Search
In the previous chapter we saw in the book of Ephesians four main aspects of the Body: that the Body comes into existence through the transmission of Christ; that the Body has been brought forth through the abolishing of all the ordinances; that the Body is a matter of our being fellow heirs and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ; and that the Body is a matter of the Spirit. The words one Body and one Spirit indicate that the Body of Christ is wholly a matter of the Spirit. If we have the Spirit, we have the Body. In this chapter we shall see further, from 1 Corinthians 12, that the Body is a matter of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12 the Body is covered in detail.
Many translators are troubled by 1 Corinthians 12:1. According to the King James Version, this verse says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” In this verse the apostle Paul uses the adjective form of the word pneuma, which means “spirit.” Some translations have added the word gifts after spiritual to make it read, “Concerning spiritual gifts.” But this is not altogether accurate. If Paul had meant this, he would have added the word gifts. Other translations say, “Concerning spiritual matters.” This is better than “spiritual gifts,” for when you use the word gifts, you limit the matter to the realm of gifts. However, spiritual matters implies a larger realm, a broader scope. It includes not only gifts but also other spiritual things. I prefer the rendering, “Concerning being spiritual.” I believe that this was Paul’s meaning in this chapter. Paul’s meaning was that we all need to be spiritual, to be in the condition of being spiritual. It is possible to have the Spirit but not to be spiritual at a particular time. Being spiritual is a practical matter.
We all are members of the Body. But suppose when we come together as the Body, we come in a way that is careless, loose, and sloppy. If we all were like this, where would the Body be? Practically speaking, there would be no Body. The Body would be there doctrinally but not practically. However, suppose when we gather together, everyone is filled with the Spirit, bubbling, and saying, “O Lord Jesus. Jesus Christ is Lord. Oh, I’m so happy this morning! I have something to share of the Lord.” This is an illustration of being spiritual. Whenever we come together as members of the Body, we must be spiritual in a practical way. But suppose no one prays, calls on the Lord, or stands up to give a word of testimony. In such a case we would not be spiritual in a practical way in the meeting.
As Paul was writing this chapter, he realized that when Christians gather together they need to be spiritual. Whenever we are spiritual, the gifts will be manifested, and many things will happen. If we are practically spiritual in the meetings of the church, both the spiritual gifts and other spiritual matters will be evident. In this way we shall have the Body in a practical way.
First Corinthians 12:2 says, “You know that when you were Gentiles, you were always being led away to dumb idols, whenever and however you were led.” If you remain silent in the meetings, you are a dumb idol. But all the attendants at a church meeting must be very spiritual. To be spiritual means to be bubbling. This is the opposite of being dumb. As those attending the meetings of the churches, we need to make a joyful noise to the Lord. This noise should not be a performance; it should be spontaneous. In this verse Paul seemed to be saying to the Corinthians, “You were Gentiles, carried away to dumb idols in the idol temple. You were dumb and made no noise because you were worshipping dumb idols. Because the idols could make no noise, you did not make any sound either. But now when you come to the church meeting, you come to the living God, to the speaking God, not to a dumb idol. Therefore, you also must speak.” To speak in the meetings is to be spiritual. But if you do not speak in the church meetings, it is an indication that you are not spiritual.
Suppose three brothers who live together in the brothers’ house come to the meeting. In the meeting all three are dumb. When others pray, they do not even say Amen, because they do not agree with their way of praying. When they get back home, they may speak about the meeting in a critical way. In the meeting they were dumb, but at home they are very talkative. These brothers definitely are not spiritual. However, in their own estimation they may be the most spiritual brothers in the church. Whether or not we are spiritual is tested by whether or not we speak in the meetings. Speaking in the meetings will make you spiritual.
