The Concept of Spiritual Gifts

When Mr. Delzandro phoned me, I think it was on Wednesday, that he and Mary were unable to be here for the Sabbath, he had expressed concern that I had to speak on short notice. He was concerned about that. And I told him, don't be concerned. I can always go for a golden oldie. And as I evaluated what might be most helpful and also timely for our congregation, it came to me in the very early hours of Thursday morning that one of Mr. Armstrong's favorite chapters in the Bible was 1 Corinthians 12. He enjoyed reviewing how God grants spiritual gifts to all the members of the body to benefit the whole church. So on this weekend of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be good to review 1 Corinthians 12. And there's a chance that we might get through it.

Not a huge chance, but a chance. So a little background on 1 Corinthians. I remember when I first came into the church and I read 1 Corinthians, I thought, how could a church congregation get in such shape? Paul had to write one of the most corrective books in the Bible, and it's to correct the problems that were in the Corinthian church.

And it was really an amazing thing to understand. Over the years, I've come to see that it's easy to understand how a church can get into that kind of situation because of the influences of the world around us and the way it goes and the needs for good leadership to guide it through.

The first four chapters are about strife within the congregation and they had internal strife. So he spends time on that in the first several chapters. And then also how they should view the ministry in chapter 4. In chapter 5, they had a man living in a sinful situation, and they considered themselves quite liberal, so they thought that was fine and they were kind of puffed up about it. Paul set him straight and he sent the man out from among them until he turned, and thankfully he did turn and he was allowed back.

But Paul had to do that as the apostle and pastor of the congregation. In chapter 6, he had to tell them about going to law with your brother. Instead of solving problems, sitting down together and talking about his brother and should, they were going to court before unbelievers to try to get things settled out. And Paul said, you've already been defeated. You've already been defeated when you have to go to law with a brother. God has ways of dealing with those things, and when we apply them, we have peace.

And when we don't apply them, we don't have peace. In chapter 7, he begins talking about the things you wrote to me about. So apparently they had written several questions and said, well, what about this and how do we do that? So Paul says, now the first six chapters are what he felt he needed to say first. Chapter 7 is the things that you wrote to me about. First, marriage problems. And difficulties in that. In chapters 8-10, he covered eating meats offered to idols, ministerial compensation, learning from the mistakes of ancient Israel, and also being sensitive to the conscience of other members.

And not trying to force your views on everybody else on these things that are doubtful, as he called them, doubtful things. In chapter 11, he covered questions about hair length, and also he instructed them on how to take the press over properly, because they had turned it into kind of a party, and he was getting them to settle down and to keep the passover in a right way. Now in chapter 12, he begins a discussion on spiritual gifts, and it's implied that they may have asked about that.

That may have been one of the things that he said that you asked about. Because the way he begins it, he says in chapter 12, verse 1, Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. Now spiritual gifts, you'll notice the word gifts is in italics, which means it isn't in the original there. And Paul will use the word charasmata, translated gifts, in verses 4, 9, 28, 30, and 31. Take my word for that, and if you're taking notes, that would be a little hard to follow.

But anyway, you can look it up and see where charasmata is there. But in verse 1, he didn't use that word. He actually would have been better translated, now concerning spiritual things. Spiritual things. He'd been talking about the Passover, he'd been talking about Harollan, he'd been talking about other things, now concerning spiritual things. So he's changing the subject slightly. He said, I do not want you to be ignorant.

Many today see spiritual gifts as a great mystery, as a great difficulty, but it's not mysterious. When it's taught properly, it becomes actually quite obvious. Please notice how Paul introduces the subject. I do not want you to be ignorant. That's a nice way to say, you have a lot to learn on this topic.

He's getting their attention. And you have a lot to learn on this topic. I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren. It's a much nicer way to say that. Because he was pointing out that they didn't know. They didn't know. We humans are often quick to assume we know about something. Well, we understand that. I remember in my first year in Ambassador College, with my fellow classmate in the back there, Mr. Bob Dick, I thought when they explained the harmony of the Gospel, I thought, I understand that.

