Lesson 26 – 1 Corinthians Chapter 12:13-31
In our last message, we talked about spiritual gifts. Verses 7 and 11 of chapter 12 are key for us to take in:
“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”
Whether we realize it or not, we all have at least one spiritual gift from God, and it is His Spirit who decides what gifts we are given.
These gifts are not toys for us to play with, but they are tools that God gives for His church and His kingdom. It’s imperative that each of us discover what gifts we have, and then utilize them in our efforts to build God’s kingdom and to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. Exercising our gifts is one way in which we can store up treasures in heaven.
We finished our message last time talking about the body of Christ, how there are many of us, and we are all one in Christ.
1 Cor. 12:13:
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
In the first part of our verse we have what has been called the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as the work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ, and into union with other believers as well. This happens at the moment of our conversion. The Holy Spirit is the driving force of baptism, but Jesus is the baptizer.
Acts 1:5a:
“For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
John the Baptist said…
Matthew 3:11:
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Fire in this verse speaks of the baptism of fire, which is the judgment of hell. All believers receive baptism with the Holy Spirit, while all unbelievers will receive baptism with fire.
Notice that we “all” have been baptized by the Spirit… all believers have received the baptism, it’s one and the same with our salvation, and it is not a special experience for only a few, as some would have you believe.
When it comes to the “filling of the Spirit,” we see in Eph. 5:18:
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,”
This has to do with the Spirit’s control of our lives. In Scripture, to be filled by something means “to be controlled by.”
It’s also important to note that Paul isn’t speaking of water baptism. Water baptism is when a believer makes a public declaration of their faith in Christ. Water baptism has nothing to do with playing a part in someone’s conversion, but is a testimony to the church and to the world of a conversion that has already taken place in a person’s heart.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit on the other hand, is entirely the work of God, but a more accurate translation would be “by or with one Spirit.”
It is not the Holy Spirit’s baptism, but Christ’s baptism with the Holy Spirit that gives us new life and places us into the Body when we trust in Christ.
Nowhere in Scripture are believers told to be baptized with, in, or by the Spirit. We are never asked to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This indicates that all believers have had this experience at salvation, and God is the One who does the baptizing.
Eph. 4:5:
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism,”
Whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free…
We are one in Spirit, there is no partiality with God; this underscores God’s fairness and His unconditional love.
While the world screams diversity, ironically it goes out of its way to persecute Christians, when in reality, Christians are a diverse lot. We come from every nation, tribe, and people group. We speak different languages, possess a variety of skin tones, and reflect unique cultures and social classes.
Gal. 3:26-28:
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
If we belong to Christ, we should enjoy fellowship with one another, and there shouldn’t be any walls in between us regardless of who we are. Race, social status, wealth, or even sex are neither advantages nor handicaps as we fellowship and serve the Lord together.
And we were all made to drink of one Spirit…
John 4:14:
“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 7:38-39:
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
When we give our lives to Jesus, we are all made to drink of one Spirit. At the instant of our salvation, we receive eternal life as well as the Holy Spirit. Salvation and the Holy Spirit don’t come in different stages, we receive them all at once.
John 3:34:
“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.”
One Bible commentary says, “Like being baptized with the Spirit, being indwelt by the Spirit is virtually synonymous with conversion.”
When we are born-again (at our conversion) we drink of one Spirit… in the twinkling of an eye we receive all of God, He gives us His own Spirit, and that cannot be exceeded.
1 Cor. 12:14:
“For the body is not one member, but many.”
From the song “Dry Bones:”
“The foot bone connected to the leg bone, The leg bone connected to the knee bone, The knee bone connected to the thigh bone, The thigh bone connected to the back bone, The back bone connected to the neck bone, The neck bone connected to the head bone, Oh, hear the word of the Lord!”
Our human bodies have parts… pieces parts, and Paul will use our body parts to illustrate the body of Christ.
Christianity is one big happy family. It would be nice if we could honestly say that, but the church is anything but unified. The Corinthian church, as with many churches today, was divided where it should’ve been united. We first leaned this back in chapter 1, where they were divided on who would lead them, Paul, Apollos, or Peter.
When it came to the spiritual gifts they received, they not only abused the gifts, they weren’t happy with their gifts, wanting gifts that someone else had. How did Paul ever put up with these adult children… all by the grace of God.
1 Cor. 12:15:
“If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.”
Jon Courson says, “If, growing tired of being at the bottom of the body, in a dark, unseen, smelly shoe, my big toe climbed up
and planted itself on my kneecap, not only would I look weird, but it would definitely affect the way I walk.”
