The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
August 19
1 Corinthians 12:1-26
Commentary by Nick Boork
August 19
1 Corinthians 12:1-26
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August 19 – 1 Corinthians 12:1-26
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
OKAY HERE’S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Now Paul writes about a very interesting subject concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the concept of the church as the living body of Christ. The Triune God aka the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit are seen as all working together to accomplish the purposes of God.
The Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit
a) Empower Believers with supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit to help and serve people.
b) Reveal Jesus as the risen Savior who knows everything about everyone and who has the power to heal any sickness and set anyone free from demonic possession or oppression.
c) Spiritual gifts help people to believe in Christ.
d) Build up the Church especially through words of prophesy, tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophetic preaching.
This is why Paul taught that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit or benefit of all the members. Does everyone have all the gifts? No, and there is a reason for this. Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in purpose but each has distinctive roles God has set the members of the church, the Body of Christ in his own divine order imparting different gifts to every Christian. In this portion of Scripture we can easily identify three categories of Spiritual gifts which I list in the below graph:
KNOWLEDGE
Power gifts do something causing changes to happen in circumstances.
Vocal gifts speak messages supernaturally from God to build up the hearers.
In verse 11 he says all these spiritual gifts are distributed to various members of the Body of Christ as the Holy Spirit wills. So being used by God through Spiritual gifts should be a common denominator for all Christians. We know that these spiritual gifts are still in operation today because that’s what Paul says in the very beginning of his letter acknowledging how blessed these Corinthian believers were with a fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 1:7 So that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. So according to the apostle Paul all the spiritual gifts revealed in the New Testament are to continue all the way up to the return of Jesus Christ. This means that if you’re a Christian God wants to manifest Himself through you to serve others by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. How glorious is that! The God of all creation wants to use you and me supernaturally with at least one or more spiritual gifts.
Paul uses the body to teach our interdependence upon each other saying no part can say to another “I have no need of you.” Anyone having that kind of conversation with themselves is typically looked upon as needing psychological help. Brothers and sisters the point is we really do need each other to function as a church just as individually we depend upon all our body parts to live life. It’s not like we can just get up in the morning and say to our feet hey just stay home today I really don’t need you. Of course not! No we need our feet to walk and carry our body.
Thank God we are all different and the Lord has gifted each of us with spiritual gifts and abilities to serve. There are some things you’re just great at and others not so much. God wants us all to value all the members of the Body of Christ equally and care for each other because after all we’re the family of God having been born again by God’s Holy Spirit and placed in the Body of Christ just as God has ordained. So accept and value yourself in Christ and realize God has anointed you with gifts of the Holy Spirit to serve others and he’s also ordained you and me to receive ministry from others. Remember, someone needs the gifts in you and you need to gifts in others.
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) The Trinity is totally united in purpose yet have different functions.
2) Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit to do his ministry and he promised we would do the same and greater works. Only through the gifts of the Holy Spirt can we do this.
3) God has ordained to partner with people to redeem humanity empowering them with gifts of the Holy Spirit.
4) Every born again Christian filled with the Holy Spirit can be used to serve by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
5) Scripture teaches that Spiritual gifts have never ceased as some teach today.
6) We need to understand that we need each other in the Body of Christ. Nobody is better or more important than anyone else as we are all one in Christ.
PRAYER TO APPLY THE WORD OF GOD TO OUR LIVES
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
ORDINATION
Remember, if you’re looking for Ministry Credentials and Ordination visit our website Diamond Institute to apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
OKAY HERE’S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Now Paul writes about a very interesting subject concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the concept of the church as the living body of Christ. The Triune God aka the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit are seen as all working together to accomplish the purposes of God.
The Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- The Father - Determines the Diversity of Activities
- The Son - Directs Different Ministries
- The Holy Spirit - Manifest Diversity of gifts
a) Empower Believers with supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit to help and serve people.
b) Reveal Jesus as the risen Savior who knows everything about everyone and who has the power to heal any sickness and set anyone free from demonic possession or oppression.
c) Spiritual gifts help people to believe in Christ.
d) Build up the Church especially through words of prophesy, tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophetic preaching.
This is why Paul taught that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit or benefit of all the members. Does everyone have all the gifts? No, and there is a reason for this. Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in purpose but each has distinctive roles God has set the members of the church, the Body of Christ in his own divine order imparting different gifts to every Christian. In this portion of Scripture we can easily identify three categories of Spiritual gifts which I list in the below graph:
KNOWLEDGE
- Word of Wisdom
- Word of Knowledge
- Discerning of Spirits
- Faith
- Healings
- Miracles
- Tongues
- Interpretation
- Prophecy
Power gifts do something causing changes to happen in circumstances.
Vocal gifts speak messages supernaturally from God to build up the hearers.
In verse 11 he says all these spiritual gifts are distributed to various members of the Body of Christ as the Holy Spirit wills. So being used by God through Spiritual gifts should be a common denominator for all Christians. We know that these spiritual gifts are still in operation today because that’s what Paul says in the very beginning of his letter acknowledging how blessed these Corinthian believers were with a fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 1:7 So that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. So according to the apostle Paul all the spiritual gifts revealed in the New Testament are to continue all the way up to the return of Jesus Christ. This means that if you’re a Christian God wants to manifest Himself through you to serve others by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. How glorious is that! The God of all creation wants to use you and me supernaturally with at least one or more spiritual gifts.
Paul uses the body to teach our interdependence upon each other saying no part can say to another “I have no need of you.” Anyone having that kind of conversation with themselves is typically looked upon as needing psychological help. Brothers and sisters the point is we really do need each other to function as a church just as individually we depend upon all our body parts to live life. It’s not like we can just get up in the morning and say to our feet hey just stay home today I really don’t need you. Of course not! No we need our feet to walk and carry our body.
Thank God we are all different and the Lord has gifted each of us with spiritual gifts and abilities to serve. There are some things you’re just great at and others not so much. God wants us all to value all the members of the Body of Christ equally and care for each other because after all we’re the family of God having been born again by God’s Holy Spirit and placed in the Body of Christ just as God has ordained. So accept and value yourself in Christ and realize God has anointed you with gifts of the Holy Spirit to serve others and he’s also ordained you and me to receive ministry from others. Remember, someone needs the gifts in you and you need to gifts in others.
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) The Trinity is totally united in purpose yet have different functions.
2) Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit to do his ministry and he promised we would do the same and greater works. Only through the gifts of the Holy Spirt can we do this.
3) God has ordained to partner with people to redeem humanity empowering them with gifts of the Holy Spirit.
4) Every born again Christian filled with the Holy Spirit can be used to serve by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
5) Scripture teaches that Spiritual gifts have never ceased as some teach today.
6) We need to understand that we need each other in the Body of Christ. Nobody is better or more important than anyone else as we are all one in Christ.
PRAYER TO APPLY THE WORD OF GOD TO OUR LIVES
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
ORDINATION
Remember, if you’re looking for Ministry Credentials and Ordination visit our website Diamond Institute to apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
