It is a theme that I have tried to have everyone understand, that there is a danger of ripping passages out of context, but no types of passages, perhaps, fit this description more clearly than the letters of Paul. These Epistles were letters written to specific churches to address specific questions. They were meant to be read at a single sitting, from the first line straight through to the end. I would hold that you should NEVER start from the small pieces and build outward when reading Paul. If you do not have the overall feel for the argument he is developing, you will miss where he develops a contrary argument as a foil and assume that he actually is teaching that point as gospel. These passages for the next few posts are a case in point. Therefore, before you read on with this post, please, stop and read the whole Epistle of 1 Corinthians, from beginning to end.
Welcome back. How
many of you were struck by the introductory section of this letter? I would point out two lines from the first
chapter that are especially germane to us.
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:2-3 ESV)
What do you know about Corinth? Let’s start with that Corinth was in a key isthmus
between the Peloponnese and the Greek mainland.
It was destroyed by war with Rome in 146 B.C. It was not rebuilt until 44 B.C. and then as
a Roman city. Its cultural diversity and
the Roman propensity to allow diversity of religious expression meant that
Christianity could receive a hearing.
Due to its location, and as a port town, wanton sexuality would have
been common.
Paul is thought to have written at least four letters to
Corinth. The first letter is lost. Paul refers to this letter in verses 5:9-10. (That
is a particularly heavy passage that I will need to address in the future, but
it is outside of the current topic.) This second letter, the first Canonical
letter, was written in response to questions written to Paul by the Church in
Corinth. Specific issues are addressed
because specific questions were asked.
Understanding the mind of the ancient Corinthian is probably not that
difficult to understand, as many of the same heretical positions held in those
days are seen today.
The first passage above has two very interesting items worth
mention. To those sanctified in Christ Jesus is very clearly and distinctly
written in the past tense. This is
completed action. The theology of works righteousness
has absolutely no ability to deal with this phrase. The view that we are simultaneously both sanctified
and being
sanctified is a foreign notion outside of reformed circles. And yet, how else can we deal with this
particular phrase? The other item is
that they are called to be saints. Let me refer you back to the orange paragraph
above. Yes, these same Corinthians are called
to be saints. This idea fits
with the concept of sanctification quite easily, and yet it strikes our pious
ears as strange.
One of the most important things to understand is that there
are two conversations occurring in the New Testament. The first conversation is evangelical,
proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ’s redeeming work on the cross. That conversation is with those who have not
yet heard or responded to the Gospel.
The second conversation is prophetic.
This is instruction to those already in the covenant community. There is a third conversation, but it is more
subtle to detect. It is the conversation
to those who are in the covenant community, but are not true believers. In that case, the conversation is all
Law. The primary goal of 1 Corinthians
is to speak to those already in the covenant community. Secondarily, there is a conversation to (or
about) those in the covenant community who are not true believers. I don’t want to belabor this point, but keep
it in mind as we plow through those key chapters.
Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. (1 Corinthians 7:17-24 ESV)
There are many interesting parts to this passage, but I want
to focus on just one before we leap on to chapter 12. Paul is giving his rule about Christian
living in the context of the Law. In
other words, this is more of the Jew/Gentile differentiation discussion on the
surface, but the issue goes deeper as we shall soon see. The point Paul is making is that we are all
now bondservants
of Christ. This is tough
language for many, I’m sure. But, it is
there in the text as plain as day. We
were bought with a price. A price. Let’s look for a moment at that price. God, the most Holy, the Almighty, the
Creator, condescended to become man, to be fully man, to place Himself under
the curse of Adam, to place Himself under the Law. It’s not as if it was any particularly difficult
thing for God to keep His own Law, but that He condescended to place Himself
under it? That, my friends, is huge. And then, He did this so that He could be the
perfect sacrifice that would satisfy his Just indignation against us, not only
washing away our sin for all time, but reconciling us to Him, (remember the post on propitiation) repairing our
relationship with God as if we had never sinned. How do we connect the dots between our own
lives and this wonderful and precious gift?
