher, if you go by chronological order.

Charismatics will have a fit with this verse since the importance of teachers is before speaking in tongues, and even healing.

“Helps” - those that help others in the ministry. Helping not just Apostles, Prophets, Teachers; but all the believers in the church where help is needed.

“Governments” - those that rule (Pastors).

“Diversities of tongues” - Here is the least of the gifts showing up in the bottom of the list again. Tongues are always last in order of importance. In (3) lists that Paul gives, tongues are always last.

12:29 The implied answer of course is NO!

12:30 Here again the answer is NO! Notice in this third list Tongues is at the bottom!!! If you missed it in the notes in (vs. 10) here are the lists again:

[1]. (Vs. 8-10) - First List
[2]. (Vs. 28) - Second list
[3]. (Vs. 29-30) - Third list

12:30 “Covert Earnestly” - Here is where coveting is a good thing. Notice Paul said “Best Gifts” plural, not singular. Since Tongues is the least of the gifts, why do Charismatics covet it more than other gifts.

“More Excellent Way” - Is a more excellent way than coveting the best gifts. Even though coveting the “best gifts” may be a good thing… it is not “the best way.”

This now leads into chapter 13 where Paul discusses the “best way.”

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