The Dispensator: Baptized into the body with no gifts?

Yes gifts are still being given. When we read 1 Corinthians 12 and ask the 5 W's and an H Paul explains all the who, what, when , where, why and hows.

He first starts out by telling us, the brethren why he is writing to them/us about spiritual gifts. He says in verse one, I do not want you to be unaware. He explains this by reminding them that as non-believers or pagans they were once led astray to the dumb idols. Before we come to Christ we are led astray by the prince of the power of the air, the devil (Ephesians 2:2) and his co-horts. When Paul wrote to those at Corinth this was intensly going on as it is still today. Paul says, in verse 3, Therefore (by the way every time you see a "therefore" in the Scripture you want to know what the "therefore" is therefore). Paul says therefore...therefore what? Therefore because they were being led astray Paul is making sure they know what was really going on, by saying I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says Jesus is accursed, and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by or literally translated in the Holy Spirit. In other words, if you are truly speaking of the Spirit of God you cannot say that Jesus is accursed, why because the Spirit of God is the breath of God and He cannot speak against Himself. Likewise, one cannot say Jesus is truly his Lord and Savior except by the Holy Spirit, because if one is one with Christ through the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit then guides the beleiver in all things (For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God Colossians 3:3).

In verses 4-6 Paul goes on to explain that there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

Verse 7, But to each one is given the manifestation of the Sprit for the common good. Verses 8-10 tell of 9 of the different gifts that are given....through the Spirit verse 8 says. So according to the Scripture, who gives the gifts? The Holy Spirit. And why are they given? Verse 7 for the common good. Who is given these gifts? Verse 7, each one. Also, look at verse 11, it says, But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. Meaning, Paul is reiterating, there is only one Spirit and it is the Spirit distributing to each one individual just as He wills. He wills, meaning just as God wills. Remember there is the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All the same, yet each has Their own function within the Trinity. Just as each one, or each member verse 12 says, has his or her own function or role in the body of Christ. How do we know what our role or function is? By the spiritual gifts we are given by the Holy Spirit upon baptism into the body of Christ. In other words upon salvation, not when you are dunked or sprinkled, but upon baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Look at verse 13, For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. With this read, so far we know why Paul was writing to the Corinthians, who gives the gifts, why the gifts are given, who receives the gifts...the body or memebers, and we know when they are received...at baptism (not water baptism) and we know how they are given, verse 7 says of the Spirit, verse 8 through the Spirit and according to the Spirit, and verse 9 says by the Spirit.

By the way, the Greek word for gifts is "charisma" which means gifts of grace, or free gifts. And you can see in the word charisma, the Greek word "charis" which means grace. These gifts are not earned or achieved. Just like we cannot earn the ultimate Gift, Christ. He was given by God by His grace to all those who will accept Him as Savior through faith. Also too, the words spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1 is "pneumatikos". We can see in that word "pneuma or pneumo". It means spiritual, non-carnal, supernatural, has the idea of invisibility and power. Think pneumonia, lungs, breathing. Pneumo is air. You can't see it, but it's there because you are breathing it.

Paul then goes on to explain spiritual gifts and the function of them in the body by using the human body as a reference and also to make sure we understood that no one "member" of the body is any more important than any other "member". Verse 14, For the body is not one member, but many. He explains this in verses 15-25. In other words, if every member were an eye that looks out for the body, then how is the body only being an eye going to roll over to the door and open it? If the whole body were a mouth, then how is it going to get fed? Verse 18 tells us how perfect the will of God is by telling us that God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body just as He desires. If God our Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth, hand picked for each of us a place in the body, hoe can anyone ever feel as though their job in the body of Christ is any less than anothers? Verse 26 tells us also, that if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, if one member is honored all the members REJOICE with it, (not are honored with it too). Verse 27, Now you are Christ's body and individually members of it. We are each accountable for ourselves in Christ's body. No blaming others.

Verse 28 gives us more spiritual gifts and an order in which they are to function in the body. Verse 29 says all are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have the gifts of healing, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? By the way, these questions are all formed in the Greek to require a negative answer or the answer of "no". Meaning do not want for a gift you do not have, you are not meant to all have the same gifts. But then in verse 31 the Scripture says, but earnestly desire the greater gifts. This verse really confuses people because we have just learned not to want for the gifts we were not given. Again, we must return to the original language of the New Testament, Koine Greek. When we do, we learn that again keeping in mind the context of all of this, Paul is talking about the body of Christ. What is the baidy of Christ? The church. The only way a body can function properly, is to have all its members and all its members functioning in the realm if their gift. So as a body, as the church, the church should earnestly desire the greater gifts so as to function completely. Here when we are talking about the church it is the congregation, because remember Paul is talking to the congregation at Corinth. The greater gifts they were to desire were those of apostle, one who goes into an area and sets up the beginnings of a congregation (think missionary), desire the prophets, one who goes into that congregation and relays to the people the Words of God to bring people to repentance and into the body (think evangilist), pastor/shephard, one who continually brings the Word of God to His people and watches over His flock (think pastor of the church), the teacher, one who teaches the Scriptures to the body (think Sunday School teachers and Bible Study teachers). These are the greater gifts, they are also the speaking gifts, but with these gifts also comes much greater responsibility (James 3:1). How should one with a speaking gift speak? According to 1 Peter 4:11 those that speak let him speak the utterances of God so that in all things God may be glorified.

Gift were initially given in Acts 2 on Pentecost, the beginning of the church (Ephesians 4:8) and continue to be given until the perfect or mature or whole whole comes, the fullness of Christ (1 Corinthians 13:10 and Ephesians 4:13). On Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit came and indwelt believer. In other words when non-believers accepted Christ as the risen Savior, they were given the Holy Spirit. The same is happening today, when non-believers accept Christ as their Savior, they too are given the Holy Spirit. Jesus has not returned for his bride the church, and until He does, until the Perfect comes, the church or the body of Christ still must carry on just as they did when Paul wrote to the Corinthians and just as they did at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended to dwell inside each one, each member, each believer. Ephesians 4:13 sums it all up for us, but we'll back up to Ephesians 4:4, There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us GRACE (remember our Greek word charisma) was given according to the measure of CHRIST'S gift. (Not according to the measure of what we have done) Praise God!! Verse 11 tells us again how He gave each different gifts, verse 12 tells us why, for the equipping of the saints (believers) for the work of service (not just to have to have, but we have a job to do with the gift or gifts we were given) to the building up of the body of Christ; and then verse 13...until we all attain the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

We are all as believer, continually growing up in Christ. Remember 1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. Look at the continuation of Ephesians 4:14, it says, AS A RESULT, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the PROPER WORKING OF EACH INDIVIDUAL PART, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

As long as we are here, and Christ has not come back, we are still each individual members of the body of Christ, all of us growing and maturing day by day through knowing and reading the Word of God. Until Christ comes back, the Holy Spirit still indwells believers, giving to each one a spiritual gift or gifts according to that which God picked especially for each individual and we are to use those gifts for the building up of the body of Christ, the church, in love.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, as an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2

Blessings fellow heirs!!

Baptized into the body with no gifts?

Gifts are still being given today, I'll explain...

Re: Baptized into the body with no gifts?

Re: Baptized into the body with no gifts?