1Cor 12:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | This new chapter deals with a new and again important issue. It is about the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and the task each believer has. In His wisdom God first spoke about the Table of the Lord and the Lord's Supper in the previous chapters. You have seen how each believer can take his place at the Table of the Lord and how he can partake of the Lord's Supper, at least, if there is no mention of a sin that is not judged in the believer's life. The gifts of the Spirit have got nothing to do with that. That means: it is not important at all what gift you have if you want to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Nevertheless, the gifts of the Spirit are important. Only you should see them in the right place and that is what Paul will make clear in this chapter. . He starts to point the Corinthians to the spiritual gifts. They were familiar with them. When they were unconverted they saw many spiritual manifestations and also experienced them. Now they are converted they also have got to do with spiritual manifestations. What they should learn is that the spiritual manifestations in the church of God are from a totally different source and that they are for other purposes than the spiritual manifestations from the past. What they needed, was to learn to see the difference between, on the one hand, the Holy Spirit Who now dwells in them and Who works in the church, and on the other hand the evil spirits or demons by whom they were guided in their unawareness and ignorance in the past. . In the past they went to “the mute idols”. That's where they brought their sacrifices and in the service that went together with that, they went into a trance, out of self-control. Indeed the idols were mute, they could not speak, but, as you remember from chapter 10: behind these idols evil spirits, demons, are hidden. These demons use the imagination of the ones who bring the sacrifices and take possession of their spirit. The more people surrender themselves to these demons the more they get into a trance. When they were pagans, when they were unconverted, they “[were] led astray” to these mute or dumb idols. Then they were will-less people, who were led by their own impulses. They were not aware of that then. They thought that they were free to choose how to live their own life, without being aware that they were led by the prince of the world, satan. It is still like that today. Each person who is unconverted is a person who is led by the devil. He thinks he is free and that he can decide how to live his life, but he is not aware that satan leads him to the cinema, the disco, the gambling house or the stadium. It happens often enough in a conversation with an unconverted, that he even denies the existence of the devil. You see how subtle the devil is. His biggest trick is to let people believe that he does not exist. Then he can deceive them most easily. A striking example of being carried away to the mute idols and to get into a trance you find in 1 Kings 18. You get impressed by how the idol priests excite and torment themselves to get their god, Baal, to act ( ). After that you get impressed far more when Elijah calls to God only once and He proves Himself to be the living God ( ). . To demonstrate to the Corinthians the difference between the past and now, Paul uses the Name of the Lord Jesus as the touchstone. In the church it is impossible that the Spirit of God would do something that dishonors the Lord Jesus. The demons will make every effort to make the Name of the Lord Jesus despicable. They want nothing more than to curse that Name. They succeed if they can cause believers to live a sinful life. The Holy Spirit on the contrary will do everything to honor the Lord Jesus and to give Him the glory He is worthy of. He will make it possible for the believers to surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus in full obedience. Demons do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus as Lord. In the Gospels we come across several confrontations between demons and the Lord Jesus. It is striking that they never address Him as ‘Lord’. When He shall reign in the millennial kingdom of peace over the universe, they will be constrained to acknowledge Him as Lord. You can read that in Philippians 2 where those who are “under the earth” mean the demons ( ). Also unbelievers do not acknowledge Him as Lord. They do not consider His authority, but they live their own life. In Matthew 7 you read that there are people who say “Lord, Lord” ( ), but have not considered His will in their life. They only want to be named Christian, but control their own life. Where this is found, you are not dealing with the work of the Holy Spirit, but with the work of demons. A born-again Christian will speak respectfully about Jesus and therefore would prefer to call Him ‘Lord’ Jesus. From his life it will be apparent that his faith is not only a lip-confession, but he considers the authority of the Lord Jesus in every aspect of his life. Where this is found you are not dealing with the work of demons, but with the work of the Holy Spirit. . The next difference between the manifestations of demons and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, is that the varieties of gifts is not the work of different spirits, but of one and “the same Spirit”. With the demons there are more spirits. In Mark 5 a legion of demons took possession of a man ( ). In Mark 16 there is a mention of seven demons that have resided in Mary, but they were cast out by the Lord Jesus ( ). In paganism each idol has, whether it is the sun, the moon or a tree, its own demon or a multitude of demons. What the Corinthians absolutely should not think when they see the diversities of gifts, is that those diversities are inspired by different spirits. They are all from the same Spirit. . It is also one and “the same Lord” Who gives orders for using the different gifts. Therefore every person needs to practice his gift in dependency on Him and is not allowed to work with the gift as it pleases himself. . Finally it is one and “the same God” Who works through the gift. He works in him who practices the gift and He works in those who are served through the gift. . Each member of the church has received a gift. No one has received all the gifts and there is no one who has received no gift. That means that we all need one another, just as the members of a body need each other. Further on in this chapter you will see how this works. You too have received a gift. You have not received it for yourself, but to serve others with it, for “to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”. The particular thing about this section is that the Holy Spirit is present and works in the church. That is something that always will amaze you and you can profit by it to the honor of the Lord Jesus, for you want to live to His honor, right? God the Holy Spirit dwells now on earth in the church. He has not come to glorify Himself, but the Lord Jesus ( ). How wonderful that would be when the believers in the local church let Him direct everything to the glory of God and His Son! Now read 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 again. Reflection: What are you used to: saying ‘Jesus’ or ‘Lord Jesus’? Why?