And then they had a test. And I didn't do as well as I thought I was going to do. In fact, I didn't do well at all. The thing was, they were explaining what others taught, and where that was wrong, and why. And they wanted me to give that back to them. And I didn't. I just said, well, here's what it says. They wanted me to give it to them.

Well, here's what other people teach. Here's why, and here's where they're wrong. So I concluded that I didn't know enough false doctrine. And I needed to understand false doctrine better so I could refute it. And things got better after that when we started going along. But we humans are often quite quick to assume something. But when we get into it, we're really need to know it. Sometimes we find we didn't know as well as we thought we did. And that's humbling. True Christians can be recognized by the way they reflect Christ's teachings.

And I like to summarize that in the Beatitudes. True Christians are recognized deep with us first, poor in spirit. Poor in spirit means they're not vain. They're not puffed up. They're not all proud of themselves and think, well, I know that. You don't have to tell me anything. I'm not going to listen to you on this subject. That's not poor in spirit. Poor in spirit is basically small in your own eyes. A little further down, number three, is meek.

Meek means that we're aware of what there's a lot we don't know. And so we're willing to listen to learn and come up with a conclusion. Do we better understand this? Meek means you're willing to learn and you don't think you know it all. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 8. He made this point earlier because it seems that many there thought they were very knowledgeable. They thought they were very knowledgeable. So he said in chapter 8 verse 1, Now concerning the things offered to idols, and there were people who were divided on this subject of offered idols, and both sides were sure they were right.

Yes, you could eat it. No, you couldn't. They were both sure they were right. So the Apostle Paul, who was more educated than all of them, said, Now concerning things offered to idols, we know we all have knowledge. That's a nice way to say it. I respect your knowledge.

I've got knowledge, too. We all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up. The problem with knowledge is it can make you vain. And then you're sure you're right because you've got knowledge. Of course, that's never happened to me. No, it happens more often than I care to admit. Knowledge puffs up. But love tries to build up, tries to help the other, tries to benefit the other.

It's quite different. And then he says, If anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. Now, that's a pretty broad statement, is it not? If any man thinks he knows anything. That means on any subject you know, there's something to learn in addition. There's more to understand. There's a greater context. There's a more subtle understanding. There's a more bold understanding. We always have to be willing to learn and to know and to gain.

If any man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. Many of our leaders today are convinced they know how health care should be run. And collectively, they are trying to force their idea of a health care plan on the rest of us. Because they're sure they're right. They aren't doing it to be mean. They're sure it's going to be best for everybody. I think those leaders and the rest of us are in for a rude awakening over the next few months and years and decades.

In 1 Corinthians 8, he said, if anyone thinks he knows anything, do you think what's best for you? That's really getting presumptuous. You should have the freedom to make choices. That's what freedom's about. As we approach 1 Corinthians 12, we'll go back there. I've got my little string on it so I can get back. We have to remember where we came from. Before God called us, we knew nothing about him or his way of life. Is that an overstatement? Before God called us, we knew nothing about him or his way of life. We were totally deceived. We were walking in a dark world and had no idea. And we needed to be re-educated.

We needed to become as little children, learning from our Heavenly Father. We needed to become disciples, students of Jesus Christ. The Corinthians had actually been serving idols. This was the non-Israelite portion. When they became disciples of Jesus Christ, it was a total change. Many of us came from Christian backgrounds. We thought we knew what Christianity is, but we really knew nothing of God's truth. Today, we need to be aware that false teaching about Jesus Christ tends to stick with us.

Every so often, somebody will talk about Jesus Christ and they'll try to picture it. And the first thing that comes to mind is a guy with long hair. That's not him. But it pops in because of the frames that are there. That's not him. It often takes years, even decades, to recognize and receive the truth of God as it really is. I think we all agree it's much better to learn something right the first time than to learn it wrong and then try to relearn it.

