Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
“IMPLEMENTATION OF NORMAL CHURCH LIFE”
1 CORINTHIANS 12-14 – GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
IV. 12-14 – NATURE & REGULATION OF SPIRIT MANIFESTATION
A. 12:1-31a. PRINCIPLES OF SPIRIT MANIFESTATION
1. 12:1-3 SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS MAGNIFY JESUS
a. 12:1 KNOW SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS
PeRI de ton pneu-ma-tiKON [4152], a-delPHOI,
Now concerning the spirituals, brothers,
ou THElo huMAS ag-noEIN [50].
I would not have you ignorant.
b. 12:2 DISCERN SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS
OIda-te HOti HOte ETHne Ete pros ta EIdo-la [1497] ta Apho-na [880],
You know that as nations you were led away unto those dumb :idols,
hos an Eges-the a-paGOme-noi [520].
howsoever you might be led.
c. 12:3 TEST SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS
di’ ho gnoRIzo [1107] huMIN,
Wherefore I make known to you,
HOti ou DEIS en PNEUma-ti TheOU laLON LEgei,
that no one speaking by God’s Spirit says,
A-NAthe-ma [331] IesSOUS; kai ouDEIS DUna-tai eiPEIN,
Jesus is anathema; and no one can say,
KUri-os [2962] IeSOUS, ei me en PNEUma-ti HaGIo.
Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
2. 12:4-11 ALL MANIFESTATIONS ORIGINATE FROM THE SAME SPIRIT
a. 12:4 THE SAME SPIRIT ORIGINATES ALL GIFTS
Di-aiREseis [1243] de cha-risMAton [5486] eiSIN, to de auTO PNEUma.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
b. 12:5 THE SAME LORD ORIGINATES ALL MINISTRIES
kai di-aiREseis di-a-ko-niON [1248] ei-sin, kai ho auTOS KUri-os.
And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
c. 12:6 THE SAME GOD ORIGINATES ALL WORKINGS
kai di-aiREseis e-ner-geMAton [1755] eiSIN, kai ho auTOS TheOS,
And there are diversities of workings, but the same God,
ho e-nerGON [1754] ta PANta en PAsin.
who works all the things in all.
d. 12:7 SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS ARE TO PROFIT OTHERS.
heKASto de DIdo-tai he phaNEro-sis [5321] tou PNEUma-tos
But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit
pros to sumPHEron [4851].
to profit.
e. 12:8-11 NINE SOVEREIGN MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT
ho men gar diA tou PNEUma-tos DIdo-tai LOgos soPHIas [4678];
For to one is given through the Spirit a word of wisdom;
ALlo de LOgos GNOse-os [1108], kaTA to auTO PNEUma:
and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
heTEro PIStis [4102], en to auTO PNEUma-ti;
9 to another faith, in the same Spirit;
ALlo de chaRISma-ta [5486] iaMAton [2386], en to heNI PNEUma-ti;
and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
ALlo de en-erGEma-ta [1755] duNAme-on [1411]; ALlo de pro-pheTEIa [4394];
10 and to another workings of powers; and to another prophecy;
ALlo de di-aKRIseis [1253] pneuMAton: heTEro GEne glosSON [1100];
and to another discernings of spirits: to another kinds of tongues;
ALlo de her-meNIa [2058] glosSON;
and to another interpretation of tongues;
PANta de TAUta en-erGEI [1754] to hen kai to auTO PNEUma,
11 but all these works the one and the same Spirit,
di-aiROUN [1244] iDIa heKASto kaTHOS BOUle-tai [1014].
dividing to each severally even as he wills.
NOTE: Smith Wigglesworth didn’t claim to have any particular gifts of the Spirit. Rather he claimed that by having the GIFT of the Holy Spirit Himself – and that ALL 9 gifts and more were resident in Him – then He in His sovereignty could manifest the particular gift necessary for the particular need at the particular time! This attitude breaks the spirit of pride in any person the Holy Spirit chooses to use. H.A. Baker of “Visions Beyond the Veil” took the same attitude as Wigglesworth in this respect.
See also that the Triunity of the Godhead is involved in all Manifestations: The SPIRIT originates all gifts; JESUS is behind ALL ministries; and God energizes all workings. This insight by the apostle Paul likewise undercuts the temptation to pride or unilateral operations in any of us.
Note too that the Holy Spirit chooses to use us in the gifts for the sake of building up
Christ’s body and its individual members. He does NOT do so to exalt the user – the user is but His channel for blessing the church.
And lastly – in verse 12:11 see that the Holy Spirit in His sovereignty divides the gifts as HE wills – it is our part but to yield and obey.
Now this section of 1 Corinthians is part and parcel of the whole epistle. Paul by the Lord wrote these insights and corrections to a very carnal church of babes. Spiritual babies can immediately be used by the Spirit to manifest gifts of the Spirit. But to develop FRUIT of the Spirit as set forth in Galatians 5:22-23 – THAT separates the men from the boys, and shows who has had an apostle like Paul to travail in birth until Christ is fully formed in them! Then such believers can enter into the realm of the book of Ephesians and function in maturity as Christ’s Body, His Church, His Temple, His House, His Building, His Bride, His Army and much more.
There is a VAST gulf between the believers of the Corinthian church and those of Ephesus!
But we ALL start out as babes and carnal and in the flesh as the Corinthian church. We all start out misusing and abusing the gifts. But hopefully we can progress till we too take our place as mature believers in an Ephesians type church.