That is what the Holy Spirit does.
And we will discuss that, again, when we come to the end of this series. At that time, we will look carefully at the
eleventh chapter of both canonical letters to the church in Corinth.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:1-3 ESV)
This is an interesting verse. We have to wonder if Paul means that there is
no room for deceivers. But, first
things, first. The Greek really
doesn’t say gifts, we just make an
assumption from the fact that it seems to be the context of that word in
chapter 14. The Greek word used is a plural form of the
adjective spiritual, and our translators supply the best English noun for the
context of these passages, in their eyes.
Now, does this mean that the first three verses are talking about any
specific spiritual gift? What are
spiritual gifts? Why are the Corinthians
so bothered about this subject?
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ESV)
This passage is used as an argument for several things that
we experience in the church today. Let
us discuss the passage slowly, phrase by phrase. There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties
of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. This is a key point. All of these gifts come from God. There is nothing in this passage about who
will have them, that you must have them, that having a particular spiritual
gift makes you more beloved of Jesus than the saint sitting next to you. This was a good deal of the gist of the
argument that Paul is making to these Corinthians. To each is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. What is your gift? Is that what this section is asking? Absolutely not! Paul is emphasizing that all members of the
body of Christ are members of the body of Christ.
As such, Christ considers all parts of his covenantal body exceedingly
valuable. But more than that, these
gifts, the manifestations of the Spirit, are given for the common good. These gifts are not for a display of power,
but rather they should provide benefit of the whole of the body. All
these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one
individually as he wills. So,
each of us receives what the Holy Spirit gives us. Now, here is the most important point that I
want to make from this passage. So far,
there is no discussion of shelf life, perseverance of the gifts throughout this
present evil age, perseverance of a particular gift throughout a particular
person’s life. The context of the
passage says only that the Spirit will provide what the body of Christ
requires. We shall see this theme
developed more as we move forward.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.And I will show you a still more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31 ESV)
As you read this section again, focus on that last line for
a moment. And I will show you a still
more excellent way. There will be
further instruction on this topic, but let’s go over what we have thus far. But
as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many
parts, yet one body…. For just as the
body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many,
are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into
one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. This is exactly the point we were hinting
about in the prior section. Why did I
bring it up in the first section when Paul does it in this section? Because when we hear about 1 Corinthians 12,
they rarely continue on to this section.
We cannot exercise a snobbery of gifts, an idolatry of gifts, if we believe
that regardless of gifts, we are all the same, members of the body of Christ.
This is the main point of Chapter 12. While it is easy to get caught up in the discussion
of spiritual gifts, Paul is emphasizing that we all are a member of the body of
Christ. Review the main points of
Chapter 12 in light of the three rules. Was it all about Jesus? Absolutely.
All of the spiritual gifts are given why? To each is given the manifestation of the
Spirit for the common good. Have
we contradicted ourselves? No. We have not tried to make claims that are not
actually in the text. We are reading the
whole passage so that this discussion remains in the context of Paul
reprimanding the Corinthians. Remember,
Paul wrote this letter to answer specific questions, to teach, to instruct, (in
other words to prophesy,) to reprimand and to return order to worship in the
Church of Corinth. Is Paul contradicting
what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit?
In so much as the gifts are used in the context of John 16, clearly not. The
Holy Spirit will come to be the Helper, who will convict the world concerning
sin, and righteousness and judgment, then He will declare the things that are
to come concerning Jesus. The Law and the Gospel. He will declare
the Law that convicts us, and then declare the Gospel and what is to come
concerning Jesus. So, as long as the
gifts of the Spirit are convicting the world concerning sin, and righteousness
and judgment, or declaring what things are to come concerning Jesus, they are operating
for the common good. Do you see how
these two parts fit together? They must
fit together because both are scripture.
This is why Paul is harping on order in the next section. Without order, who can benefit from this
instruction (or prophesy?)
In the next post, we will be discussing tongues once
again. Remember the three rules as we go
through Chapter 14.
--Ogre--
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