So we're grateful for the so-called second generation, who had a bit of a head start, hopefully, on the rest of us who didn't grow up in the Church and had to learn it from the beginning. Okay, so it helps to comprehend, and that's how Paul introduces this topic, that before we were called, we were ignorant.

And he said, you know that you were Gentiles carried about by those dumb idols, however you were led. Dumb idols. Only the blind would seek counsel from the dumb. Now that they were in contact with those who spoke of the Spirit of God, Paul was writing, empowered by God's Holy Spirit. The living God speaks, and when he speaks, it's the truth. He says in verse 3, Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say, Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Who would say Jesus is accursed? Who would say that? Well, often the Jews who refuse to believe would point to the Scripture, Cursed is everyone who hangs in a tree! How could he be God's son if he's hung in a tree? It says, Cursed, everybody hangs in a tree. Barkley, on his comment on this, says, When Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was arrested, the demand of pro-counsel Stasius Quadratus was, Say, away with atheists, swear by the Godhead of Caesar, and blaspheme Christ.

The Roman, the Jews would say he's not Christ, for whatever reasons, and the Romans would say he's not Christ because Caesar was Christ. Caesar was the one that everybody had to worship. You know, the Roman emperors called themselves gods, and expected to be worshipped. And you'd say somebody else is a god, and they would try to bring on Christ. This is another god, it's not Caesar, it's him. And they tried to persecute him for that. Actually, Paul himself had been a disbelieving Jew. He was a Benjamite, physically, but he was a Jew in religion. In Acts 26, verses 9 to 11, if you want to turn there, Acts 26, verses 9 to 11, he said, beginning in verse 9, Acts 26, Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

By the way, today, when the Jews want to refer to him but don't want to give him deity, or don't want to give him any praise, they say Jesus of Nazareth. That's a historical fact. They don't say Jesus Christ, which implies Messiah. They'll say Jesus of Nazareth, to refer to him as a historical figure rather than as a teacher or special person. Indeed, I myself thought I'd do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison. This is not normally how we expect to find an apostle, shutting up the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme, which is to say Jesus isn't Christ. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Think about that a moment. Think about that a moment. Paul had compelled Christians to blaspheme. I think we could resume that when their pressure was put on them and they were accosted and challenged, that some would agree to deny Christ while others would not. In other words, he did say that when they were put to death, some were put to death, and then I compelled them to blaspheme. Well, that'd be the ones that blasphemed them, wouldn't it? Some were put to death, others were willing to blaspheme.

When speaking to his future apostles, look at Matthew 10.

He was speaking to his future apostles. This is the second of Matthew's five discourses that I hope to cover in our Sabbath Bible study when we finish Thessalonians, when we finish the Corinthians, when we finish Faith, Hope, and Charity, when all that's behind us. No, not all of it. But we do have things we're trying to do here. Matthew 10, verse 32. And he's speaking this now to his disciples. He's given them pretty straight teaching. And he said, That's pretty strong teaching. That's very strong teaching. If you look at 1 John, chapter 2, verse 23, Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? When you see that in the context of persecution, it takes on extra strength, extra understanding. Who is a liar but he who denies Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.

He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So Paul was speaking from firsthand experience. Terrible, sorrowful firsthand experience. And he said, verse 3, Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus a cursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. He'd seen it firsthand. Say Jesus is Lord. He's not talking about mere profession. He's talking about actually living God's way of life. The Greek word for Lord is kurios in Greek, and it was the official title, as I've mentioned, of the Roman emperor. People would say, say Caesar is kurios. In the Septuagint, that's the Hebrew version of the Old Testament, the Greek version of the Old Testament, Yahweh, Y-H-V-H, is translated kurios.

So whenever it says Lord, in the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, it's kurios.

