Introduction
Paul wrote the Corinthian church to address several problems: division, immorality, lack of spiritual growth, and confusion in the assembly. In chapters 12 -14, Paul writes about the work of the Holy Spirit that unifies a church, not divides it.
A. Chapter 12: the Holy Spirit distributes spiritual works on the members of the Body of Christ.
B. Chapter 13: the spiritual works of the Spirit flows from love for one another.
C. Chapter 14: principles that govern worship in the church services.
“Concerning spiritual things,” vv. 1-3
A. Word “gifts” are italicized by the KJV translators. This indicates that the word is not in the Greek text and was inserted by the translators. In the first three verses, Paul is addressing spiritual issues, not gifts.
B. “Don’t be ignorant,” v. 1. In his epistles, Paul names three things he does not want Christians to be ignorant of:
1. Don’t be ignorant of God’s plan for Israel, Romans 11:25.
2. Don’t be ignorant of spiritual things, i.e. doctrines, v. 1.
3. Don’t be ignorant of the Rapture of the Church and the eternal state, 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
C. Since the Gentiles were recent converts and did not have the understanding of biblical history and teachings, Paul does not want them to be ignorant about spiritual things. It is easy for us to take our materialistic or superstitious views into our understanding of spiritual things.
1. The Holy Spirit does not promote Himself or the individual believer.
2. The Holy Spirit glorifies and testifies of Jesus, John 15:26.
“Diversities, but the same Spirit,” vv. 4-6.
A. “Gifts” = a spiritual endowment, religious qualification, or miraculous faculty.
B. “Administrations or ministries,” as in offices in the church, e.g. apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, Ephesians 4.
C. “Operations or activities” is the same word in verse 10, “the working of miracles.”
“Manifestation of the Spirit,” vv. 7-11.
A. “Manifestation” means the exhibition of the Spirit’s work to profit the church family.
1. “The word of wisdom,” v. 8, i.e. the wisdom of God (see Acts 7 and 23).
2. “The word of knowledge,” v. 8, i.e. supernatural knowledge.
3. “The gift of faith,” v. 9, the ability to trust God against all circumstances, e.g. George Muller.
4. “The gifts of healings,” v. 9, either given or received.
5. “The working of miracles,” v. 10, overriding the laws of nature working through an individual.
6. “Prophecy,” v. 10, telling God’s message to a particular situation in accordance with God’s word and will.
7. “Discerning of spirits,” v. 10, discerning between true and false doctrine.
8. “The gift of tongues,” v. 10, a prayer language spoken to God, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15.
a. Tongues has an important place in the devotional life of the believer, but a small place in the corporate lift of the church, 1 Corinthians 14:18-19, 23.
b. When tongues are practiced in the church, it is to be carefully controlled, and never without an interpretation, 1 Corinthians 14:27-28.
c. The ability to pray in an unknown tongues is not a gift given to every beliver, v. 20.
d. The ability to pray in a tongue is not evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit; this emphasis has led people to seek the gift of tongues (and to counterfeit it) merely to prove to themselves and others that they really are filled with the Holy Spirit.
9. “The interpretation of tongues,” v. 10, this gift allows others to benefit from the message.
B. Same work of the Holy Spirit, “dividing to every man severally as He will,” v. 11.
The Diversity of Spiritual Gifts for a Unified Church, vv. 12-31
A. One Body with Many Members, vv. 12-14.
1. We were “baptized into one body,” v. 13–>immersed in Jesus Christ.
2. “The body is not one member, but many.”
B. Illustration of the Human Body, vv. 15-26
C. God distributes gifts and callings according to His pleasure, vv. 27-31.