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SEPTEMBER 2
1 Corinthians 12:1–31
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren,
12 I do not want you to be ignorant: You
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know that you were Gentiles, carried away to 12:3 accursed. This is the most severe kind of
these dumb idols, however you were led. condemnation. Some of the Corinthians were
Therefore I make known to you that no one
3 fleshly and given over to ecstasies that were
speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus ac- controlled by demons. In that condition, they
actually claimed to be prophesying or teach-
cursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord ing in the Spirit while demonically blasphem-
except by the Holy Spirit. ing the name of the Lord whom they were
supposed to be worshiping. They had been
judging the use of gifts on the basis of expe-
rience and not content. Satan always assaults
12:1 spiritual gifts. The NKJV translators itali- the Person of Christ. It is possible that the
cized “gifts” to indicate that the word is not in curser of Christ was a Gentile claiming to be a
the original but is implied by the context (vv. Christian, but holding to a philosophy that all
4,9,28,30,31; 14:1). The Greek literally means matter was evil, including the human Jesus
“pertaining to the Spirit,” referring to that (i.e., pregnosticism). They might have said
which has spiritual qualities or characteristics that the Christ spirit left the human Jesus
or is under some form of spiritual control. before His death, and therefore Jesus died a
Spiritual gifts are divine enablements for min- cursed death as a mere man. Jesus is Lord.
istry that the Holy Spirit gives in some measure The validity of any speaking exercise is deter-
to all believers and that are to be completely mined by the truthfulness of it. If the speaker
under His control and used for the building of affirms the lordship of Jesus, it is the truth
the church to Christ’s glory (Rom. 12:4–8). from the Holy Spirit. What a person believes
These had to be distinguished from the mysti- and says about Jesus Christ is the test of
cal experiences called “ecstasy” (supernatural, whether he speaks from the Holy Spirit. He
sensuous communion with a deity) and always leads people to Christ’s lordship
“enthusiasm” (divination, dreams, revelations, (2:8–14; John 15:26; 1 John 5:6–8).
visions) that were found in the pagan religions
of Corinth.
miracles, to another prophecy, to another dis-
12:2 Gentiles. That is, non-Christian pagans cerning of spirits, to another different kinds of
(1 Thess. 4:5; 1 Pet. 2:12). carried away. tongues, to another the interpretation of
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Incredibly, some church members were mim- tongues. But one and the same Spirit works
icking certain dramatic and bizarre practices all these things, distributing to each one indi-
of the mystery religions in which they had vidually as He wills.
been formerly involved.The practice of ecsta- 12 For as the body is one and has many mem-
sy, considered to be the highest expression of bers, but all the members of that one body,
religious experience, involved supposed being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For
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supernatural interaction with a deity, induced by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
through frenzied hypnotic chants and cere- body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether
monies. The practice frequently included slaves or free—and have all been made to
drunkenness (Eph. 5:18) and sexual orgies, to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is
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which the devotees willfully yielded them- not one member but many.
selves to be led into gross sin.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a
hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not
of the body? And if the ear should say, “Be-
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4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same cause I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is
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Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but it therefore not of the body? If the whole
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the same Lord. And there are diversities of body were an eye, where would be the hearing?
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activities, but it is the same God who works all If the whole were hearing, where would be the
in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is smelling? But now God has set the members,
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given to each one for the profit of all: for to each one of them, in the body just as He
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one is given the word of wisdom through the pleased. And if they were all one member,
Spirit, to another the word of knowledge where would the body be?
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through the same Spirit, to another faith by 20 But now indeed there are many members,
the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the
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the same Spirit, to another the working of hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the
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