And that's true. So Paul's readers, the expression Jesus is Lord meant Jesus is Y-H-V-H. Kurios. He's the Lord. As I said, that's true. Look at Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians chapter 2.

And let's look at verse 9. Philippians chapter 2 verse 9. Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, that's the human name, although it means Savior, every knee should bow, and those of heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess publicly, confess also by their actions, that Jesus Christ, the Savior of Messiah, is kurios, is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. When you respect the office God established for Jesus Christ, you respect the Father too.

That expression is indicating complete obedience and allegiance to Jesus Christ. But for Christians, more than verbal profession is meant. You can see Jesus is living in them.

In Luke 6 46, I won't turn at his quote for you, but you know the Scripture very well. But why do you call me Lord, Lord, kurios, kurios? And do not do the things which I say that's blatant hypocrisy. To call him Lord and not do what he says is hypocrisy.

Peter in Acts 5 said he's given the whole... maybe I'll turn there. Acts 5.

Acts 5. I was just going to quote it, but it's very important.

Acts 5, verse 29, the Jewish council was trying to get them not to speak in that name of Jesus anymore. Verse 28 says, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than man. He was not going to deny the Lord. He had already done that three times without the Holy Spirit. And God was very merciful to him.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you murdered. This man's not afraid. By hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to the right hand to be prince and savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey him. The actual grammar there, God has given past tense to those present tense who are obeying him. In other words, if somebody's obeying God in spirit and truth, that's the Holy Spirit working in them, which God has given to those who are obeying him.

We're talking about spiritual things, and this is about spiritual things. So saying Jesus is Lord is not just mere profession. It's those who are led by the Holy Spirit will think and act in ways that demonstrate that Jesus is their Lord in spirit and in truth.

Back to 1 Corinthians 12.

There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit. There are diversities of ministries but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it's the same God who works all the way. In all.

You'll notice verse 4, he says, there are diversities of gifts. Gifts. Diversities can also indicate assignment of gifts. God distributes or assigns the gifts. In verse 11, this verb form of this noun is there, and it's translated distributing, but the same spirit works all these things distributing to each one individually as he wills. In verse 7, he said, the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one to profit all. It's given by God. As we saw, in verse 11, it says in the Revised Standard Version, all these are inspired by one of the same spirit who apportions to each individual as he wills. The Father does this. In verse 18, he said, but God has set the members, each one of them, in the body as he pleased.

Verse 24, he says, but our present parts have no need, but God composed the body, having given greater honor to the part that lacks it. God composed the body. In verse 28, he said, and God disappointed these in the church. God did these things. In this chapter, Paul is showing that God is in charge of and building his church. And he's the one making the decisions. In verse 5, he said, there are differences in ministries.

Ministries is the word diaconia, which means service, different ways to serve. And in verse 6, he says, diversities of activities. The word there is the root of our word, of our word, energy.

Energerma translated working in verse 10. So in verses 4-6, he said, there are different gifts, there are different services, and there are different workings or operations or activities. Spiritually gifted members will be givers. Enrolls large and small, visible and invisible. They will benefit the whole body. And notice, by way of passing, there was a discussion on this by some in various places, that Paul mentions the same spirit, the same Lord, the same God. There are people who see the Trinity in that. And we are baptized in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, the Holy Spirit. The Father and Jesus Christ abide in converted people through the Holy Spirit, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now, verse 7. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the prophet of all. And there are nine gifts that are mentioned here. And they're given to each one for the prophet of all. These manifestations of the Spirit are actually God serving His people through His servants. He gives them the gifts to be able to serve. He equips them to be able to do it. As I said, there are nine gifts mentioned. The first one, he says, verse 8, "'For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit.'" The Greek there is Logos Sophias.

It's the first on the list.

But in chapter 13, he'll put another gift higher.

But here, it's the first on the list. Understanding wisdom involves understanding cause and effect. It involves understanding problems and solutions.