Suppose these three brothers come to the meeting and lay aside their opinions. One says, “Lord Jesus, I love You.” Simply by saying this much we all become spiritual. It means a great deal to utter something in the meeting. Hence, we all must learn to speak in the meetings. Do not be dumb. If you are dumb, it means that you worship a God who does not speak. Our God is the bubbling God, the speaking God, the One who speaks constantly. Whenever you speak concerning the Lord, you immediately release your spirit and increase your spiritual capacity.
The best way for the sisters to conquer their temper is to utter thanks and praise to the Lord in the meetings. But if the sisters are always silent in the meetings, they will find it easy to argue with their husbands at home after the meetings. If their husbands speak in the meetings, that will make them angry. But if the sisters speak in the meetings, they will be stirred up in their spirit, and their temper will disappear.
To speak in the meetings is not an insignificant matter. By speaking we make the Body very practical. As a member of the Body, are you silent or bubbling? Are you one who is praising, shouting, and calling on the name of the Lord? If we all are like this, our meetings will be uplifted to the heavens. The most spiritual meeting is the meeting in which everyone speaks. In such a meeting everyone is nourished and edified.
However, when we are silent, we easily fall into our mind and begin to criticize others. Then it is easy to be in the self. When you are critical and in the self, you first kill yourself, then others, and then the meeting. Unsatisfied with this, you will go home and kill either your wife, husband, or roommate. Because certain brothers and sisters were silent in the meeting, the dumb idol got into them, and after the meeting they killed their wife or husband.
We need to revolutionize our meetings by speaking. We are the Body. Nevertheless, many times the practical Body has disappeared due to our dumbness. But the Body will return in a practical way whenever we are bubbling. The Body is in our speaking, in our joyful noise. When we come together to make a joyful noise, the Body is present in a practical way. This is the Body in function. If we all function, the Body is present. But if we do not function, the Body is gone. The Body exists in our speaking.
First Corinthians 12:3 says, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking in the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed; and no one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit.” In this verse we find a secret: if we do not speak, we are not in the Spirit. But if we speak, we are immediately in the Spirit. Whenever we say, “Lord Jesus,” we are in the Spirit. If you do not believe this, I ask you to try it. It is easy to get into the Spirit. Simply say, “Lord Jesus,” and you are in the Spirit.
First Corinthians 12 does not speak about the Body in doctrine but about the Body in a practical way. There can be no Body if there is no practice in the Spirit. If we do not function, the Body is not present, because we are not being spiritual. But if we function, we are spiritual, and the Body is present. If we realize this and practice it, our meetings will be revolutionized. They will be full of joyful noise to the Lord. One may say, “Lord Jesus”; another, “Amen”; and another, “Praise the Lord.” Still others will say, “Lord Jesus, I love You.” Because some brothers and sisters are in the mind or the self or are occupied by a dumb idol, they do not say anything in the meetings. We all must learn to be spiritual so that the Body may exist in a practical way. We all need to utter something and to function. The difficulty is that we are not accustomed to doing this because of the background and influence of today’s Christianity. Nevertheless, I hope that we shall have a change. We need to be bubbling all the time, especially when we come together for the purpose of practicing the Body. Although we are the Body, the practicality of the Body is in our speaking.
First Corinthians 12:4 says, “There are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit.” How are these gifts manifested? They are not manifested by our silence but by our speaking. We all must learn to speak something for the Lord. Whenever you speak, the gift will come forth. Many times I have received enlightenment as I was speaking. A number of times I have been compelled to speak by the brothers. According to my feeling, I had nothing to say. I did not even know what book, chapter, or verse to use. But as I began to speak, I received a word from the Lord. As you are speaking, you will sometimes say things of which you formerly had no understanding. Learn to utter something for the Lord. Then the gifts will be manifested.
After mentioning the distinctions of gifts in verse 4, Paul says in verses 5 and 6, “There are distinctions of ministries, yet the same Lord; and there are distinctions of operations, but the same God, who operates all things in all.” The gifts are by the Spirit, the ministries are of the Lord, and the operations are of God. Therefore, in these verses we have the Spirit, the Lord, and God. In Pentecostalism or in the charismatic movement we hear of the gifts but not about ministries or operations. It seems that those in the charismatic movement know nothing about these things. The gifts are for the ministries, the ministries are for the operations, the workings, the functions, and the operations are for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. In the church meetings we need the gifts, the ministries, and the operations.
