1 Corinthians 12

Here Paul was responding to the Corinthian believers regarding their queries on spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12-14 focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit in connection with the local church. Chapter 12 concentrates on the issue of the variety of spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit while Chapter 14 encourages pursuit of gifts which builds up the church; sandwiched in between these two chapters is the chapter on love: the excellent way which guides the exercise of spiritual gifts in the Church of God.

The purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up, unify and edify Christʼs body, not to tear it apart. It is a tragedy that in the Corinthianchurch, and amongst Christians today, spiritual gifts have become a divisive issue instead.

In the Corinthian public worship, apparently, there was a chaotic uproar with many talking all at once, some in ecstatic gibberish. Women may even have been heard screeching above the general noise (note 1 Corinthians 14:26-35). There was rivalry, self-display and disorder in connection with leading the prayers, singing and sharing. These problems, in part, were due to the fact that the Corinthian church had been enriched by God with spiritual gifts but the outworking had been wrecked by pride, division, their pagan background and self-centredness.

Lest we become glad and feel that our churches today are free from such disorders, the fear is that there is orderliness simply because we are spiritually asleep. The Corinthian believers met with eagerness and excitement, anxious to share with fellow believers the spiritual gifts; whereas churches today often gather with indifference, seeking only to receive, without preparation of spirit.

 

Admittedly, the disorders in Corinth were grievous and not to be desired. The question remains whether the exuberance and risk of disorder accompanying the exercise of gifts by the Holy Spirit may be preferable to spiritual deadness, neat and orderly.

Paul shared that to distinguish gifts from the Holy Spirit from those mystical experiences carried over from pagan practice, the test is to gauge the attitude to Jesus: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will always bear witness to the true natureof the Son of God. It is not just saying the words, but the devotion tothe lordship of Jesus in practical daily outworking that points to the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Paul went on to focus on the themes of unity and diversity. He referred to the variety of gifts from the same Spirit, the variety of services from the same Lord and the variety of activities from the sameGod, bringing out the unity and oneness of the Holy Trinity.

The list of spiritual gifts is not exhaustive; there may be manymore but the emphasis is on serving others for the benefit of the bodyof Christ. If we lose this focus, then the exercise of spiritual giftsbecomes more gift-centred than God-centred. God chooses the gifts and He chooses their recipients. If there is rivalry, division and selfish comparison, then Godʼs people are guilty of worldly immaturity. The real purpose of the abilities given by God is to build up the churchand promote Christian harmony among believers under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

The new birth for believers consists of union with Christ in His death and resurrection, leading to fellowship with Him in His risen life. This union with Christ implies union with all others who belong to Christ. In Christ, my fellow-believer is my brother, for we both belong to the same family. In a real sense, we are part of each other because we are vitally linked to our Saviour; we are members one of another and are in reality part of one body. Here the Apostle Paul brings in the concept of the church as a spiritual body with Christ as the head and we as members of the body. In the body, all are members of one another; in the new person, racial distinction, sexual and social distinctions too, are transcended. In and under Christ, Christians are called to “fit in”with one another, to feel for one another, and to stand together in love, loyalty and care.

The local church is not merely a club or a human organisation;she is a divine creation called to glorify Christ. The churchʼs life should be one of love and gratitude to God in which we seek to imitate ourSaviour by love towards all people, and especially those who are both His brothers and sisters and ours. The members must have the same care for one another. This life of love is to be a life of fellowship wherebywe share the good things that God has given us individually. No one is self- sufficient; we all need one another and what God has given toone another. We must learn to express our love in the give-and-take of Christian fellowship. This loving fellowship is in fact a form of service,a ministry to which every Christian is called. Godʼs gifts to various onesare not primarily for themselves but for others, to be used for their goodin the fellowship of the bodyʼs life.

Every part of the body has it own function and unique contribution to the body. Every part is needed; there are many parts but one body. No part should feel it does not belong and none should declare to another that it is not needed. Each one counts and needsto contribute but what we contribute depends entirely on Godʼsappointment and distribution.

If we see these truths clearly, then our divisive spirit towards others in the body becomes a serious transgression against the head of the body, Jesus Christ Himself. It is not just “I cannot get along with this fellow” or “the sight of this sister makes me sick”; it gives rise to serious considerations of whether we truly belong to the body of Christ. If we truly belong together, the pain of one member affectsthe whole body and the joy of one ʻinfectsʼ the body.

Envy, jealousy, the lack of love and harmony: all these grievethe heart of God as He yearns for the oneness and testimony of Hispeople. The one-upmanship and pride displayed in the exercise of gifts in congregations do not identify the reality of the discipleship and calling of Godʼs Church; it hurts the body of Christ and minimizes the glory of God. Ponder what was written by William Gurnall in The Christian in Complete Armour:

The sin of a natural man is theft because he robs God of theglory due to Him; but the sin of a saint is sacrilege because he robsGod of the sacredness which his profession of faith has vowed to Him.

Christians beware: our sins against our brethren in the body of Christ are not just personal matters; they rob God of the sacredness of our profession of faith to Him, and it is not a trivial matter.