Dear Bethelites,

In life, it is common for people to rank different things. For example, schools, colleges and universities are ranked based on their results, airlines are ranked based on their services and safety measures, restaurants are ranked according to their food quality. The list is endless, from cities, neighbourhood, healthcare, environment, infrastructure, motor vehicles, electronic gadgets, etc. Ranking can be beneficial because it can help us to make the right choice.

But the problem is when people bring “ranking” into the church. That was what happened in the Corinthian church. The people were comparing and ranking one another according to their spiritual gifts. One of the things that caused the division in the church at Corinth was this, “Who is the most spiritual? Who is blessed with the best spiritual gift?” It was inevitable that they started to rank those spiritual gifts like hospitality, music, ministering, giving, and so forth. And right there at the top of the list would be the gift of speaking in tongues which they reckoned that being blessed with this “spectacular” gift meant the person must be very close to God.

That was the reason why the Apostle Paul had to spend almost three chapters, 1 Corinthians 12-14, to deal with the gift of tongue speaking. Firstly, he began by presenting to them a right understanding of spiritual gifts.

I. Have a right view of spirituality

1 Corinthians 12:1, Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

This was Paul’s way of saying, “You asked me a question concerning spiritual gifts, and here is the answer!” The word gifts was in italic which means it was not in the original Greek language. In other words, it could be translated as now concerning spiritual. The King James Bible translators included the word gifts because the subsequent context was about spiritual gifts.

Paul called them, brethren, because they were believers. Even though they were spiritually immature and misbehaving themselves, they still belonged to Christ. And he did not want them to be unaware about the importance of spiritual gifts, I would not have you ignorant.

The church cannot function spiritually if the people cannot identify and rightly use their spiritual gifts. The church would be extremely unhealthy and ineffective if the people continue to compare and rank one another by their spiritual gifts.

Dear friend, do we rank one another by our spiritual gifts in the church? Perhaps we may not do so in the context of tongue-speaking like the charismatic churches, but what about the other gifts. Sadly, there are some people who have the misconception that it is more spiritual to have the gift of preaching rather than hospitality, or teaching than administration, singing in the choir rather than preparing refreshment, or leading in the worship rather than ushering, etc. Let us not be ignorant, for God is the One who sovereignly gives to His people spiritual gifts, and whatever gifts He gives, has nothing to do with the person’s spirituality. The only thing that has to do with the person’s spirituality is how faithful he or she is in exercising the gift to serve and glorify God.

II. Have a right view of yourself

1 Corinthians 12:2, Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

The example of the Corinthians — The Corinthians were Gentiles means they were non-Jews. Here Paul used the word Gentiles to refer to the time when they were pagans, and one of the main characteristics of the pagan religion was idolatry. Before their conversions, the Corinthians were idol worshippers. Like prisoners being led by a jailor for execution, they were once prisoners of Satan, spiritually blind and could not help being led into idolatry.

Why did Paul bring the Corinthians back to the time when they were unbelievers and unconverted? The purpose was to show them that there was a time when they were led by those dumb idols (the word dumb emphasizes the fact that those idols could not respond). Those dumb idols could not respond to them, or offer them forgiveness, or bless them, or deliver them.

But by the grace of God, the Corinthians came to believe in the only Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, who delivered them from the penalty of sins, offered them the forgiveness of sins. When they embraced Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, they were being indwelt with the Holy Spirit who blessed them with spiritual gifts to serve in the body of Christ, the church.

1 Corinthians 12:3, Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

The example of Paul — The word accursed was a very strong word which means condemnation. Some theologians believe that here Paul was speaking about himself. There was a time when he persecuted the Christians, and forced them to blaspheme the Lord calling Him accursed (c.f. Acts 26:11). The unbelieving Jews considered Jesus accursed because according to Deuteronomy 21:23, for he that is hanged is accursed of God. But the truth is that Jesus was hung on the cross to bear the sins of His people.

By the grace of God, Jesus called Paul on the road to Damascus and he was convicted by the Holy Spirit. and he cried out to Jesus as the Lord (Acts 9). Therefore, Paul was saying to the Corinthians, “If you want to know who is spiritual, first look at yourself. There was a time when you were not spiritual being carried about by those dumb idols. But now you are spiritual. If you want to know who is spiritual, look at me. There was a time when I was cursing the name of Jesus. But now I am spiritual, calling out, Jesus is the Lord.”

The phrase Jesus is the Lord is the foundational confession of one’s faith, and it is the work of the Holy Spirit. The evidence of a born-again Christian is someone who is being influenced by the Holy Spirit, who first convicts our hearts at the point of our justification and then sanctifies our hearts in the process of our sanctification. The word Lord implies sovereign authority. For a person to say, Jesus is the Lord, means Jesus is the sovereign authority of his life; He is the King of his life, and everything he does is in line with what the Lord wants him to do, including the exercise of his spiritual gifts.

So, what is the evidence that a person is spiritual? Spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues? No! It is to put one’s faith in Christ, confessing that Jesus is the Lord, and that means the Holy Spirit is actively at work in his or her life. In other words, it is not because one is gifted that makes him a Christian, but he is first a Christian and that is why he is gifted. So, one should not judge the believer by his or her gifts. As far as spirituality is concerned, there are only two classes of people in this world, believers and unbelievers. All believers are spiritual regardless of what his gifts are.

Dear friend, whether you serve as a pastor, elder, deacon, Sunday school teacher, DHW facilitator, choir master, administrator or usher, it does not make you more or less spiritual. If you are a believer, you are spiritual, and God has given you certain spiritual gift/s, and you are to use those gift/s for His glory.

In Christ,

Pastor Paul Cheng

1 CORINTHIANS 12

A Right Understanding Of Spiritual Gifts

A Right Understanding Of Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-3