Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 14 December 2014

For in fact the body is not one member but many. 1 Corinthians 12:14

“For” in this verse serves two purposes. First, it reiterates what was said in verse 12, which was expanded on in verse 13. There it said, “For as the body is one and has many members.” And secondly, it prepares for a continued expansion on the thought through actual examples of real body parts claiming they are not a part of the body and what the result of such a claim entails.

In the church, like the human body, there are various gifts, ministries, and activities which make up the whole. Even though the body is animated by one soul which is indivisible, the body itself is made up of an immense number of parts. Some of the parts, the head for example, are made up of smaller parts – the eyes, ears, mouth, hair, etc. But even these are made up of smaller parts. The mouth for example has lips, a tongue, taste buds, etc. And yet these are made up of smaller and smaller parts. Everything is interconnected and yet it is a functioning whole intended to work for the same purposes.

In this unity there is diversity, and yet in the diversity there is harmony. Such is how it should be within the church among its many members.

Life application: Are you a mouth? Don’t boast over the tongue and taste buds because without them you wouldn’t be a mouth. Work in harmony with others for the purpose of glorifying the Lord.

Heavenly Father, the more I look at the structure of the church, the more perfectly I see that it all fits together as a whole. Each part is important and every person has value. Help me to remember this when I look at those around me in the congregation. I don’t ever want to lose sight that each is an individual, created in Your image and for Your glory. Help me to treat them with this thought in mind and to show them the respect that they deserve as You work to accomplish Your purposes through them. Amen.

Saturday, 13 December 2014

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13

The opening words of this verse, “For by one Spirit” continues on with the theme of the previous verses. From verse 4-11, we have been shown that the gifts and ministries all came from the same Spirit and therefore their use should be united for one ultimate goal. There should be no disharmony among the believers, no boasting about one’s gift, and no feelings of being of less value within the body because of the gift or ministry we may possess.

To support this, we are told that by this “one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Paul just explained that “the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body.” As this is so, then each member is a part of a cohesive whole which should be working towards the accomplishment of the purposes of the whole body. To further bolster this point, he then gives two examples which demonstrate the greatest extremes possible.

The first concerns the identifier “whether Jews or Greeks.” This is the Old Testament’s greatest distinction. To be a Jew was to be of the chosen people of God. To be a Gentile was to be outside of the covenant promises. But now in Christ, that immense distinction is erased. Both Jew and Gentile have been baptized into one body.

Similarly, the same is also true with “slaves or free.” A slave was one without rights and was under the authority and control of another. A free man had rights and could own slaves, choosing to direct what the slaves did, when they did it, etc. However, the same Spirit baptized both slave and free into one body. In this body, each member has the same rights and privileges extended to him.

Together, regardless of the category they stood in from a cultural or societal aspect, they “have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” Each received the same healing waters of regeneration.

A question which arises from this verse is whether the “baptism” mentioned is speaking of water baptism or the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The latter is certainly the case. Paul has been speaking of the work of the Spirit consistently. Water baptism is only an outward sign of an inward change in the believer. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a one-time event which occurs upon belief and it is granted to all who believe – Jew and Gentile, slave or free.

As a final point, it should be noted that a Gentile doesn’t become a Jew when they believe and a Jew doesn’t lose his cultural status as a Jew. This is a point which some confuse, but throughout Paul’s writings, he never equates one with the other. A slave who belongs to a human master doesn’t stop being a slave to that human master when they come to Christ. Nor does a Jew stop being a Jew when they come to Christ. The very fact that Paul mentions the categories proves that those categories continue to exist after the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Life application: In Christ, you are no different than any other who is in Christ. You are a member of the body and have all the rights and privileges of that inclusion. Strive to be the best you can for the glory of the whole!

How good it is to be a child of the Lord
To know that I am one of His people
I will live my life according to His word
And will exalt Him with others under the church steeple

By His grace and love He saved me from sin
And for eternity I will praise my Lord, Jesus!
A great change has been made without and within
What kind of love He has lavished on us!

Thank You Lord! I know that regardless of who I am to the world, as a member of Your body I am loved and cared for. To You, it doesn’t matter if I’m poor or rich; the color of my skin is irrelevant; the things I did in the past are washed away; and I share in the same Spirit as all others. No matter what the world thinks of me, I am Yours. That is what counts. I am Yours. Hallelujah and Amen!

