Corinthians

1 Corinthians 12 New International Version

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 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.

Paul thus identifies spiritual gifts as

wisdom

knowledge

faith

gifts of healing

miraculous powers,

prophecy,

distinguishing between spirits,

speaking in different kinds of tongues,

interpretation of tongues.

The Corinthian Church

Whereas Athens was the cultural centre and intellectual centre for the area, Corinth was the business centre.

A lot of wealthy traders lived in Corinth.

It was a very busy place. There was a mountain near Corinth, and you could see Athens from the top of the mountain.

Athens was about 40 miles away. The two cities were fierce rivals.

Problems in the Church.

There were all sorts of problems with the church in Corinth.

Members of the church were turning up to services and drinking all the wine and eating the bread before the service.

Some would be lying drunk in the church.

All kinds of immorality was taking place between church members and with outsiders.

If we had seen such a church, we would have turned away from it.

But Paul didn’t.

Baptism in the church and Spiritual Gifts

Every member of the church in Corinth had been baptised in the spirit and every church member had been given a spiritual gift.

Being baptised in the spirit means becoming a Christian and being united with Jesus.

Lots of these spiritual gifts were demonstrated in the Corinthian church.

Looking at the church congregation in Corinth it is clear that God does not wait until you are perfect before he gives you spiritual gifts. Otherwise, he might wait forever.

People who have spiritual gifts are not necessarily much better than anyone else, 

but they should be on the way.