1Corinthians 12 -- A more excellent way for Oneness and Diversity

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ZNP

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Sep 14, 2020
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1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are two different messages, it is not based on gifts, or race, or ethnic background, or age or sex. It is based on whether or not you have the Holy Spirit. One message attempts to curse Jesus, the other proclaims that Jesus is Lord. When we talk about diversity of gifts we are not including those who are seeking to curse the Lord and His people. For too long Christians have been confused, we need to be one with everything and everyone. No, the Bible says “as much as is possible be at peace with all people”. The caveat is “if it is possible”. It is not possible to be at peace with someone who is seeking to curse you and the people of God.

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Would you let a wicked, evil person who desires to bring you harm to take care of your kids? Would you let your kids sit in front of a TV and allow them to teach your kids? Yes, there is a great diversity of gifts, some people have a word of wisdom, some a word of knowledge, other have a word of faith and still others gifts of healing. There are those who get prophetic words, dreams and visions. What is common to all is that God is speaking to us through all these people. It is always the same Spirit.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

The Body is always dealing with foreign attacks on it. Viruses, bacteria, all kinds of things are coming into contact with the Body on a daily basis. We know that some of these things are trying to steal the word from us, just like the birds that eat the seeds sown. Some are trying to choke the word by censoring it, banning it, and ridiculing it. Some don’t want to receive the word because of hidden sins that make their heart stony. Think of the field as your elementary school and all the kids are there receiving the word. You cannot allow the birds to steal the word from them, the stony hearts of those who are teaching your kids to prevent the word from growing and the weeds from growing up to choke out the word in that school. If you want a successful crop you need to deal with the birds, the stones and the weeds.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

We are one because we all have the same Spirit, we are diverse in our expression of that Spirit which is expressed in our gifts. There has to be a balance between “diversity” and “oneness”. What many are doing is making the illusion of diversity the thing that is our fundamental oneness. It isn’t a diversity of gifts but a diversity of flesh. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, they are requiring that everyone be one with those who are saying “Jesus be cursed”. We cannot be one with that, the Spirit wars against the flesh. This is the fact, you will never get peace and unity with the Holy Spirit and the Flesh.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Cancel culture is when one part of society says to another “we don’t need you”. What we are seeing now is that one part of US society is saying “we don’t need you” to those who proclaim that “Jesus is Lord”. However, everyone who has the Spirit, who proclaims that “Jesus is Lord” cannot agree with that. Every member of our Body is indispensable. We cannot allow any member, especially the ones that seem less honorable, to be “cancelled”.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Yes, every member is indispensable, but there is still an order, a headship in the body. We must all be one with the fellowship of the apostles. That is how you determine if the speaking is of the same Spirit or not. Perhaps we are not clear if the speaking is one with the fellowship of the apostles, what then? The fellowship of the prophets could help clear that up, teachers can help us, guidance, different tongues, etc. Every member can help us stay balanced and on the path that leads to life.

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

The way that the church in Ephesus took is not “the most excellent way”. They discerned, examined and judged those who called themselves apostles and weren’t. So that was certainly one way to do this, but it wasn’t excellent because they forsook their first love. Our first love is the savior who saved us from sin. Instead of loving the sinner and preaching the gospel of salvation they forsook their first love and became self righteous, judgemental, and sectarian