By Peter Amsterdam
July 1, 2025
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed (1 Corinthians 12:1).
Paul starts this chapter of his epistle to the Corinthians with the words now concerning, indicating that he is now returning to the questions and issues which were raised by the Corinthian believers in their letter to him. He prefaces his writing on this topic by stating that he didn’t want them to be ignorant or uninformed regarding spiritual gifts. In calling them brothers (or brethren), Paul created a familial mood.
You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:2–3).
In these two verses Paul set up a contrast between the times when the Corinthians were pagan (or Gentiles) and were led astray to mute idols, and their Christian experience of speaking by the Spirit of God. Some interpreters believe Paul was contrasting the fact that pagans were led by idols whereas Christians are led by the Holy Spirit. Others propose that Paul was contrasting the experiences of ecstatic speech that occurred in pagan religions with the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in the church (especially regarding speaking in tongues and prophecy).
Because of their background in pagan worship services, some Corinthians may have had concerns about these gifts. Paul assures them that the words of people filled with the Spirit will confess that Jesus is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone (1 Corinthians 12:4–6).
In these verses, Paul makes mention of all three persons of the Trinity: the Spirit, the Lord, and God. He is about to give the Corinthian believers information regarding the gifts given to every believer, and in doing so, he makes it clear that their source is the triune God Himself, who empowers them all in everyone.
Paul begins this passage by saying that there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and each one serves a different purpose in the church. Paul’s main point is that there is only one Holy Spirit, who indwells every person who believes in Christ. The Spirit isn’t given to some believers and not to others (Romans 8:9). Believers are all saved and have the Spirit of God dwelling within them. While there are different spiritual gifts, they all come from the Holy Spirit.
Paul then adds that there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. The Greek word translated as “services” is sometimes rendered as “ministries.” Paul points out that it is the same Lord at work in the diversity of services or ministries or activities of the believers. He wants the Corinthian church to understand that the variety of gifts and ministries that God has given to them is meant to build unity.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7).
Paul then addresses the themes of unity, diversity, and distribution, first by saying that God gives a manifestation of the Spirit to each believer. Believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit will generally have some display of the Spirit’s presence in their life. Paul emphasizes unity by stating the Spirit’s manifestation in each believer is for the common good. As one author wrote, “Spiritual gifts are always given to be used, and to be used in such a way as to edify the whole body of believers, not some individual possessor of a gift.”1
All spiritual gifts given by the Spirit are for serving others in the body of Christ. None of the spiritual gifts are given solely to enrich or serve those who are gifted.
For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:8–10).
Paul then listed some of the manifestations of the Spirit’s gifts in the lives of Christians. In so doing, he mentioned the Spirit four times in these verses to remind the Corinthians that these gifts come from a divine source: the Holy Spirit.
Comparisons with other lists in the New Testament of the Spirit’s manifestations show that this list is only a sampling of the gifts of the Spirit that probably corresponds with the gifts which Paul knew the Corinthian church manifested. For example, the list in Romans 12:6–8 includes other gifts, such as service, teaching, exhortation (or encouragement), giving, and leading. In Ephesians 4:11–12, we read of other types of gifts given “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” which include evangelism and shepherding.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul briefly listed nine manifestations of spiritual gifts. There is little detail given in some cases of how these gifts are manifested, and Bible scholars throughout history have offered various interpretations for some of them. In the case of three of these gifts (the utterance of wisdom, knowledge, and distinguishing of spirits), these are the only mentions of these gifts in the New Testament.
Following is a brief summary for each of these gifts. (For more detail on each of these gifts, see the Heart of It All series, “The Gifts of the Spirit,” part 1 and part 2.)
All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills (1 Corinthians 12:11).
Having presented a short list of various gifts of the Spirit, Paul ends with a general comment that all spiritual gifts are the work of one and the same Spirit. These gifts are important to the church because they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Each believer in the church receives different gifts, not because of differences in personal qualifications or circumstances, but according to only one standard: just as the Spirit determines (1 Corinthians 12:11 NIV).
(To be continued.)
Note
Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
1 Leon Morris, 1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 7, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (InterVarsity Press, 1985), 167.
2 Morris, 1 Corinthians, 169.
3 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine (Zondervan, 1994), 1052–1055.
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