It involves, given several sermons on a subject of wisdom all by itself, but it's understanding long-term results.

We have all these unintended consequences. We're going to do this. We're going to accomplish this. Uh-oh, this went wrong. We didn't see that. We didn't see that. Both of them, the father and the son, understand the long-term effects of things. God's wisdom is so great, he says, he sees the end from the beginning.

I don't know what's going to happen before sunset tonight.

He knows the end from the beginning. That's astonishing wisdom. So it's understanding long-term results and consequences. Solomon was given this gift. Jesus had it without measures, without any measure at all. He had wisdom beyond human understanding. His adversaries tried and tried and tried to trip him up and never came close.

Paul said, and I'll read this later, but I want to read it to you now, 1 Corinthians 1, 30-31, from the Revised Standard Version. 1 Corinthians 1, 30-31. I'll cover this more later, but just right now. He is the source of your life in Jesus Christ, whom God made our wisdom. If we have any wisdom, we had to get it from Jesus Christ. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness. If we're going to get any righteousness, we're going to have to get it from Jesus.

And our sanctification. We're going to be set apart. Jesus is going to set us apart. And redemption. He's going to buy us back redeem. Therefore it is written, Let him who boasts boast of the Lord. Because he's all those things.

Our nation is facing serious problems. Wars, mounting debt, scary debt, nuclear end, North Korea, Middle East, China. We could go on much longer. The Church of God faces many problems that require wisdom to handle properly. That's nationally and also locally. Wisdom can include special skills in wordworking. To make the tabernacle, he gave people special wisdom in working things. Wisdom can involve special skills in wordworking, in electronics, sound system, in mechanics, in computers, in management, home making, fabrics, graphics. The list is endless. Now let's go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

And verse 26. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise, according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. And we're back in college. I used to point out, well, not many, but there's a few of us. The longer I'm around, I see Paul was being generous here. Now maybe Paul would be considered among the wise, but I don't think he would think that. I think he was so smart, he was persecuting the church. That's how smart he was. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise, according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. I think Abraham was probably wise and noble. I don't know about mighty. But anyway, that's my impression of him. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. Now, brethren, as I plan to talk about in the Spokesman's Club, the foolish of the world are never going to shame the wise by their foolishness.

They've got to have God dwelling in them to change them from foolish to wise. That's the only way that can happen.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. God's chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world. And the things which are despised, God has chosen. And the things which are not, which are nothing, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh should glory in his presence. There is nobody, it's going to be resurrected and say, back when I was flesh, oh man, I was great flesh.

Nobody's going to say that. We're all going to say, we're only here because, as we heard in the song today, his mercy endures forever.

That's the only way we're going to make it.

That no flesh should glory in his presence. Verse 30, but of him you are in Christ, Jesus. God who called us, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. So, when you find someone with the gift of wisdom, let's all appreciate them, because it's a gift. It's a spiritual gift from God. Let's be grateful. The Bible speaks today at commentary, which is put out by Moody Bible Institute. It brings out an important point here that I want to share with you. The tense of the Greek verb is given.

It can indicate that God reveals a solution to a particular problem by giving one member of the body the wisdom needed. In other words, he'll give it to him. This member in one situation, another member in another situation. It isn't one guy who's always right. It's usually over here and then over there. Oh, and you get this other one. And all of a sudden, you know, we're looking for somebody who can help with something, and they say, I can do that. And we say, you can? We have no idea.

Or I understand that. Or here, why don't we try this? I've seen it happen, where I felt God was giving us the wisdom that we needed in that situation to find a way through it. This minimizes pride, and it minimizes the my gift thinking. Sometimes we can think of it as my gift, and I have to feel I'm very special. I'm wonderful.

It minimizes my gift thinking, but it emphasizes God's gift thinking. And then God gets glory. We have all seen and we've all been given gifts that benefit the whole body, and we're very blessed with that. Then he says, back to verse 15 and chapter 12 of my little string, 4-1 is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, the word of knowledge, to comprehend God's knowledge. God's Spirit enables His servant to understand what they cannot understand without His Spirit, without His help.

