THE SPIRITUALS

the church. In writing to the Corinthian Church, Paul set forth the interrelation-

ships between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the operation of the

church:

Now concerning spiritual gifts [pneumatikos], brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts [charismata], but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations [diakonia], but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations [energema], but it is the same God which worketh all in all (1 Cor. 12:1-6).

Paul continually emphasizes the fact that he wants the church to understand

the things of God. In the beginning of his discussion concerning the operation of

the Spirit, he says, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you

ignorant." The word translated "spiritual gifts" is "pneumatikos"--an adjective.

Therefore, we must find the noun or nouns which the adjective modifies. In the

following verses Paul mentions three spirituals--gifts, ministries, and operations.

Therefore, we may say that Paul does not wish us to be ignorant concerning the

gifts of the Spirit, the ministry gifts of Christ, or the operations of God.

In this scripture passage, Paul makes a most important statement when he

declares that we serve a God who speaks by His Spirit. He tells the Corinthians

that at one time they were Gentiles carried away unto "dumb" idols--gods who

could not speak, but now they serve a God who speaks to and through them by

His Spirit. The Christian serves a God who speaks to him and through him by His

Spirit. There are those who argue that God does not speak to men today. Paul's

answer is that if we serve a god who does not speak, we must be led away unto a

"dumb idol." He also declares that no man can say that Jesus is "accursed" if he

speaks by the Spirit of God, and it is only if one speaks by the Spirit that he can

truly say that "Jesus is Lord." The Christian serves a God who speaks; He speaks

to His people through His people by the Holy Spirit. This is the emphasis of the

following chapters of the Corinthian letter, since all of the gifts of God are primar-

ily actualized by men or women speaking by the Spirit. We speak a word of

wisdom, we speak a word of knowledge, we speak a word of faith, we speak a

healing, we speak a miracle, we speak a prophecy, we speak in tongues, we

speak an interpretation--we speak these things by the Holy Spirit.

Also, Paul discusses the interrelationship of the Trinity--Father, Son, and

Holy Spirit--in the work of the church. He points out that there are diversities of

spiritual gifts, but the Holy Spirit manifests each of them; there are diversities of

ministries, but the Lord Jesus Christ sets each of them in the church; there are

diversities of operations, but God energizes each operation in each individual in

each situation. Therefore, there can be no conflict in the manifestation of spiritual

gifts or the operation of the ministry gifts because God oversees and energizes the

entire work of the church. God is not the author of confusion.