‏ 1 Corinthians 12:1-2

The Holy Spirit

This new chapter deals with a new and again important issue. It is about the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and the task each believer has. In His wisdom God first spoke about the Table of the Lord and the Lord's Supper in the previous chapters. You have seen how each believer can take his place at the Table of the Lord and how he can partake of the Lord's Supper, at least, if there is no mention of a sin that is not judged in the believer's life.

The gifts of the Spirit have got nothing to do with that. That means: it is not important at all what gift you have if you want to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Nevertheless, the gifts of the Spirit are important. Only you should see them in the right place and that is what Paul will make clear in this chapter.

1Cor 12:1. He starts to point the Corinthians to the spiritual gifts. They were familiar with them. When they were unconverted they saw many spiritual manifestations and also experienced them. Now they are converted they also have got to do with spiritual manifestations. What they should learn is that the spiritual manifestations in the church of God are from a totally different source and that they are for other purposes than the spiritual manifestations from the past. What they needed, was to learn to see the difference between, on the one hand, the Holy Spirit Who now dwells in them and Who works in the church, and on the other hand the evil spirits or demons by whom they were guided in their unawareness and ignorance in the past.

1Cor 12:2. In the past they went to “the mute idols”. That's where they brought their sacrifices and in the service that went together with that, they went into a trance, out of self-control. Indeed the idols were mute, they could not speak, but, as you remember from chapter 10: behind these idols evil spirits, demons, are hidden. These demons use the imagination of the ones who bring the sacrifices and take possession of their spirit. The more people surrender themselves to these demons the more they get into a trance.

When they were pagans, when they were unconverted, they “[were] led astray” to these mute or dumb idols. Then they were will-less people, who were led by their own impulses. They were not aware of that then. They thought that they were free to choose how to live their own life, without being aware that they were led by the prince of the world, satan.

It is still like that today. Each person who is unconverted is a person who is led by the devil. He thinks he is free and that he can decide how to live his life, but he is not aware that satan leads him to the cinema, the disco, the gambling house or the stadium. It happens often enough in a conversation with an unconverted, that he even denies the existence of the devil. You see how subtle the devil is. His biggest trick is to let people believe that he does not exist. Then he can deceive them most easily.

A striking example of being carried away to the mute idols and to get into a trance you find in 1 Kings 18. You get impressed by how the idol priests excite and torment themselves to get their god, Baal, to act (1Kgs 18:26-30). After that you get impressed far more when Elijah calls to God only once and He proves Himself to be the living God (1Kgs 18:36-38).

1Cor 12:3. To demonstrate to the Corinthians the difference between the past and now, Paul uses the Name of the Lord Jesus as the touchstone. In the church it is impossible that the Spirit of God would do something that dishonors the Lord Jesus. The demons will make every effort to make the Name of the Lord Jesus despicable. They want nothing more than to curse that Name. They succeed if they can cause believers to live a sinful life. The Holy Spirit on the contrary will do everything to honor the Lord Jesus and to give Him the glory He is worthy of. He will make it possible for the believers to surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus in full obedience.

Demons do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus as Lord. In the Gospels we come across several confrontations between demons and the Lord Jesus. It is striking that they never address Him as ‘Lord’. When He shall reign in the millennial kingdom of peace over the universe, they will be constrained to acknowledge Him as Lord. You can read that in Philippians 2 where those who are “under the earth” mean the demons (Phil 2:9-11).

Also unbelievers do not acknowledge Him as Lord. They do not consider His authority, but they live their own life. In Matthew 7 you read that there are people who say “Lord, Lord” (Mt 7:21), but have not considered His will in their life. They only want to be named Christian, but control their own life. Where this is found, you are not dealing with the work of the Holy Spirit, but with the work of demons.

A born-again Christian will speak respectfully about Jesus and therefore would prefer to call Him ‘Lord’ Jesus. From his life it will be apparent that his faith is not only a lip-confession, but he considers the authority of the Lord Jesus in every aspect of his life. Where this is found you are not dealing with the work of demons, but with the work of the Holy Spirit.

1Cor 12:4. The next difference between the manifestations of demons and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, is that the varieties of gifts is not the work of different spirits, but of one and “the same Spirit”. With the demons there are more spirits. In Mark 5 a legion of demons took possession of a man (Mk 5:9). In Mark 16 there is a mention of seven demons that have resided in Mary, but they were cast out by the Lord Jesus (Mk 16:9).

In paganism each idol has, whether it is the sun, the moon or a tree, its own demon or a multitude of demons. What the Corinthians absolutely should not think when they see the diversities of gifts, is that those diversities are inspired by different spirits. They are all from the same Spirit.

1Cor 12:5. It is also one and “the same Lord” Who gives orders for using the different gifts. Therefore every person needs to practice his gift in dependency on Him and is not allowed to work with the gift as it pleases himself.

1Cor 12:6. Finally it is one and “the same God” Who works through the gift. He works in him who practices the gift and He works in those who are served through the gift.

1Cor 12:7. Each member of the church has received a gift. No one has received all the gifts and there is no one who has received no gift. That means that we all need one another, just as the members of a body need each other. Further on in this chapter you will see how this works. You too have received a gift. You have not received it for yourself, but to serve others with it, for “to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”.

The particular thing about this section is that the Holy Spirit is present and works in the church. That is something that always will amaze you and you can profit by it to the honor of the Lord Jesus, for you want to live to His honor, right? God the Holy Spirit dwells now on earth in the church. He has not come to glorify Himself, but the Lord Jesus (Jn 16:13). How wonderful that would be when the believers in the local church let Him direct everything to the glory of God and His Son!

Now read 1 Corinthians 12:1-7 again.

Reflection: What are you used to: saying ‘Jesus’ or ‘Lord Jesus’? Why?