In our prideful flesh we have this propensity to want to be seen all the time, but just like we have no say in where we are to be born or who our parents are, God has planted each one of us exactly where He wants us to be… and where we’ll function in the body of Christ most effectively.
1 Cor. 12:16-17:
“And if the ear says, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?”
What this comes down to is discontentment, envy, and selfishness, not only on the part of the Corinthians, but also in the church today. Always wanting something other than what God has blessed you with.
1 Cor. 12:18:
“But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.”
It has been said; God doesn’t make garbage!
Eph. 2:4-10:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
God has placed every believer into the body of Christ.
For the Corinthians to complain about how they were gifted and placed in the body is to question God’s wisdom and His goodness, inferring He’s made some kind of mistake. It would be ridiculous for any believer to say such a thing, but being discontent is doing just that.
Proverbs 19:21 (NLT):
“You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”
God chose a teenage girl as the mother of His Son. He used fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and a Pharisee to begin the early church. God is able to use us no matter who we are, to serve Him and His people in His greater plan. What you and I have done in the past, do today, or at some time in the future may have a far deeper impact on the Kingdom than we can ever imagine. This can only happen by walking in faith and trusting God with what He has given you. Again, this is a call out to us all, to utilize the gift God has given us for His plans and purposes. God has carved out a ministry for each of us… and if we don’t get-er-done, nobody else will do it.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 (NKJV):
“For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
God has positioned us like pieces to a puzzle or stiches in a beautiful tapestry, to fit together in His kingdom.
1 Cor. 12:19:
“If they were all one member, where would the body be?”
To paraphrase this with our football analogy, “if everyone was a quarterback, where would the team be?”
God has created us, re-created us, placed each of us in His body exactly where He wants us to be, and then equipped us to do exactly what He wants us to do. For us to do anything less is an eternal mistake, everything we do on this side of eternity will impact what we will experience personally once we are in heaven. It would behoove every believer to find out where they belong in God’s great tapestry, and see to it that they get woven in.
1 Cor. 12:20:
“But now there are many members, but one body.”
The credo of Americanism can be expressed as “rugged individualism.” On the surface this might sound quite noble, but self-sufficiency plays right into satan’s hand. When it comes to the body of Christ, God never intended for us to be “Lone Rangers.”
William Ernest Henley wrote a poem in the 1800’s called “Invictus,” and in one of the lines he says; “I am the captain of my fate, I am the master of my soul.” This might sound brave to some, but it expresses the heart of fallen man.
Quite simply, God has created us and saved us not only for Himself, but for each other. Many members make up the church of Christ, but we are one body in Christ. Yes, we are individuals, but it is the blood of Jesus that binds us together.
1 Cor. 12:21:
“And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’”
In the Corinthian church there was a sense of elitism, those who felt that whatever was going on within the church, they could handle it themselves or with a small select group of friends. In doing this, they were leaving out the ones they looked down upon, (I have no need of you) which goes against the principle Jesus laid down in Matthew 18:10…
“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.” (NLT)
1 Cor. 12:22:
“On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;”
(NLT) “In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.”
Perhaps these elites saw themselves as a hand, eye, ear, or foot… meaning, all could be seen and considered valuable, but where would the body be without a heart or lungs? These parts are hidden inside, but are very necessary. You can live without an eye or a hand, but not a heart.
As an example, where would the church be without the “prayer warriors?” Yes, they’re not the ones front and center, but what they do is vital to any church!
A famous preacher was speaking at a ministers’ meeting, and he took time before and after the meeting to shake hands with the pastors and chat with them. A friend asked him, “Why take time for a group of men you may never see again?” The world-renowned preacher smiled and said, “Well, I may be where I am because of them! Anyway, if I didn’t need them on the way up, I might need them on the way down.”
No Christian believer can say to any other believer, “My ministry can get along without you!” We’re all in this together.
1 Cor. 12:23-24:
“And those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,”
The body parts which we deem less honorable…
Most of us have body parts that are not particularly attractive, so we can relate to this. It might mean having a bit of a gut, or maybe flabby thighs, and it’s these areas we tend to cover. Unfortunately, there are some people that like to flaunt those areas of their bodies.
On these we bestow more abundant honor…
The word bestow literally means “to put around” which carries the idea of covering with clothes.
And our less presentable members become much more presentable…
The term less presentable or “unseemly” means shameful, indecent, or unpresentable… these are our private parts and are not for public display. Ever since the fig leaf in the garden, “most” societies have treated the private areas with modesty and respect.
One pastor says, “The fact that many people today are discarding this natural modesty and are exploiting the display of traditionally private parts indicates the extent of modern depravity.”
But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked…
(NLT) “So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.”