In verses 8 through 10 the apostle Paul lists nine gifts. But this does not mean that there are only nine gifts of the Spirit. There are more than these nine; however, Paul uses nine as illustrations. Often those in the Pentecostal movement or the charismatic movement ask if we have the manifestation of the gifts in our meetings. To them, gifts mean speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues. When asked whether or not we have the gifts in our meetings, some brothers have answered incorrectly that we do not have them. But in the meetings we have a great deal of the manifestation of the gifts, especially of the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. After these two gifts Paul lists faith, healing, works of power, prophecy, the discerning of spirits, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. By the order of the gifts in these verses, we see that those in the charismatic movement today make the tail the head and the head the tail. The first two gifts are not tongues and the interpretation of tongues; they are the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. Because we often have the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge in our meetings, we must say that we have the manifestation of the gifts.
Let me say a word about the gift of faith, the third gift. Day by day we exercise our faith and speak in faith. If I had no faith, I would not be able to speak in the meetings. Sometimes others ask me why I am so bold. My answer is that I am bold because I exercise my faith. Because I have faith, I have the assurance that God will work and move according to the word spoken. Faith is very convincing. It gives us not only power but also authority. In all our meetings we exercise at least three gifts: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and faith. In no other Christian group are these gifts manifested more than in our meetings.
If we do not speak, we shall not have the practice of the gifts. Of the nine gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, at least three—the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and prophecy—are related to speaking. Again I say that we must all learn to utter something in the meetings. If we do this, the Body will be present. The Body exists in our being spiritual, and being spiritual means to speak something from our spirit. The Body is not practical until we are spiritual from within our spirit.
Verse 12 says, “Even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.” In this verse Paul brings in the concept that Christ is the Body. You may be familiar with the fact that in verse 12 we see the Body-Christ, the corporate Christ, not the individual Christ. Yes, we are the corporate Christ. However, if we are dumb when we gather together in the meetings, Christ has no way to come forth. He cannot come forth when we are silent. But when we are spiritual, speaking and functioning in the meetings, Christ comes out. When you speak for Christ, Christ comes forth in your speaking. If we all speak forth Christ, then the corporate Christ, the Body-Christ, will come forth. This is Christ as the Body. In order to have the Body-Christ, we all need to speak.
Now we proceed to verse 13: “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and were all given to drink one Spirit.” The Body has been formed by the baptism in the one Spirit. In one Spirit we all have been baptized into one Body. So many spiritual terms have been ruined by Christianity. When we speak of the baptism in the Spirit, some immediately associate this with speaking in tongues. But it is not necessary to speak in tongues in order to be in the Spirit. I have not spoken in tongues since 1937. But I can strongly testify that I have the deep sense that at this very moment I am in the Spirit. Are you bold enough to say that you are in the Spirit? We have the assurance that we are in the Spirit because one day, more than nineteen hundred years ago, we were all put, baptized, into the Spirit. Moreover, we have been given to drink one Spirit. We have been positioned to drink of the Spirit. As long as we are in the Spirit, we are positioned to drink of the Spirit. For example, everyone who is in the water has been positioned to drink the water. Praise the Lord that we are all in the Spirit and have been positioned to drink of the Spirit!
The way to drink of the Spirit is found in verse 3: “No one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit.” Whenever you say, “Lord Jesus,” you are drinking. The more you say this, the more you drink. When we come together, we must call on the name of the Lord so that we may drink of the one Spirit. Then we shall be bubbling, speaking, uttering something for the Lord, and making a joyful noise to the Lord. If we do this, the Body will be among us in a practical way through our practice of being spiritual.
