Paul begins a series of three chapters concerning spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
One of the marks of salvation is the confession that “Jesus is Lord,” which a person can authentically state only when he has the Holy Spirit. No one who has the Holy Spirit says the opposite: “Jesus is accursed.” If you love Jesus and confess He is Lord, you are in the Holy Spirit.
All Christians joyfully confess Jesus is Lord. Although great variety exists in the Body of Christ, there is also a beautiful unity of purpose and understanding of who the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
Here is the triune God—the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and the Father. Paul writes of gifts, service, and activities which Christians have and perform. Even as God is three Persons and yet perfect in unity as one God, so Christians demonstrate many gifts and activities and yet we are one body in Christ.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Our gifts, service, and activities are all given by one Spirit for the benefit of our brethren. God intends you to use your personal gifts to bless the church.
Notice, also, your gifts are not a result of your own will, but the Spirit “apportions to each one individually as he wills.” God asked Moses, “Who made your mouth?” Moses knew who had made it, and Moses needed to use it to serve God and his brethren.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
We are members of the one body of Christ. How did we get into this body? Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Many insert water baptism into this passage, but I cannot see it. “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” This is all about the Spirit. We were immersed in the one Spirit.
Being baptized in the Spirit is not the same thing as receiving the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. No, Paul says all were baptized in the Spirit into one body. Every Christian who is in the body has been baptized in the Spirit into that body. But not every Christian has miraculous spiritual gifts (see verse 29). Only Christians received gifts of the Spirit, but not all Christians were given miraculous gifts. You don’t need miraculous gifts to be saved; but you do need the Spirit!
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
Many and varied are the parts, yet in one body. A healthy body requires all its parts together and in good working order. A healthy body comprises a large variety of parts. Variety is intentional and essential! I am constantly amazed at the variety God has placed on this earth—in the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, the heavenly bodies, and among humans. We look different. We think differently. We act differently.
God placed each of us in the body where He wants and gave each of us the exact gifts He wanted to give us. God wants us to appreciate each other’s gifts and placement in the body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
When you stub your toe, don’t your eyes water, your knees bend so you can sit quickly, your hand tightly clamps upon the wounded member, and your mouth makes interesting sounds? Your whole body focuses on that toe, though it’s a small member of your body. So it is with Christians in the church. There should be no division in the body—no member should look upon another as being useless, unfit, vestigial.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
God has appointed these offices and gifts in the church. God created the variety. This is His church, His body.
Be content with your place in the body. Don’t rise up in pride because of what you can do or what authority you believe you have.
Be fruitful with your place in the body. Don’t treat the gifts God has given you as of no-account! God placed you exactly as He wanted. The Master has distributed His talents; it is our place to invest them and get to work.
Enjoy the diversity and the unity in this wonderful Body of Christ.