Friday, 12 December 2014

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

Paul now introduces a metaphor to help us grasp our position in the body and the gifts we have received from the Spirit. In doing this he will make a somewhat complicated issue more easily understood. God fashioned man as a soul/body unity. In our body, there are “many members.” We have arms, legs, fingers, toes, eyes, ears, internal organs, a covering of skin, bones, and so on.

Despite each being an individual thing, together they comprise a single unit; as Paul says, they are “all the members of that one body.” None are independent of the body, but are a part of the whole. As noted, they “being many, are one body.” The finger on your right hand isn’t independent of the hand and the hand isn’t independent of the arm, etc. Each member is dependent on the whole. If a finger gets cut off, it is no longer a part of the body and it cannot continue to function. The same is true with any part of the body. If it is removed, it simply ceases to function.

In the human form then, there is a united existence where every part of the body has a particular function and without which the body will not be able to function properly. Understanding this, Paul says, “so also is Christ.” The body of Christ, meaning the individual believers who have been given individual gifts, are not independent of the body. Instead, they are “all the members of that one body, being many” and yet they “are one body.”

Life application: If someone is saved, they are a part of the body of Christ. In that body, they are assigned a particular gift which is intended to meet the needs of the body. This is why the Spirit gives gifts according to His wisdom. It is a specific gift to meet a specific need. If God fashioned man to be a marvelous organism which functions properly, how much more will He fashion the members of the body of Christ to function properly! Whatever your gift, use it with this in mind.

Thank You God for the gifts and talents You have given each of us. And thank You for allowing us to use them in a way which will bring You glory and which will be of benefit to others within the church. Please continue to give us the strength needed to accomplish the things You have ordained for us to do. And help us to not boast in our accomplishments, but rather to pass the credit on to You, from where our strength came from! Amen.

Thursday, 11 December 2014

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11

From verses 5-10, a list of the different workings and gifts of the Spirit were provided. However, and despite this, they all have the same divine Source. Thus Paul states “but” to show that regardless of the gift or ministry, they have a common value because of their common Source. It is noted that “one and the same Spirit works all these things.” Logically, if one boasts in his particular gift over that of another, then they are boasting over what was determined by the Spirit of God; a tenuous position to say the least!

The same is true from the other angle. If a saved person possesses a particular gift and yet they are displeased with that gift, then their unhappiness is implicitly showing disdain for what God apportioned to them. There is nothing wrong with desiring the best gifts (as will be noted by Paul) but there is something wrong with not being satisfied with what one has at the same time. This is because it is the Spirit who is working out these things and “distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

Who can charge God with wrongdoing? It is absurd to even contemplate it. The Spirit knows each person’s abilities and capabilities and makes His distributions according to that superior knowledge.

In this there is an implicit confirmation of the doctrine of the Trinity. The Spirit is described as possessing personal traits that only an individual could possess. Further, the omniscience of the Spirit is noted in the way His workings are depicted. And His sovereignty is also seen in His will to choose the appropriate distribution of gifts. As this is so, the decisions made by the Spirit are decisions in accord with the will of God. Therefore, let us be thankful for our gifts and be pleased to strive for more or better gifts as we develop in Christ.

Life application: Whatever gift you possess, use it well and in a way which brings glory to the Lord. A gift given and yet unused is a wasted gift.

I know Lord that You put me in this time in history and in the place I am specifically for Your purposes. I also know that You have given me certain abilities that can be used for Your glory or that I can squander away. So, help me Lord. Help me to use the time, place, and position I have been granted, and the abilities I possess for Your glory. This is my one chance to do my very best with the life You have given me. Let me use it wisely and in accord with Your will. Amen.

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

…to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 1 Corinthians 12:10

Paul continues with his list of spiritual gifts in verse 10. The first is “the working of miracles.” This is a separate category than “healings” which has already been mentioned. It could be a reference to Jesus’ words in Mark 16:18 –

“….they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Whatever the miracles are, they are above and beyond what would normally be expected from a person; exceeding general capabilities. However, there are those who have unusual abilities and who will claim their “gift” is from the Spirit. People can do an astonishing array of unique things, but this doesn’t mean that their ability is a true spiritual gift. It can only be considered as such if its intent is to bring glory to God.

