Scripture Reading
6For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This has become the chief corner stone,”
8 and,
“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this stumbling they were also appointed.
9 But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul,
12 by keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good works, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:6–12, LSB)
Introduction
Review:
- The Origin of Spiritual Gifts
- The Use of Spiritual Gifts
- The Abuse of Spiritual Gifts
The Origin of Spiritual Gifts
Remember, we looked last time at the origin of Spiritual Gifts.
We saw that the “gifts” are “manifestations of the Spirit” and are designed for the greater good (i.e. edification of the person into the likeness of Jesus Christ before the Father).
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is profitable. (1 Corinthians 12:7, LSB)
Manifestation of the Spirit
= New Covenant –
“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to do My judgments. (Ezekiel 36:27, LSB)
The Holy Spirit internally to the believer (Jew and Gentile) is a work and purpose of the Father in order to enable His people, Israel, to keep their (Mosaic) covenant with YHWH.
The original intention of God is for the creation of a new heart and spirit within the individuals of the nation of Israel in order to enable them to keep the judgments and commandments of YHWH, their God.
However, their execution of the Messiah, and their unrepentant behavior did not allow for the Lord to give them a new heart.
Rather, because He could not repeat the sacrifice of the cross again, and because the New Covenant required a new sacrifice, one of better blood and flesh, He gave of His Spirit to the nations, the people producing the fruit of the Kingdom.
41Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
42‘The stone which the builders rejected,
This has become •the chief corner stone;
This came about from the Lord,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 “Therefore I say to you•, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation, producing the fruit of it.
44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”
45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. (Matthew 21:42–45, LSB)
It is this promise of the Kingdom to the nations that compelled the sending of the Holy Spirit to the church.
Remember:
The Holy Spirit
16 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you forever;
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (John 14:16–17, LSB)
25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.
26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (John 14:25–26, LSB)
5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and •righteousness and •judgment;
9 concerning sin, because •they do not believe in Me;
10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (John 16:5–11, LSB)
It is this “sending” that allows for the work of Christ and His Kingdom to spread throughout the world.
Israel killed her Messiah.
If they had repented, they would have received the promise of Abraham and become the nation on top of the nations.
As it is, they reside in perpetual darkness, and they are under the curse of the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 28).
Now, the church proclaims the Kingdom, and lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in order to accomplish the eternal purpose of God, the Father.
The Use of Spiritual Gifts
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is profitable. (1 Corinthians 12:7, LSB)
One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. (1 Corinthians 14:4, LSB)
But I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. And greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he translates, so that the church may receive edification. (1 Corinthians 14:5, LSB)
So also you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. (1 Corinthians 14:12, LSB)
For you are giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. (1 Corinthians 14:17, LSB)
26 What is the outcome then, brothers? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has a translation. Let all things be done for edification. (1 Corinthians 14:26, LSB)
The use of Spiritual Gifts is consistent with the original intention of God in the New Covenant.
The New Covenant is for the transformation of a person into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ.
5Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:5–6, LSB)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17–18, LSB)
The work of the New Covenant is, for the church, the work of the re-creation of the man into the very likeness and image of the Son.
In this way, the man becomes a son, and the woman becomes a daughter, of God…truly.
The person has a new heart, a new spirit, and will receive a new body.
All of this is to result in the creation of the person into the original purpose of God-sonship.
11But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels—Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace •of God He might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of One; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers,
12 saying,
“I will recount Your name to My brothers,
In the midst of the assembly I will sing Your praise.”
13 And again,
“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery •all their lives.
16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the seed of Abraham.
17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:9–18, LSB)
Paul’s most clear statement on this entire purpose and process of God is here:
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers;
30 and those whom He predestined•, He also called; and those whom He called•, He also justified; and those whom He justified•, He also glorified. (Romans 8:28–30, LSB)
Again, as we will see throughout this study, the use of the gifts is focused upon the mutual edification of each other in the body of Christ.
And, if I may, edification is not dependent upon the gifts.
Rather, the edification is most accomplished by mutual love.
This is the “more excellent way.”
But you earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I will yet show you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31, LSB)
If the church wants to reach its goal of likeness to Jesus Christ, it must live in love towards one another.
