Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: 1 CORINTHIANS #15 - 12:1-11)
IV. 12-14 – GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT: IMPLEMENTATION OF NORMAL CHURCH LIFE
A. 12:1-31a. PRINCIPLES OF SPIRIT MANIFESTATION
1. 12:1-3 SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS MAGNIFY JESUS
a. 12:1 Now concerning the spirituals, brothers, I would not have you ignorant.
PeRI de ton pneu-ma-tiKON [4152], a-delPHOI, ou THElohuMAS ag-noEIN [50].
b. 12:2 You know that as nations you were led away unto those dumb :idols, however you might be led.
OIda-te HOti HOte ETHneEte pros ta EIdo-la [1497] ta Apho-na [880], hos an Eges-the a-paGOme-noi [520].
c. 12:3 TEST SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS
di’ ho gnoRIzo[1107] huMIN, HOti ouDEIS en PNEUma-ti TheOU laLON LEgei,
Wherefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says,
A-NAthe-ma [331] IeSOUS; kai ouDEIS DUna-tai eiPEIN,
Jesus isanathema; and no one can say,
KUri-os [2962] IeSOUS, ei meen PNEUma-ti HaGIo.
Jesus is Lord, but by theHoly Spirit.
2. 12:4-11 ALL MANIFESTATIONS ORIGINATE FROM THE SAME SPIRIT
a. 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
Di-aiREseis [1243] de cha-risMAton [5486] eiSIN, to de auTO PNEUma.
b. 12:5 And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
kai di-aiREseis di-a-ko-niON [1248] ei-sin, kai ho auTOS KUri-os.
c. 12:6 And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who works all the things in all.
kai di-aiREseis e-ner-geMAton [1755] eiSIN, kai ho auTOS TheOS, ho e-nerGONta PANta en PAsin.
d. 12:7 But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit.
heKAStode DIdo-tai hephaNEro-sis [5321] tou PNEUma-tos pros to sumPHEron [4851].
e. 12:8-11 NINE SOVEREIGN MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT
homen gar diA tou PNEUma-tos DIdo-tai LOgos soPHIas [4678];
For to one is given through the Spirit a word of wisdom;
ALlode LOgos GNOse-os [1108], kaTA to auTO PNEUma:
and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
heTEroPIStis [4102], en toauTOPNEUma-ti;
9 to another faith, in the same Spirit;
ALlode chaRISma-ta [5486] iaMAton [2386], en toheNI PNEUma-ti;
and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
ALlode en-erGEma-ta [1755] duNAme-on [1411]; ALlode pro-pheTEIa [4394];
10 and to another workings of powers; and to another prophecy;
ALlode di-aKRIseis [1253] pneuMAton: heTEroGEneglosSON [1100];
and to another discernings of spirits: to another kinds of tongues;
ALlode her-meNIa [2058] glosSON;
and to another interpretation of tongues;
PANta de TAUta en-erGEI [1754] to hen kai to auTO PNEUma,
11 but all these works the one and the same Spirit,
di-aiROUN [1244] iDIa heKAStokaTHOS BOUle-tai [1014].
dividing to each severally even as he wills.
NOTE: Smith Wigglesworth didn’t claim to have any particular gifts of the Spirit. Rather he claimed that by having the gift(do-reA) of the Holy Spirit Himself – and that all9gifts and more were resident in Him – then He in His sovereignty could manifest the particular gift necessary for the particular need at the particular time! This attitude breaks the spirit of pride in any person the Holy Spirit chooses to use. H.A. Baker of “Visions Beyond the Veil” took the same attitude as Wigglesworth in this respect.
See also that the Triunity of the Godhead is involved in all Manifestations: The Spiritoriginates all gifts; Jesusis behind allministries; and God energizes all workings. This insight by the apostle Paul likewise undercuts the temptation to pride or unilateral operations in any of us.
Note too that the Holy Spirit chooses to use us in the gifts for the sake of building up Christ’s body and its individual members. He does not do so to exalt the user – the user is but His channel for blessing the church.
And lastly – in verse 12:11 see that the Holy Spirit in His sovereignty divides the gifts as He wills – it is our part but to yield and obey.
Now this section of 1 Corinthians is part and parcel of the whole epistle. Paul by the Lord wrote these insights and corrections to a very carnal church of babes. Spiritual babies can immediately be used by the Spirit to manifest gifts of the Spirit. But to develop fruitof the Spirit as set forth in Galatians 5:22-23 – thatseparates the men from the boys, and shows who has had an apostle like Paul to travail in birth until Christ is fully formed in them! Then such believers can enter into the realm of the book of Ephesians and function in maturity as Christ’s Body, His Church, His Temple, His House, His Building, His Bride, His Army and much more.
There is a vast gulf between the believers of the Corinthian church and those of Ephesus!
But we allstart out as babes and carnal and in the flesh as the Corinthian church. We all start out misusing and abusing the gifts. But hopefully we can progress till we too take our place as mature believers in an Ephesian type church. - J.A.W.