Here, Paul is referring to those who have perhaps prominent gifts in the church and those who don’t. It needs to be said that those with gifts that stand out, should be aware of those who don’t. This is a picture of the body of Christ looking out for each other, having a deep concern for each other. Everyone in the church is important, everyone has a function, and no one should look down on another.
1 Cor. 12:25:
“So that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”
In the church there is such a thing as overconfidence and under-confidence, and it takes encouragement and support on both sides to remedy this.
Phil. 2:1-4 (NLT):
“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
What Paul says here in Philippians is the gist of what he’s trying to convey to the Corinthians. If they had the attitude Paul is describing, division in the body would become non-existent. There’s no room for hierarchy or status in the body of Christ, but because of fleshly behavior and sin, there are divisions in the body.
1 Cor. 12:26:
“And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
This is where the phrase “There’s no “I” in team” is appropriate. I think we should perhaps see the body of Christ as a team, and it’s a team effort that will cause each church to flourish.
Romans 12:15:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”
When a team player gets seriously injured, you will see the Christian players get down on their knees and pray.
Eph. 4:31-32:
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
What we’re seeing is a message of love, and if love continues, it will heal any divisions within and preserve unity.
1 Cor. 12:27:
“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”
If I were Paul, and I’m not, I would’ve injected the word “therefore” here. Therefore, now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. Paul has been teaching us about the different aspects of the body of Christ, how each part has great value, and how vital it is that there be a sense of togetherness and brotherly love within the body. Strong individualism has no place here.
Yes, we are individual, but when love settles in, overbearing personalities can’t help but dissipate.
John 15:12:
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
If you throw a game winning touchdown pass, does your left arm complain because your right arm threw the ball? Of course not! Your whole body celebrates. So, too, as believers, we both suffer and celebrate together because we’re all members of the same body.
Every church is fully equipped to serve the Lord, just as every believer is also fully equipped to do the same.
1 Cor. 12:28:
“And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”
This isn’t an exhaustive list from Paul, but it shows how God is sovereign, and that He equips His church with what it needs.
God has appointed…
Appointed: (tith’-ay-me) it’s a verb meaning “to set or place.” Just as the president appoints people to his cabinet, God positioned each apostle, which included Matthias who replaced Judas, and Paul, who was uniquely set apart to be the apostle to the Gentiles.
The meaning of the title apostle is, “one sent on a mission.” The qualification for an apostle was to be chosen by Jesus Christ and having witnessed the resurrected Christ.
Mark 3:13-14:
“And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,”
When the New Testament was completed, the office of apostle ceased to be… there are no apostles today.
Administrations is the gift of leadership. The word literally means “to steer or pilot.” In this context it means to keep a church on course, moving in the right direction.
We should take notice in verse 28 that the gift of tongues is listed last. This could mean that it was of less value, but for the Corinthians, they wanted it in the number one position.
In Acts chapter 2, the first occurrence of speaking in tongues, the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the ability to speak to the crowds in Jerusalem in languages the apostles did not know.
Tongues is controversial to be sure. Some interpret the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 12 to 14 as being a private prayer language between a believer and God and/or the miraculous ability to speak an unknown language in order to minister to other believers.
There is nothing that prevents God from giving any spiritual gift. If God gives a spiritual gift, He expects that it will be used in submission to what the Bible teaches. This includes the gift of tongues.
1 Cor. 12:29:
“All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they?”
Paul, of course, is asking these questions rhetorically. He’s pointing out that God doesn’t intend for us all to have the same gift, and that not all of the gifts are the ones that get noticed right away. The gifts of “helps and administration” probably didn’t score high with the Corinthians, but they were exactly what they needed.
1 Cor. 12:30:
“All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?”
More of the same questions here. God distributes the positions and the gifts according to His wisdom and sovereign will, going back to verse 11 it says, “distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”
We’ll close with verse 31…
1 Cor. 12:31:
“But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.”
This verse can be tricky because of the Greek usage of the term “earnestly desire.” A better translation would be, “But you earnestly desire the greater gifts.” And that’s a perfect snapshot of the Corinthian mind-set. The Corinthians just wanted the gifts that would stand out, where people would take notice of them. Pride at its best to be sure.
And I show you a still more excellent way…
Is using your gift from the Holy Spirit on your spiritual bucket list? It should be, and if it isn’t, earnestly pray that the Holy Spirit will move your heart in that direction. Gifts are for today, and they’re meant to build up and sustain the church so that the church, if the Lord tarries, will be there for every generation.
The more excellent way was something that was very much needed in the Corinthian church… and that “way” would be love. We’ve come to the end of chapter 12, and we’ll segue into chapter 13… the Love chapter.