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35, LSB)
The Abuse of Spiritual Gifts
It is this failure that Paul is directly dealing with in this section.
The failure of the proper use of the Spiritual Gifts is not so much a squandering of those gifts, but it is also a failure to love.
This is Paul’s greatest concern.
It is the abuse of the gifts that Paul deals with in this section.
And the abuse is in the form of selfish expression of the gifts.
They abused:
- the gift of languages
- the gift of knowledge
- the gift of wisdom
- the gift of faith
- the gift of healing
- the gift of miracles
- the gift of prophecy
- etc…1
In these abilities, all given as the manifestation of God, the Holy Spirit, they were able to use them in hateful, selfish, and self-absorbed ways.
This selfishness established itself in the church in that the “stronger” exalted himself above the weaker, the rich above the poor, the gifted above the ungifted, the free to sin above the more scrupulous.
Therefore, the need in the Corinthian church was not more teaching, but more repetition of teaching.
“…or do you not know…” = 6 x’s – 6:2,3,9,15,16,19,
Although Paul did teach more, it was upon the back of his previous extensive teaching while he was there for 18 months.
Example:
15If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But now God has appointed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now •there are many members, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, how much more is it that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary,
23 and those members of the body which we think as less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable,
24 whereas our more presentable members have no such need. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked,
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (1 Corinthians 12:15–26, LSB)
The divisions that occurred in the body in Corinth were all from one cause – pride.
Yet, the expression of that pride came out in many aspects of proper church life.
In this case, this pride led to the misuse of the abilities given by the Holy Spirit for the good of each other.
This pride divided the body into those who had gifts which were more visible to one another, and those which were not.
Therefore, as Paul has been saying throughout this letter, the church is being ravaged by disobedience to the Law of Love.
And, without saying it directly until now, the Corinthian’s self-love has become the metric by which to measure the effect of their life in Christ.
Paul’s Ongoing Teaching
12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you were being led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
3 Therefore 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 the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:1–3, LSB)
12:1 Περὶ δὲ τῶν πνευματικῶν, ἀδελφοί, οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν.
2 Οἴδατε ὅτι ὅτε ἔθνη ἦτε πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ ἄφωνα ὡς ἂν ἤγεσθε ἀπαγόμενοι.
3 διὸ γνωρίζω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ λαλῶν λέγει, Ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς, καὶ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν, Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. (1 Corinthians 12:1–3, UBS5)
V.1 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.”
Paul admits that they were being ignorant of the proper use of Spiritual Gifts.
Their ignorance was resulting in the abuse of the gifts, and, ultimately, the abuse of the assembly of the church.
“…I do not want you to be ignorant…”
10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (1 Corinthians 10:1, LSB)
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even to live. (2 Corinthians 1:8, LSB)
25 For I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; (Romans 11:25, LSB)
“…ignorant…” = Unperceiving/confused/without mental process about…
ἀγνοέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for שׁגה, שׁגג, אשׁם, etc.;] 1. to be ignorant, not to know: absol., 1 Ti 1:13, He 5:2; c. acc., Ac 13:27; 17:23, Ro 10:3, 2 Co 2:11; ἐν οἷς, 2 Pe 2:12; seq. ὅτι, Ro 2:4; 6:3; 7:1, 1 Co 14:38; οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, a Pauline phrase: c. acc., Ro 11:25; seq. ὑπέρ, 2 Co 1:8; περί, 1 Co 12:1, 1 Th 4:13; ὅτι, Ro 1:13, 1 Co 10:1 (for similar usage in π., v. MM, VGT, s.v.). Pass.: 1 Co 14:38, 2 Co 6:9, Ga 1:22. 2. not to understand: c. acc., Mk 9:32, Lk 9:45.†2