If you look at John 16, John 16, you'll recognize that's in the John's covering of the detail of the final night, Jesus' final night in the flesh, John 16, verse 12. He said, John 16, verse 12, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. They couldn't bear them.

However, when He or it, the Spirit of truth has come, it will guide you into all truth. Our goal is to get into all truth.

For it will not speak on its own authority, but whatever it hears, it will speak, and it will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me. It will glorify Me. No man can say Jesus is accursed by the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus. That means it won't glorify the individual. It will glorify Jesus.

My gifts.

God can just move it around, switch it someplace else. Better to stay poor in spirit and meek. It will glorify Me, for it will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. It'll make it plain. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Paul had already made this point to the Corinthian brethren. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

And let's begin in verse 6.

1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 6. However, he said, we speak wisdom among those who are mature. Are you mature? Something we should all ask ourselves. We speak wisdom among those who are mature.

Remember he said, he's going to say in the next chapter, they were still babes?

Because there was fight and strife and envy among them, and they're bickering and fighting, and they're still babes.

We speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age. There is a wisdom of this age. Nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God, God's wisdom, in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this world age knew, for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. If they understood God's wisdom, they would have never crucified Christ. But as is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things which God prepared for those who love him. I've seen too many people read that verse and stop there.

But he said, eye has not seen, nor ear heard. You can't learn these things through the eye reading or the ear by hearing. You can't learn them that way. Nor have entered into the heart of man. You can't conjure up yourself. The things which God has prepared for those who love him. What's God prepared for those who love him? I found that the key to people enduring in the Church. You know, you can keep the Sabbath and keep the Holy Days, and you're doing all this and tithe and do other things, and you're going along on this and you're convinced you're on the right track. But do you know the things that God has prepared for those who love him?

Then he says in verse 10, you can't learn this through the eye or the ear. It won't enter your heart. But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit. God has made known to his people through the Spirit the things that God has prepared for those who love him. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the Spirit of man which is in him? We've covered this in the past. There's a human spirit. It's one name for the human spirit. It's the spirit that gives us understanding. Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. The only way to learn the things of God is through the Spirit of God. There's no other way to learn it. Verse 14, But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. It's foolish to tithe. I mean, you're sending away 10% of your money. 20%. When we ordain a deacon, sometimes I tell him, have you heard about fourth tithes? We don't want to see if they're sincere. No, I'm just kidding. But the natural man, mind, does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they're foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. They're only discerned through the Holy Spirit. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have, and I think he's referring to himself and those who are with him, the converted people, the spiritual mature, but we have the mind of Christ. Okay. When wisdom and knowledge work together, I mean wisdom and knowledge, put those two together, and you really benefit the church. You really benefit the congregation, and you'll benefit the church, the whole church. Then he goes back in 1 Corinthians 12, and he said, to one's given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, through the same Spirit, and to another faith by the same Spirit. Faith. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

It's better translated trust. There are translations that translate to trust, because in the word faith, in English, has come to mean kind of hope. You know, I have faith, and it's going to rain tomorrow. You know, something you can't be sure, or I believe it's going to rain tomorrow. So trust is better, a confident relying on God in whatever circumstance.

Blasphene Christ. Or die. We all need faith. As we know, it says the just shall live by faith, or by trusting. Every Christian needs faith. But God does seem to give some a special measure of faith for special needs, for special needs or special circumstances. I think God gave Peter, when he said before the council there, faith, to stand up to them and say, we ought to obey God rather than man. I don't think that was Peter. I think that was the Spirit speaking through him, being able to take that on. True faith is not naive. It's not optimistic or have a positive outlook on everything. Many people think faith means just be positive. No.

