Gtcotr/ws101211
In Genesis 2:7, the Bible describes the creation of man by saying:
1. God formed man from the dust of the ground
2. He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life
3. Man became a living soul
1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
The word quickening as used in the King James Version of this scripture means “life giving”.
It was and still is the Spirit of God which gives life.
Life is a Spiritual Thing
Tonight we are going to take a closer look at Spiritual Things so that we might discover how life is intended to work. We will begin this simple journey by listening to the Apostle Paul’s description of Spiritual Things when he taught this same message to the Church in Corinth. To see a copy of his original message - Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 12.
1 Corinthians 12 KJV
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
One of the things I like about the KJV of the Bible is that when the translators added a word which they did not find in their manuscripts, in order to help clarify the passage, they took pains to italicize that word so as to give the reader the knowledge that this word was added in that effort. For example, you may note that the word ‘gifts’ is italicized.
If we were to read this scripture without the added human translator’s attempt to clarify, it would read …
Now concerning spiritual, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
You can see that some clarification might be necessary for us English speaking people since the word “spiritual” does not fully translate.
The Greek word which is translated into this English word, “spiritual”, is the word:
πνευματικος pneumatikos pnyoo-mat-ik-os’
It covers the broad sense and meaning of the word spiritual. Basically it means “all the things of the spirit” or “Spiritual Things”.
Things pertaining to the Spirit
So many times when we read 1 Corinthians 12:1 we relegate the rest of this chapter and its instructions only to what we call “Spiritual Gifts” and do not investigate it as a roadmap to the greater things of the Spirit. It was the intent of the Apostle Paul to wipe away spiritual ignorance.
Since life is a spiritual thing it behooves us to be knowledgeable of spiritual things … more than just gifts. We need to understand spiritual things.
In light of these this admonition, let’s take a simple walk through 1 Corinthians 12, verse by verse, and get acquainted concerning the broader things of the Spirit. Hopefully we will discover how life is designed to work.
1 Corinthians 12
1 ¶ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Commentary:
Verse 2: Dumb – speechless … things that cannot help or give guidance
Verse 3: No one is influenced by God to disrespect Jesus, and no one can know the Lordship of Jesus except by revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 4: Diversities of Gifts
· Gifts – Greek word Charisma
· A Gracious, Joy Gift – makes you happy when you use it
· Bestowed on a person by divine grace
· 7 Charismas – or – 7 Motivational Gifts
Romans 12
6 Having then gifts, (charismas), differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
· Imparted by Divine grace by the Holy Spirit
1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift, (charisma), that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift, (charisma), of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, (charisma), to the end ye may be established;
Not every time we read the word gift in the New Testament is it translated from the same Greek word. In fact, there are at least 8 Greek words which are translated into English as the word, “gift”, and each one has a different shade of meaning. However, we can all possess a Divine grace, a charisma, which is bestowed on us by the Holy Spirit in a Spiritual moment.
Verse 5: Differences of Administrations
· Administrations – Greek word Diakonia
· Ministries – Services – Administration of an Office
1 Corinthians 12
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
The Five Fold Ministry
Ephesians 4
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The Greek word translated “gifts” in verse 8 is the word ‘doma’. As I understand it in its context: “A gift made a gift of” … in other words – people aren’t given the gift of pastoring, rather they are the gift. These doma gifts are gifts given to the Body of Christ for a specific ministry purpose – given by the Lord Jesus Christ.
As well, there are both helps and governments …
Bishops and Deacons
1 Timothy 3
1 ¶ This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 ¶ Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
· By the same Lord
Verse 6: Diversities of Operations
· Operations – Greek word Energema
· Workings;
· Both the Energy and the Energizing Effect
Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
God operates differently in different people … as he wills. For to Peter God gave the ministry to the Jews and to Paul the ministry to the Gentiles. One God calls here and another there … One He gifts one way another a different way. God moves in various ways to perform His will which no other person can orchestrate. God is both the author and the finisher.
This is further explained by Paul as he begins to describe the body of Christ. God operates everything according to His desired affect … in other words, God has put all things together on purpose for purpose – a plan!
1 Corinthians 12
12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
· Everything operated by God for His Divine purpose. We are what we have made ourselves from what God gave us. We all possess Divine strengths, weaknesses, limitations and capacities, according to God’s purpose He designed in us before time began. We were created …
Verse 7: The Manifestation of the Holy Spirit
· Manifestation – Greek word Phanerosis
· To illuminate or bring to light – to reveal – to make known
1 Corinthians 12
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Life is Spiritual and God has intended that we not be ignorant of Spiritual Things … how that He has gifted us, called us, equipped us, orchestrates all things to work together in different ways, and manifest Himself through us to a world which should see us as one body, fully functioning as many members, yet one body, working in unity and unison to accomplish the purposes of God, each part set in by God to the place of His will, joined in the Spirit, appreciative and respectful of every other part, seeing each and every one as needed and necessary for the body to be complete and whole, under the Lordship of Christ being led by the Holy Spirit.