νοέω, -ῶ (< νοῦς), [in LXX chiefly for בּין, also for שׂכל hi., etc;] 1. to perceive with the mind, understand (for the phrase νοῶν κ. φρονῶν, in wills, v. MM, xvii): absol., Mt 16:9, Mk 8:17; c. acc., Eph 3:4, 1 Ti 1:7; c. dat. instr., τ. καρδίᾳ, Jo 12:40; pass., Ro 1:20; seq. ὅτι, Mt 15:17; 16:11, Mk 7:18; c. acc. et inf., He 11:3. 2. to think, consider: absol., Mt 24:15, Mk 13:14, Eph 3:20; c. acc. rei, 2 Ti 2:7 (cf. εὐ-, κατα-, μετα-, προ-, ὑπο-νοέω).†3
“…you know…” = to see/perceive with comprehension
οἶδα, (from same root as εἶδον, q.v.), [in LXX chiefly for ידע;] pf. with pres. meaning (plpf. as impf.; on irregular tense-forms, v. App.), to have seen or perceived, hence, to know, have knowledge of: c. acc. rei, Mt 25:13, Mk 10:19, Jo 10:4, Ro 7:7, al.; c. acc. pers., Mt 26:72, Jo 1:31, Ac 3:16, al.; τ. θεόν, 1 Th 4:5, Tit 1:16, al.; c. acc. et inf., Lk 4:41, al.; seq. ὅτι, Mt 9:6, Lk 20:21, Jo 3:2, Ro 2:2; 11:2, al.; seq. quaest. indir., Mt 26:70, Jo 9:21, Eph 1:18, al.; c. inf., to know how (cl.), Mt 7:11, Lk 11:13, Phl 4:12, 1 Th 4:4, al.; in unique sense of respect, appreciate: 1 Th 5:12 (but v. also ICC on 1 Th 4:4).4
“…I make known to you…” = to discover/know facts about and understand
γνωρίζω (< γιγνώσκω), [in LXX chiefly for ידע hi.;] 1. as most commonly in cl., to come to know, discover, know: Phl 1:22 (but cf. R, mg.). 2. to make known: c. acc., Ro 9:22, 23; c. acc. rei dat. pers., Lk 2:15, Jo 15:15; 17:26, Ac 2:28 (lxx), 1 Co 15:1, 2 Co 8:1, Ga 1:11, Eph 1:9; 6:19, 21, Col 4:7, 9, 2 Pe 1:16; c. dat., seq. ὅτι, 1 Co 12:3; seq. τί, Col 1:27; περί, Lk 2:17. Pass., Ac 7:13, Ro 16:26, Eph 3:3, 5, 10, Phl 4:6 (Cremer, 677; cf. ἀνα-, δια-γνωρίζω).†5
The various aspects of “know” here indicates an emphasis by Paul.
The “knowing” of something is to be preferred rather than the “experience” of something, or, for our day, the “belief” of something in our own opinion.
Paul calls these things to their minds.
He does not want them to be controlled by their ignorance.
Why not?
Does it matter?
Illustration:
26 “Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the word of this salvation was sent.
27 “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him.
28 “And though they found no ground for death, they asked Pilate that He be executed.
29 “And when they had finished all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. (Acts 13:26–29, LSB)
It was due to their ignorance about the Christ, the prophets, and the Law (even though they knew them backwards and forwards) that lead them to fulfill these things by executing the Christ.
Ignorance, then, was the instrument that lead to their guilt.
It was by ignorance that they sinned so greatly.
Not knowing the Word of God can cause us to live lives that are absolutely wrong and sinful.
This ignorance can lead to all manner of mistakes, missed opportunities, and grave sins.
It is a lack of knowing the Word of God that can lead even those who teach it to be blind to what is happening around them (a lack of discernment).
Therefore, since the Corinthians were ignorant of the use of Spiritual Gifts, they were sure to abuse them.
Therefore, if the Corinthians remain “ignorant” of the Spiritual Gifts, after all that Paul writes in these chapters, that man is willfully, purposefully, and gladly remaining ignorant.
That man, then, is “ignored” by God for his willful ignorance.
V.2 – “You know that when you were pagans, you were being led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.” (1 Corinthians 12:2, LSB)
“…led astray…” = ignorance that Paul is trying to correct.
The default condition of the “pagan” is ignorance.
17 Therefore this I say, and testify in the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 being darkened in their mind, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart.
19 And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. (Ephesians 4:17–19, LSB)
Being ignorant of God, His Person and His Word will lead to sin, and harm to our souls (and bodies).
Why not rather get informed, learn, and abide by what is being taught?
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear Yahweh and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:7–8, LSB)
V.2b You know that when you were pagans, you were being led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. (1 Corinthians 12:2, LSB)
“…mute idols…”
= Paul’s point is that the ignorance of the Corinthians as pagans is not to be repeated with them as Christians.