Because some things God says are going to happen, he tells us that the day the Lord is going to be terrible. That when it happens in the end time events, they're going to be terrible. And the true faith is not naive. J.B. Cavell once said, the optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds. And the pessimist fears this is true.

It's not hope on steroids. Hope has its own things.

But hope is hope. It's not faith. It's different. Look at Galatians 2.22. Sorry, Galatians 2.20. This verse is often misunderstood. Galatians chapter 2.

Oops, so many Ephesians.

Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. Paul, explaining to the Galatians, I have been crucified with Christ. You see, conversion involves the death of the old man. And Paul, his old man, had to die. His old man did all kind of bad things and thought all kind of ways and went the wrong way. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith, and in the New King James it says in, but the old King James is correct. I live by the faith of the Son of God, the same faith Jesus had because it's the same Spirit.

I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Paul wasn't depending on his faith. He was depending on Christ living in him and Christ's faith. Again, no flesh glory.

And he goes on to, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Now back to 1 Corinthians 12.

He said in verse 9, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit. Gifts of healing. Gifts of healing. This is not talking about James 514. James 514 says, Is any sick among you, among you, in your congregation, part of your fellowship? Is any sick among you? Let him, I like the individual to do it when possible, sometimes it's not possible, let him call on the elders of the church and let them, the members' responsibility is to call. And then the responsibility is off him.

And then let them pray over him anointing with oil, and the prayer of faith will save a sick. That's not the gift of healing. The gift of healing, let me show you the gift of healing in Acts 3.

Acts 3.

Acts 3.

And verse 1. Acts 3. And verse 1.

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man from his mother's womb was carried, sorry, a certain man lain from his mother's womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, and to ask alms from those who entered the temple, who, seeing Peter and John about to go to the temple, asked for alms.

Now, he didn't recognize John and Peter from anybody else.

Somebody coming in? Look like they might have a few shekels in their pocket? Maybe they'll share it.

Who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms, and fixing his eyes upon him with John, Peter said, Look at us! Now, right here, Peter knew what was going to happen. This is what I covered in the sermon on faith a couple weeks ago. Peter knew! It was given him. He knew what was going to happen.

This wasn't based on hope. This was based on faith. Faith knows.

And fixing his eyes on him with John, Peter said, Look at us. So he gave him his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold, I do not have.

This gift does not require money. No budget.

Silver and gold, I do not have. But what I do have, I give you. Didn't have silver and gold, but he had something. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand. This is also faith. He grabbed him by the right hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. The man who was healed was not expecting this. There was no faith here in the man.

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with him. Walking, leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat, baking on his beautiful of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened. Now, of course, this brought attention, this brought a crowd. And then Peter starts preaching the gospel.

That's the gift of healing. That's the one that raised Lazarus. The gift of healing. Jesus had it in measure. He was prophesied to have it. That he would be healing. Okay, back in 1 Corinthians 12, I want to finish in a proper section here. Verse 9, To another faith by the same spirit, to another the gift of healing by the same spirit, to another working of miracles. Working of miracles. The Greek working is dunamis, God's power. It's the ancestor of our word dynamic and dynamo and all those. Jesus said we're to pray yours is the kingdom, the dunamis, and the glory. The power, and the glory. Power to cast out demons. Power to cast out, to confront seemingly impossible problems. And sometimes the power to confront evildoers. Earlier Paul wrote, look at 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 18. 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 18. He said, this is Paul speaking with power. 1 Corinthians 4, 18. Now some are puffed up as though I were not coming to you. It's like a parent says, do I have to come up there? Now some are puffed up as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly if the Lord wills. And I will know not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power, the dunamis. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in dunamis. The kingdom of God is powerful, brethren.

