Naturally Supernatural
May Jesus’ prophecy of doing greater works come to pass in our lives and in this generation (John 14:12). For extra encouragement on the subject check out my personal supernatural journal and read Dr. Craig Keener’s in-depth book.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11
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.
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, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
BREAKDOWN
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.
We should not be ignorant or inexperienced in regards to the gifts of the Spirit.
2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
The Corinthians were most likely influenced by demonic spirits and superstition in their former religious practices. However, the Holy Spirit is not of demonic or human origin. He is in nature God.
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.
Paul gives the test to see if a spirit influencing a person is of demonic origin or from the Holy Spirit. The demonic spirits are not able to confess Jesus is Lord without exposing their evil nature.
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.
Paul gives a tri-unity statement about God’s gifts:
- GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (v. 4): The Holy Spirit gives the nine spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11.
- SERVICE GIFTS FROM JESUS (v. 5): The Lord (Jesus/Son) gives the five-fold ministry gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-13 for service.
- WORKING GIFTS FROM THE FATHER (v. 6): God (the Father) gives seven gifts for work in the church mentioned in Romans 12 & 1 Corinthians 12:28.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
As in the previous Paul wrote, “in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work,” he now writes “each one” or “every one” is given the manifestation (visible working) of the Spirit. Therefore, no one is excluded from any of the spirituals gifts. At the same time, it is the Holy Spirit who gives them as He determines (v. 11).
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, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
The Nine Gifts of the Spirit:
- The Gift of the Message of Wisdom: A message from God about the future. Biblical Example: Agabus predicting a drought in Acts 11:28.
- The Gift of the Message of Knowledge: A message about the past or present from God. Biblical Example: Jesus knowing about the woman’s perversion in John 4:18.
- The Gift of Faith: A superatural endowment of faith. Biblical Example: Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14:29.
- The Gifts of Healing: The many apsects of physical healing. Biblical Example: Jesus healing the blind man in John 9:1-12.
- The Gift of Miraculous Powers: An extrodariary move of God’s power. Biblical Example: The building shaking after the disciples prayed in Acts 4:31.
- The Gift of Prophecy: Speaking the heart of God to His people for encouragement. Biblical Example: Paul telling the jailer he and his whole household were going to be saved in Acts 16:31.
- The Gift of Distinguishing Between Spirits: The supernatural ability to discern if a spirit is from man, God, or the devil. Biblical Example: Paul rebuking the evil spirit out of the girl who told the future in Acts 16:17-18.
- The Gift of Tongues: Speaking a message in tongues to the church (1 Cor. 14:5).
- The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues: Spiritually interpreting the message to the church so they can understand (1 Cor. 14:5).
Four Reasons Why the Gift of Tongues & Interpretation is Not the Same As the Baptism in the Holy Spirit With the Evidence of Speaking in Other Tongues:
- INTERPRETATION: None of the examples of people receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues in Acts had a separate interpretation given with a message of edification (see chart below).
- AUDIENCE: Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:2 when people “prayed in tongues” no one understands them because they utter mysteries, unlike in Acts 2:6 when the people did understand them in their own languages praising God.
- PURPOSE: Paul wrote that praying in tongues is for personal edification in 1 Corinthians 14:4 and that the gift of tongues (with interpretation) was for church edification, equal to prophecy (1 Cor. 14:5), hence their purpose and function are different.
- INTENTION: Paul wrote that just as he could sing and pray with his mind and understanding whenever he desired to, he could also pray and sing with his spirit (1 Cor. 14:15). Yet he said that the gift of tongues with interpretation could only be given when the Spirit willed it (1 Cor. 12:11).
- RECEPTION: The book of Acts clearly shows, as demonstrated in the chart below, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit spoken by Jesus in Acts 1:5,8 was for everyone and was not to be considered a gift only used in the context of the church with an interpreter when the Holy Spirit willed it on a select group of people.
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Paul gave verse 7 and 11 as “book ends” to, (a) express the availability of all gifts to all people and (b) that the Spirit gives the gifts as He wills and determines.
HOW MPI ORDERS THE GIFTS IN OUR MEETINGS
1 Corinthians 14:26-33, “26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace —as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”
Do you want to live a naturally supernatural life?