Book of 1 Corinthians - Ch. 12, Vs. 1-31 (02/04/2001)

1 Corinthians 12 and the Question of Women Preaching

As we begin today, 1 Corinthians 12 .1, I would like for you to turn to 1 Timothy, the second chapter, 11, 12, 13, and 14. Jesse, you asked me a question last week, and I answered it, but not fully. Bill Reed, verses 11, 12, 13, and 14.

1 Timothy. Yes. As you asked me that question, or the question concerning this, the woman is not to preach. It does not mean that she cannot testify, she cannot talk, but it does mean that the woman cannot preach.

And thinking that was what you were referring to, I answered no. But I felt like it needed clarifying, and so I have done. Now we come to 1 Corinthians 12. Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you to be ignorant.

The Holy Spirit and the Source of Revelation

Does he mean that the people are ignorant? What is the purpose of spiritual gifts? Do you realize that the conviction of your mind is not in your power? It is the Holy Spirit. The strongest arguments will not convince a man unless the Holy Spirit convinces him.

Do you understand that, Bill? Second verse. Know ye that ye were Gentiles, carried away into these dumb idols, even as you were led. Dumb idols, dumb submission to dumb idols is what it amounts to. In this state you are ignorant.

Wherefore I give you to understand that no man, speaking by, and it should be in, the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed. And that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by, or in, the Holy Ghost.

This shows where man lives, how he talks. Mark 9 verse 39. But Jesus said, Forbid him not. For there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me. It follows that if he can speak well of God, then he should.

Matthew 16 verse 17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. For flesh and blood hath not revealed unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. So we see that all revelation comes from God.

Diversities of Gifts, Operations, and the One Body

Now should be but. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. This requires yet another gift that I don't know if you have thought about or not. The gift or the power to interpret them. Romans 12, 4, 5, and 6.

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one member is one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us.

The members he compares to a body. We have a hand, foot, eyes, nose, lots of internal organs that are never seen. There are differences of administration, but the same Lord. This means manifestation of the gifts.

As every man hath received the gift. This is 1 Peter 4, 10. Even so minister the same one to another. As good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Ephesians 4, 4. There is one body, one Spirit, even as you are called in the hope of your calling.

Do you think everybody has a gift? Everyone? All believers? Do you think Greg has a gift? Do you think Virg has a gift? Do you think Clarence has a gift? He says all believers have a gift. It's not just to hold down a pew.

And there are diversities of operation. But it is the same God which worketh all in all. The same God. Ephesians 1, 23. Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Romans 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

Them that are called according to his purpose. That scripture could not be true if everyone didn't have a gift. Do you think that the youngest child that is a believer has a gift? Or do you have to be an adult?

I'm not going to try to decipher the gifts. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. Now, profit with all means what? Make good use of. What does that mean? To benefit everyone.

Clarence? David? For to one is given the spirit of the word of wisdom. To another the word of knowledge by the same spirit. What's the difference between wisdom and knowledge? Greg? David? Do you think they've all ceased?

All right. In the second chapter of 1 Corinthians. How be it we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. Yet not the wisdom of this world. Nor are the princes of this world that come to naught. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.

Even the hidden mystery which God ordained before the world unto our glory. How be it we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. Yet not the wisdom of the world. Nor are the princes of this world that come to naught.

To another faith. I thought we all had faith. Diane, what about faith? To another faith by the same spirit. That's getting close to it. Say Bill had a problem and he was about to give up on it. But for some reason a person comes to him and expresses that I know you can go through this.

I know how it's going to come out. I know. This is faith. Of that person. 1 Corinthians 3 .2. And though I have the gift of prophecy. And understand all mysteries and all the knowledge. And though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains.

And have not charity. I am nothing. Everything must be in love. The correction. The rebuking. Praise. Everything. To another the working of miracles. Have they ceased David?

To another the working of miracles.

To another prophecy. To another diverse kinds of tongues. What's that mean? Greg? That certainly has passed away. And to another interpretation of tongues. Discerning of spirits. That has passed away except I think there are those that are able to determine the true from the false spirit.

The talking with you, looking at you. I think they can determine very quickly whether you're spiritual or not. I think most of us have that to some degree. But all these work of that one and self-same spirit.

Dividing to every man severally as he will. So he controls it. If it's gone, he controls it. If it comes, he controls that. Yes. These gifts that are listed. Most of them have passed away. Some have not.

But it does not limit the gifts just to these that are mentioned. We all have gifts. We all are functioning in this body. For as the body is one and hath many members. And all the members of that one body being many are one body.

So also is Christ. We are members of Christ. There are many members in a church. Some of them we don't ever see. Some of the most important members in a church are the ones quietly serving the Lord. Those that never make a stir.

Never voice an opinion. Those that just quietly go about steadily glorifying God. For the body is not one member but many. If a foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?

That got cut out somehow. To be baptized into one body. That's not speaking about water. There's not water in that verse at all. It's speaking about spiritual baptism. We all belong to the same body. Does anyone have a problem with that?

Denominations are man-made. And if the ears shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not in the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?

The same gift is not given to everybody. But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it pleased who? Himself. As it pleased himself. As it pleased himself. Then dare I find fault with someone?

No. I best not. And if they were all one member, where were the body? And now are they many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee. Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Nay, much more these members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary. Is there any part of your body you could give up without suffering loss? And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor.

And our uncommon parts have more abundant commonness. For our common parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacks. That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another.

There should not be any schism. What's that word mean, Burge? All right, no confusion, no arguments, no splits, nothing. It would revolutionize the church, wouldn't it? There just shouldn't be any arguments.

We should know that this body is functioning according to God. That's right, absolutely. We can't help but get denominations into it, and we shouldn't. They're all there for one purpose. And whether one member suffer, all members suffer with it.

Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. You don't know how good it feels to put on shoes that don't hurt your feet and walk on them. Because when your feet hurt, you hurt all over. Now you are the body of Christ and members in particular.

You are the body and members in particular. You occupy the space reserved for you. You cannot occupy this space and work in some other. You cannot be something else. You have to be what you are. There is no division, there's no schism, there's no arguments about it.

One person out of place can disrupt the entire thing. And God has said some in the church, first apostles, accordingly, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps government diversity of tongues.

We've touched on diversity of tongues, speaking a language that you have not learned. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? The answer to that would be no.

What if we had all preachers in our church? Having all the gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret, but covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.

Coveting the Best Gifts and Living Out Your Own Gift

What's he talking about, a more excellent way? Yes, how can you covet what's gone? Well, you have to live in the past to do that, and that's wrong. It already established the fact that everybody has a gift, but they're not all listed here.

So to covet earnestly the best gifts would be everybody promote or work in your own gift, whatever it is.

Yes, yes. Another thought, too, about this whole...

I think that's right, and to get back... Well, I've forgotten your question now. Needn't be confused, because you're agreeing with David 100%, that the original use of these was slightly different than today.

We have people in the audience that have an extra amount of faith. We do have people that have... Oh, what can we say? Well, everybody has their own gift. Now, whether it was spelled out in here or not, it's still a gift that you have.

If it happens to be spelled out, then you work on it, you use it.

But you could start on it with all of the various translations. What did you say?

What was the last thing you said? Anytime anybody says, I have such and such, you've got to be careful, because they don't need to repeat it. You shouldn't repeat it. That was Paul talking. I can see your problem, yes.