Paul's Letters 1 Corinthians

Unity In The Body of Christ

Discover Jesus as: The Last Adam 1 Corinthians 12 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 514 of 730
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INTRO

This week is a study, not of what Paul would have called “milk,” but of “true meat” for the church. In chapter 10, we looked at how the Israelites experienced the presence of God and yet were still disobedient to Him. They took for granted what God had done for them. In chapter 11, Paul told the Corinthians to imitate him as he imitated Christ. He then worked through the structure of the church, of which God was the head, and the roles of men and women. Warren Wiersbe writes, “One of the marks of an individual’s maturity is a growing understanding of, and appreciation for, his own body. There is a parallel in the spiritual life: as we mature in Christ, we gain a better understanding of the church, which is Christ’s body.”1 In Scripture, besides referring to the church as the body of Christ, other terms are also used, such as: “a family, an army, a temple, and even the bride.”2 The concept of the church is not individualist, but corporate.

In three of his letters (1 Corinthians 12—13; Romans 12; Ephesians 4), Paul discussed three themes (unity, diversity, and maturity).3 Today, we’ll look at 1 Corinthians 12 around the first two of these three themes. The third theme (maturity) will be covered in chapter 13. The progression of these themes—from unity to diversity to maturity—is found in all three of Paul’s letters mentioned above. This background is important to understand the spiritual gifts that are listed in the second part of chapter 12.

TEACHING

1 Corinthians 12:1-7: Unity within the body. Paul wrote that the Holy Spirit had given believers something (v. 1). Wiersbe explains, “It was the Spirit who gave birth to the body at Pentecost and who ministers in and through the body. In the Corinthian church, unfortunately, the members were grieving the Holy Spirit by the carnal ways in which they were using spiritual gifts. They were like children with toys instead of adults with valuable tools, and they needed to mature.”4

In verse 2, Paul referred to their Gentile heritage. Nelson’s Commentary states, “Gentiles were looked upon as barbarian or learned which Paul uses to emphasize their state of ignorance. Because of their ignorance, they have been carried away or swept off their feet.”5 The phrase, “idols that could not speak,” can also be interpreted as “dumb idols,” an “expression that would be immediately recognized by the Corinthians familiar with the Old Testament idolatry.”6 Paul emphasized that only someone with the Holy Spirit within them could say, “Jesus is Lord,” and no one with the Spirit of God could say, “Jesus is cursed” (v. 3).

Paul said there were different spiritual gifts that the Spirit distributes to believers (v. 4). There were different ministries but the same Lord (v. 5), and there were different activities that are activated by the same God (v. 6). Nelson’s Commentary explains, “The Father provides the energy to the believer in exercising the gift.”7 Each believer is given a gift from the Spirit to use for the benefit of the church (v. 7). That means, “God works in believers to benefit the entire body, not simply the individual Christian.”8

1 Corinthians 12:8–10: These gifts are the nine spiritual gifts in verses 8–10 that bring glory to God. I want to teach on these gifts because I’m convinced most of us don’t know where to start in discovering and understanding our gifts. This is because the Holy Spirit scares us, and He shouldn’t (Romans 8:14). These gifts must be expressed in love (1 Corinthians 13). These gifts are available to us today:

  • Gift of Wisdom from the Spirit (v. 8): the ability to apply spiritual truth practically.
  • Gift of Knowledge from the Spirit (v. 8): “This gift may have been revelatory in the first century, but it is today the ability to understand and speak God’s truth, with insight into the mysteries of His Word, that cannot be known apart from God’s revelation.”9
  • Gift of Faith from the Spirit (v. 9): “The capacity to believe God for extraordinary deeds.”10

Note there are no levels in any of these gifts. No gifts are greater than any other. All these are important to bring about the unity of Christ.

Gift of Healing by the Spirit (v. 9): Most believers believe in healing, but they don’t call it that. They pray for God to bring healing but don’t expect God to heal through someone. Jesus used the gift of healing throughout His ministry. When people misuse or misrepresent the gift of healing, then people begin to question all of the gifts. Healing means the touch of God on someone.

Gift of Miracles (v. 10): “The ability to do deeds similar to Moses, the prophets, or maybe some nature miracles one observes in the gospels.”11

Gift of Prophecy (v. 10): Revelation by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of encouragement.

Gift of Discernment (v. 10): Distinguishing between spirits.

Gift of Speaking in Tongues (v. 10): Speaking in different languages.

Gift of Interpretation (v. 10): Interpretation of tongues.

In verse 11, Paul emphasized that the same Spirit was active in each of these gifts and gave the gifts to those He chose. All these gifts are still present, and the Holy Spirit distributes these as He chooses. These gifts are different parts of the body of Christ and are needed to complete the body.

1 Corinthians 12:14–20: Diversity in the body. There’s much more in this passage as it considers what would happen if parts of the body tried to work independently from the rest. We are all necessary parts of the body.

CLOSING

Simply put—the gifts of the Spirit listed in the New Testament are still given today and used by God to bring unity to the church.

  1. Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), p. 607.

  2. Wiersbe, p. 607.

  3. Wiersbe, p. 607.

  4. Wiersbe, p. 607.

  5. Earl Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, and H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), p. 1478.

  6. Nelson’s Commentary, p. 1478.

  7. Nelson’s Commentary, p. 1478.

  8. Nelson’s Commentary, p. 1478.

  9. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005), p. 1592.

  10. Nelson’s Commentary, p. 1478.

  11. Nelson’s Commentary, p. 1478.

Questions

  1. hat will a person not do if they have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? What will a person do or say if they have the Holy Spirit? (1 Corinthians 2:8–14; John 15:26; 1 John 5:6–8)
  2. What are two ways Paul described the church? (1 Corinthians 12:4–6, 11, 27–31)
  3. If the church is the body of Christ, how do you feel when people say they love Jesus but not the church? Is this possible?
  4. What are three things Paul mentioned Christians should not be ignorant or unaware of? (Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:13)
  5. What are some of the spiritual gifts mentioned in this chapter? Why is it important to the church that we are all given unique gifts? What are the issues that can arise from jealousy of each other’s gifts?
  6. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in 1 Corinthians 12 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin 1 Corinthians 12:11–12

“But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills. For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.”

As a demonstration of the Holy Spirit, each person has been gifted to benefit the body of Christ and build up the kingdom of God. God activates gifts in each person through the Holy Spirit to produce what is beneficial for the body. He gifts His people with wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Therefore, His Spirit empowers the body of Christ today, just as He did years ago!

You may wonder: What is my gift for the body? Just as every part of your body works together for the greater good of the whole, the body of Christ works together to build up the kingdom of God. All the gifts work together and are necessary. Child of God, you have a part in the body of Christ. Earnestly ask the Holy Spirit to empower you with gifts to do His will. Then walk in humble obedience to the Holy Spirit prompting you. Trust Him and step out in faith. Pray for healing. Ask the Lord for discernment or wisdom in a situation. You never know how the Lord’s power and giftings will move unless you are willing to step out in faith.

“But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills. For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.”

— 1 Corinthians 12:11–12

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Romans 12:4¬5 — “Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.”
  • 1 Corinthians 12:17–20 — “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.”
  • Ephesians 4:11–13 — “And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach

unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”