What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love, and a spirit of gentleness? God gives the spirit of power to work power. It's very, very strong. I think we sometimes underestimate that. Back to chapter 12, verse 10, to another, the working of miracles, or dunamis, to another prophecy. Prophecy is speaking for God, whether prophetically or by preaching. Brethren, sound preaching is a spiritual gift. It's a spiritual gift. Then he goes on the next one, and to another discerning of spirits. There are various spirits out there. There's God's spirit, there's the spirit of Satan, and there's the human spirit. The Holy Spirit can distinguish the true from the false, can recognize the true from the false. Look at Acts 5. We're back in the book of Acts.

Acts 5, verse 1. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession and kept back part of the proceeds. Now, it was all in their hands, and people were donating everything, but they decided to keep back part. But he wanted the respect for putting everything. He didn't want to do it, but he wanted to hedge his bets. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? He didn't say to lie to me.

Peter had the Holy Spirit, and he was looking at that. And the Holy Spirit revealed to him the man was lying. But Peter said, and notice Peter knew, he didn't say, well, I think, or are you sure? No, he knew.

But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and kept back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? After it was sold, was it not your control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God. Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young man arose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. I think that the funeral association wasn't in charge of things back then.

And the young man arose and took him. Now, about three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter answered her, tell me whether you sold the land for so much. Did you see what he did? He gave her the opportunity to tell the truth or tell a lie.

He didn't say, well, your husband said this, is that right?

And Peter answered, tell me whether you sold the land for so much. And she said, yes, for so much. And Peter said to it, how is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord? Peter saw this as somebody trying to test the spirit of the Lord. I don't think they looked at it that way, but Peter did. Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out. Then immediately she fell down to his feet and breathed her last. And the young man came in and found her dead and carried her out and buried her with her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all the heard these things. I would think so. I would think so. Back to 1 Corinthians. I'm going to try to finish the section here.

To another working miracle, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues or different kinds of languages. In Acts 2, the miracle was in the speaking and the hearing. It's much misunderstood today. I won't go over that. But the Corinthians were proud of their many languages. They were a real crossroads in the Greek Empire. And they had all kinds of languages going there. They were kind of proud of that. And you'll notice Paul put languages at the end of the list of spiritual gifts. That's the bottom one. That and understanding them. If you look at 1 Corinthians 14, just over a little bit, verses 18 and 19, Paul said, I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. Paul spoke more languages than the Corinthians did. When I was in South Africa, we had an African man who would explain different cultures. The Africans were in different cultures. There were 11 major tribes down there, and they all had different cultures. And of course, you had the Afrikaans, the Dutch descendants, and the English one, and you had the German one, you had the Jewish one, and we had a Portuguese one. They all had different cultures in South Africa, and they were all together. So this man was an African. We had him to dinner at our home, and he spoke 11 different languages, which is amazing. He was a very entertaining man, by the way. He was very witty. But Paul was there. He said, I think I speak with tongues more than you all. He had more knowledge experience than they did. He spoke many languages. Yet in the Church, I would rather speak five words with my understanding that I may teach others also than 10,000 words in a language, in some other language. Remember the thing, discerning of spirits? You've got to do that with this thing of languages and tongues. You've got to discern the spirit. And back to 1 Corinthians 12. Different kinds of tongues and another interpretation of tongues. Understanding different languages. I've known servants of God that can read many languages they can't speak. That's amazing to me that they can do that. But they can read many languages that they can't speak. Or don't speak. Maybe they could, but they don't. Samuel Larenas is probably listening to us now up there in the corner. And somehow God's given him the ability to have a sermon in English, and he can hear it at the same time talk and translate it into Spanish. I could never begin to do that. And I've talked with him many times, and every time he says, it's a gift. It's not me. It's a gift that I've been given. And he uses it to benefit the brethren. Okay. To another interpretation, verse 11. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He will. Dividing to each one as He will. All the spiritual gifts will be in submission to Jesus Christ as the head of the body. And I ask some other verses here to help you out with that one, but I'll save that for the next time, and we'll pick it up when we have the next opportunity to cover this chapter 12 and then go on to chapter 13.