Paul next says that “to another prophecy” is given. There are two types of prophecy in Scripture. The first is “foretelling.” This is speaking of something future and which is otherwise unknowable. There are instances of this recorded in Acts. However, this is such an abused practice in modern times that the only word which can be used for such utterances is “false.” People “prophesy” over others about prosperity, deliverance from sickness, marital issues, etc. These are not God-centered, but man-centered and have nothing to do with true prophecy. Foretelling ended with the word “Amen” at the end of the book of Revelation.

The other type of prophecy is “forth-telling.” This is the speaking forth and explanation of Scripture. Pastors who rightly divide the word of God, speaking from the pulpit or in teaching classes, are forth-telling the word of God. It is an on-going gift which will last throughout the church age.

Paul next states that “to another discerning of spirits” is given. This is an immensely valuable gift. There are true preachers and there are false ones. There are people who can actually speak in tongues and there are those who utter nonsense. There are those who really have the gift of healing others through prayer and intercession, and then there are charlatans who stand on stage and mock the Lord through supposed healings.

To be able to recognize the difference between what is true and what is false takes discernment, and that discernment is only certain when based on a knowledge of Scripture. One cannot support a  “feeling” of discernment without backing up that “feeling” with knowledge. Otherwise, there may be lacking of discernment about one’s own feelings. John writes about the use of  this gift in his first epistle –

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

How can one “test the spirits” unless they know what is false? The answer is that they can only know what is false through knowing the word of God. The word was breathed out by the Spirit and therefore the word will provide right discernment concerning that which is false.

Paul’s next item in the list is that “to another different kinds of tongues” have come. He will later show that this is a lesser-gift and a most abused one, even during his time. He will spend an immense amount of effort explaining it because of this. The word “tongues” is the Greek glossa. It literally means “tongue,” such as the tongue in the mouth. It also is figuratively used to describe a tongue, such as “tongues of fire.” The fire looks like a tongue and therefore it is called a tongue. And, it is used to describe that which a tongue is used for – to speak or make sound. Therefore language and sound is called a “tongue.”

There is no verse in Scripture that shows these to be anything more than known, spoken languages. In fact, in Acts 2, all of the “tongues” are explained as known languages –

“And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:8-11

This is consistently the case throughout the rest of the New Testament. It is always referring to a known language and one must insert their own presupposition to come to the conclusion that these “tongues” are either ecstatic or incoherent. Paul, for example, says in 1 Corinthians 14 that he spoke in more tongues than all of those in Corinth. This doesn’t mean in frequency, but rather in acquired languages. He knew Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and probably Latin, and his native dialect as well. He may have known others languages too.

And he finishes with “to another the interpretation of tongues” is given. Later, Paul will show that if someone speaks a tongue (a known language) in a congregation, there must be an interpreter. Therefore, if a person speaks a language and yet doesn’t understand that language, they must have someone interpret what is spoken.

This is not at all unusual. Many people, for example, learn biblical Hebrew and Greek in college and yet they cannot speak it. Rather, they can only understand it in writing. On the other hand are people who can speak those languages, but who do not understand what they are speaking because they have never been trained in the language structure. Some speak languages in acting or sing them in songs and yet they have no idea what they are saying. Paul says that if someone speaks in a tongue, they must have an interpreter to explain the words that are uttered.

Life application: Paul’s list today has been taken to such unhealthy extremes in churches that only self-aggrandizement and humiliation of the name of Christ is the result. A gift, if properly exercised, will have the purpose of edifying others, building up the church, and bringing glory to God. The showy use of supposed “gifts” which call attention to someone are to be shunned. A church is to be conducted in an orderly and harmonious way.

O God, I’m heading in one direction in time. The past is there for my learning and the present is here to guide me – moment by moment – into the future. And the great thing about the process is that I am being led through each step to a known destination. The final book of Your word is written and what it details is glorious. Because I know the end, the process of getting there is bearable, even when it’s difficult. Thank You for the surety of Your word which tells me of the surety of my future. Amen.