These are idol statues which can not talk.
5“To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 “Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale,
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They fall down, indeed they worship it.
7 “They carry it upon the shoulder and bear it;
They set it in its place, and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot save him from his distress.
8 “Remember this, and be assured;
Cause it to return to your heart, you transgressors.
9 “Remember the former things •long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me, (Isaiah 46:5–9, LSB)
Paul had written about idols in chapter 8.
There, he said that the idols were nothing but mouthpieces for demons.
No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I do not want you to become sharers in demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20, LSB)
That is, the idols, themselves, don’t speak and the idol-maker is not god so as to make an object speak.
However, when people use idols, they are actually giving worship to demons, fallen angels, servants of Satan.
This activity is worthless, and is evil.
Yet, the nations do it with all the imagination they can muster.
2Why should the nations say,
“Where, now, is their God?”
3 But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
6 They have ears, but they do not hear;
They have noses, but they do not smell;
7 As for their hands, they do not feel;
As for their feet, they do not walk;
They do not make a sound with their throat.
8 Those who make them will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them.
9 O Israel, trust in Yahweh;
He is their help and their shield. (Psalm 115:2–9, LSB)
“…however you were led…”
= this refers to the myriads of ways that people create other gods and goddesses which replace God to them.
The creativity of man to invent false gods is endless.
v.3 “Therefore 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 the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3, LSB)
“Therefore I make known to you..”
= next use of “know.”
γνωρίζω = γνωρίζω (< γιγνώσκω), [in LXX chiefly for ידע hi.;] 1. as most commonly in cl., to come to know, discover, know: Phl 1:22 (but cf. R, mg.). 2. to make known: c. acc., Ro 9:22, 23; c. acc. rei dat. pers., Lk 2:15, Jo 15:15; 17:26, Ac 2:28 (lxx), 1 Co 15:1, 2 Co 8:1, Ga 1:11, Eph 1:9; 6:19, 21, Col 4:7, 9, 2 Pe 1:16; c. dat., seq. ὅτι, 1 Co 12:3; seq. τί, Col 1:27; περί, Lk 2:17. Pass., Ac 7:13, Ro 16:26, Eph 3:3, 5, 10, Phl 4:6 (Cremer, 677; cf. ἀνα-, δια-γνωρίζω).†6
Paul is speaking to them in teaching fashion about the information that he needs them to know and understand.
This should cure their “ignorance.”
“no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed…”
Paul makes know to them two statements:
1.The Holy Spirit leads no one to curse Jesus Christ.
2.The Holy Spirit always leads those He indwells to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
The first statement is meant to correct their ecstatic, pagan, syncretistic, behavior.
It appears that the Corinthians were involving their pagan worship practices into the life of the church in some way.
Their thinking and conduct as a church resembled the pagan shrines, and not God.
Paul deals with this, again, in inclusio fashion in the following section:
26 What is the outcome then, brothers? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has a translation. Let all things be done for edification.:7:
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must translate;
28 but if there is no translator, he must keep silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
29 And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.
30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted.
32 And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;
33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
34 The women are to keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.
35 But if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in church.
36 Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it arrived to you only?
37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.
38 But if anyone remains ignorant about this, he is ignored by God.
39 Therefore, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. (1 Corinthians 14:26–40, LSB)
- What does it mean to say, “Jesus is accursed”?
“accursed” = Ἀνάθεμα
†ἀνάθεμα, -τος, τό (< ἀνατίθημι), Hellenistic for Attic ἀνάθημα (Bl., § 27, 2); 1. prop. = τὸ ἀνατιθεμένον, that which is laid by to be kept, a votive offering (as ἀνάθημα in 2 Mac 2:13, Lk 21:5—where LT read -θεμα, v. M, Pr., 46). 2. [As equiv. in LXX for חֵרֶם,] devoted, a thing devoted to God (v. Driver, De., 98 f., and cf. Le 27:28, 29), hence; (a) of the sentence pronounced (De 13:15), a curse: Ac 23:14; (b) of the object on which the curse is laid, accursed (De 7:26): Ro 9:3, 1 Co 12:3; 16:22, Ga 1:8, 9 (v. ICC on Ro.; Lft., Ga., ll.c.; Cremer, 547; Tr., Syn., § v; MM, VGT, s.v.).†8
OT:25 “The graven images of their gods you are to burn with •fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it, for it is •an abomination to Yahweh your God.
