I suspect that they did not admit any ignorance about this topic, so 12:1b may indicate that Paul is initiating the topic (cf. Fee notes that “this is a nearly universal conviction (570n), but notes that Paul’s corrective comments imply that the Corinthians were not simply asking for information. This is similar to 7:1, so Paul may be addressing the topic of spiritual things at the request of the Corinthians. Paul writes, I don’t want you to be ignorant about the spiritual things (v.1). Exegetical Notes Features of the literary structure Salvation is the greatest gift, given to all. Churches that emphasize these gifts are often called charismatic churches.īut actually, all Christians can be called charismatic, because we all believe that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Rom. 7:7).īut charismata (the plural form of charisma) are best known as the special abilities God’s Spirit distributes to his people ( Rom. His ability to be celibate was another charisma from God ( 1 Cor. When God delivered Paul from danger, it was a charisma ( 2 Cor. But for Paul, everyone has been given a charisma, because for him the word meant a gift, something given by the grace ( charis) of God. In English, a person who has “charisma” has a personality that seems to attract followers. When we have different gifts, when no one has all the abilities, then we need to work together, and that in itself is good for us. The main point for Paul here is that “all these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” Not everyone is given the same abilities the Spirit purposely distributes different skills to different people.Īs verse 7 says, it is for the common good. Paul ends with the gift that was causing the most problems in Corinth, and its solution “to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” No matter what the “tongues” were, no one in Corinth understood them, except people who had the special gift of interpretation. He will have more to say about prophecy in chapter 14. These gifts overlap Paul is giving examples, not creating totally distinct categories. Presumably someone who has a gift of miraculous healing also has stronger faith than most people. He lists more: “to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits.” All believers have faith, but some have stronger faith than others. The Corinthian believers seem to be interested in knowledge and wisdom, and that may be why Paul begins with these two gifts. Paul lists some of the gifts: “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit.” Generally speaking, knowledge refers to awareness of facts wisdom refers to the ability to apply facts to the right situation. Paul summarizes the purpose: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” Spiritual gifts are not for a person’s private benefit-they are to help the church as a whole. The main point is that God works in different ways in different people. The three terms are not distinct categories, but they highlight different aspects of the same phenomena: 1) that the abilities are given, not something we can take credit for ourselves, 2) they are given for service, to help other people, and 3) they work they produce results in our lives. Paul uses “gifts,” “service,” and “working” as roughly equivalent (just as Spirit, Lord and God are equivalent). There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. Paul comments on how God works in different ways in different people: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. Same source, but different results (verses 3-7) One of the topics he addresses is “spiritual gifts.” Paul’s explanation begins in chapter 12 we’ll begin in verse 3. The church members in Corinth asked Paul a number of questions, and Paul responded in the letter we know as 1 Corinthians. Epistles: Diversity and Unity in Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
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