The Apostle Paul now turns his attention to the area of Spiritual gifts as the Corinthian church apparently did not understand them completely and were not handling them according to the plan of God. There was chaos and confusion and the Apostle Paul needed to straighten out the misunderstandings and the improper uses of these very important gifts from the LORD.
Verses 1-3 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.
In chapter 10, the Apostle Paul stated that he would not have the Corinthians ignorant, and he stated this again in the verse above. He wanted to correct any wrong thinking and wrong acting of this church that had so many problems. Remember again that these believers were not Jews, but were Gentiles and so they did not have the advantage of Old Testament Scripture that reveals the character of God and the promise of Messiah, Jesus Christ. What they understood was what they had been taught by the Apostle Paul and by any false preachers/teachers that had come along later and presented confusing false doctrine. The epistles that the Apostle Paul wrote which later made up the majority of the New Testament were written predominately to help correct different churches that were straying from the truth. This doctrine of Spiritual gifts was/is an important part of the Christian walk as these gifts are the tools that God has given to His children to help them flourish in a sin filled, devil infested world. The believers in Corinth had turned away from worshiping idols, but they needed these gifts correctly operating in their lives to help them remain faithful to the LORD. The Apostle Paul warns them that if any man claiming to speak by the spirit of God speaks blasphemy against Jesus, he is a fake as no real converted Christian believer can speak negatively about their Savior and LORD, Jesus Christ. And only a truly converted Christian can claim Jesus is their LORD.
Verses 4-6 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.
The gift are diverse but they are operated by the Holy Ghost/Spirit. There are different uses of these gifts, but they are all of God and are all to glorify Him. There are diverse ways these gifts operate, but it is God directing them always.
Verse 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
Application: There are multiple church denominations today who claim that the gifts of the Spirit were only for the early Church and not for the Church today. These churches do not believe that God heals anymore or that miracles happen. And because of their unbelief, people are not healed and miracles never happen. However, the verse above states that these gifts are given to “EVERY” man (woman too as the Bible is written in the masculine tense) for the purpose of profiting from them. Does that mean to financially profit and get rich or to become famous as a healer? No. It means to profit in the spreading of the Gospel and in bringing unbelievers into the Kingdom of God. People tend to listen to the Word of God when their sickness is healed or when someone sharing the Gospel with them reveals something about them that they have kept secret. These gifts give authenticity and power to the Word of God as it is given out by His people to unbelievers. And these gifts have no timeline attached to them. The Apostle Paul did not say that these gifts as manifested by the Spirit of God were only for the church at Corinth or that they were only for a specific period of time. The promise of God did not end and His promise is continuing today, albeit these gifts are more prevalent in third world countries where the people have been forced to rely upon the LORD for their very subsistence. The Chinese underground Church is a fine example of people receiving and using these gifts from God to advance the Gospel under extremely difficult circumstances. Any man/woman or any church today can receive these gifts by simply desiring them and claiming the promise from God. All nine of these gifts are working today and available to the people of God. They are a package deal. If one of them is no longer operating, then all of them are no longer operating and this would include knowledge and wisdom. So common sense concludes that since the Church still has knowledge given to them and wisdom, the rest of the gifts are available also.
Verses 8-10 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:
The Apostle Paul is not confining one gift to one person. One person can have all of the gifts but only use one or two at a time, or use all of them at a time, depending on the situation and the leading of the Holy Ghost/Spirit. For example, a pastor can be using wisdom and knowledge in a counseling situation, at the same time using the gift of faith that the LORD will use him according to His will. He can pray for who he is counseling so that the individual receives divine healing which is also a miracle, and the pastor can bring forth the Word of God as lead by the Spirit and discern if there are any evil spirits affecting the one he is counseling. This is just an example of how these gifts can be used by the servant of the LORD in any situation. The ability to have wisdom (not worldly wisdom) and to speak words that are wise is a Spiritual gift but it requires the mind of the believer. The ability to have knowledge of both Scripture and of things that are not known but revealed to the believer by the Holy Ghost/Spirit also requires the mind of the believer. But the gift of Faith does not require the mind or the thinking ability of the believer. Faith is of the heart and every believer has a portion of faith or they would not be a Christian believer. Notice that the gifts of healing is plural. Healing can come by many different means and there are many types of healings: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Miracles is also plural as there are all kinds of miracles happening to God’s children every day. Some are big, and some are small, but they are all gifts of the Spirit of God. The gift of prophecy does not mean predicting the future. The prophets of God as recorded in the Old Testament brought forth the Word of God. “Thus saith the LORD. . .” was what they spoke and wrote. Yes, there was some prophecy regarding future events such as the coming of Jesus, but the focus was on bringing forth the Word of God. So Bible prophecy is not fore telling, but forth telling. Therefore, every Christian believer who shares the Gospel with others is a prophet and exercising the gift of prophecy.
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 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. 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? 31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12)