26 “And you shall not bring an abomination into your house and become devoted to destruction like it; you shall utterly detest it, and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction. (Deuteronomy 7:25–26, LSB)
NT:22 If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. (1 Corinthians 16:22, LSB)
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed!
9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is proclaiming to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed! (Galatians 1:8–9, LSB)
“accursed” means to be dedicated, fixed, to be destroyed by God or man.
Some in Corinth, true to their pagan ideals, were twisting the death of Christ into a punishment on Christ for something.
They were attempting to say that Jesus was the object of God’s destruction.
This would likely be an esoteric, higher-information, mystical ideal that only the initiated and elevated understand. 9
It is possible that this outburst would be related to the eating of the Lord’s Supper in which people, at the meal, would get drunk and exercise a kind of Bachaean (“Dionysian”)response to Christ.“Roman culture alternately denounced and endorsed the characteristic rituals of Bacchant worshipers, which could include drunken behavior coupled with (gross immoral behavior) and violent outbursts in which animals were ripped apart by hand. Although such practices and rituals were meant to be performed in secrecy, the rituals of Dionysus-worshipers were well-known. Such disorderly conduct on the part of the Bacchants led the Roman Senate to place strict laws on the cult in 186 bc, an event known as the Bacchanalian affair and recorded by Livy (Lipka, Roman Gods, 112). Jews who abided by the Jewish law would have abhorred the rituals and practices of Dionysus. However, the development of a Graeco-Roman population within Israel led to the presence of Dionysus worship and mosaics depicting him in the Levant.”10
The likelihood is that the people who were:- Getting drunk at the Lord’s Supper
- Elevating their ideas of teachers over others
- Introducing false doctrines such as rejecting the resurrection
- Enticing believers into pagan temples and meat markets
- Separating have’s and have-nots at the meeting of the church
- Celebrating incest in the church
- Refusing to exhibit church discipline
They would take from Poseidon, Dionysius, Artemis/Diana, practices and put them into the practice of the church.
These people valued losing self-control and letting themselves go into whatever their drunken imagination would conjure up.
THIS is NOT the Holy Spirit!
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried•;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our peace fell upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
6 All of us like •sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But Yahweh has caused •the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like •a lamb that is led to •slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth. (Isaiah 53:4–7, LSB)
No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit
To exclaim this, is to demonstrate that that preacher is possessed by the Holy Spirit.
To say Jesus is Lord is to conclude that He is Master over all things and people.
“κύριος is the one who can dispose of something or someone, δεσπότης the one who owns something or someone. This shows how the terms both intersect and diverge. The more popular the speech, and the nearer the time of the NT, the more κύριος replaces δεσπότης.”11
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation. (Romans 10:8–10, LSB)
Conclusion
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not like the exercise of normal, human abilities of ecstatic behavior.
- 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 ↩
- G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922), 6. ↩
- G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922), 303. ↩
- Ibid, 311 ↩
- G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922), 93–94. ↩
- G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922), 93–94. ↩
- “The verb “to come together,” a recurring term since 11:17, reminds that Paul’s focus is on the corporate gathering of the church for worship. The use of the term “each one” recalls earlier statements, such as the manifestation of the Spirit given “to each one” (12:7–11) and God placing “each” member in the body just as he pleased (12:18). Thus, just as Paul emphasized the “one” and the “many” in 12:12–27, there is the juxtaposition of the corporate “you” (plural) and “each one” (singular) in 14:26.”
Mark Taylor, 1 Corinthians, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, vol. 28, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2014), 348. ↩ - G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922), 29. ↩
- “Fifty years later, those who denied that they were Christians were required to blaspheme Christ: this was the crucial test.”
Archibald Robertson and Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, International Critical Commentary (New York: T&T Clark, 1911), 261. ↩ - Tommas Pace, “Dionysus,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). ↩
- Werner Foerster and Gottfried Quell, “Κύριος, Κυρία, Κυριακός, Κυριότης, Κυριεύω, Κατακυριεύω,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 1045. ↩
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