First Corinthians 12 Part 1 Addressing The Abuse Of Spiritual Gifts

I need to give some historical context to what Paul is going to focus on in chapter twelve. 

As we move into chapter twelve, Paul is going to address another major area of failure in the Corinthian church. 

It will take some time to move through chapters twelve through fourteen, as we examine this vast and often misunderstood topic.

He is going to give rebuke and correction regarding spiritual gifts by explaining their purpose and use. 

It will help to remember that many Corinthians were idolatrous pagans before they heard the gospel of Christ.

Pagan practices included gluttonous eating at their feasts, and consuming excessive wine.  Thus they were known for drunken debauchery. 

The Acro-Corinth was a mountainous outcropping about 1800 feet high. Citizens could flee to higher ground in the event of an invasion. 

There is a winding, well defended path that leads from the city of Corinth to a relatively open space at the top. 

In Paul's time there was a massive Temple of Aphrodite located there. She was the goddess of love, lust, passion, fertility and war. 

The Temple of Aphrodite employed hundreds of male and female prostitutes.

Pagan feasts occurred regularly on the Acro Corinth. They were marked by gluttony and drunkenness along with uninhibited lusts and frenzied worship.  

Pagan worshippers engaged in illicit and immoral acts with prostitutes in order to secure Aphrodite's blessing of fertility for their crops and family. 

This is why Paul addressed wisdom and philosophy held in high regard by the Corinthians, showing that man's wisdom is nothing compared to God's wisdom.

This is why he addressed schisms and divisions within that church, because it stemmed from the self centered fleshly pagan religion.

This is why Paul labored to give them God's plan for marriage, so that they learn to treat marriage as a sacred covenant.

This is why the apostle worked hard to explain that he would never use Christian liberty to eat meat if it caused a weaker brother or sister to stumble. 

This is why he thoroughly instructed the Corinthians about the dangers of idolatry, immorality and unchecked lusts. 

This is why Paul strongly rebuked them for polluting the Lord's Supper with pagan tendencies. 

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

There is no doubt that the church at Corinth experienced a wide array of spiritual gifts. 

There is no doubt that many of the Corinthians still clung to pagan ideas and abused these gifts. 

There is no doubt that such abuse also added to the divisions and controversies within the church that Paul had to correct. 

The apostle's starting point is showing them that they are indeed ignorant of these gifts. 

They did not know why God gave them and what His purpose or will was for their usage. 

Many Corinthians used to be idolaters and engaged in immoral acts. 

They were born again after hearing the preaching of the gospel of Christ. 

However, they were ignorant of the most foundational and fundamental truths of Christianity. 

Thus, Paul tells the Corinthians that even though they are very ignorant, he is going to teach them truth that they need, regarding spiritual gifts. 

The words "spiritual gifts" refers to those things of God that belong to and are administered by the Holy Spirit of God.

All good and perfect gifts come from our Father in heaven. 

James 1:16-17  Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17)  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

James reminds us of essential truth that we must latch on to. The phrase "Do not err" means "do not miss this fundamental truth!" 

The apostle is speaking to believers in Christ for he calls them "brethren."

James teaches us that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from our Father in heaven.

Since the Father bestows spiritual gifts upon the sheep of His pasture, then each gift must have a Divine purpose and instruction for their usage. 

Paul will show the Corinthians God's purpose for spiritual gifts and how they are to be used.

Spiritual gifts have a clear purpose in our lives as Christians.

Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12)  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13)  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

Paul gave some clear instruction to the church at Ephesus about spiritual gifts.

Our Lord Jesus Christ gave these gifts. He gave us the apostles who wrote the New Testament so that we might have an accurate record of the ministry of Christ. 

Christ's apostles recorded the birth of His church, and administered sound doctrine. The last of the apostles was John who died around 96 A.D.

Jesus gave prophets to the early church as another temporary gift that would disappear when the New Testament was complete. 

He gave us evangelists which correspond to missionaries sent out by the churches today. 

He gave us pastors to shepherd each local church and to faithfully preach the word in season and out of season.

He gave us teachers to instill fundamental truths and sound doctrine.

Here are the purposes of God for spiritual gifts. 

First, they are for perfecting the saints, the idea of helping each believer become complete in their faith in Christ.

Second, they are for the work of the ministry. Gifts from Christ to equip our pastors to lead us aright and to instruct us how to live a life that honors God.

Such gifts from the Lord include equipping parents to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and equipping us to do all things heartily as unto the Lord.

Third, these gifts are given to edify or build up the faith of all Christians in each local church. 

The goal of God in dispensing spiritual gifts is to bring each believer to a full and mature faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to the point that we obey His Word and live for His glory.

Every Christian receives one or more gifts from God.

1 Peter 4:10-11  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11)  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

The apostle Peter states clearly that each born again man, woman or child receives "the gift." The Greek word translated "the gift" is contained in the word "charismatic."

The specific meaning of this word refers to grace or gifts to various Christians that enable them to serve the church of Christ. 

Receiving such gifts is due to the sovereign power of divine grace operating on Born Again souls by the Holy Spirit.

Notice this important principle. These gifts are not to be used to elevate self. They are to be used to serve or minister to other Christians. 

Many who allegedly have "gifts" today are self promoters who deceive people into financially supporting their ministry. 

If any man is gifted as a Pastor or teacher, let him say what God says from his Word.

Whatever gift God may bless us with beyond the common grace of our salvation, it must be used to bless and edify others. 

If we have the gift of hospitality, let us do so as good stewards with the resources God entrusted to us. All such gifts are designed to give all praise and glory to God, not to us.

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

Paul returns to the reason why he is instructing the Corinthians about spiritual gifts. 

They were very ignorant of the spiritual gifts. Their pagan background caused the Corinthians to be proud and boastful instead of using gifts to do what God intended them to do. 

Thus, he reminds the Corinthians of their pagan background. 

Before their conversion to Christ, they were pagan idolaters, carried away with mindless sensuality. They were not guided by reason or truth from God's Word. 

Instead, their passions excited them into a senseless, immoral worship designed to satisfy and gratify fleshly lusts.

The Corinthians were slaves to "dumb idols."

Psalm 115:4-8  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 5)  They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 6)  They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 7)  They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. 8)  They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. 

All idols (statues, carvings, engravings, totems) are made by men's hands. They are fashioned with materials that God created.

Craftsmen make the idols with eyes, ears, noses, mouths, legs and arms. They are lifeless.

Yet, before Christ, many Corinthians fells down in fear before powerless idols and engaged in lust driven worship. 

Thus, Paul has much to correct and truth to teach about God's intent for spiritual gifts. 

May the Spirit of God grant us understanding as we think about these things.

Bob