1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Butler's Comments

SECTION 2

Source of Diversity (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Provenance: The word inspires in 1 Corinthians 12:6 is a translation of the Greek word energon which actually means, energizing, working, or operating. Paul emphasizes over and over that it was the same God or same Spirit who energized or operated the miraculous gifts through those who were given them. These special gifts all came from God and were, therefore, to be used to edify (build up) the church, not to divide and destroy its oneness. These gifts all had their source in the power of One Divine Person, so, there was one purpose (God'S) for their use. If it was the same God who was the Source of all the gifts, then they were all given for the common good (Gr. sumpheron, literally, together-profiting). They were not given to promote the superiority of those possessing themthey were to serve every member, one way or another, in the body of Christ. No gift of God to man, whether miraculous or non-miraculous, is ever given to be used selfishly for the promotion of human pride or superiority, Gifts are given for service. It may not have been Paul's intention to teach the doctrine of the Trinity, but the oneness of the threefold personage of the Godhead is certainly delineated when he states, ... the same Spirit. the same Lord. the same God.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 Particularity: In 1 Corinthians 12:4 the apostle indicated there were varieties of gifts given to the Corinthians. The Greek word translated varieties is diaireseis and means literally, to take apart, or, in many parts, hence, differences or distinctions. The Corinthian church probably had a full complement of all the gifts God intended the first century church to have. 1 Corinthians 12:4 also contains three significant Greek words explaining the purpose of the variety. The Greek word translated gifts is charismaton; literally, things of grace. The Greek word translated service is diakonion; literally, deaconries. The Greek word translated working is energematon; literally, operatings. God purposely gave great variety of miraculous gifts in order that the whole church might have a miraculously sustained ministry, so necessary for the extremely crucial infant years (approximately 30-100 A.D.) of its existence. The emphasis is definitely on variety for the purpose of service and ministry.

Nine supernatural gifts are listed. Each had a particular function to perform in sustaining and maturing the church. When we read that these gifts were supernatural we must not forget the trials, temptations, doubts and fears those first century Christians endured. The New Testament (Acts, Hebrews, I Peter, Galatians, Thessalonians, Revelation) documents for us a fearsome record of their sufferings. They needed divine demonstrations to nourish courage, faith and endurance. Christians of that century did not have Bibles of their very own. Precious and few were the manuscripts or copies and those were circulated from one church to another. The infant church also needed direct, divine guidance in discerning the truth from all the deceptive falsehoods of paganism and the Judaizers.
The gifts as Paul lists them are:

a.

the utterance of wisdom (Gr. logos sophias); probably supernatural power to reveal Christian principles of thought and behavior; revealed applications of gospel facts.

b.

the utterance of knowledge (Gr. logos gnoseos); probably supernatural guidance in knowing the facts of the gospel so they might confirm prophecies; the importance of this is evident from I Corinthians chapter 15.

c.

faith (Gr. pistis); probably the faith to move mountains (1 Corinthians 13:2; Matthew 17:20) or do miraculous works; J. W. McGarvey said that no amount of personal faith ever enabled one to perform a miracle to whom such power had not been given. We must be careful to distinguish between the use of faith in connection with spiritual gifts and the personal faith that saves. Jesus gave Judas faith to perform miracles (Matthew 10:1-8) but Judas did not, evidently, possess faith of his own in Christ sufficient to acknowledge him as his savior.

d.

healings (Gr. iamaton); undoubtedly supernatural power was given to certain individuals to cure illnesses and diseases; perhaps some could heal certain diseases and others different diseases; it is not stated that anyone had power to heal all diseases.

e.

the working of miracles (G. energemata dunameon, operations of powers); probably has to do with miracles other than healings; perhaps supernatural power to bring the judgment of God upon persons opposing God (Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas) or powers over nature and things.

f.

prophecy (Gr. propheteia); probably supernatural endowment to proclaim (and predict when necessary) and preach the gospel inerrantly, and directly without having been eye witnesses as the apostles were; the word prophecy may be used for non-miraculous preaching (see Romans 12:6).

g.

ability to distinguish between spirits (Gr. diakriseis pneumaton); literally, critiquing of spirits; probably supernatural endowment of the ability to judge between true and false teachers and doctrines with immediacy. In the infant church (without a proliferation of written scriptures) there was no objective test available to determine correct teaching versus false so supernaturally endowed gifts to make such distinctions were necessary. Now, with the Bible complete, in thousands of human languages, the supernatural gifts are no longer necessary. Doctrine and teachers are to be measured according to the written apostolic word (see 1 John 4:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

h.

various kinds of tongues (Gr. gene glosson); probably supernatural endowment to speak in a human (foreign) language unknown, except by miraculous endowment, to the speaker and often unknown to the listeners requiring an interpreter. These tongues (languages) were human languages. They were not totally unknown (as the KJV implies) (see Acts 2:8 ff.) (see comments on 1 Corinthians 14:1 ff.).

i.

interpretation of tongues (Gr. hermenia glosson). The word hermenia is the word from which we get the English word hermeneutics, the science of interpretation and explanation. When a Christian, under supernatural power of God's Spirit, spoke in a language foreign to himself and his hearers, it required someone supernaturally endowed with the gift of understanding the unknown language to translate the message in the language known to the hearers. The main purpose of the phenomena of speaking in a language unknown to the speaker was the manifestation of a miracle (see 1 Corinthians 14:22). At the same time, however, getting the message of the unknown tongue to the audience was so important, Paul's instruction to the Corinthian church was, if there is no one to interpret, let each of them (tongues speakers) keep silent in the church. Those with the gift of foreign-language-speaking could control their utterings. (See John 1:41-42 for two examples of the Greek word hermenia being used to mean translate.)

1 Corinthians 12:11-Partitioning: Miraculous gifts were apportioned according to the sovereign will and choice of the Holy Spirit. It was not the desire of the recipient that determines the gift. Modern, pseudo, charismatic gifts are allegedly given on the basis of the recipient's faith and desire. The Bible clearly documents the fact that supernatural endowments of the Holy Spirit of God were given exclusively according to God's purpose. Paul makes it plain in three of his other epistles (Romans 12:6; Ephesians 4:7; Hebrews 2:4) that all gifts, supernatural and natural, are distributed entirely according to the purpose of God.

In his parable Jesus taught that all talents and pounds were distributed according to the owner's will. Servants all received different measures and were responsible only for the measure they had receivednot for what another had received. There is no room for pride or jealousy when we acknowledge the truth that everything we have is from the same God and according to his omniscient will.

The RSV is not as accurate as it could be in 1 Corinthians 12:11 had it been a more literal translation. The Greek text reads: panta de tauta energei to en kai to auto pneuma, diairoun idia hekasto kathos bouletai. A more literal translation would read: And all these things the same Spirit operates, distributing separately to each one as he purposes. Christians, of all people, must recognize and admit that human beings have absolutely nothing at all (miraculous gifts, functional gifts, material gifts) unless received from God, to be used as he purposes in his revealed will, the Bible. He is the source of all we have so that no man might boast in the presence of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:30).